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Curiosities of ancient Rome

The world of ancient Romans abounded in a number of amazing curiosities and information. The source of knowledge about the life of the Romans are mainly works left to us by ancient writers or discoveries. The Romans left behind a lot of strange information and facts that are sometimes hard to believe.

Antinous, Hadrian’s lover

Antinous was a Greek youth from Bithynia (he was born in Claudiopolis – the current city of Bolu, in Turkey), who when was 12 years old was taken in by the court of Hadrian. Emperor Hadrian met him during one of his many journeys and – delighted with his beauty – made him his lover.

Antinous and Hadrian

Voting in ancient Rome

Ovile was a separate space on the Campus Martius in Rome, where votes were cast. The name literally means “sheep’s farm”. Originally, the place to vote was a wooden structure, which in time was replaced by a larger and more prestigious, marble building Saepta Julia.

Sheep

Chamber pots in ancient Rome

Chamber pots in ancient Rome were not designed for both sexes equally. Both men and women had their own versions: the female sex was using scaphium when gentlemen matella. The larger chamber pots on the streets were for men whose urine was then collected and sold. Urine was used by fullones for cleaning fabrics.

Potty pits in ancient Rome

Beautiful gladiator helmet

Roman bronze gladiator helmet featuring the hero Hercules on the front and the defeated Nemeian Lion on the base of the comb. Dated back to 1st – 2nd century CE. Object located in Higgins Armory Museum (USA).

Beautiful gladiator helmet

Roman sculpture from sand

The 7th edition of the International Festival in sculpting in the sand (2009), which taks place every year in Portugal. One of the participants decided to create a sculpture showing Roman soldiers.

Roman sand sculpture

Reconstruction of Roman inkwell and stylus

Reconstruction of the Roman inkwell and the rilca (stilus). The writing instrument was based on a find from Vindolanda, a Roman camp located in Britain, between the rivers Tyne and Solway. The simplest Romans usually wrote on wooden tablets covered with wax. The wooden plates found in Vindolanda are considered the oldest handwriting in Britain.

Reconstruction of a Roman inkwell and stylus

Physical person in ancient Rome

In ancient Rome, as a physical person was considered a person from the moment of a birth, but only when he came into the world alive and his body exhibited the characteristics of naturalness. The sign of a living child was a shout for the Romans; for Sabinian, any signs of life.

Roman relief showing a woman and a child

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