Roman fresco showing animal carcasses
Roman fresco showing the carcasses of animals: a chicken, a hare and a partridge. The object was discovered in Herculaneum. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
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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.
Engraved portrait of Roman man
Engraved portrait of a Roman man (possibly Caracalla) on sapphire. The object dates back to the 3rd century CE. The artifact is located in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore (USA).
Roman sculpture of panther
Made of granite, a Roman sculpture of a panther. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Father sacrifices his daughter’s life…
Ancient times were cruel. The stories recorded in Greek and Roman myths echo the helplessness of people in the face of their surroundings, and the fear of the judgments of the gods symbolizes human weakness in the face of powerful but incomprehensible forces of nature and blind fate. He tests everyone – the rich and the poor, the honest and the deceitful, the virtuous and the dissolute, the humble and the proud. From here it is only a step to the feeling of lack of any agency and simple submission to fate. Especially when the gods put people in an impossible situation…
Unfinished Roman sculpture
Unfinished Roman sculpture from the 2nd century CE. The object depicts a naked male figure. For unknown reasons, the sculptor did not finish his work. The artifact was discovered in Veria, Macedonia.
Roman sculpture depicting Apollo
Roman sculpture showing Apollo seated with a lyre. The object was made of porphyry. Dated to the 2nd century CE. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Roman coin showing citizen casting vote in election
Roman coin showing a citizen casting a vote in an election. The denarius is dated to 60 BCE. According to lex gabinia tablaria, established in 139 BCE, citizens voted using tablets that were placed in ballot boxes.
Cameo showing Hercules fighting Lion of Nemea
Cameo showing Hercules fighting the Lion of Nemea. His skin was so hard that no blade could pierce him and he could only be killed by suffocation. According to mythology, killing a lion and bringing its skin was the first of Hercules’ twelve labors. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Roman fresco showing mask of Zeus Ammon
Roman fresco showing the mask of Zeus Ammon, a Greco-Egyptian deity combining the features of the Egyptian god Amun and the Greek Zeus. His image was often depicted with ram’s horns. The object was discovered in Stabiae in Ariadne’s villa. Dated to the 1st century CE. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Two-headed Rome – about Roman consuls and their election
During the Republic, consuls were the highest state officials elected by a popular assembly called centurial committees (comitia centuriata). The election of consuls was the most important day in the Roman political calendar. When the empire later came, the office of consul became an honorary title, and centurial commissions died out. How did this happen?
