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The world of the ancient Romans was rich in extraordinary, and sometimes even surprising, facts. We draw our knowledge of Roman daily life, customs, and mentality primarily from works left by ancient writers and historians. It is thanks to them that we discover information that is astonishing today – sometimes even hard to believe. Below are some interesting facts that reveal a lesser-known and less obvious side of the Roman world.
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Atrium in the so-called Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum. The atrium was a representative room in a Roman house that was intended to stand out and impress visitors. It was the first room after passing through the entrance hall.
Greek influence had a huge impact on Roman culture. In one interesting example, we can see this in the field of art.
Cameo depicting Philemon, a Greek comedy writer who lived in the 4th-3rd centuries BCE. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Roman fresco showing the fight of Hercules with the seven-headed hydra. The object dates back to the 1st century CE; discovered in Pompeii. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
A plaster cast of a young woman who died in Pompeii as a result of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Her hips were wrapped in cloth. The artifact is on display in Pompeii.
Roman fresco showing young Harpocrates, son of Isis and Osiris. The depicted deity approaches the altar, which is entangled by a snake eating sacrifices. Dated to the 1st century CE. The object was discovered in Herculaneum. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Roman bronze and silver sculpture showing Dionysus (Bacchus) and Satyr. The object was discovered in Pompeii and dates back to the mid-1st century CE. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Roman altar of a certain Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus, which was found in the ruins of the Roman defensive walls of Londinium. Thanks to the accounts of the Roman historian Tacitus, we know that the man was the minister of finance in Britain and was sent there by Nero after the fall of Boudica’s rebellion (60-61 CE).
Relief on the wall of one of the Roman houses in Pompeii on Via dell’Abbondanza. The phallus brought good luck and protected against bad luck and black magic.
Mosaic discovered in the ancient Greek city of Zeugma (present-day Turkey). The object is located in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep (southern Türkiye).
