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Home » Curiosities

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.

Pugilatio – bloody sport of antiquity

Probably everyone who was in Rome and visited the Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme museum drew attention to the famous “Qurinal boxer” – a bronze sculpture found near the ruins of the Baths of Constantine. A naked, muscular man in a sitting position looks to the side, slightly up. The more attentive would have noticed deep, bloody wounds on his body.

22 June 2023

Ancient sculpture of a boxer from Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme

Boy holding hare

Roman sculpture that once adorned the fountain. The object shows a boy holding a hare. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. The sculpture is dated to the mid-1st century CE; it was discovered in Pompeii.

21 June 2023

Boy holding hare

Roman bust of man

Roman bust of a man. An object dating back to the 1st century CE, which is a copy of a sculpture from the 1st century BCE. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

20 June 2023

Roman bust of man

Roman silver mirror

Roman silver mirror that was found in the House of Menander in Pompeii. The object is dated to the mid-1st century CE. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

20 June 2023

Roman silver mirror

Roman military frying pan

Roman military frying pan with foldable handle for easy storage and portability. The object was made of iron and was used by a soldier to cook meals. The object is located at the National Legion Museum in Caerleon (Wales).

18 June 2023

Roman military frying pan

Amazon on horseback

Roman bronze sculpture showing an Amazon on horseback. Object dated to the mid-1st century CE. Discovered in Herculaneum; it is now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

17 June 2023

Amazon on horseback

Shops of ancient Romans

What is a store and what is done in it probably everyone knows. It may come as a surprise to some that shops already existed in ancient Rome.

15 June 2023

Trajan's halls in Rome

Travel cart

It may come as a surprise to many that the Romans ran cart rentals, but it’s true!¹

14 June 2023

Reconstruction of a Roman carriage, Romano-Germanic Museum, Cologne

Roman fresco showing priest of Egyptian goddess Isis

Roman fresco showing a priest of the Egyptian goddess Isis reading from papyrus. The object was discovered in the temple of Isis in Pompeii; dated to the 1st century CE.

13 June 2023

Roman fresco showing priest of Egyptian goddess Isis

Galen and mental problems

Galen was a Roman physician of Greek descent who lived in the 2nd century CE. He was considered in his time to be a great expert in human anatomy and a physician. Interestingly, he also dealt with mental health disorders.

11 June 2023

Galen

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