Roman ram with rider with bells attached to it
Roman ram with rider with bells attached to it. The object comes from Pompeii. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in 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.
Golden milestone (Milliarium Aureum)
Emperor Octavian Augustus loved order in his country. For this purpose, he commissioned the construction of the so-called “golden milestone” (Milliarium Aureum) near the Temple of Saturn in the central part of the Roman Forum. Today’s researchers believe that the stone could have been a list of the most important cities of the Empire with the distance to them.
Rapist did not have easy life
In ancient Rome, a rapist had his testicles crushed with two stones. In ancient Rome, rape – unless it was committed by the rulers – was punished severely. The victim was given a hammer and a stick, and with the help of these devices, it could beat his tormentor at will. The punishment for rape ended with particular cruelty at the hands of the executioner, who strangled the already beaten rapist with his own hands. Emperor Macrinus, for the rape of a maidservant by two soldiers, applied an unprecedented punishment to them: he ordered the criminals to be sewn into the ripped bellies of the bulls so that only their heads stick out.
Why did Romans use “crooked” dice to play?
Two researchers of ancient items believe they may have solved the mystery of why people living during the Roman Empire used “crooked” dice in their games. In their article published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, Jelmer Eerkens and Alex de Voogt describe their research on bones.
Roman fresco showing sexual act
Roman fresco showing a sexual act. Object dated to the 1st century CE; possibly found in Villa Arianna in Stabiae. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Great fratricidal fight
Period of civil wars of the 1st century BCE was a time of a great fratricidal struggle between the very citizens of Rome. As Marcus Favonius, Cato’s friend, noted: “Civil war was worse than the most illegal monarchy”1.
Roman relief with phallus
Roman relief with a phallus and the inscription “hic habitat felicitas”, meaning “happiness lives here”. The object was located above the entrance to the bakery in Pompeii. Artifact dated to the 1st century CE and is in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Roman camp – work of soldier
Roman camp (castrum Romanum) was characterized by excellent workmanship. It was built of wood, and the work force was legionnaires. It should be noted that the Romans were characterized by excellent building skills.
Bust showing young Caracalla
Bust showing the young Caracalla (188-217 CE), who was the Roman emperor reigning in the years 211-217 CE. Supported by praetorians and part of the army, he became famous for his cruelty and bloody spectacles. Caracalla was the son of Emperor Septimius Severus and brother Geta. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Bellum sociale
War of the allies (so-called bellum sociale) fought in 90-88 BCE was a conflict between the Roman Republic and its Italian allies (socii). For years, the policy of “divide and conquer” allowed to keep many cities and peoples of Italy under the rule. The controversial death of the people’s tribune, Marcus Livius Drusus, who pushed for, among other things, the granting of civil rights to all free inhabitants of Italy, as well as the division of all public lands, caused a violent outbreak of rebellious Italian tribes.
