Roman glass cameo
Roman glass cameo that shows the upper half of the goddess Venus Anadyomene (rising from the sea) touching her hair. The artifact is in The British Museum.
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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.
Giant blocks of Baalbek
Baalbek is home to one of the most impressive quarries of antiquity, known primarily for its gigantic stone blocks, such as the “Pregnant Woman Stone” (Hajjar al-Hibla). The largest of these weighs about 1,000 tons and is one of the heaviest worked stones in the world. The Romans used similar blocks to build the monumental Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, one of the largest temple complexes of the empire.
Pyxis – an ancient treasure box
Pyxis is a cylindrical vessel with a lid, used in ancient Greece and Rome to store jewelry, cosmetics, perfumes and even poisons. Initially made of boxwood wood (Greek pyksos – boxwood), with time they began to be created from ceramics, silver, gold, pearl mass, turtle shell or ivory.
Agrippa Postumus
Agrippa Postumus (12 BCE – 14 CE) was born as Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Postumus and was the son of Marcus Agrippa – the famous general of Augustus – and Julia, the daughter of the emperor.
Corinth Channel – ancient plans for great construction
Corinth Channel, which today connects the Ionian Sea with the Aegean Sea, was a construction dream in ancient times. The Corinth Channel is strategically and economically important because it avoids swimming all of the Peloponnese. Moreover, in ancient times, swimming in the Peloponnese was difficult and dangerous due to difficult weather conditions and strong sea currents. According to ancient sources, the plans to build the channel were tried to realize the Romans, who reportedly during the reign of Emperor Nero (54-68 CE), attempted to dig it in 67 CE.
Polybolos – ancient Greek machine gun?
In the world of ancient military, the Greeks and Romans perfected siege art, constructing machines that were awakened by the battlefields. One of the most fascinating inventions of those times was polybolos – a weapon, which can be called the prototype of modern machine guns.
Roman fresco showing Diana
Roman fresco showing Diana, the goddess of hunting, animals and forests. Facility dated half of the first century BCE; discovered in Pompeii. The artifact is located at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples..
Peristyle of House of Menander
Peristyl of the House of Menander in Pompeii is an impressive atrium surrounded by a colonnade, which belonged to one of the richest houses in the city. An interesting fact is that during excavations, over 100 silver vessels hidden in a wooden chest were discovered there – probably the owners tried to protect them against the disaster caused by the outbreak of Vesuvius in 79 CE. The house owes its name to the fresco depicting the Greek playwright Menander, although it is not known if he really had any connection with the owners of the residence.
Pair of finely detailed bronze Murmillo Gladiator brooches
Pair of finely detailed bronze Murmillo Gladiator brooches. The figurines are 5 cm high and show such details as the characteristic murmillo helmet, gladius, scutum and manica (shoulder).
Helmet of Roman legionary
Helmet of a Roman legionary who was discovered in Dacia (current Romania). The building was discovered in 1968 at the Roman camp of legion IV Flavia Felix . The helmet has the cheek covers, a protective roof and neck cover. The artifact is located at the Adamclisi Museum (southeast Romania). Dated to the early second century CE.
