Roman statue showing young judge
Roman statue showing a young judge. Object dated to the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th century CE. The object is located in Centrale Montemartini in Rome.
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Curiosities of ancient Rome
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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Statue showing Marcus Junius Brutus
Roman statue showing, perhaps, Marcus Junius Brutus. Object dated to .30 of the 1st century BCE. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Extinct profession in ancient Rome – hair puller
It may come as a surprise, but the profession of a hair puller really existed and was very often performed in Rome. The extractor performed its work both under the armpits and in intimate places for women and men
Vestal virgins and their service
Vestal virgins (Virgines Vestales) were virgins who guarded the sacred fire goddess Vesta (goddess of the hearth and state) in the temple at Forum Romanum. The superior of the Vestals was Virgo Vestalis Maxima, the oldest Vestal, and their religious guardianship was exercised by Pontifex Maximus. He also selected the girls for the ministry.
Lugii – ancestors of Poles?
Lugii/Longiones were a people of not entirely clear origin, just before BCE and in the first centuries CE they inhabited the upper basin of the Oder and Vistula rivers, i.e. the area of today’s southern and central Poland.
Roman bust showing man
Roman bust showing a man. Object dated to the reign of Octavian Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE); it is a copy of an original from the middle of the 2nd century BCE. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Augustus’ phrases
Octavian Augustus used some characteristic phrases: instead of “stupid”, he used “dumb”; to describe the speed of acting, he used the phrase “faster than asparagus cooks”; instead of saying “crazy”, he used “mad in the head”.
Sculpture showing walking Satyr
Roman sculpture showing a walking Satyr, a mythological creature who was supposed to accompany Dionysus (Bacchus) in the retinue. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
What was legislative process in Roman Republic?
Roman Senate was an important office during the time of the Roman Republic, which decided on Roman laws. As the plebeians gradually won more democratic governments (moving away from the oligarchy), a typical legislative process in the Roman state emerged.
