Curiosities of ancient Rome (Society)
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Roman women were educated
In ancient Rome, it was appropriate for a woman in upper and middle social classes to be able to read and write. Sometimes the family invested in girls even more and provided private Greek or grammar classes. However, this science ... Read more
Breastfeeding in Roman times
The rich Roman matrons did not breastfeed their children. For these purposes, slaves or freedmen were usually used. Soranus – Greek philosopher and doctor from the 2nd century CE – in his work De arte obsterica morbisque mulierum he confirmed ... Read more
Structure of Roman family
A typical Roman familia consisted of all family members and their slaves slaves. To put it in legal matters, everyone who was subject to the legal control of the head of the house belonged to the family – paterfamilias. Literally ... Read more
Brushing teeth in Roman times was routine
Brushing teeth in Roman times was an inseparable element of personal hygiene. However, modern people would not use the substances used by the Romans. They believed, for example, that hard ingredients allowed teeth to maintain strength – for this purpose, ... Read more
Subligaculum – Roman underwear
Subligaculum was underwear, worn e.g. under a toga, which was formed by a linen loincloth. Both men and women wrapped in a belt of material around the waist to cover intimate places. This type of clothing was worn especially by ... Read more
Did Romans wear rings as sign of love?
In the Roman world, there was no distinction between the wedding ring and the engagement ring. Roman on the occasion of the wedding was donating a ring to his chosen woman. However, this was not proof of love, but rather ... Read more
Entering the world of adult Romans
The ritual of maturing a young Roman consisted of shaving a beard and removing his bulla, an amulet worn to protect him from evil spirits. The young man dedicated a bull to the house deities, Lares. Then he founded a ... Read more
How did ancient Romans dress in cold climate?
There is a widespread – mistaken – belief that the ancient Romans always wore sandals and dressed in tunics to withstand the warm climate in the Mediterranean. It must be remembered, however, that Roman legions conquered also Gaul, Germania or ... Read more
Status of Roman woman
Woman in ancient Rome certainly had much more free life than in Greece. For example, during the classical period (up to 323 BCE), Greek women not only did not have civil rights, but they were also under the rule of ... Read more
Roman toys
Roman toys that children played with were called crepundia. There were popular rag, clay or wax dolls, wooden horses on wheels. Naturally, the children also had their plays – however there are no records in the sources. Perhaps, however, there ... Read more
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