Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

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Unknown Facts are curiosities revealing little-known, surprising, or rarely discussed information from the world of ancient Rome and antiquity. This category includes unusual details, curiosities, and facts that offer a less obvious perspective on the Roman Empire.

Defrutum and lead problems

Defrutum (or carenum or sapa) is a grape juice (so-called must), which is boiled with spices until it thickens and acquires a sweet taste. The substance prepared in this way served in ancient Rome as…Więcej

Many diseases among poor

More than 90% of the population of Roman Empire came from the rural poor and it was barely making ends meet. The Roman historian Titus Livius mentions a centurion who in the 2nd century BCE.…Więcej

Fashion and jewelry in Rome developed strongly

In ancient Rome, fashion developed more than in Greece. The same was true of jewellery. Precious stones were very popular with the ladies; the most popular were emeralds. A big surprise for modern women may…Więcej

Vibia Perpetua – Christian martyr

Vibia Perpetua lived at the turn of the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE. She came from a wealthy Roman home, and her parents professed various faiths: her father was a pagan, and her mother was…Więcej

Todigubnus – example of local elite ready to cooperate with Romans

Before, during and after the conquest/subjugation of new territories, the Roman state always tried to find local elites who were ready to cooperate with the Romans. Such elites played a kind of link between the…Więcej

Widespread migrations within Roman Empire

Roman Empire was a country extremely open to internal migration; additionally, it relocated troops (especially auxiliary troops) to areas far from their homeland. This is evidenced by the preserved, inter alia, tombstones of soldiers and…Więcej

Silk was popular in Rome

During the reign of Octavian Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE), silk was an extremely popular material. Gaius Petronius refers to him as ventus textilis (“woven wind”). However, this product was extremely expensive and it…Więcej

Incest, adultery or fornication

Under Roman law, sexual intercourse qualified as incest, adultery or fornication (stuprum). This word is often used by Roman writers also in the context of the violation of Roman rights of freedom in relation to…Więcej

Porphyry

Porphyry has been used since ancient times to make sarcophagi, sculptures and a host of other items as well as architectural features. The most widely used type of porphyry was red porphyry, or rather porphyry…Więcej

Assessment of Roman republican system by Polybius

Polybius went down in history as a Greek historian who, after his stay in Roman captivity, came under the protection of the consul Lucius Emilius Paulus, and then took part in more important military operations…Więcej

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