Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

Ancient Romans knew that if a society was to be economically viable, it had to be well fed. Therefore, there was a social welfare system that guaranteed the distribution or sale of grain at reduced prices (the so-called frumentationes).

Ancient Romans often mentioned in their works the mysterious islands that were located far in the ocean and at the very end of the world. Names like Fortunatae (Canary Islands), Taprobane (Ceylon) and Hibernia (Ireland) appear.

Roman actors had a bad reputation, and their morals often faced the humble and decadent lifestyle of society. Most often, the actors were slaves or freedmen from the East, due to the fact that Roman law did not see any performances of Roman citizens on the stage.

Rudis was a wooden sword used by legionaries during their exercises. It was usually heavier than the normal sword used in combat. In this way, the legionary acquired the ease of using gladius.

Hanno was a high Carthaginian admiral who lived in the 6th or 5th centuries BCE and who commanded a sea expedition that passed through the “Pillars of Heracles” (Strait of Gibraltar) and sailed along the coast of West Africa. We know about the expedition thanks to two copies of periplus¹, preserved in Greek.

The philosopher Seneca the Younger was one of those Romans who condemned public executions and lamented the influence they had had. they are on viewers. Ironically, it was his pupil, Nero, who became famous for his immoderate cruelty, which also manifested itself in his practice of throwing Christians to lions to eat.

Pomerium or pomoerium (literally “beyond the mountains”) was a line of a sacred character delimiting the boundaries of the city of Rome. In legal terms, Rome functioned as an institution only within these borders, beyond which there were simply lands (ager) belonging to Rome.

The performances in the Roman Arena were terrifying that the victims led to death resorted to any way to take your own life sooner. Seneca the Younger describes the case of a German who – under the pretext of having a bowel movement in a void – put a stick in his throat to cleanse feces.

The custom of vomiting (by skilfully manipulating a feather or a slave’s finger) during Roman feasts, although mentioned in various sources, almost always applies to only a few Roman emperors (Vitellius, Claudius, Nero; the latter helped himself with enemas); the other thing is that we know less about the figures of the lower class – few of them have their own biographies.