Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)
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Could Augustus have had penchant for young girls?
Octavian Augustus (63 BCE – 14 CE) like virtually every famous personage, and even more so the ruler had to reckon with numerous rumours about himself. One of them was allegedly the emperor’s adoration of deflowering virgins, whom Livia was ... Read more
Caesar with hair?
Really the nickname Caesar, actually caesar derives from the word caesaries, meaning shag, long hair. So Caesar, Caesar, it’s kind of “shaggy”. According to Scriptores Historiae Augustae, the Phoenician word means “elephant,” because Caesar’s ancestor killed an elephant on the ... Read more
Roman medicine was of high standard
Roman medicine had its high level, especially in the legions. Celsus, a Roman scholar in the 1st century CE, claims that military doctors knew human anatomy much better than their colleagues in private practice. The task of the camp doctor ... Read more
Roman absolutism
From the end of the 3rd century CE, the emperor ceased to be princeps to become “domine” – dominat. We owe the new type of government to Diocletian, who ruled from 284 to 305 CE. The emperor was now omnipotent, ... Read more
Pangiallo – yellow bread
In the Latium region to this day, one of the typical Christmas cakes is the so-called yellow bread – pangiallo. Its roots go back to the era of the Roman Empire. Back then, pieces of that golden dough, dipped in ... Read more
Pine was sacred tree
Pine (Pinus pinea) has been a sacred tree in the Apennine Peninsula since the Punic Wars (well before the advent of our era). A frequent element of the landscape, it was a symbol of eternity. It symbolized immortality, and its ... Read more
What did Chinese call Roman Empire?
Daqin (literally “Great Qin”) was the historic name for the Roman Empire in China. This name comes from the Chinese dynasty founded by Qin Shihuangdi, which ruled the Qin state. This ruler was also the first emperor of a united ... Read more
Fear of death
Roman citizen Caecina Petus was involved in a plot (42 CE) against Emperor Claudius. Sentenced to death by the emperor, he was to take his own life. He hesitated, however, and could not dare to deal himself a fatal blow. ... Read more
Hadrian and his villa
Emperor Hadrian (reigning in the years 117-138 CE) became famous as one of the so-called “five good emperors”. His reign was a period of stabilization and order in the country, which did not wage serious conflicts and gave up conquests. ... Read more
Gladiator training costs
The costs of training the gladiator were very high – in the order of tens of thousands of sesterces. Hardly any school would allow itself, colloquially speaking, in a “shambles” in which many students would lose their lives. In addition, ... Read more
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