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.

Ancient Romans footwear

Walking barefoot in ancient Rome was frowned upon and testified to the low status of a person. Likewise, neglected and leaky shoes were viewed as evidence of poverty. To a large extent, the Romans adopted…Więcej

Divide and conquer – Romans’ method of conquest

Divide and conquer (divide et impera) is the principle of the conquest and subjugation of peoples by constantly inciting internal conflicts in conquered territories and acting as the mediator of conflicting parties. This method was…Więcej

Roman mosaics popular among wealthy Romans

The preserved remains of Roman mosaics throughout the former Roman Empire are proof that wealthy Romans loved to decorate their homes. The works of art depicted various images: heroes, gods, women, animals, etc. The mosaics…Więcej

“The dice have been cast”

On January 10, 49 BCE Gaius Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in northern Italy and thus started a civil war against Pompey and the Senate. In the days of the Roman Republic, the Rubicon…Więcej

Gemma was popular in Rome

Gemma was a semi-precious or noble stone with the shape of a round or oval plate decorated with relief. Gemmas were popular as ornaments or seals in the Roman Empire. In Rome, probably the first…Więcej

Extravagance of rulers

Some of the Roman rulers tried to emphasize their own uniqueness by serving and eating unusual and unusual dishes. According to the historian Suetonius, the notorious Caligula “drink pearls of great price dissolved in vinegar,…Więcej

Weapons made of Lower Silesia iron could scare the Romans

In the Roman period, Lower Silesia was one of the most dynamically operating metallurgical centres in the Barbaricum. One of the largest metallurgical settlements from this period was discovered in Tarchalice (administrative district of Wołów).…Więcej

Cicero and peas

Cicero, offered a silver cup as an offering, in the inscription, instead of his nickname, Cicero had the first letters of his name and a pea engraved (in Latin cicer means “peas”). This certainly proves…Więcej

End of world according to Romans

Ancient Romans predicted the end of the world twice. Both prophecies were related to a preached myth in which 12 eagles were revealed to Romulus. The first interpretation was that each eagle represented a period…Więcej

Cicero’s family

As it turns out, Cicero – a great Roman orator and lawyer from the 1st century BCE – was a kind of kidding person, even from his immediate family. Marcus Tullius Cicero’s brother, Quintus was…Więcej

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