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The world of ancient Romans abounded in a number of amazing curiosities and information. The source of knowledge about the life of the Romans are mainly works left to us by ancient writers or discoveries. The Romans left behind a lot of strange information and facts that are sometimes hard to believe.
As we read in the message Pliny the Elder, the Egyptian Nile River gives birth to large creatures, among whom he lists hippos. According to the Roman researcher, the skin of the animal is very durable and is used to create shields and helmets. However, when the skin is properly soaked, its durability decreases.
Even though at the beginning of the empire, Roman legionaries were not officially allowed to marry, they not only started a family, but they also did not keep it very secret.
The tomb of Alexander the Great was already a cult object and a destination for expeditions in antiquity. To this day, it is not entirely clear where he was. Supposedly, in 48 BCE Julius Caesar visited the tomb in which the body of the great Macedonian leader was buried. Following in his footsteps, following the death of Cleopatra, his adopted son, Gaius Octavian followed. The chroniclers mention that he placed a bouquet of flowers on the conqueror’s grave and ordered a golden tiara to be placed over his head.
Publishers of Roman books tried to prevent their private copying by “throwing to the market” multiple copies at once. It wasn’t just about the competition, but more about keeping the text correct.
There was also a post office in ancient Rome. It was called cursus publicus (“the way of the states”) and was a state post office, resulting from the territorial development of the Empire that required efficient communication and administration.
