Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)
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Cabbage goo – drug of Cato
Cato the Elder, author of the work De agri cultura, recommended the use of cabbage to compress wounds, swelling, burns and even bone dislocations. In turn, for arthritis, he recommended chopped, raw cabbage mixed with coriander and cured cabbage mixed ... Read more
Black stone from Emessa
Elagabalus was less than fourteen years old when he ascended the throne on May 16, 218 CE. Lost, he sought support from a god – El Gabal, whom he had served until recently. He brought from Emessa the black stone ... Read more
Via Salaria – Roman road
Via Salaria (literally “the salt road”) is one of the oldest roads in Italy and is even older than the Eternal City itself. The 242 km long road connected the capital of the Empire with the Adriatic Sea. Via Salaria ... Read more
Why do we learn so little about Byzantine history at school?
The Byzantine Empire was a continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire, which was created as part of the division of the Roman Empire in 395 CE, on the initiative of Emperor Theodosius I. It was also thanks to this ruler ... Read more
Roman duralex
Behind Emperor Tiberius, the “duralex“, non-fading glass was invented. Flexible glass (vitrum flexile) is a legendary, forgotten discovery that was lost during the reign of Emperor Tiberius (14-37 CE). According to a message from Isidore of Seville, the craftsman who ... Read more
Water from Roman aqueducts was stolen
The running water that was provided by Roman aqueducts was very welcome. Often, however, not everyone was able to draw water directly from the aqueduct and had to go, among others, to public fountains. Sextus Julius Frontyn – Roman engineer ... Read more
Sunday is day off from work
On March 3, 321 CE Roman Emperor Constantine the Great issued an edict which instituted Sunday (dies Solis, meaning “the day of the sun”) a day off from work in crafts and trade but did not prohibit agricultural work. Offices ... Read more
Roman women went to baths on April 1
On the first day of April, Veneralia was celebrated in Rome in honour of Venus Verticordia and Fortuna Virilis. Then the women went to public baths and took baths. After the bath, the statue and praying women were sprinkled with ... Read more
Tragic earthquake in Antioch in 115 CE
At the end of 115 CE, Emperor Trajan travelled to Antioch, which he had chosen as his headquarters during an operational break in the Roman-Parth War. He was to devote this time to recuperation and overseeing the process of creating ... Read more
“Inventions have reached their limit long time ago …”
Sextus Julius Frontinus, one of the most outstanding Roman senators and engineers of the 1st century CE was supposed to say: Inventions reached their limit long ago, and I see no hope for further development. Sextus lived in the years ... Read more
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