Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

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).

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.

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 were closed, except for those responsible for supervising the liberation of enslaved people.

The ordinance changed the week’s length (until now there was an 8-day week, the so-called nundinae) and sanctioned the Christian custom of celebrating the first day of the week (Sunday).

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.

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 new provinces in Armenia and Mesopotamia. Unexpectedly, however, during this time, there was a massive earthquake.

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.

Outside the cities, the Romans did not build any public toilets, so travellers in need went to the bushes. On one of the ancient Roman tombstones near Rome, there is an interesting inscription:

In Rome, the number 17 was considered an unlucky number. Anagram of this number written in Roman signs – XVII, forms the word VIXI, which in Latin means “I lived”. Until today, buildings in Italy do not have the 17th floor or room numbered.

Morbid obesity, considered a modern “epidemic”, also occurred naturally in ancient Rome. Galen, a Roman physician of Greek origin from the 2nd century CE, undertook the treatment of obesity.