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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.
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 symbolizing Baal (most likely a piece of a meteorite; Herodian mentions that it “fell from heaven”) and made sacrifices before him, killing sheep and cows with his own hands.
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.
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 that Christianity became a state religion that began to have an increasing influence on the centre of power. The fall of Rome in 476 CE and the return of the insignia of power to Constantinople meant that the continuity of the Roman state was based only on the emperors from the east.
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).
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.
