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.

Capitoline Agon and Albanian Agon

The Capitoline and Albanian Agon were competitions, first of all, poetry. The very word agon translated from the Greek (ἀγών) means competition, competition. Their tradition referred to Greek culture and the local sports and literary…Więcej

Elephants are afraid of pigs

The 1st-century Roman historian, Pliny the Elder and Claudius Aelianus, a 2nd-century writer, describe that one of the best defences against elephants was pigs. Their smell made the animals panic. This, in turn, meant a…Więcej

Gauls were Rome’s great enemies from north

Gauls were Rome’s great northern enemies many years before Gaul was conquered by Julius Caesar. In the 4th century BCE, they conquered and plundered Rome, which was a trauma and a humiliation for the Romans.…Więcej

“Miniature gardens” of Romans

Vegetation and love of greenery were known to ancient peoples, especially the Greeks and Romans. The Romans, as a typically agricultural people, referred to nature and appreciated the presence of plants in their surroundings. According…Więcej

Clivus Capitolinus

Clivus Capitolinus (“Capitoline Ascension”) road was the main road to the Roman Capitol. The road continued Via Sacra and stretched from the Forum Romanum to the Temple of Jupiter the Greatest. Clivus Capitolinus was the…Więcej

Ancient abortion measures

In antiquity, salt, resin, honey and mouse droppings were considered abortives. At the Queen’s court, Cleopatra VII also used extracts of white poplar, juniper berries and fennel. Interestingly, modern medicine has confirmed the strong contraceptive…Więcej

Methods of counting time by Romans

Ancient Romans used two methods to count the past years. Either (1) AUC (ab urbe condita – “from the founding of the City”, i.e. 753 BCE) or (2) by referring to the year when the…Więcej

Laughter in ancient Rome

Laughter in ancient Rome could be met in religious rituals (ritual laughter). The combination of laughter with sacrum was seen in many peoples. He performed at the ancient Romans during Lupercalia, agrarian (Liberaria) festivals, Consualia…Więcej

Images on Roman coins

The decline of the Roman republic changed the iconography of coins. During the reign of Julius Caesar, he first appeared in 44 BCE on the Roman coin as an image of a living man –…Więcej

Sarcophagus – where did name come from?

The sarcophagi were created in order to be able to hide the bodies in stone coffins that could stand on the surface of the earth. In this way, it was possible to save space on…Więcej

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