Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)
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How far did Romans go – Roman territorial gains and expeditions deep into Africa
The map showing the greatest territorial extent of the Roman Empire is well known, as is the history of the Roman legion in China. But how far south did the Romans travel on their African expeditions? It turns out that ... Read more
Julian the Apostate against bureaucracy
The Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate, despite his brief reign (361-363 CE), contributed more to internal reform than any late- roman emperor. One of his decisions was to curb the bureaucracy and to reform the palace service, which was excessively ... Read more
Caesar’s reforms and map of contemporary Europe
Gaius Julius Caesar introduced many reforms, the effects of which are still felt today. Many people will think of the calendar at this point, but no less important was the decision to grant citizenship to the inhabitants of Pre-Alpine Gaul. ... Read more
“Asiatic Vespers” – ancient genocide
As Italy’s last points of resistance were dying out in the war against allies, and Rome was calming down after the recent civil war, the king of Pontus, Mithridates VI Eupator, thrust a knife into the back of the Empire, ... Read more
Quintessence of apotheosis of Roman emperors – most significant visualization of power of Roman Empire right next to triumph
Paul Zanker in his book “Apoteoza cesarzy rzymskich. Rytuał i przestrzeń miejska” accurately describes the ritual of apotheosis, also known as consecratio. At the same time, he comes to interesting general conclusions, comparing the apotheosis with contemporary mass events, such ... Read more
To whom did the villa known as Villa Farnesina belong?
In 1897, in Rome, on the right bank of the Tiber, the remains of a magnificent Roman villa were found. As it soon turned out, its perfect condition and decorations surpassed the beauty of the already known houses in Pompeii, ... Read more
Oak in the culture of the ancient Romans
On the occasion of the ongoing Olympic Games, it is worth mentioning that the plant that is directly associated with the everyday life of ancient Romans is the noble laurel (Laurus nobilis). The image of the winner of the Olympics ... Read more
Shakespeare and Caesar
William Shakespeare, the famous English playwright, known to schoolchildren mainly as the creator of Hamlet and Macbeth, wrote many plays about the lives of historical figures, mainly of the old English kings. Among his works, however, there are also some ... Read more
About marital fidelity
There are many examples of marital fidelity in ancient Rome. Often, when one of the parties died, the other often took her own life in a gesture of despair. Plutarch and Pliny provide an anecdote about Tiberius Gracchus (the famous ... Read more
Ancient stele of Seikilos and oldest surviving musical composition in world
Ancient stele funded by Seikilos, discovered at Aydın, near Ephesus, in the west of Turkey. The object is an extremely unique find, as it has the oldest musical composition in the world. The artifact is dated between 2nd BCE and ... Read more
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