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.

What did gladiators eat?

Subsequent fights and constant effort required the gladiator’s body to receive the right amount of food with the right nutritional values. We know about what ancient gladiators ate thanks to discoveries from Turkey and ancient…Więcej

Plan of Roman house

The plan shows a typical Roman house (domus) in ancient Rome. Obviously, the number of rooms and the structure changed, depending on the times and wealth of the host; nevertheless, the layout and location of…Więcej

What did word “brutus” mean?

The word “brutus” literally means “dumb”. It came from Lucius Junius Brutus – known as the freedman of Rome, the first consul who expelled Tarquinius Superbus (the last Roman king). He was pretended to be…Więcej

Ludus duodecim scriptorum – Roman game

The Roman game ludus duodecim scriptorum (also called XII scripta) was a board game with 3 rows, each with 12 markings. To this day, no one knows how the game was played. This game was…Więcej

Pronunciation of “Veni, vidi vici!”

Julius Caesar said “Veni, vidi vici!”. However, the pronunciation of Latin in ancient Rome has little to do with medieval, later and modern pronunciation. Currently, these words are quoted by pronunciation [vainy veedy veechy]. The…Więcej

Thermopolium – antique street bar

Thermopolium was an antique street bar that literally means “the place where you sell (something) warm”. This type of place was popular in Greek or Roman cities among the poor who could not afford their…Więcej

“Secret Cabinet” – collection of erotic Roman objects

Secret Museum or Secret Cabinet (Gabinetto Segreto) are terms referring to the collection of erotic and sexual objects found in Pompeii and Herculaneum, which is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy. The…Więcej

Roman amber

Ancient Romans called amber as lyncurium (other names are lyngurium or ligurium), meaning “lynx urine” because according to the beliefs, the golden object was created from the petrified urine of this predator (apparently the best…Więcej

Where did the division of the week into 7 days come from?

Where did the division of the week into 7 days come from? Most people would point out the Bible and the process of creating the world written there. However, it is not so certain that…Więcej

Cicero’s opinion on the oratorical skills of Sertorius

Marcus Tullius Cicero in his work “Brutus” describes many great Roman orators. His opinions are extremely valuable for historians and researchers because they allow them to explore the era and events of that period. One…Więcej

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