Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)
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First libraries in world
The first libraries in the world began to be created in Mesopotamia and Egypt; one of the first and most famous Greek libraries were created at the courts of tyrants – Polycrates on the island of Samos and Peisistratos in ... Read more
What was fashionable in the 2nd century BCE in Rome?
In the 2nd century BCE three people lived in Rome who promoted a lifestyle based on bathing, drinking a falern (tart and strong wine produced in Campania) and eating oysters from Lake Lucrinum in Campania. They were Sergius Orata, a ... Read more
Roman students wrote on wax tablets
Roman students practised writing on wax tablets using a sharp stylus. They could then wipe out the wax and use the tablet again. Such tablets were also very popular in Greece and the Middle East. They were widely used in ... Read more
Justinian I the Great and silk
Justinian the Great and silk, or the story of how two smuggling monks became national heroes. In 540, the Second Persian War broke out, which directly affected the interruption of silk imports from Persia. Silk, in the days of Justinian ... Read more
Greek entertainment in Rome
Roman authors note that Greek entertainment did not begin to appear in Rome until 186 BCE, when the aristocrat Marcus Fulvius brought Greek athletes, who nude presented boxing, wrestling and pentathlon widespread in Greece. Lucius Anicius followed in the footsteps ... Read more
Vain Cicero
To this day Cicero appears to us as a model of an ideal politician, lawyer and speaker, standing up for his homeland and his clients. Detection of the Catilinarian conspiracy in the late 60s of 1st century BCE brought Cicero ... Read more
Domitian’s hunter
Emperor Domitian (51-96 CE) was known for locking himself in his office and doing nothing else but catching flies and piercing them with sharp stylus. When one day the question was asked whether there was anyone at the emperor, Vibius ... Read more
Dangers in Roman toilets
Ancient Rome appears to us as one of the civilizations that became famous for achievements in the field of sewage and hygiene. However, despite the presence of sewers and public toilets, there was some fear among the Romans when they ... Read more
The only survived speech of emperor to soldiers
There is only one speech of the emperor to the soldiers which survived to our times (so-called adlocutio). Its author is the emperor Hadrian, who gave it in the summer of 128 CE in Lambaesis, in present-day Algeria. At that ... Read more
Umbrella in Roman times
The umbrella is not an innovation of modern times. Already in ancient Greece and Rome umbrellas-like items were used. In Rome they were called umbraculum. Umbraculum was made of leather and was used by women who wanted to protect themselves ... Read more
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