Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

Caligula, known for his madness and unreasonable rule, was the third emperor of Rome. We know about his pranks and unbelievable ideas thanks to the account of historians for whom he appeared to be a tyrant and opponent of the senate.

The ancient Romans also divided the day into 24 hours. However, with the difference that it was always 12 hours a day and 12 hours a night, regardless of the time of year and the actual length of the day.

The political career in ancient Rome followed a strictly defined pattern, the so-called Cursus honorum. The first stage was a 10-year military service in the Roman legions or alongside the general who was a relative or friend of the family.

The office of the high priest of Rome “Pontifex Maximus” offered great opportunities. One of the functions was taking care of the calendar, which involved, for example, setting the next month. This explains why in 46 BCE the calendar December was in September. Influencing the calendar was to even shorten or extend the duration of the term of office of other officials.

Interesting items related to the private life of legionaries were found in one of the military camps in the north of Britain. Well, one of them was the shopping list, which included coat, probably needed to survive in the cold northern conditions by the “southerner”.

The word “barbarian” comes from the Latin word barbarus, which means “foreigner.” The ancient Roman felt that anyone who was not Roman was a barbarian.

Evil and greedy financiers, using the “gray man” for his own enrichment, are not just a “product” of our time. Already in republican Rome there were people operating in the financial and banking sphere, basing on usury.

The governors of the Roman provinces had such power that they could use the subordinated territory in an absolute way. This situation took place practically throughout the entire period of the existence of the Roman state, but we have extensive knowledge especially about the first century BCE. Rarely then, there was a fair and reasonable administrator, the example of Cicero.

Childbirth in ancient times was a huge threat not only to the child, but also to the woman giving birth. Lack of proper sanitary conditions, infections or simply the lack of proper knowledge meant that childbirth was one of the most dangerous moments in a woman’s life.

Venatio (plural venationes), literally “hunting”, it was a form of entertainment organized in Roman amphitheaters consisting of hunting and killing wild animals. Wild predators were brought to Rome from the depths of the Roman Empire and brought to the arena to the delight of spectators.