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.