Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

In 390 CE emperor Theodosius I, at the instigation of the Church, issued a bill under which every homosexual act is to be punished: “When a man marries [a man] as a woman offering herself to men (quum vir nubit in feminam viris porrecturam), what can he be seeking, where gender has lost its place; when the crime is one which it is not profitable to know; when Venus is changed to another form; when love is sought and not found? We order the statutes to arise, the laws to be armed with an avenging sword, that those infamous persons who are now, or who hereafter may be, guilty may be subjected to exquisite punishment”.

Balearii was a unit of soldiers from the Balearic Archipelago, who most likely derive their name from the Greek verb “ballein”, meaning cast. The name was given to them by the ancient Romans, but probably the warriors were already known in the Bronze Age.

Ancient Romans taught their children how to identify and recognize which plants and animals can be useful and how to use them in everyday life and in crafts.

Roman historian, Tacitus reports that in the summer of 82 CE, three Roman warships were hijacked. The captains of two of them were killed; the survivor surrendered to the orders of the kidnappers.

Roman toga was the formal Roman citizen clothing that made him stand out among foreigners and slaves. Symbolism and representation of the Roman were associated with clothing. In this way, their strength, seriousness, significance and attachment to reason of state were shown. Interestingly, this outfit was not very practical.

The most famous port of ancient Rome is probably the one in Ostia – the main port of the Republic of Rome. However, this river haven has not always been able to meet the needs of a rapidly growing metropolis. That is why in the first century CE Emperor Claudius founded Portus, an imperial seaport that was used continuously until the 8th century when a fleet resided there under the command of Pope Constantine (708-715).

For many, the United States is the modern homeland of democracy – many solutions from the US political system have been adopted in European countries. For years, American leaders have been referring to ancient patterns, as evidenced by the names of cities and streets that clearly refer to, among others, the Roman world.

During the republic, in the 2nd century BCE have developed and fully formed the basic moral values of the ancient Romans. The most important feature was virtus (virtue). It meant a behaviour worthy of a real man (vir), according to the rules of law and honour, the ability to distinguish what is good from what is bad. It is also “setting boundaries and restraint to your desires”, as Gaius Lucilius – a friend of Scipio Aemilianus wrote.

Gladiators fighting in the arenas were not condemned to eternal life in captivity and fight for their lives, to the delight of the crowds. Certainly many have won their freedom, as evidenced by the stories of ancient historians.

“The Last Roman” is a colloquial term used in historical journalism to describe a character who is considered the last representative of ancient culture and ancient Roman virtues in the face of the end of the age and progressive barbarization. The term comes from the work of Cremutius Cordius, a Roman historian who, being the advocate of the republican system, called “the last Romans” (ultimus Romanorum) of Mark Brutus and Cassius – the killers of Julius Caesar.