Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

Gladiators enjoyed great fame – we know some of them by name thanks to Roman writers. Martialis, a Roman poet, mentions in his poem a man named Hermes, who specialized in wielding all types of weapons and his spectacular fights “brought” crowds to the stands of the amphitheaters.

Julius Agricola, a Roman commander from the 1st century CE, significantly contributed to Roman expansion in Britain and broke the strength of the Caledonian tribes for a generation. After the victorious battle of Mons Graupius Agricola gave the prefect of the fleet an order to sail along the coasts to the north, which made it clear that Britain was an island.

There is a widespread belief that Roman legionaries were short and compensated for their poor physical conditions, e.g. in clashes with Gauls or Germans, with great discipline, organization and equipment. How was it really?

Hunting was staged in the amphitheater arenas, where a tunic warrior stood in front of a wild animal, armed only with a sword or spear. Sometimes he was accompanied by a venator equipped with a bow, whip or spear, which he often fought for money or glory.

Arena and the audience of the Colosseum were covered up with a giant sail (velarium), which was supposed to protect viewers from the sun and rain. It was attached to large columns on the Coliseum Mountain and anchored to the ground with large ropes.

Gladiators received cash prizes for their win. In the event of a decisive and effective victory, the warrior additionally received a laurel wreath. The greatest reward was the release from fighting in the arena, which was shown by handing over a wooden sword. In contrast, convicts and criminals, forced by the authorities to fight, were given freedom if they survived more than three years of fighting.

Pliny the Elder said that scorpions are a terrible plague. They are almost as venomous as vipers, but their venom causes much more torture to the victim who dies in painful agony lasting up to three days. In turn, the Roman writer Claudius Aelianus clearly emphasized that scorpions are hated, and that they hide in the desert under every stone and clod of sand.

In the 1st century BCE Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus (c. 84 – c. 54 BCE) wrote a poem that was addressed to two critics of his work: another poet Marcus Furius Bibaculus and senator Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus. The text was so vulgar and obscene that it was not translated from Latin until the 20th century.

Romans were not racists at all and not rated by skin colour. Seneca the Younger claimed that people with black complexion were not a surprise in Rome.