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The world of ancient Romans abounded in a number of amazing curiosities and information. The source of knowledge about the life of the Romans are mainly works left to us by ancient writers or discoveries. The Romans left behind a lot of strange information and facts that are sometimes hard to believe.
Ancient Rome is known for beautiful villas and majestic buildings in which the elite of the country lived. Most, however, of Roman society lived in small apartments, single rooms or apartments without any facilities. They collected water from public wells or fountains fed by aqueducts. Certainly no water was taken from the rivers, as they were aware of their strong pollution.
Galla Placidia was the native sister of the West Roman emperor – Honorius. In 410 CE she was captured by the Visigoths, who, commanded by king Alaric, captured and plundered Rome. While in captivity, she accompanied the Visigothic army in the march south of the Apennine Peninsula, and then to Gaul. Alaric showed her special favors, but only his successor – Ataulf – got married to Galla.
Julian the Apostate ruling from 361-363 CE was an exceptional paradox in his time. He was a man of immense intelligence who returned to traditional beliefs and who wanted to modify in parallel with changing world. Although he did not like constant expand of Christianity, he did not persecute the Church and only wanted to lower his rank to one of the many cults in the Empire.
Emperor Elagabalus was famous for his transsexual-orgiastic behavior. For example, he wanted to undergo a sex change surgery that was unmanageable at that time.
Lucius Verginius Rufus was the personification of a faithful soldier and the old Roman virtues. In 68-69 CE, during the so-called “The Year of the Four Emperors”, when he was the commander of the Upper Germania army, he repeatedly rejected offered to him by the army purple.
Ancient Romans lived in a Mediterranean climate that is characterized by warm and dry summers. The roughest period in the year was called by Romans as dies canincula. Romans were looking for different ways to cool themselves.
“Ave Caesar morituri te salutant!” (“Hail, Emperor, those who are about to die salute you”) – this is a greeting that was to be directed by the gladiators to the emperor before the fight began. But did the gladiator really go out to the arena and say the words?
Everyone who was chased in the backyard by a rooster knows that the animal is practically fearless and is very warlike. These important character traits determined that people from time immemorial staged a fight between cocks.
Aleksander Severus took power in the Roman Empire in 222 CE after the murder of the eccentric Elagabalus, his cousin. Throughout his rule, Alexander was extremely susceptible to the influence of his grandmother and mother, who de facto ruled in his name.
