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Unknown Facts are curiosities revealing little-known, surprising, or rarely discussed information from the world of ancient Rome and antiquity. This category includes unusual details, curiosities, and facts that offer a less obvious perspective on the Roman Empire.
Titus Livius mentions that the two great generals of the Second Punic War: Scipio Africanus and Hannibal Barkas met at the gymnasium in Ephesus. Then Scipio asked Hannibal who he thought is the best commander in history.
Proscription (proscriptio, pl. proscriptiones) was originally in ancient Rome announcing the auction of the debtor’s property, and later enlisting of outlaws – political opponents and in consequence depriving them of their citizenship, property and sentencing to exile. Prudential children and grandchildren were marked with infamy.
In the Roman world, there was no distinction between the wedding ring and the engagement ring. Roman on the occasion of the wedding was donating a ring to his chosen woman. However, this was not proof of love, but rather a subordination of a woman and recognition of her as property. In this way, the future husband clearly stated that the woman he married belongs only to him. It is brutal, but this is what the paternalistic Roman society looked like.
Roman social relations were based on the existence of two values. For example, a Roman woman who remained loyal to her husband and proved herself as a good wife was referred to as casta, meaning “pure”. THe phase castitas allowed a man to commune with the gods and make sacrifices.
The dictator and the great Roman general, Julius Caesar, was murdered on March 15, 44 BCE in Ides of March, in the middle of the month, which was devoted to the war god – Mars. Everyone knows that. The question is, however, where and what is there now?
The snake was often depicted in Roman art and jewellery. According to Roman beliefs, it secured the family’s prosperity.
In 63 BCE a Senate meeting took place regarding the Catiline conspiracy. It was attended by all prominent politicians of Rome, including Julius Caesar and Marcus Portius Cato, called Cato the Younger.
