Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)
This page is also available in: Polish (polski)
Nicknames of Roman emperors
Many of the nicknames of Roman emperors in use today were not used in official documents. Caracalla even got his nickname because of his fondness for a long Gallic cloak with a hood (the prototype of the monastic habit), which ... Read more
Syncretism of Christianity
One of the tendencies existing in early Christianity, which was difficult to resist, was syncretism. It manifested itself in the desire to inscribe the new faith into the general cultural context of the epoch. Thanks to this, Christianity had a ... Read more
Caesar disregarded Senate
When members of the Roman Senate came to Julius Caesar to inform him of the award of special distinctions, he did not get up at the sight of them, as was customary, and did not show respect to the esteemed ... Read more
History of duel of Marcus Valerius Corvus
Titus Livius mentions an interesting clash. In 349 BCE Roman Republic was still conducting numerous wars with its neighbours, aimed at gaining dominance in Italy. There were also fights with the Gauls – from the beginning of the 4th century, ... Read more
PR of Octavian Augustus
The emperor’s biographer Octavian Augustus, Patricia Southern, is convinced that the first emperor had a specially delegated group of specialists who took care of the ruler’s good image and publicity. Citizens were told that the son of the divine Caesar ... Read more
What did gladius mean in colloquial speech?
As we know, the ancients were extremely promiscuous in their paintings and other works of art. There are many examples of Roman frescoes with visible phallus or inscriptions referring to sexual matters. As it turns out, the Romans also liked ... Read more
Haruspices – divination from insides
Haruspices were priests who were active long ago. Originally, they appeared in the state of Mari (northern Mesopotamia) and the Hittites. Then the haruspices appeared in Etruria. Etruscans were taken over by the ancient Romans. Haruspices began to appear in ... Read more
What places did ancient Romans travel to in their spare time?
Tourism and holidays are not just modern inventions. Already in Roman times, the inhabitants of the Empire often travelled and went on vacation. The Romans began to travel on a massive scale during the reign of Octavian Augustus (reigned 27 ... Read more
Civil wars erased from memory
Roman civil wars in the 1st century BCE, they harmed the good name of the nation and the state to such an extent that the first emperor – Octavian Augustus ordered the destruction of all documents related to this fratricidal ... Read more
Horse mounting platform
Plutarch recognizes Gaius Gracchus as the person who, for the first time in the Roman Republic, ordered small stones to be placed by the road so that the horseman could, without any help, mount his horse. This was a significant ... Read more
IMPERIUM ROMANUM needs your support!
If you like the content I collect on the website and share it on social media channels, I will be grateful for your support. Even the smallest amounts will allow me to pay for further corrections and improvements on the site and pay for the server.
Support IMPERIUM ROMANUM!
Discover secrets of ancient Rome!
If you want to be up to date with the newest articles on the website and discoveries from ancient Rome, subscribe to the newsletter, which is sent each Saturday.
Subscribe to newsletter!