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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.
A first and only newspaper of the ancient world was founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BCE. It was called Acta Diurna – “Events of the Day” and, unfortunately, no copy has been preserved so far, and we do not know the amount of its circulation.
In Roman times, hunters while tring to catch tigers1 avoided direct fighting. Instead, they used a trick to steal small tigers from the lair.
Caesar’s death in 44 BCE was a huge shock for Roman society. As if sensing his fate, the dictator decided to write down his will earlier, probably trying to prevent fights for supporters, property, power and heritage. The act of his last will was deposited in the temple of Vesta and it was publicly read by the last father-in-law of Caesar – Lucius Calpurnius.
What kind of pleasures Romans had thanks to the wine – prof. André Tchernia, a French historian, archaeologist and researcher of ancient wines, tied to find it out. He produced a liquor according to a recipe from the Roman Empire.
The rich Romans looked after their clients. The client was in a literal sense of the word parasite, which in exchange for protection he was ready every morning, according to the custom, at dawn, to appear at the patron’s house to greet him and offer his services. Sometimes the patron had to remind customers of their duties. Readiness to provide services gained great value during the election campaign.
In popular culture, we can hear about Roman generals fighting side by side with legionaries. It must be clearly stated that this was not entirely true. The Roman leaders were commanders, not warriors. Only in exceptional situations, when it was necessary, the commander was involved in the fight.
The Roman Empire gave birth to some truly outstanding philosophers such as Seneca the Younger or Marcus Aurelius. That does not mean, however, that the Romans, like the Greeks, considered meditation an important aspect of life. First, according to the Romans, philosophy was a Greek invention, and as they were conquered by the “sons of She-wolf”, it was not worthy for the Roman to deal with the matter invented by the Greek.
In ancient Rome, women could not drink wine, what was due to the paternalistic Roman society. Men’s domination caused that women were perceived as weak individuals who are susceptible to any negative factors. It was thought that wine could only expose women to dangers or encourage inappropriate behavior. The substitute for the wine was grape juice.
When the world is living an irreparable loss, which is the fire of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, it is worth mentioning that in this place at the turn of the first century before and in the era, Jupiter’s temple was definitely located.
