Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

Archaeologists studying the eating habits of the Etruscans and Romans came to the conclusion that pork was the basic ingredient in the diet of Italian cuisine, both for the upper and lower classes. Meat was eaten either in the form of goulash or cooked. The richer Romans could afford to fry meat.

Ancient fast-food in Ostia. Probably the Romans were the first to invent “fast food” restaurants. In Pompeii, several places were discovered that offered quick food to residents. Such an ancient fast-food bar was called thermopolium (literally “a place where something warm is sold”) or opinae.

Emperor Valentinian I in 375 CE commanded Roman troops in Illyria, where he tried to suppress the rebellion of the Sarmatians and the Quadi. The situation was so stalwart that both sides sought agreement.

In ancient Greece and Rome, the wine was diluted with water. People who liked the unreported drink were considered crude, and drinking in this way was defined as “in Scythian fashion”.

After the destruction of Roman army in the battle of Lake Trasimeno in 217 BCE, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator (“the delayer”) was entrusted with the dictator’s dignity to save the Republic’s in a crisis situation. Fabius decided to avoid an open confrontation with the army of Hannibal, leading the war against the Carthaginians. His plan was to follow the legions behind Hannibal’s army at such a distance that there was no short circuit, and at the same time not lose sight of the rival.

Emporium in antiquity was a municipal square where goods imported by sea were stored. In Rome, the emporium, founded in 192 BCE, was located on the banks of the Tiber River at the foot of the Aventine Hill.

Plutarch states that the cooks of queen Cleopatra VII had to have different sets of dishes always prepared in case her lover Mark Antony made a visit. Plutarch claims that the source of the rumor was a friend of his grandfather, who was allowed to visit the cuisine of the queen in the palace in Alexandria.

After murdering his brother Geta, Caracalla ordered removing his name from public life. Originally, 174 records of his name survived, however, 37 have survived to our times. Many of the inscriptions are found on the water pipes, which were probably located underground before the edict of Caracalla.

Apparently, Nero loved to perform as famous hero Hercules. His opponent was to be a lion, who was prepared and trained in such a way that the naked ruler could kill him with one blow of a club or by suffocation.

After the tragic defeat of the Romans at Cannae in 216 BCE Rome was so deprived of recruits that there were even enlisted slaves to the army. They were called voluntarii or volones.