Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

Antinous was a Greek youth from Bithynia (he was born in Claudiopolis – the current city of Bolu, in Turkey), who when was 12 years old was taken in by the court of Hadrian. Emperor Hadrian met him during one of his many journeys and – delighted with his beauty – made him his lover.

Ovile was a separate space on the Campus Martius in Rome, where votes were cast. The name literally means “sheep’s farm”. Originally, the place to vote was a wooden structure, which in time was replaced by a larger and more prestigious, marble building Saepta Julia.

Chamber pots in ancient Rome were not designed for both sexes equally. Both men and women had their own versions: the female sex was using scaphium when gentlemen matella. The larger chamber pots on the streets were for men whose urine was then collected and sold. Urine was used by fullones for cleaning fabrics.

Roman patrician beds (lecti cubicidares) were located in the bedroom (cubiculum), usually in niches. They were high, so as needed a stool (scamnum) to climb them. The Roman going to sleep usually put his sandals on the footstool, which then faded under the mass of the cover (the stool was so fitted that it was under the bed).

October 22 is the World Day of Stuttering People. Stuttering is a fluency disorder that occurs among children, adolescents and adults, which has already occurred in ancient Rome.

Romans recommended a cold drink from the mixed raw owl’s eggs, the fried intestines of the sheep, spiced with milk thistle extract and charred bread.

Pregustator was a person (usually a slave) who tried to eat or drink before serving. The rulers had a whole host of such testers, afraid to be poisoned.

Name of the month January comes from the Roman god Janus. The Latin name of the month of January is Ianuarius. He was the god of all origins, and also the guardian of doors, gates, passages and bridges, the patron of alliances and agreements. His main celebration was the first day of the year (calendae Ianuariae), when people made each other wishes and gave small gifts (such as a baked cake called ianual) for a good omen; at that time, newly elected officials were also appointed.

Plutarch mentions that most of the people claimed that the destruction of Carthage and the conquest of Greece gave Rome security and a chance of harmonious existence. The Greek historian, however, cites the opinion of Roman politician – Nasica, who believed that such situation is in fact a threat to Roman statehood.

Flowers from North Africa are still growing around the Colosseum. Their seeds were probably brought to Rome thanks to lions and other exotic animals (eg. in fur), which were brought to the capital for the Games. In the nineteenth century, nearly 420 different types of plants were cataloged around the Flavian Amphitheater.