Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)

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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.

Emperor Vespasian’s urinary tax

In ancient times, urine was a valuable commodity and many people collected it and then delivered it for a fee to manufactories that used it to bleach the material and remove stains. Due to this…Więcej

Roman tax collectors were extortioners

Roman tax collectors were apparently usually extraordinary “extortioners.” The father of Emperor Vespasian – Titus Flavius Sabinus was an exception. He was a tax collector of the fortieth part (quadragesima, port tax) in Asia. According…Więcej

Pompey was organizing great games

Gnaeus Pompey was famous for hosting on a huge scale games with wild animals. When he became a consul, he took care of the construction of the theater, where he exhibited mimic, music and wild…Więcej

Onomatopoeias in Roman comedies

Onomatopoeias in Roman comedies: “hahae” – laughter; “vae” – disgust; “ehem” – surprise; “heu” – sadness; “uah” – embarrassment.Więcej

Roman cement strengthened with wine

Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus – Prefect of Rome from 364 CE – supervised the constructions under water. In order to achieve cement strength under water, some amount of wine was added to it. However, such…Więcej

Illustration of Caesar’s birth from 14th century

Illustration of the birth of Julius Caesar from a 14th century illuminated manuscript called Les anciennes hystoires rommaines. The belief that Caesar was born as a result of the so-called “caesarean section” is flawed and…Więcej

How did Romans greet and say goodbye?

If you want to say hello in ancient Rome, it would be enough to say Salvē (in case of one recipient) or Salvēte, if we would welcome a larger group of people. Naturally, you could…Więcej

Where did the name “Caesarean section” come from?

The name of the operation – Caesarean section – is connected with Rome, where the law prohibited the burial of a pregnant woman without taking her fetus out of her womb. The name derives from…Więcej

Did ancient Romans shake their hands?

As it turns out, the exchange of handshakes is a custom that goes back to the times of ancient Greece, more or less in the fifth century BCE. We know this because of the preserved…Więcej

Swastika – symbol of happiness and prosperity

Swastika, as a result of Hitler and Nazi Germany, became a symbol of hatred and racial segregation. Not many however realize that 卐 symbol was already used in ancient times, all around the world, and…Więcej

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