Curiosities of ancient Rome (Unknown facts)
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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 music contests, including elephants. According ... Read more
Onomatopoeias in Roman comedies
Onomatopoeias in Roman comedies: “hahae” – laughter; “vae” – disgust; “ehem” – surprise; “heu” – sadness; “uah” – embarrassment.
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 use of wine met with ... Read more
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 has been duplicated for a ... Read more
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 also use the word Avē. ... Read more
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 the word caedere, which means ... Read more
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 messages and artefacts. It is ... Read more
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 had a completely different meaning. ... Read more
Were condoms known to ancient Greeks and Romans?
Were condoms already known to the ancient Greeks and Romans? We can find a lot of information on the Internet that Roman legionaries used animal intestines (especially sheep) as condoms. Is this really true? Roman legionaries reportedly attached condoms with ... Read more
Boxing was a popular sport in Rome
Boxing (pugilatus) was a popular sport in ancient Rome. In order to protect the hands from damage, fists were wrapped with leather thongs. With time, the harder skin was used, which increased the strength of the blow and caused more ... Read more
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