The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which took place in December, was a time of revelry and inversion of social norms. During the festival, slaves and masters would swap places, with slaves being treated to elaborate feasts and given temporary freedom to speak their minds. The festival was also marked by gambling, drinking, and gift-giving, […]
New Year in ancient Rome
In ancient Rome, the celebration of the New Year was held on March 1st, and it was a time of purification and renewal. The Romans believed that the start of the New Year was a time to put the past behind them and start fresh, and they would celebrate by making offerings to the gods, […]
Incitatus
During the reign of the Roman Emperor Caligula (AD 37-41), he is said to have appointed his favorite horse, Incitatus, to the position of Consul, which was one of the highest offices in the Roman Republic. Caligula is also said to have planned to build a palace for Incitatus and to have given the horse […]
In ancient Rome, it was considered a sign…
In ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of wealth and sophistication to have one’s own private urine collection. Urine was collected and then sold to launderers, who used it to bleach clothing because it contained ammonia, a natural cleaning agent. Urine from men who ate a lot of vegetables was considered the most valuable […]
There are many interesting and unusual facts…
There are many interesting and unusual facts from history, but here is one that might be considered “crazy”: In ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of prosperity to be able to eat food with your hands, rather than using utensils. As a result, people would often eat their food with their fingers, and it […]
Here is a somewhat strange and obscure…
One interesting historical fact that comes to mind is that in ancient Rome, it was common practice for wealthy people to have a “taster” sample their food and drinks before they consumed it. This was done to ensure that the food or drink was not poisoned. The taster would sample a small amount of the […]
The largest stadium in history…
The largest stadium in history, the Circus Maximus, built in 6BC Rome, it had a capacity of 300,000 spectators. The largest modern stadium, Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, holds a mere 150,000 spectators.
There were ticket scalpers…
There were ticket scalpers for gladiator fights in Ancient Rome. Gladiators like Hermes were known to draw the largest crowds and brought in high profits for scalpers due to demand.
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A large number of Graffiti found…
A large number of Graffiti found in Pompeii are political ads. Specificaly, one Gnaeus Helvius Sabinus appears in no less than 140 political signs throughout the town, endorsed by all manner of individuals, trade unions, religious and social groups.
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The formal clothing of the Roman…
The formal clothing of the Roman Citizen was the Toga. During Roman elections, those running for political office would rub their Toga with a dazzling white chalk to stand out. Called Toga Candida (pure-white) this clothing was the origin of the word “candidate”.
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