The most interesting facts about ancient Rome. Little Known Facts About Ancient Rome

There are not many well-preserved great cities in the world, whose history begins before our era, but they did not turn into ruins, but still amaze the imagination with their architecture, museums, memorable places. No wonder the common name of the capital of Ancient Rome and the current Republic of Italy is the Eternal City. Interesting facts about Ancient Rome, a powerful state that in many ways served as the basis of modern Western civilization, always attract the attention of even sophisticated readers, including those who were lucky enough to be there.

From kingdom through republic to empire

So the cheat sheet for the exam sounds the history of ancient Rome. The beginning is the founding of Rome by the "illegitimate" son of the god Mars Romulus, who had previously killed his brother Remus in the struggle for the right to found the Eternal City. This legendary event took place in 753 BC. e. Further until 476 AD. e., when the Roman Empire finally fell, a huge number of events happened:

• The basis of the original population of ancient Rome was made up of criminals, exiles from other cities of nearby lands. It is very reminiscent of the history of the settlement of the United States and Australia, where enlightened sailors exiled criminals of all stripes.
• When they lacked female attention, they kidnapped the Sabine women. When there was no money, they raided neighboring villages.
• But common sense, pointing to the dead-end path of such development of Ancient Rome, prevailed over the purely predatory method of development, and in parallel, various crafts and trade began to develop rapidly.
• Even in the tsarist period of government, stable power structures were created, such as the Senate, the institution of lictors. The reign of the last king, who tired the freedom-loving people of Rome with his tyranny, ended in 509 BC. e. creation of the Roman Republic. An interesting fact is that the area of ​​​​the territory that belonged to the Eternal City of that period of history, according to historical evidence, the results of archaeological excavations, was no more than 900 square kilometers of land located along the banks of the Tiber River.
• It took the Roman Republic exactly 240 years to expand its sovereign land area to the whole of Italy. Of course, it was a story of conquest. The invincible Roman army was forged in them, the principles of construction, management, supply of which were reflected in the creation of even modern troops. Not everything was always smooth sailing. Once, the newly emerging power of the republic was defeated by the Gauls who invaded the lands of Italy, as a result, Rome was burned.
• But the city was rebuilt again, and the lands were reclaimed. The true heyday of Ancient Rome is associated with the period of the empire - the dominant state for all of Europe, northern Africa. It was the only state formation that owned all the lands of the Mediterranean coast, which cannot but impress.

The period of the Roman Empire dates back to 27 AD. e., when the Julio-Claudian dynasty came to power, the founder of which is considered the famous Julius Caesar. The main significant events that are reflected in historical documents, works of art that popularize Ancient Rome during the heyday and subsequent fall, date back to this time.

An interesting fact about Julius Caesar, who, contrary to popular belief, was not the first emperor of Rome, but its dictator, is that back in 63 BC. e. he was chosen supreme pontiff, i.e. occupied the highest priestly position, later from 440 AD. e. who became known as the Pope in the Catholic Church, which replaced the polytheism of pagan Rome.

Gladiator fights in ancient Rome

No matter how high the moral foundations of any society, the authorities always try to give bread and circuses to the democratic majority within the necessary limits. Otherwise, conspiracies, uprisings, revolutions will definitely begin, absolutely not needed by the ruling class. From public executions to humorous TV shows, all means are good.

In ancient Rome, athletic competitions, horse racing in stadiums were excellent entertainment for the crowd; gladiator fights, arranged in specially equipped halls, buildings - amphitheatres. The latter were introduced officially as public spectacles in 106 BC. e., and the state took care of their implementation.

The most grandiose building for bloody fights between people, predatory animals was the Colosseum in Rome:

• The colossus of ancient architecture, which got its name because of its size, accommodated, according to modern estimates, more than 50 thousand spectators. Although the historical records mention 87 thousand enthusiastic visitors who wanted to see the bloody battles.
• The construction of the huge amphitheater, which lasted eight years, was completed in 80 AD. e. Huge amounts of money were invested in it.
• The external dimensions of the structure, built in the form of an ellipse, are striking - 524 by 188 m, the inner arena - 86 by 54 m. The height of the walls reaches 50 m.
• This is the fruit of the efforts of the imperial Flavian dynasty from Vespasian to Titus, who ruled in those years. The latter consecrated the Colosseum, after which games began in it, including gladiator fights beloved by all the Roman people.

The decline of the popularity of the Colosseum came in 405, when gladiator fights were banned throughout the Roman Empire, as contrary to Christian morality. Nowadays, the Colosseum is easily recognizable, the undisputed symbol of Rome, one of the most frequently visited tourist sites in Europe.

Foundations of Civilization

Interesting historical facts about Ancient Rome, which give an idea of ​​the impact that it had on the fate of the whole world:

• Roman law. One of the origins of the modern legal system, a subject studied in law schools. The basic principle of Roman law is that the state is the result of an agreement between citizens. Sounds relevant today.
• Newspapers, bound pages of books, the Julian calendar are a significant contribution to the future of the human community.
• The official language of Ancient Rome is Latin, without knowledge of which it is difficult to imagine modern doctors, lawyers, and biologists.
• Field surgery, which saved many lives of the legionnaires of Rome, is still relevant today.
• Architecture. Some solutions and their embodiments, including perfectly preserved ones, still amaze the imagination. For example, the famous Pantheon in Rome, which has a dome with a diameter of more than 43 m, was built in 126 AD. e. Looking at it, it is hard to imagine that such a grandiose building could stand for many centuries, despite the fall of Rome, numerous wars, barbarians of all times and peoples, earthquakes, which are not uncommon in Italy.
• A lot of engineering solutions, both borrowed from the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and invented in Ancient Rome. For example, mills driven by a water wheel, throwing siege and defensive military equipment.
• Solutions in the field of construction. Until now, aqueducts, built even before our era, regularly supply water to the cities of Italy.

Fountains, of which there are a huge number in Rome, the use of concrete, roads that do not need to be repaired every year, are only a small part of the heritage of the ancient Romans.

Capital of Christendom

The famous phrase attributed to Henry I of Navarre, who renounced Protestantism in favor of Catholicism, that Paris is worth a Mass, refers to Rome to a much greater extent:

• After all, on the lands of this ancient state, which included Jerusalem, all the biblical events related to Jesus Christ took place.
• In Rome is the state of the Vatican with the Holy See of the Pope - the head of the Catholic Church.
• The concept of the Roman Mass appeared here in the first centuries of our era with the advent of Christianity.

Without belittling the importance of the Protestant, Orthodox Church, it was the Catholic Church that was both the decisive factor in the inexorable spread of Christianity throughout the world and served to exalt Ancient Rome.

However, even today the church of St. Peter, the Vatican Museums, numerous Catholic churches in the Eternal City work like a powerful electromagnet that attracts iron filings - pilgrims, tourists from all over the world who are ready to spend a lot of money to bow to Christian shrines, to see the historical, architectural beauty, unusualness of Rome.

Ancient Rome is an empire that managed to become one of the greatest in the entire history of mankind. Today we will tell you 15 Interesting Facts About Ancient Rome. As usual, under the constant heading "Facts".

The first fact is that in ancient Rome, doctors were directly responsible for the life of the patient.. Simply put, if the operation led to the death of the patient, then the doctor was supposed to be punished - he cut off hands on the forum. If the operation was recognized by the court as useless, then the doctor could lose his license to work and pay a large fine.

The second fact is the punishment of sex. If a sister disobeyed her brother and contradicted him, he could easily punish her by putting her to bed. We asked ourselves a question here, and if he asked her to have sex, and she refused, could he punish her by having sex with her ?!

The third fact - the "last name" was called all the slaves that belong to one owner. A little later, already during the reign of emperors, the word changed its meaning and began to unite the entire huge family (again, including slaves and servants).

Fifth fact - the head of the tent was called the dean. The armies of the Roman Empire reached the edge of the known lands of that time. The soldiers lived in tents of ten people, and the most important, responsible in order in temporary housing, was called the dean.

Sixth fact - instead of toilet paper there was a rag and a stick. As in the Middle Ages, the Romans did not want to bother themselves with some special inventions for wiping. Therefore they just pulled a rag on a stick which was dipped in water.

The seventh fact - in ancient Rome, slaves were actively used instead of dogs. The nobility lived in large mansions that had a large wooden door with a ring. Slaves were often tied to this ring, notifying the owner with the cries of the arrival of guests. It is especially ironic that next to it lay a rug with the inscription "salve" - ​​"Welcome".

Eighth fact - curly-haired boys instead of napkins. Napkins were used only by the poor citizens of Rome. Noble gentlemen at feasts were served by curly-haired boys, on whose heads it was customary to wipe their hands. To be in this service was considered an honorable occupation for any teenager.

Ninth fact - women drank turpentine for the smell of urine. Unbelievable but true. Despite its destructive influence, turpentine gave the urine the smell of roses. Many women wanted to smell like that in the toilets (which is funny) and did not pay attention to the mortal danger.

Eleventh fact - The gods-keepers of the hearth were called Penates. It is from here that the saying "Return to the native Penates" comes from. Many use it without fully understanding the meaning. But, everything is very simple - you return to the protection of the guardian gods.

The twelfth fact - the emperor's wife was a prostitute. Prostitution in ancient Rome was generally treated with respect, but even so they looked askance at Messilin, who not only kept her own brothel, but also worked there (not for money, but for pleasure). An anecdote went around the streets of Rome, they say, Messalina made a bet with the most expensive prostitute in the empire that she could serve more clients in a certain amount of time.. The emperor's wife won, bringing joy to almost 50 noble men, while her rival barely managed to serve half of Messalina's result.

Fourteenth fact - In ancient Rome, all prostitutes were respected. It was even an honor to be a “night butterfly” in that society. Prostitutes did not hide and freely offered free love (sorry for the tautology) on the streets of Rome. Only they were allowed to wear heels and it was considered a privilege.

Fifteenth Fact - Erotic Coins. Indeed, in ancient Rome they loved sex so much that they even released special bronze erotic coins called "spintriya". They were often used as "hints", but mostly exclusively to pay for the services of "call" girls and boys.

Ancient Rome is one of the greatest states of Antiquity.

The state was located on the territory of modern Italy. Rome Named after the founder Romulus. He was famous for his customs, gladiator fights, the Colosseum, Emperors, etc.

The most interesting facts about Ancient Rome

Near the arenas of gladiators, one could always buy gladiator's sweat, as well as animal fat. These substances were used by women as cosmetics.

Saturnalia- a large annual festival in ancient Rome in honor of the god Saturn. These days, slaves had some privileges, for example, they could dine at the same holiday table with the owner, and sometimes even the owners set the table for the slaves.

Emperor Claudius was ridiculed for not having sex with men. It was said that the one who has connections only with women, he himself becomes effeminate.

The image of a kiss after the marriage on the dishes

Kiss after marriage came to us from ancient Rome. But then the kiss was considered not just a beautiful tradition, but a kind of seal confirming the marriage contract.

The expression "to return to native land" means "to return to one's own home." This expression came from Ancient Rome, but it should be pronounced a little differently, “return to the native Penates”, since the Penates are the gods of the guardian of the hearth. Pictures of penates hung in every house.

In ancient Rome, the Goddess Juno bore the title "Coin", which means "Counselor". Near her temple there were workshops where metal money was minted, so they also began to be called coins. Also from this word came the common English name for all money "money".

Spintria- These are ancient Roman coins depicting sexual intercourse. These coins were made specifically to pay with them in brothels.

The inhabitants of Ancient Rome were very fond of bloody spectacles, so bloody scenes could be observed not only in gladiator fights, but also in ordinary theaters. There, as a rule, the hero, who was supposed to die according to the script, was replaced at the last moment with a person sentenced to death, and they killed him for real.

Emperor Caligula once declared war on Neptune (the Sea God) and ordered spears to be thrown into the sea. He was also known for introducing his horse into the Senate.

The leap year was introduced by Gaius Julius Caesar.

In the Roman army, people lived in tents of 10 people. In each tent there was an elder, who was called the Dean.

If the patient died during the operation, the doctor's hands were cut off.

About 40% of the ancient Roman population were slaves.

The Colosseum was the largest arena and accommodated more than 200,000 spectators.

Statue of Jupiter

After the death of the emperor, an eagle was released to take the soul to heaven. The eagle was the symbol of the god Jupiter.

The ancient Romans were the first to make toilets. Emperor Vespasian even came up with a tax on urine. The bottom line was that initially not all toilets were connected to a common drain, but there were containers underground that filled up over time. This is what the tax was for. By the way, after that, he also managed to sell this urine to tanners and laundresses for various household needs. By the way, it was after this that the expression "Money does not smell" went.

For centuries, Ancient Rome ruled the world. The incredibly powerful Roman Empire united the world in a way that no other state has done before or since. However, we mostly know the facts from the life of the representatives of the upper class and rulers, while the interesting nuances of the daily life of other Romans remain little known. A variety of studies can give us an idea of ​​the life of various classes and people who lived at that time.

Compared to other civilizations, the sanitary system of Rome was advanced, but this did not save the inhabitants from infections.

Access to high-quality and varied food was only for representatives of the upper classes

Ancient Rome is known for its incredible gluttony, but celebrations with exotic delicacies were only available to the upper class. The rest of the population of Rome sat on a forced diet, eating mainly cereals such as millet: its grains were the cheapest and were perceived as food for livestock - this means that most of the inhabitants literally ate like animals.

Despite living near the sea, the lower classes in Rome rarely ate fish and had only cereals at their disposal. This diet led to various health problems, including anemia and oral diseases. Most city dwellers ate well, but the farther from the center people lived, the poorer their food was.

Air pollution in ancient Rome

The level of air pollution in the Roman Empire was almost the same as in the modern world.

As a result of tests of glaciers in Greenland, climatologists have found that the level of methane in the atmosphere began to increase in ancient times. Methane was at its natural level until 100 BC, after which it rose and remained at a high level until 1600. This peak of methane emissions corresponds in time to the heyday of the Roman Empire.

During this period, a record release of methane was recorded - about 31 million tons per year, which is only 5 million less than the current level of emissions in the United States. In order to feed the entire empire, a huge amount of livestock was required - cattle, as well as sheep and goats. This, and the population growth of the Roman Empire in the West and the Chinese Empire in the East, contributed to air pollution.

Bribery was widespread among ancient Roman athletes

Wrestling as entertainment is common in many countries, and this tradition came to us from ancient Roman competitions. A papyrus dated to 267 AD, found in the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus, represents the first documented case of bribery in sports: a wrestler was willing to pay about 3,800 drachmas to win a duel - this amount was enough to purchase a donkey. This amount is relatively small, but the competition on the Nile was spectacular, so there is no doubt that other wrestlers had the opportunity to sign such an agreement.

Bribery was widespread among Roman athletes, but the punishment was severe. It is said that the statue of Zeus at Olympia was built with fines from bribe takers. The Greek philosopher Philostratus once commented on the state of athletics, stating that coaches "have nothing to do with the reputation of the athletes, but have become their advisors in buying and selling for profit."

Show of bestiaries in the Colosseum

Gladiator fights became more and more cruel and sophisticated over time.

Roman gladiator fights date back to 247 BC, when two brothers decided to celebrate their father's inheritance with a fight between slaves. Over the years, the game has improved and become more twisted and violent to satisfy the desires of fastidious Romans.

Gladiator fights began with the famous Caligula and gained fame thanks to the bestiary Karpophorus - they were designed to demonstrate the cruelty of man and the world. The bestiaries were supposed to train animals for the show, such as training eagles to eat the insides of a defeated gladiator. Karpophorus was the most famous bestiary of his time. He not only trained his monsters to kill the poor fellows in the Colosseum in the most sophisticated ways, but also fought them himself. The most shocking act that Sarpophorus taught the animals was the rape of imprisoned gladiators on command - this caused shock and awe among the public of the Colosseum.

Gladiator Energy Drinks

Athletes used energy drinks back in the Roman Empire - however, ancient drinks were exclusively natural

Energy drinks are widely used among modern athletes due to their ability to increase endurance. These drinks are also popular with fitness enthusiasts. But this is not an invention of the modern world at all. Gladiator energy drinks have been around for centuries before the advent of the gatorade.

The gladiatorial drinks contained ash extract, which is rich in calcium, which stimulates strong bones. In the remains of the gladiators, they did find an increased level of calcium, so this idea is not so far-fetched. What did the ancient energy drink taste like? Given that the drink was just ash and water, it must have been incredibly bitter, but the vinegar might have made it more palatable.

Ancient texts for the study of Latin

In ancient Latin textbooks, there were not only words, but also game dialogues to help you learn the language better

Most of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire spoke Greek and its dialects, but if anyone wanted to learn Latin, he turned to colloquia. These books not only taught the Greeks the Latin language, but also told about many situations and how to get out of them in the most profitable way.

Of the original manuscripts, only two have come down to us, dated to the second and sixth centuries. Some of the situations they describe involve visiting a public bath for the first time, what to do if you are late for school, and how to deal with a drinking close relative. These texts were widely distributed and accessible to the rich and the poor alike. It is believed that these situations were described for role-playing educational games, where students could feel the material and speech.

In the ancient city of Lattara on the territory of modern France, one of the oldest taverns of the Roman Empire was discovered

In Lattar, a historic site in France, a 2,000-year-old tavern from the time of the Roman Empire has been preserved, in which animal bones and skittles used by visitors were found. This place was probably popular among the local population in 175 - 75 BC, during the capture of the area by the Roman troops. In addition to drinks, the tavern had a large selection of dishes - including flatbread, fish, as well as sheep and veal tenderloins.

At one end of the kitchen were three large ovens, at the other, millstones for making flour. In the service area there was a fireplace and soft chairs, which created a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in the tavern - this is how we would like to see bars today.

The ancient Romans did not particularly value the life of newborn children - killing them was not considered something immoral.

It’s crazy for us to hear about this, but in ancient Rome, infanticide was quite common. Before the advent of effective contraceptives, a woman could, if desired, get rid of her child. Boys were valued more than girls, but archaeological research suggests that the number of children killed of both sexes is about the same.

In ancient Roman texts, there is even mention of the practice of infanticide, which indicates that the life of newborns was not particularly valued in Roman society. At birth, the baby was not yet considered a person. A child could bear this title only after reaching certain stages of development - the ability to speak, the appearance of teeth and the ability to eat solid food.

Ancient Roman builders showed amazing imagination and inventive mind, working on the greatest city in the history of mankind

In 2014, archaeologists began excavating what is believed to be the Temple of Fortune, the first temple built by the Romans. Since the temple was built in the seventh century, the geographical landscape has changed a lot since that time. According to the description, the temple was built on the Tiber River, but it was discovered thirty meters from it and was several feet below the water table. Although archaeologists were expecting other surprises: the ancient Romans put a lot of effort into building the perfect city.

The builders had to level the hills, fill in the swampy areas, even redirect the city's waterways with the further spread of buildings. They understood that in order to build a city and further develop it, they would need to make changes to the natural landscape to meet their needs. Such sophistication and engineering talent delights us to this day - as a result of these complex works, a city arose that became the center of the Western world, proving that all the efforts of the Romans were not in vain.

Mankind still admires the Roman Empire as the ideal not only of ancient civilization, but of civilization as a whole - its authorities, inhabitants and workers were progressive and ahead of their time. Modern people have a lot to learn from the ancient Romans - with the exception of cruelty and violence.

1. Rome is one of the oldest cities in Europe, founded in 753. BC. The birthday of the Eternal City falls on April 21 (the date of the mythical founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus). Every year, tourists from all over the world come to this date in the Italian capital. Roman celebrations include fireworks, gladiator shows, fairs and Italian food tastings, and noisy parades in the city center. In addition, on this day in Rome, many museums are open for free.

2. In early Rome, there were catastrophically few women, Romulus (771-717 BC) kidnapped girls from the nearest Sabin tribe. The most beautiful of them were given to the Roman senators.

3. In Italy, in addition to the fear of the number 13, which is common for Europeans, the number 17 is also considered unlucky. A possible explanation for this lies in the graves of the ancient Romans, on which the inscriptions VIXI were not uncommon, which means “I lived” or “My life is over”. If we express the inscription in Roman numerals, then we get VI + XI = 6 + 11 = 17.

4. Rome is the only city in the world that has another sovereign state on its territory. This is the Vatican, which is also known as the smallest state in the world.

5. St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is the largest church in the world.

6. The phrase "All roads lead to Rome" comes from the fact that by the end of the fourth century AD, the Romans had built over 53,000 miles of roads throughout their empire. Each Roman mile equaled approximately 1450 meters and was marked by a road stone (milestone).

7. Roman Colosseum, with a capacity of up to 50,000 people, is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. On the day of the official opening of the Colosseum, 5,000 animals were killed in its arena. According to conservative estimates, more than 500 thousand people and more than a million animals were killed in the entire history of this structure.

8. Near the Coliseum in Ancient Rome, in special stalls, you could buy animal fat and sweat of gladiators. Women used these substances as cosmetics.

9. In ancient Rome, the senior clown from the theater, the archimim, was invited to the funeral of noble people. In the procession, the archimim walked immediately behind the coffin, and his job was to imitate the gestures and behavior of the deceased. To enhance the effect, the actor could dress in the clothes of the deceased or put on a mask depicting him.

10. Among the first fifteen Roman emperors, only Claudius did not have love affairs with men. This was considered unusual behavior and ridiculed by poets and writers who said that by loving only women, Claudius himself became effeminate.

11. Ancient Roman women did not have personal names. They received only a generic name, for example, Julia, if she was born in the Yuliev clan. If there were several daughters in one family, ordinal prenomens were added to their generic names: Segunda (second), Tertia (third), etc.

12. When the son of the Roman emperor Vespasian reproached him for introducing a tax on public latrines, the emperor showed him the money received from this tax and asked if they smelled. Having received a negative answer, Vespasian said: "But they are from urine." This is where the expression "money doesn't smell" comes from.

13. The abbreviation SPQR, which can be seen on Roman statues, buildings, stones and wells, stands for “senatus populusque romanus” and means “the senate and people of Rome”.

14. The ancient Romans ate with their hands. Wealthy citizens had special slaves on whose hair they wiped their hands after eating.

15. The custom of kissing the newlyweds at the end of the marriage ceremony came to us from ancient Rome. Then it had a slightly different meaning - the wedding was seen as a contract, and the kiss served as a kind of seal that seals the contract.

the text was written using the source muzey-factov.ru