Everyone knows that Rome is the capital of Italy, but many will agree that this characteristic of the “Eternal City” is not enough. First and foremost, Rome is the capital of world cultural heritage, a city filled with splendor and power.
The best musicians, poets, artists and sculptors sang the beauty of Rome and the Vatican located on its territory, which, in addition to its incredible beauty, to this day represents the center of the Catholic world.
Ancient Rome – a city demanding “bread and circuses”
It is difficult to imagine a stronger state than the Ancient Roman Empire. The Roman emperors covered part of Europe, not to mention North Africa and the Middle East. The Romans were considered truly innovators in the art of war, creating an army that quickly conquered the world. In the conquered lands, not only the language of the Empire spread, but also the culture and way of life of the Romans was instilled.
The famous Roman arches appeared in the second century BC and immediately became an indispensable structure and a distinctive feature of the architecture of the “Eternal City”. In addition to external beauty and pomp, arches bear the entire weight of the building, which is why they first began to appear in projects of bridges and amphitheaters.
The main buildings in Rome were temples, triumphal arches, public baths, city squares (forums) and aqueducts - structures for supplying water to the Romans.
However, the inhabitants of Rome did not have enough land. Therefore, individual houses became the privilege of wealthy Romans, while the rest lived in multi-story buildings. On the ground floor, as a rule, there were shops of traders, on the second floor there were comfortable and spacious rooms. Everything that was located higher was much more cramped, but also cheaper. There was no running water in the tiny rooms on the upper floors, but this problem could be solved, since there were public toilets and baths on the streets of Rome; in addition, the Romans quenched their thirst from special drinking fountains.
From the outside, the center of the Roman Empire looked amazing. Numerous palaces of the emperor and his family, houses close to the emperor, decorated with columns and hand-painted paintings, statues and triumphal arches - all this took the breath away from those who came to the “Eternal City”. I also admired the temple of all gods - the Pantheon, which reflected the greatness of the Empire. True, this is only the external side, as is the case with any state. The poor were forced to huddle in crowded places, where dirt and sewage led to disease, and old houses were endlessly exposed to fires. What can we say about the thousands of slaves brought from the conquered territories. In addition to the terrible living and working conditions, eligible men from the conquered countries were drawn to gladiatorial combat, the most popular spectacle of the Ancient Roman Empire.
The Romans generally loved entertainment. Crowds gathered to watch chariot races or hunt wild animals. But nothing could compare for them with gladiatorial fights, in which slaves armed with swords fought to the death with angry animals. After a gladiator was wounded, the crowd decided whether to let him live or not. However, there is a myth that they expressed their decision with their thumb, raising or lowering it. In fact, historians claim that the gestures were different. If the crowd wanted to save the life of the gladiator, then they expressed this with their thumb hidden in their fist. And the position of the finger up, to the side and down meant only the method of the desired death of the gladiator: whether to cut his throat, hit him between the shoulder blades with a sword, or in the heart. The gestures were accompanied by cries for pardon or the speedy shedding of blood.
Mainly, the battles took place in the Colosseum, an amphitheater that became a symbol of the Roman Empire.
- Near the arenas where gladiator fights were held, merchants with tents were located. They mainly sold vessels containing the fat of animals that had participated in battles, or the sweat of a gladiator. Thanks to these “cosmetic products,” according to the Romans, it was possible to easily get rid of wrinkles.
- The most interesting ancient Roman festival was dedicated to the god Saturn. Its distinctive feature was the following: on the days of celebration, the slaves had a certain illusion of freedom, they sat at the same table with the owner, in addition, the owner could even serve them during the meal.
- It is known that the main entertainment of the Romans was bloody spectacles. But a little-known fact is that this “hobby” was also reflected in the theatrical life of Ancient Rome. If the hero was supposed to die on stage, then he was actually killed. Therefore, some actors were destined to play a once-in-a-lifetime role.
- A strict attitude towards medicine led to the fact that if a patient died during an operation, both hands of the attending physician were cut off.
- Among the rich in Ancient Rome, a kind of “bell” was popular, notifying about the arrival of guests. He was replaced by slaves chained in the courtyard in front of the entrance, who made noise, thereby signaling the arrival of guests.
- In ancient Rome, the rich did not use napkins or towels during meals. They preferred the heads of curly-haired children, who were considered “table boys.” Rich Romans wiped their hands on these heads, and such service was considered a worthy occupation.
"Table boy" in ancient Rome - The “abracadabra” spell, familiar to children, had serious applications in Ancient Rome. Doctors created special amulets to get rid of diseases. The word “abracadabra” was indicated eleven times on the amulet.
- The Ancient Roman army also came up with a new type of execution, which was called the “execution of the tenth.” If the detachment was guilty, then it was divided into groups of ten people, each of whom drew lots. Every tenth died with an unlucky lot at the hands of his comrades.
- Not everyone was entitled to personal names in families. Only the first four sons had “special” names. If there were more sons, then the rest were called ordinal numbers, starting with the “fifth.”
- There are known cases when Roman troops turned to the gods of their opponents, trying to lure them to their side. In return, the Romans promised to continue to worship them.
- The first day of the opening of the Colosseum caused a sensation, since five thousand animals and approximately the same number of people were killed.
- Ancient Rome was famous for its roads. By the time of the collapse of the Great Roman Empire, the total length of roads was 54,000 km. This is where the common phrase “All roads lead to Rome” came from.
- The symbol of consolidating marriage with a kiss also spread thanks to Ancient Rome. But for the Romans it was not just a tradition, but a kind of consolidation of marriage, at the level of the official press.
- In the history of Ancient Rome, there is a known case of declaring war on Neptune, who was tried to be defeated by throwing spears into the sea.
- Those with a hooked nose were held in special esteem by the Romans, since such a nose was considered a symbol of intelligence and leadership qualities.
- The blood of defeated gladiators was carefully collected in the arena at the end of the spectacle, as it was considered a reliable means of treating infertility.
- More than 1 million people lived in Rome. This figure was achieved only in the 19th century in London.
- The first “shopping mall” was also built in Ancient Rome. The building consisted of several floors and included 150 retail shops that sold everything - food, clothing, etc.
- Roman emperors practiced taking a minimal amount of poison daily. They did this in order to get used to the properties of toxic substances in order to avoid poisoning in the future.
- In Ancient Rome, the concept of “surname” was used, but it designated a group of slaves of one master.
Army of the Ancient Roman Empire
The Roman Empire, of course, owes its territory and power to the army that conquered the entire Mediterranean coast and part of Africa. The size of the army increased every year, as the inhabitants of the conquered territories became the new warriors of Rome. By the beginning of our era, the size of the Roman army was 25,000 trained soldiers.
In ancient Rome, a legion was an organizational unit of an army consisting of 4,500 people. Each legion had maniples of 450 people, in turn divided into centuries, which included 100 people. Later, a new unit appeared - cohorts. These are special units, which included residents of the conquered lands.
A standing army did not appear immediately in the Roman Empire. Initially, warriors were collected only in times of external danger or to conquer new lands. The rich were obliged to provide “equipped” warriors, with armor and weapons, the middle population provided warriors with weapons, and the poor were not involved in military operations.
But already in the 4th century BC the situation changed dramatically and the army appeared in Rome on a permanent basis. The secret of the army's success lay in undergoing preliminary training before military campaigns, which made it possible to win victories over a less prepared enemy. According to the rules established in Ancient Rome, a warrior spent 25 years in military service. Afterwards they received a lifelong pension and part of the conquered territory. Soldiers who particularly distinguished themselves in battle received all these privileges during their service.
The progressive army of the Roman Empire was rightfully considered invincible and for centuries held a leading position in the world.
Modern Rome as the capital of Italy. Description and interesting facts
If we talk about modern Rome, then it is the largest tourist center in both Italy and the whole world. But the city is developed not only in the tourist direction. Being the capital, it has great economic and political importance for the country.
According to official sources, there are 3 million people in the city, but those who come from all over the world to work are not taken into account.
On the territory of Rome, in the Vatican, is the largest church in the world - St. Peter's Basilica.
The authorities of Rome are very interested in changing the image of the Colosseum, which is associated among city residents and tourists with the cruelest bloody spectacles of antiquity. Therefore, with the beginning of the new millennium, the Colosseum at Night program was launched in Rome. As soon as it gets dark, the building acquires a standard white backlight, but if on that day an execution or death sentence is abolished in the world, the Colosseum's backlighting turns golden.
In Rome there is a church, some of the halls of which are decorated with the bones of monks, and in other halls there are skeletons in cloaks. This is the church of the Capuchins, who expressed their attitude towards life and death in such an original way.
In Rome there is an operating restaurant called “Swearing”, where the waiters are at a loss for words when addressing visitors and are rude to them at the first opportunity. In response, the waiters also receive a dose of rudeness from restaurant guests. The place is popular due to its color and originality.
We all know for certain that European culture began with historical Rome. Interesting facts about Ancient Rome have been described for many centuries. The Eternal City was the name given to ancient Rome. Luxury and prosperity made it a truly unique city.
With all his power, greatness and development, he also carried a philosophy that was not acceptable to many states. Group orgies of a sexual nature and same-sex relationships were commonplace there. Most likely, prostitution originates from them. Sex has been elevated to the level of worship.
Explicit frescoes of an erotic nature were painted on the walls of many buildings. Special bronze coins were made specifically to pay prostitutes. They, too, were depicted with sexual activities and explicit scenes.
The pinnacle of abundance of paid love were courtesans. They were prostitutes, but they served special nobles. At times, they influenced the social and cultural life of society, being trendsetters. The life of the courtesans was lived in incredible luxury.
But it is not entirely clear where the citizens’ incredible thirst for blood came from. Their favorite spectacle was gladiator fights. Death was also practiced on the stage. If an actor were to die during the course of the play, he was exchanged for a condemned criminal and executed right on stage.
Caesar issued an interesting decree in 45. Surprisingly, there were huge traffic jams there. Real traffic jams. Caesar issued a decree prohibiting travel by private transport from dawn to dusk.
Useful and interesting facts about Ancient Rome
Asparagus was a favorite dish of citizens. They froze it and stored it in the mountains.
In Rome, school attendance was compulsory for boys only, and girls were expected to study at home from their parents.
In ancient Egypt and Rome, it was allowed to pay taxes with honey instead of gold.
Well, how can we not remember the merits of the Romans, which we use to this day. They invented concrete. Many architectural treasures that still fascinate us today were cast from concrete. One can imagine the art of mastering concrete work.
The Colosseum was so huge that it could accommodate two hundred thousand spectators.
The Romans had forums for discussing politics and religion. Such sites were called forums.
The Romans used milk as a cosmetic and butter as a medicinal substance.
Flamingo tongues were considered the most recognized delicacy for nobles at receptions.
Guy Julius Caesar at one time legalized the leap year. In general, he was a gifted person.
Salt was offered to a certain person as a sign of friendship.
Ridiculous and interesting facts about Ancient Rome
If the patient passed away during the operation, the doctor would have his arms amputated.
Nero, the Roman emperor married one of his slaves. This slave's name was Scorus.
The Romans believed that a man with a hooked nose had great leadership potential.
At the wrestling competitions there was only one restriction: not to gouge out your eyes. Everything else was allowed.
In ancient Rome, the practice was to place elephant dung in the vagina. Allegedly, this method excluded pregnancy.
During gladiatorial fights, the blood of a defeated warrior was collected. It was a good remedy for infertility, according to Roman citizens.
Caesar began to go bald early and took great pleasure in the right to wear a laurel wreath.
The Romans did not use any utensils when eating. They did it exclusively with their hands. Rich nobles had special slaves on whose hair they wiped their hands after eating.
If a man took an oath, he put his hand to the scrotum as a sign of the oath.
Interesting facts about gladiator fights.
Gladiatorial fights came to Rome from Greece. As a rule, gladiators were prisoners of war, but anyone could become one to earn money. For this purpose, there was an oath, under which a citizen was declared “legally non-existent.” Criminals also went to fight.
We have received incorrect information that in the Colosseum the spectators raised their thumb as a sign of the gift of life, and a thumb down as a sign of death. This is not true at all. And it happened like this: the thumb is bent - it meant death to the vanquished. In their opinion, this is a symbol of a naked sword. Well, to give life to a warrior, the audience raised a clenched fist - a symbol of a sword hidden in a sheath.
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 on this date tourists from all over the world come to the Italian capital. Roman celebrations include fireworks, gladiator shows, fairs and tastings of Italian cuisine, and noisy parades in the city center. In addition, on this day many museums in Rome are open for free.
2. In early Rome there were catastrophically few women; Romulus (771-717 BC) kidnapped girls from the nearby Sabine tribe. The most beautiful of them were given to Roman senators.
3. In Italy, in addition to the common European fear of the number 13, the number 17 is also considered unlucky. A possible explanation for this lies in the graves of the ancient Romans, on which there were often inscriptions VIXI, which translated 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 thousand miles of roads throughout their empire. Each Roman mile was equal to approximately 1450 meters and was marked with a road stone (milestone).
7. The Roman Colosseum, which seats 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 thousand animals were killed in its arena. According to conservative estimates, over the entire history of this structure, more than 500 thousand people and more than a million animals were killed in it.
8. Near the Coliseum in Ancient Rome, you could buy animal fat and gladiator sweat at special kiosks. Women used these substances as cosmetics.
9. In ancient Rome, the senior clown from the theater - the archimimus - was invited to the funerals of noble people. In the procession, the archimime 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 wear a mask representing him.
10. Among the first fifteen Roman emperors, only Claudius did not have love affairs with men. This was considered unusual behavior and was ridiculed by poets and writers, who said: by loving only women, Claudius himself became effeminate.
11. Ancient Roman women did not have personal names. They received only a family name, for example, Julia, if she was born into the Yuli family. If there were several daughters in one family, ordinal prenomen were added to their family 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 it 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. Rich citizens had special slaves, on whose hair they wiped their hands after eating.
15. The custom of the newlyweds kissing at the end of the wedding ceremony came to us from Ancient Rome. Then it had a slightly different meaning - a wedding was seen as a contract, and a kiss served as a kind of seal sealing the contract.
the text was written using the source muzey-factov.ru
For many centuries, Ancient Rome ruled the world. The incredibly influential Roman Empire united the world in a way that no other state had done before or since. However, we mostly know the facts of the lives of the upper classes and rulers, while the interesting nuances of the daily lives of other Romans remain little known. A variety of studies can give us insight into the lives of the various classes and people who lived at that time.
Compared to other civilizations, Rome's sanitary system was advanced, but this did not save its inhabitants from infections.
Most Romans ate like animals
Only members of the upper classes had access to high-quality and varied food
Ancient Rome was known for its incredible gluttony, but celebrations with exotic delicacies were only available to the upper class. The rest of the population of Rome was on a forced diet, eating mainly cereals such as millet: its grains were the cheapest and were perceived as food for livestock - meaning that most of the inhabitants literally ate like animals.
Despite living near the sea, representatives of 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 further from the center people lived, the poorer their food was.
Air Pollution in Ancient Rome
Air pollution levels in the Roman Empire were almost the same as in the modern world
As a result of tests of glaciers in Greenland, climatologists have determined 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 high levels until 1600. This peak in methane emissions corresponds in time to the heyday of the Roman Empire.
During this period, record methane emissions were 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, along with the population growth of the Roman Empire in the West and the Chinese Empire in the East, contributed to air pollution.
Roman wrestling
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 dating back 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 fight - 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 a similar agreement.
Bribery was widespread among Roman athletes, but the punishment was harsh. It is said that the statue of Zeus at Olympia was built using fines from bribe takers. The Greek philosopher Philostratus once commented on the state of athletics, saying that coaches “have nothing to do with the reputation of the athletes, but have become their advisors in buying and selling for profit.”
Bestiary show at the Colosseum
Gladiator fights became more and more brutal and sophisticated over time.
Roman gladiator fights date back to 247 BC, when two brothers decided to celebrate receiving an inheritance from their father with a fight between slaves. Over the years, the game was improved and became more perverted and cruel to satisfy the desires of the fastidious Romans.
Gladiatorial 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. Bestiaries had to train animals for show - for example, training eagles to eat the entrails 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 prisoner gladiators on command - this caused shock and awe among the audience of the Colosseum.
Gladiator Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are widespread among modern athletes due to their ability to increase endurance. These drinks are also popular among fitness enthusiasts. But this is not at all an invention of the modern world. Gladiator energy drinks existed centuries before Gatorade.
Gladiator drinks contained ash extract, which is rich in calcium, which stimulates strong bones. Elevated levels of calcium were indeed found in the remains of gladiators, so this idea is not so far-fetched. What did the ancient energy drink taste like? Given that the drink was simply ash and water, it must have been incredibly bitter, but the vinegar might have given it a more palatable flavor.
Ancient texts for the study of Latin
Ancient Latin textbooks contained not only words, but also game dialogues that helped to better learn the language.
Most people in the Roman Empire spoke Greek and its dialects, but if anyone wanted to learn Latin, they turned to colloquia. These books not only taught the Greeks the Latin language, but also talked about many situations and how to get out of them most advantageously.
Of the original manuscripts, only two have reached us, dating from the second and sixth centuries. Some of the situations described in them tell about the first visit to public baths, what to do if you are late for school, and how to deal with a close relative who is drinking. These texts were widely circulated and accessible to rich and poor alike. It is believed that these situations were described for role-playing educational games, where students could experience the material and speech.
Roman tavern
At Lattar, a historical site in France, a 2,000-year-old tavern dating back to the Roman Empire has been preserved, where animal bones and skittles used by visitors have been discovered. The site was probably popular with the local population between 175 and 75 BC during the Roman occupation of the area. In addition to drinks, the tavern had a large selection of food - including flatbread, fish, and sheep and veal tenderloins.
At one end of the kitchen there were three large ovens, at the other there were millstones for preparing flour. The service area had a fireplace and soft armchairs, which created a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in the tavern - this is exactly how we would like bars to be today.
Infanticide
The ancient Romans did not particularly value the lives of newborn children - killing them was not considered something immoral
It's strange for us to hear about this, but in ancient Rome, infanticide was quite common. Before the advent of effective contraception, a woman could get rid of her child if she wanted. Boys were valued more highly than girls, but archaeological research suggests that the number of children killed was about the same for both sexes.
There is even mention of the practice of infanticide in ancient Roman texts, which indicates that the life of newborns was not particularly valued in Roman society. At birth, the baby was not yet considered a human. A child could bear this title only upon achieving certain developmental milestones - the ability to speak, the appearance of teeth and the ability to eat solid food.
How Rome was built
Ancient Roman builders showed amazing imagination and inventive minds while working on the greatest city in human history
In 2014, archaeologists began excavating the supposed Temple of Fortuna, the first temple built by the Romans. Since the temple was built in the seventh century, the geographical landscape has changed greatly since then. 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 groundwater level. Although archaeologists were in for other surprises: the ancient Romans put a lot of effort into building a perfect city.
Builders had to level hills, fill swampy areas, even reroute the city's waterways to further spread out the 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 amazes 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.
Humanity still admires the Roman Empire as the ideal of not only ancient civilization, but 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.
Ancient Rome is one of the greatest states of Antiquity. The state was located on the territory of modern. Rome was named after its founder, Romulus. It was famous for its customs, gladiatorial fights, the Colosseum, Emperors, etc. Here we will highlight 16 interesting facts about Ancient Rome.
1. Not far from the gladiator arenas, you could always buy gladiator sweat, as well as animal fat. These substances were used by women as cosmetics.
2. Saturnalia was 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.
3. Emperor Claudius was ridiculed for not having sex with men. They said that those who have relationships only with women become effeminate themselves.
4. The kiss after the wedding ceremony came to us from Ancient Rome. But then a kiss was considered not just a beautiful tradition, but a kind of seal confirming the marriage contract.
5. The expression “return to one’s native land” means “to return to one’s home.” This expression comes from Ancient Rome, but it must be pronounced a little differently, “return to your native Penates,” since the Penates are the guardian gods of the hearth. In every house there hung images of penates.
6. In Ancient Rome, the Goddess Juno bore the title "Moneta", which meant "Counselor". Near her temple there were workshops where metal money was minted, so they also began to be called coins. Also from this word comes the common English name for all money “money”.
7. Spintrii are ancient Roman coins depicting sexual intercourse. These coins were made specifically to be used as payment in brothels.
8. The inhabitants of Ancient Rome were very fond of bloody spectacles, so bloody scenes could be observed not only at 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.
9. 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.
10. Leap year was introduced by Gaius Julius Caesar.
11. In the Roman armies, people lived in tents of 10 people. In each tent there was a senior person, who was called the Dean.
12. If the patient died during the operation, the doctor's hands were cut off.
13. About 40% of the ancient Roman population were slaves.
14. The Colosseum was the largest arena and could accommodate more than 200,000 spectators.
15. After the death of the emperor, an eagle was released to carry his soul to heaven. The eagle was a symbol of the God Jupiter.