Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither was it destroyed all of a sudden. With history spanning more than 1,000 years, ancient Rome was much more fascinating and intriguing than it appears in the history books.
The ancient Roman Empire was greatly inspired by the ancient Greek culture. There were some very striking similarities between the two, including even their pantheon of Gods.
In ancient Rome, the average life expectancy was between 20 to 30 years, which was very high during that time.
The longest-lasting conflict in human history was between the Romans and Persians. These two empires were constantly at war with one another for a period of almost 721 years.
Salt was the currency used in ancient Rome to purchase slaves.
In ancient Rome, a festival named “Saturnalia” was celebrated in every December in which the slaves and their masters switched places for a day.
Present-day Paris was actually an ancient Roman city was “Lutetia”. Even today, several impressive Roman monumental remains are found on the site of the ancient city.
Gaius Caligula, the third Roman emperor ruling between 37 B.C. and 41 B.C., was infamous for sending his troops on illogical military activities, turning one of his palaces into a brothel, and even appointing his favorite horse as a priest.
The world’s first ever covered shopping mall was built by the Romans and was located on Via dei Fori Imperiali. Called “Trajan's Market”, this four-storeyed structure comprised 150 shops and offices.
As a recreational drug, ancient Romans consumed a fish species called Salema Porgy. When consumed, this fish causes a person to hallucinate.
Flamingo tongue was a culinary delicacy in ancient Rome.
Being born with a crooked nose in ancient Rome was regarded as the sign of leadership.
A full naval battle was staged at the Colosseum in 86 A.D. For this, the entire Colosseum was filled with water.
Ancient Rome had around 900 fully functional public baths by the 5th century A.D.
The Foreign Office of the ancient Roman Empire was called the “Bureau of Barbarians”.
The word “candidate” comes from a distinctive toga called the “toga candida” worn by people running for office in ancient Rome.