Tag Archives: ancient rome
WTF Fun Fact 13282 – The Ides of March
WTF Fun Fact 13228 – The Lupercalia
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,… Read More »
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… Read More »
The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia
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,… Read More »
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… Read More »
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… Read More »
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… Read More »