Roman Empire Historical Facts
From Lemuria to Halloween: Rome’s Ancient Festival of Spirits
Long before Halloween, Romans held Lemuria—a midnight festival to appease ghosts with beans and bronze, guarding their homes from restless spirits.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Caesar’s Comet: How a Seven-Day Star Helped Found an Empire
In 44 BCE a bright star rose over Caesar’s funeral games. Romans called it the Julian Star. Poets, coins, and politics made it immortal. What really appeared—and how did it become proof of a god?
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Incense in Ancient Rome: Smoke, Ritual, and Power
From temple rites to family altars and funerals, incense in the Roman Empire was a ritual tool with global supply chains, moral debates, and political weight.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
The Elderly in Ancient Rome: Voices of Respect and Fear
Old age in Rome was both feared and revered. Cicero praised its dignity, Juvenal mocked its weakness, and proverbs marked sixty as the threshold of decline. Between honor and ridicule, the elderly lived at the margins of Roman society.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Niche Perfumes in Ancient Rome: How Did Emperors Smell Like?
Elite Romans treated scent as strategy. From Cleopatra’s Mendesian blends to Nero’s perfumed banquets, ancient niche perfumes signaled rank, taste, and power.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
The Aroma of Rome: Perfumes of Power, Pleasure, and Prestige
Perfume in Rome was far more than adornment. From daily anointing after the bath to clouds of incense greeting emperors in the streets, scent became a language of status, ritual, and identity—at once a personal luxury and a public symbol of power.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Did Romans and Greeks have Abortions and Contraceptives?
Ancient societies tried to manage fertility with resources available in their environment, even though their effectiveness was uncertain and occasionally hazardous.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Ovid’s Eternal Verses: The Roman Poet of Love, Myth, and Exile
In the vast literary landscape of ancient Rome, Ovid stands as a master of mythological storytelling, love poetry, and exile laments.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Whispers on the Walls: Graffiti as a Voice of Ancient Rome
For tens of thousands of years, people have been leaving their marks on the walls. How was street art during the Empire perceived?
Roman Empire Historical Facts
A Sail Above the Sand: Did the Colosseum Really Have a Retractable Roof?
Imagine 50,000 Romans seated in the blazing summer sun, cheering gladiators while the midday heat bears down on the mighty Colosseum. Yet, their faces are shaded, cooled by a system so advanced that even modern engineers marvel at its ingenuity. How did the Romans achieve this?
Roman Empire Historical Facts
The Tragic Philosopher: Seneca the Younger’s Journey Through Stoicism and Politics
Seneca the Younger, a towering figure of the Roman intellectual world, lived a life filled with paradoxes.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Ascending to the Divine: The Practice and Meaning of Apotheosis in Ancient Rome
How was apotheosis used as a religious practice, but also as a political tool in ancient Rome? How was it used to solidify dynastic legitimacy and reinforce imperial ideology?
Roman Empire Anecdotes
The Roman Poet of Sharp Words: Martial and his Rome
Martial was a Roman poet, the man behind the epigrams, who is remembered for his razor-sharp commentary
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Guarding the Word: Speech, Censorship, and Power in Ancient Rome
How were the Republic and the Empire treating freedom of speech? How did the emperors censor perceived threats?
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Did Ancient Romans Exercise to Keep Fit?
The idea that exercise and physical activity are beneficial is not a recent discovery; it has been recognized and practiced for thousands of years.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Fury on Wheels: The Legendary Chariot Races of Ancient Rome
Chariot racing was one of the most popular and enduring spectacles in ancient Rome, captivating audiences for centuries.