Arena of Nimes, built by Romans around 70 CE. Photo by Krzysztof Golik-Wikimedia Commons.

15 Interesting Ancient Rome Facts


 

You’ve most likely heard of the modern phrase ‘All Roads lead to Rome,’ right? In medieval times, Romans are believed to have built their road system in such a way that most of the roads diverged from the city of Rome. They have been praised for their impressive architectural skills, and to date, some of the roads built by Romans are still in use. Ancient Rome was one of the most powerful civilizations of its time, and a thousand years later, its effects and influences can still be seen in modern society in language, art, architecture, politics, name it!

It spanned from the founding of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. This entails the Roman Kingdom (753-509 BC), Roman Republic (509-27 BC), and the Roman Empire (27-476 BC). What began as a small Italic settlement in the Italian Peninsula grew into a city, which gradually dominated its neighbors through brave conquests, assimilation, and acquisition of lands, becoming a superpower of its time. Yet that is not all, Ancient Rome’s history has so much to offer, including interesting facts you probably didn’t know. Here are 15 of them!

1. Rome is believed to have been founded by twin brothers

A depiction of Romulus and Remus suckling the she-wolf by a riverbank. Photo by Justus van Egmont-Wikimedia Commons

According to Roman mythology, it is said that twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, were abandoned near River Tiber  while they were still babies. Their mother was a vestal virgin and had broken the law on celibacy hence the punishment of throwing away the babies. Luckily, a she-wolf found them and raised them till grown age. The two would later build Rome, but Romulus fought and killed Remus, becoming the first ruler of Rome! Romulus named the city ‘Roma’, after himself.

2. It had an incredibly strong army

Ancient Rome was one of the largest and most powerful civilizations. Tales of their bloody conquests are no myth, and it is through conquering their neighbors that they expanded and became much revered. Needless to say, the Roman army was indeed strong, well-trained, and equipped. It was divided into legionaries (Roman citizens) and auxiliaries (non-citizens). A legionary in the army was organized into units of about 5,000 men, and each unit was divided into centuries of 80 each. These had different responsibilities such as infantry, slingers, artillery, and archers. The training was intense, and it is reported that the army could march about 30 kilometers a day in full armor, to gain resilience on foot.

3. Non-Romans also fought in the army

Ancient Rome employed integration and assimilation as a means to consolidate their power and expand. One of these instances is when they captured cities and took in their men as non-citizens. They would enlist them in the army to fight their countless battles over the years. As I have stated, the Roman army was divided into legionaries, made up of Roman citizens, and auxiliaries made up of non-Romans. The latter were usually placed at the front during the war most of the time as they were not as valued as citizens. A non-Roman could however gain citizenship after 25 years of service, but very few usually lived that long. They were also paid less.

4. Ancient Rome made impressive architectural feats

Inside the Pantheon, dome by Axel SALY-Pixabay.

While there’s truth in the fact that Roman classical architecture was heavily drawn from the Greeks, Ancient Rome was quite innovative, and this makes some incredible distinctions between the two. Romans exploited and re-invented the use of the dome, the vault, and the arch. The mind-blowing designs employed as early as 509 BC have influenced modern architecture to a such great extent, that you have to credit the Romans for their genius.

The Pantheon, for example, showcases an impressive use of the dome. The magnificent dome is 43 meters in height. It was built in Rome from around 117 to 138 CE/AD. The design has been copied by the Capitol building in Washington. Other remarkable feats of Ancient Rome in architecture include the Colosseum in Rome, the Arena of Nimes, Maison Carree, and the Temples of Balbek. Check out more of these in the article below.

Ancient Roman Architecture; 15 Buildings and Structures that will blow your mind.

5. Ancient Rome is renowned for its road systems

A section of the Appian Way by
Livioandronico2013-Wikimedia Commons.

Some of the roads built by Ancient Romans are still in use today, such as the Appian Way connecting Rome to southern parts of Italy. The Romans lay strong concrete foundations and employed good drainage systems, making their roads quite durable. It was critical to have an efficient road system, and Rome’s power and influence increased as its travel network grew. The Roman roads traversed the entire network systematically, and most of them diverged from the city. This ensured that their military could be deployed quite easily, and trade was carried out efficiently. The saying ‘all roads lead to Rome’ is believed to have originated from here. Rome was a trading crossroads center.

6. Romans built aqueducts to bring water into their cities

Pont du Gard by Ira Gorelick-Pixabay.

The name ‘aqueduct’ is derived from the Latin ‘aqua’, and ‘ducere’, meaning ‘lead water. These were artificial channels usually structured like a bridge, built to convey water. The Romans did indeed know how to make work easier, and their technological advancement in fields such as hydraulics in this case is impressive, centuries later.

They built aqueducts to direct water to their cities, and some of these are still standing today. These include the ‘Pont Du Gard’, now in present-day southern France, stretching over 50 kilometers in length, and measuring up to 360 meters in height. It supplied water to the city of Nimes. Another impressive one is the Aqueduct of Segovia, located on the Iberian Peninsula. It was built around 50 AD, covering a 16-kilometer stretch. It directed water from the River Frio to the city of Segovia.

7. They would bathe together!

Roman Baths in England by Eduardo Vieira-Pixabay.

This is an interesting one indeed. While most modern societies view bathing as a private activity, for ancient Romans, it was viewed as communal. They built public baths in each city, such as the baths of Basilica whose ruins can still be seen today. However, men and women had separate times to bathe, or separate facilities, so the two didn’t bathe together as it was considered to be in poor taste. Bathing in public baths offered an opportunity to socialize, relax, and make deals all while getting clean. The baths would be supplied with water from the aqueducts built, and they even had a warming system!

8. Only free-born Roman citizens could wear the ‘toga’

Man wearing a toga by Mary Harrsch-Wikimedia Commons.

Clothing in Ancient Rome was one of the indicators of one’s social status. Perhaps we can say the same about modern society, where people wear certain brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, and the like. Not to deviate, clothing in Ancient Rome signified whether you were Roman, wealthy, or poor. For the common folk, a simple tunic, which was two pieces of woolen fabric sewn together at the sides, was the usual attire. The ‘toga’ was a special kind of woolen shawl, mostly worn by the governing class as  a formal attire. To wear the toga, however, even when one was rich, being a ‘born-free’ Roman Citizen was a requirement.

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9. Ancient Rome was a vastly hierarchical society

Social status was determined by ancestry, wealth or political privilege, gender, and citizenship. Rights and privileges varied depending on where one lay in societal rank. The Patricians were members of the upper class, while the plebeian made up the lower class. Patricians owned and controlled most of the best lands, and made up the majority of the Roman senate. The Plebeians worked as farmers in those lands, although some owned small plots of land. Women were considered inferior as Rome was patriarchal. They could not vote or hold political office. Slaves were not citizens, but rather the legal property of their owners. Once freed, however, they could gain citizenship, but they did not have equal rights as free-born Romans.

10. The Colosseum hosted the popular gladiator fights

Inside the Colosseum ruins by Robert L-Pixabay.

The Colosseum was one of the largest amphitheaters in Ancient Rome, built in 70 AD under the Roman emperor Vespasian. Its remains still stand today, and it is indeed a remarkable work of art. It could sit thousands of people, and Romans loved a good sport! Gladiator fights are one of the most controversial inventions of the Romans as a form of entertainment. A gladiator was usually a prisoner, slave, or condemned criminal who would be put up against another gladiator or a wild animal in a fight to the death. Although some of the fights were not really to the death, it was a bloody, messy, kind of combat, and Romans would flock to the arena to watch. By the time Caesar Augustus banned gladiator fights due to decreased number of gladiators, about 400,000 had already met their cruel death in the arena.

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11. Ancient Romans worshipped many deities

Roman marble statue of Jupiter at the Louvre Museum, Paris. Photo by Gary Todd-Wikimedia Commons.

Ancient Rome was a polytheistic civilization, recognizing multiple gods and goddesses. The Romans attributed their dominance and success to their gods, and indeed, they had a deity for almost every aspect of their daily lives. The main deities were Jupiter, his wife Juno, and Minerva. They believed that by honoring the gods, the gods would honor them back and grant them good luck.

It is interesting to note that, as Ancient Rome interacted with the Greeks on the Italian Peninsula, they were heavily influenced, even in religion. Romans compared their gods to those of the Greeks, finding common ground. For example, the Roman god Jupiter was compared to Zeus, and Romans adapted Greek mythology in their religious art to a considerable extent. Neptunus, the god of the sea, was inspired by the Greek god Poseidon, and Mars, the Roman god of war was likened to the Greek god Ares.

12. Christianity was once illegal under several Ancient Rome emperors

Bust of Diocletian, under whose rule persecution of Christians in Rome was highest. Photo by Alecconnell-Wikimedia Commons.

The earliest recorded resistance towards Christianity in Rome was in AD 64, by Emperor Nero, the 5th Roman emperor. He has been portrayed as tyrannical and self-indulgent, having killed his mother Agrippina to rule by himself. The attitude and policy towards Christianity were largely negative, and at some point, professing the faith was punishable by death.

By the time Emperor Diocletian took power in 284 AD, persecution of Christians was at its highest. This is considered the worst persecution era, which saw those who refused to denounce their faith burned at the stake or torn into pieces by tigers in amphitheaters. Churches, Bibles, and any Christian material were burnt.

At the very center of the cause for this was the rejection of Roman gods by the Christians. Romans believed that their gods brought success to their empire. However, under Emperor Constantine, in 313, Christianity was recognized under the Edict of Milan. This was an agreement giving the faith legal status. Christianity gradually gained dominance, having stood the test of time, and is still one of the largest religions today.

13. The ancient Roman Republic is cited as one of the earliest representative democracies

While Greece is considered to have been the origin of the concept of democracy, this was largely put into practice and realized by the Rome Republic. It is dated to 509 BC, after the Roman Kingdom was overthrown, until 27 BC, when the Roman Empire came into existence.

The Rome Republic was governed through a representative democracy, with collective magistracies and a senate as oversight power. The top magistrates were the two consuls, which was the highest elected office then. They had a wide range of legislative, executive, and judicial powers. Although wealthy Roman families largely monopolized some of the magistracies, the Rome Republic is still considered the earliest example of representative democracy.

14. Julius Caesar played a significant role in the fall of the Republic

Assassination of Julius Caesar by Vincenzp Camuccini-Wikimedia Commons.

In a series of events culminating in the rise of the Rome Empire, the last of the Ancient Rome civilization periods, Julius Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars against the people of Gaul (58 to 50 BC) and later defeated his rival Pompey in a civil war. He was a fierce general whose victories in war earned him a legendary reputation. Following the two wars, he subsequently declared himself dictator and ruled from 49 BC until 44 BC. He was assassinated by members of the Senate, led by Marcus Brutus, the most famous conspirator in his murder. Octavian (Augustus) would then become the emperor of the Rome Empire.

Top 10 Facts about the Death of Julius Caesar.

15. The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 BC

This is majorly what historians refer to when they speak of the fall of Ancient Rome. The Eastern Roman Empire continued until 1453 BC. The fall of Rome is attributable to several reasons, and it’s difficult to pinpoint one particular one in isolation.

These factors include invasions by the Goths, corruption by the ruling class, inflation, overreliance on slave labor, and the division of the Empire in 284 CE. It had been in a slow decline of over 300 years. The rise of Christianity has also been cited to have contributed to the weakening of social and religious structure in Rome. The citizenry stopped bringing sacrifices and offerings to the Temples.

All these factors ultimately brought the great Rome to its knees. However, centuries on, the footprint left by Ancient Rome civilization is still visible in modern-day society. Rightfully so,  I guess I can end it on this note;  ‘All Hail Rome!