The Roman Empire was enormous, stretching all across the globe and invading various countries; even parts of Britain came under Roman control!
They also invented aqueducts to build large roofed structures without forests of pillars and modernized plumbing!
People believed in many gods. Meals were enjoyed sitting down on couches. Urine could also be used as an effective stain-remover!
1. They invented loads of things
Romans may have lived centuries ago, yet their inventions remain relevant today – such as concrete, newspapers and books. Additionally, they established calendars and central heating.
They even developed an innovative system of plumbing which led directly to sewers – an enormous step towards improving sanitation in towns and cities alike.
Another significant invention was the aqueduct, which provided cities and villages with clean drinking water while pumping away wastewater via pipes into elaborate sewerage structures – an enormous improvement on open drains of earlier times.
Romans were highly creative when it came to their food, inventing various new types of pasta and other foods still eaten today. Furthermore, they pioneered eating with hands instead of using fork and spoon.
Roman soldiers were some of the finest in history, boasting one of the largest armies ever assembled. There have been stories about bloody conquests, but their superior training led to such success. Roman legions consisted of citizen and non-citizen soldiers and each contained around 5,000 soldiers.
Rome was known for its amphitheatre, where audiences would watch gladiator fights to the death. This sport became highly regarded among ancient audiences. Wealthy Romans would often hire servants to carry out various duties for them and often had their hair dyed with natural substances such as goat fat or leeches!
Roman emperors were widely revered, yet also faced many difficulties related to wealth inequality. Many attempts made by Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus at solving these problems resulted in failure.
2. They built loads of roads
No matter what their purpose was – military or otherwise – the Romans were experts at building roads. Aiming for straight paths and clearing away any trees or vegetation that might obstruct their path, marshes were drained off when needed, mountains cut through when necessary; and mountains cut through when necessary. Marshes were drained of excess water when necessary. Marshes were drained as needed. Marshes were drained, mountains cut through when necessary. The first Roman road, Appian Way was constructed during a war between Rome and Capua during Samnites war with Samnites war effort between Rome and Capua; after this the empire built paved and well-lit routes across their empire including aqueducts to carry water over long distances down tiny inclines so roofed buildings wouldn’t need forests of pillars while ships could sail down rivers with ease.
These networks were utilized by both people and carts, and to keep traffic moving smoothly a special detachment of soldiers called stationarii or beneficiarii frequently patrolled public roads to clear away potential ambush sites used by bandits; additionally they served as toll collectors; trade flowed freely thanks to them, and they would go the extra mile in clearing vegetation alongside roadsides to maintain it.
Romans believed firmly in their philosophy that all roads lead to Rome, so to manifest this idea they built golden milestones along major roadways and provided post houses and inns as needed to accommodate travelers.
To determine how far Rome was from any point within the empire, one could look up its distance at one of these landmarks – which functioned like digital compasses – or consult a guide book written in Latin; Latin’s roots can be traced back to this period through such words as Capitoline and Palatine which allude to sites of Rome’s old Parliament and Palaces respectively.
3. They had lots of Gods
Rome had many gods for every imaginable purpose imaginable, ranging from abstract qualities such as luck or victory to personifications of places, professions and animals – even some that had been adopted from conquered peoples! The Romans adopted some of these gods when conquering new lands.
Jupiter (God of Sun and Thunder) was inspired by Greek God Zeus; Neptune by Poseidon; Mars by Ares and Venus by Isis from both Greece and Egypt.
Romans also created their own gods, such as Vesta, goddess of hearth and home and Ceres, god of agriculture. Additionally, there were toilet gods; Crepitus for flatulence worshipping while Sterquilinus celebrated when you fertilized!
Mythology holds that gods had an integral part in founding Rome itself. Romulus and Remus, twin sons born to Rhea Silvia a Vestal Virgin who had to lead a life of celibacy, were abandoned into the Tiber River but were saved by a she-wolf which nursed them until a couple adopted them; later when these boys reached adulthood they argued amongst themselves over who should lead their new city – Romulus eventually prevailed, hence giving Rome its name!
Many Romans would keep a small shrine in their house dedicated to worshipping their personal household god. This allowed them to stay in contact with their god and ensure they received all of the help and protection needed in daily life from health, wealth, love, etc. Popular examples were Jupiter, Juno, Mercury, Neptune Mars Venus Ceres Vulcan.
4. They were underground
The Roman Empire was an enormous power that spread its influence throughout much of Europe during its peak years, yet was not built overnight or fell suddenly as some historians once thought. Rome’s rise and fall is full of surprises; here are some facts about this ancient power which may surprise you!
Ancient Romans held an entirely different perspective on bathing than many modern people do today. Bathing was considered a social activity; they would visit public baths within their cities for this activity. Men and women would bathe together at certain times of day; there was also a separate area reserved just for them so that they could take time for themselves to get clean privately.
Contrary to our culture, wherein people kiss family members, friends and children on the lips, ancient Romans only kissed romantic partners on the lips; any other type of kissing occurred on cheeks and hands.
One of the most captivating aspects of Rome is their underground city that’s been preserved and explored by archaeologists. This underground ancient world remains an integral part of today’s cityscape, making construction projects in Rome much more complicated than expected.
Though most Roman emperors were good rulers who kept peace within their kingdoms, some weren’t so kind. Nero reigned from 68 AD until his death by burning Rome to the ground; during that time he engaged in incest with both sisters and talked to the moon regularly. Subsequent emperors Galba, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian took turn ruling for brief periods before succumbing to illness or dying prematurely.
5. They spoke Latin
Today’s Romans didn’t speak the highbrow “Classical Latin” taught in school – that language used by flowery political speeches and ancient literature. Instead, Romans spoke “Romance” languages derived from Latin such as Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian (along with Romanian and Greek as well).
The Senate was composed of patrician members of Rome’s upper class who advised on matters regarding Rome’s laws and population. As a powerful body with considerable clout in law-making bodies such as comitia centuriata, its influence extended far beyond mere advice – members had substantial power of influence with these organizations as well. Furthermore, its decision makers decided war, elected magistrates (consuls, praetors and censors), reviewed appeals of capital convictions and handled foreign relations between nations.
Wealthy Romans enjoyed exotic cuisine and would often dine while lying down, using their hands. Up to seven courses could be served per meal with specialties like roast parrot, peacock tongue and dormice among many other delights! In contrast, poorer Romans consumed only food they were able to grow or hunt themselves.
Romans celebrated many festivals and games throughout their long history. They honored their Gods and observed annual solstices ceremonies, but also enjoyed large boat battles in Circus Maximus or Colosseum, featuring live props such as alligators. Romans would often flood an arena to make it appear stormy and stage a spectacular water war display! Additionally, gladiators were frequently displayed, attached by chains to one another as they engaged in combat for entertainment purposes – they became immensely popular spectacles! Blood from victorious gladiators was used as medicine against many illnesses during the Roman Empire’s decline and fall of 5th century AD, inspiring St Augustine’s influential theological work City of God: Why Christians Should Focus on Heavenly Rewards rather Than Earthly Ones.