- According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 B.C.E by Romulus and Remus, who were raised by a she-wolf.
- Slaves in Ancient Rome made up to 40 percent of the population.
- The imperial city of Rome was the largest urban center of its time, with a population of about one million people (about the size of London in the early 19th century, when London was the largest city in the world).
- In its centuries of existence, Roman civilization shifted from a monarchy to an oligarchic republic to an increasingly autocratic empire.
- Asparagus was a highly prized delicacy in Ancient Rome and was kept frozen in the Alps for Feasts and Festivals.
- Instead of soap, Romans used oil, which they rubbed into their skin and then scraped off with a metal tool called a strigil.
- Women shared some basic rights with their male counterparts, but were not fully regarded as citizens and were thus not allowed to vote or take part in politics.
- The Latin word musculus means both “little mouse” and “muscle”, since muscles rippling under the skin were thought to be like little mice.
- Lead was used as both a preservative and a sweetening agent.
- Spartacus was an escaped Roman slave who led an army of 90,000 escaped slaves against the might of the Romans. He was eventually defeated and killed in 72 BC.
- Many ancient Roman houses had flushing toilets and indoor plumbing.
- The emperor Commodus frequently fought as a gladiator, armed with iron weapons, whereas his opponents had lead ones.
Ancient Rome facts
