Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Wounded soldiers wore spider’s webs! The sticky silk helped the skin to knit
together. Tucking a bundle of herbs into
the bandage was another trick – it killed germs.
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
In the 3rd century BC, Rome fell out with Carthage, an
important North African port. Carthage’s
general, Hannibal, led a vast army all the way to Italy. His war elephants terrified the Romans, but
Hannibal was forced back in the end.
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
The Romans invented central heating. Rich people’s homes had heating. The warmth came from an underfloor
wood-burning fire, looked after by the slaves
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
The Romans made the first cement by mixing volcanic ash,
lime and water. But they had to be quick
using it – it set very quick!
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Roman footwear had hobnails! Travellers and soldiers needed sturdy
footwear to survive miles of marching.
Their leather soles were studded with nails to stop them wearing out.
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Roman guard dogs were made of glass and stone. Mosaics of guard dogs warned burglars to
steer clear. The pictures sometimes came
with the words CAVE CANEM: ‘Beware of the Dog!’
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Romans wore wedding rings. And Roman brides wore veils and carried
flowers too. The bride and groom signed
a contract to become man and wife, just like today.
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Teachers were mostly clever Greek slaves – not native
Latin speakers at all! There were few
schools, so some children from rich families had live-in tutors.
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Roman schoolboys practised their writing on wax tablets,
using a pointed stylus. They could melt
the wax to reuse the tablet again and again!
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Honey-roast dormouse was a delicacy in ancient Rome cooks kept the mice in terracotta jars and
fattened them up for a few weeks first, just to make sure they were extra
meaty!
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Romans went to the toilet together! People could chat together in public toilets
because there were several seats side by side.
There was no toilet paper – people used a sponge on a stick instead!
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
The Romans didn’t use soap to get clean. Instead they rubbed olive oil into their skin
and then scraped it away with a metal strigil.
Dirt and dead skin came away with the oil.
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
The Romans had pantomimes! A PANTOMIMUS was an actor who told a story to
music. He didn’t speak though – the
audience guessed the story from his gestures and from the different masks that
he wore.
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
Like most Romans, the Emperor Augustus was extremely
superstitious. He always put on his
right shoe first because he believed that left was unlucky. Strangely, the Latin word for ‘left’ was
‘sinister’!
Interesting Roman Facts
Did you know……
We remember the Romans all year round. They invented most of our calendar. January is named after Janus, their 2-headed
god of new beginnings.
