fun facts about the Romans

Aurelia · Post by **Aurelia** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 6:55 pm

Lol, this probably sounds a bit elementary to some of you but can we start a list of fun facts about the Romans? I'll start:

100)The Romans used powdered mouse brains for toothpaste (ewww)!

Turpissimus · Post by **Turpissimus** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 8:07 pm

I believe gladiator sweat (or rather the mixture of oil and dirt scraped of a gladiator's body) was considered to be an aphrodisiac (sp?) by Roman ladies.

Also the penalty for a young woman who violated her vows as a vestal virgin was to be buried alive. I believe the punishment was actually caried out during Domitian's reign, as both Pliny the Younger and Suetonius attest.

Michaelyus · Post by **Michaelyus** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 8:22 pm

Being a magister of a primary school was horrible, because the boys were so despicably rude and badly-behaved (O tempora, O mores). So either the teacher let the chidren take over, or the birch became a well-used item.

***Can we add pictures?*** It's my first image ever. Please?

A bride on her wedding day would have to surrender her childhood toys, toga praetexta and renounce her childhood. Walnuts were thrown to ensure fertility (some confetti; I hate walnuts!) After the wedding, they would go to the groom's house, and the bride was required to act reluctant to consummate the marriage, and the groom would have to comfort her, and etc. etc. so as to have them addressing each other with "husband" and "wife". Parents would hate their daughter less, after they married (that was phrased deliberately).

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 12:41 am

In late Rome, it was common to vomit during the meal to prolong the pleasure of eating.

benissimus · Post by **benissimus** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 1:14 am

My teacher said something about urine being used as a detergent for togae.

Aurelia · Post by **Aurelia** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 1:58 am

My teacher said something about urine being used as a detergent for togae.

This is sort of off subject but (my) Magister said "If you know what helps jellyfish stings, you're in luck!"
lol, anybody see a pun in there? He's always making the funniest puns!

anyway, back to the OS.

MDS · Post by **MDS** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 4:29 am

93) Augustus spent one day a year begging in the streets of Rome because he'd been instructed to do so in a dream.

Turpissimus · Post by **Turpissimus** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:28 am

My teacher said something about urine being used as a detergent for togae.

And there's Catullus' friend who "brushes his teeth in the Spanish fashion" (was that Egnatius?). I certainly think one of the benefits of living in a civilised society is that we use Colgate.

In late Rome, it was common to vomit during the meal to prolong the pleasure of eating.

Also I believe that the colloseum (sp?) had special rooms for it - Vomitaria

Augustus spent one day a year begging in the streets of Rome because he'd been instructed to do so in a dream.

If you want any other trivia regarding the Roman emperors, Suetonius' the 12 Caesars is a good source. It pleased my tremendously infantile mind with tales of the various sexual exploits of the roman emperors.

Keesa · Post by **Keesa** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:43 am

I certainly think one of the benefits of living in a civilised society is that we use Colgate.

I use Pepsodent.

Episcopus · Post by **Episcopus** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 12:15 pm

Why do we accept laughingly? I can neither imagine nor ever comprehend the brutality of burying some one, animal or human, alive. How disgusting they were.

Democritus · Post by **Democritus** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 3:04 pm

Episcopus wrote:Why do we accept laughingly? I can neither imagine nor ever comprehend the brutality of burying some one, animal or human, alive. How disgusting they were.

I agree. The Romans were insanely brutal. I find it disturbing.

Nevertheless, I'm enjoying this thread immensely. Please keep posting.

When they tossed the walnuts, did they crush them first, or toss them whole? Just curious.

Aurelia · Post by **Aurelia** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 4:33 pm

want to read a bit of irony? My mom has a picture she took of a guy in Germany dressed as a Roman campaigning for world peace!

Michaelyus · Post by **Michaelyus** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 12:17 pm

Democritus wrote:When they tossed the walnuts, did they crush them first, or toss them whole? Just curious.

I guess they were whole.

I'm sure you all know the funeral ritual of placing a coin in the deceased's mouth for Charon, but does anyone know that when a Roman is about to die, the nearest relative would catch the last breath with his/her mouth (a kind of farewell mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?)

Timothy · Post by **Timothy** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 12:40 pm

Michaelyus wrote:I'm sure you all know the funeral ritual of placing a coin in the deceased's mouth for Charon, but does anyone know that when a Roman is about to die, the nearest relative would catch the last breath with his/her mouth (a kind of farewell mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?)

I just read about this and it seemed to me that it was religious in that it was an attempt to ease the passage of the spirit. The spouse or the nearest kin would try to do this. It was a part and parcel of the rites for the family ancestors.

- Tim