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10 interesting facts about ancient Romans and Romans
The ancient Romans are among the most advanced civilizations ever to make their mark on Earth.
You can be sure that wherever the golden eagle standard flies, the influence of Rome's military and bureaucracy rests on land.
With a legacy spanning more than 1,500 years in total, witnessing the collapse and assimilation of hundreds of ancient cultures and societies, it is understandable why the Romans were such an important part of common history.
An Empire so large that it was divided into two, it's no surprise that the entire history of the Ancient Romans holds some small interesting facts, and here are the top 10 facts about Old Rome.
Roman citizens of the lower class were known as Plebeians.
Or referred to as Plebs.
The Plebs made up the majority of Roman society and were often people who weren't rich enough to be considered the upper class.
Consequently, the Plebs had civil defects in Ancient Roman law and society - something that led to a lot of civil unrest and violence.
By 287 BC, the Plebes could have their civil disabilities abolished, and after that, any rule passed by the Plebeian council applied to all Roman citizens, not just people.
The only position Plebs could hold in the Roman Senate was the Tribune's office for Plebs.
This position often proves to be the most important examiner of authority in keeping Senate policies and laws fair to all MPs.
The Romans were the first to invade England.
Until 55 BC, Great Britain was an almost mythical land and most ordinary people weren't even sure if it actually existed.
So, with great ambitions, it is none other than the future dictator Julius Caesar who decided to invade England and win for himself some gold and glory while there.
While Caesar's first invasion of England was a catastrophic military defeat and it did not make him rich, it gave him all the glory he needed as he not only
Even so, it will take almost 100 years until Britain is truly conquered and becomes part of the Roman Empire in AD 43.
At its height, the Roman Empire covered enough ground to place three Alaskans in it and then a number.
In 117 AD, the Roman empire was at its peak - covering a surface area greater than 5 million square miles!
Alaska, the largest US state, has a surface area of just over 1.7 million square miles - meaning you can easily fit three of Alaska's with room for some details on the sole surface area
However, despite what Stalin may tell you, quantity is not, in fact, quality.
This is something that the Roman Empire learned the hard way.
As their Empire grew and grew, their rulers became less and more ineffective, making them more ready to attack and contribute to the decision to divide the Empire in AD 285.
This contributed largely to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
There were (eventually) two Roman Empires.
As mentioned before, the Roman Empire's growth was far from sustainable - and it was because of this rapid development that Emperor Diocletian decided to split the Roman Empire in 285 AD.
He split the Empire into the Eastern and Western Roman Empire.
The Eastern Roman Empire was later known as the Byzantine Empire and covered vast lands in the Middle East.
This empire stood for more than 1,000 years before falling into the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD.
However, the Western Roman Empire did not do as well as its eastern neighbor, with Rome being sacked in 410 AD, and the Empire finally disintegrating in 476 AD.
The first siege in Rome occurred in AD 410.
Since the establishment of the Roman Empire in the early 750 BC, its capital Rome has never fallen into enemy hands.
Some, like Spartacus, have come close - but no one has ever succeeded in such a feat.
However, on August 24, 410 AD, Alaric, the first King of the Visigoth tribe - a Germanic tribe living in Eastern Europe - led his troops through the Salarian Gate of Rome after a series of battles and talks.
While certainly not the last time it will happen, it was the first time Rome was captured, let alone sacked.
This marked the beginning of the end for the Western Roman Empire.
However, the Western Roman Empire would try to recover (ineffectively) until it was completely dissolved in AD 476.
The Western Roman Empire died in AD 476.
Although King Alaric and his Visigoths were first sacked of Rome in AD 410, and many subsequent raids by armies and other kings, emperor Romulus Augustus's withdrawal is widely regarded.
In AD 476, the German barbaric Odoacer captured the city of Rome and forced the last Emperor of Rome, Romulus August, to give up his crown.
Odoacer then occupied Rome and declared himself King of Italy, marking the death of the Western Roman Empire, which has existed for more than 1,000 years.
After the fall of Rome, the education, government, infrastructure and culture that the Romans spread in Europe soon disintegrated, with Europe plunging into barbarism and constant war.
The next 500 years were known as Europe's Dark Era.
The Romans lay down while eating their food.
Although originally an ancient Greek custom, the Romans adopted the method of lying down to eat their food.
In ancient Greece, it was customary that only upper-class men lay down to eat, while women and children were of the upper class, and anyone of the lower class would have to sit.
However, unlike the ancient Greeks, upper-class Roman women were allowed to lie down while eating, and some of the lower-class Romans would lie down to eat.
Those who were rich enough to afford them were served by their slaves.
The most common pets in Rome are weasels, birds and monkeys.
Like their counterparts today, the Romans as a civilization enjoyed owning pets.
However, the most popular family pets in Rome were not machine-powered dogs and cats like we do today.
Instead, weasels, birds and monkeys are Rome's most popular pets, with mink acting as a pest control measure against rats and rats.
Togas are a sign of wealth, not everyday wear.
Despite what you might see on most television shows, the toga is worn only by wealthy Roman citizens.
While most of the togas are white, some will have a certain color to denote the person's role in society, while some have colored stripes to denote their role.
For example, the Roman Senators would wear a purple stripe on their toga.
The lower class Roman citizens, or Plebs, usually wore only a sweater.
Although it was not something worn by all Romans, the Romans loved their togas so much that they called themselves "togati", which means "toga man".
The Romans used a sponge on a stick to wipe their ass.
Have you ever wondered where that "get the tip of the stick" came from?
As advanced as they might have been, the Romans' answer to toilet paper was utterly crude!
In the public restrooms of the Roman Empire, there would be a bundle of sticks with a sponge on one side that would be used to clean up after someone had finished their work.
These sticks are called Xylospongiums and will be washed by rinsing in a bucket of water and salt or vinegar.
Needless to say, this is not the most hygienic and is believed to have contributed to the spread of the disease - especially in military camps.
So, as you can imagine, getting the wrong clubhead wrong would be quite an experience, and it's definitely an experience worth it to have a popular quote made after!
