46. Blood sport? How about we just do some racing…


Gladiatorial fighting wasn’t the most popular entertainment. Modern archaeologists estimate that the Colosseum could accommodate 50,000 people. To be frank, it was dwarfed by the Circus Maximus, where 250,000 Romans could watch chariot racing.

45. Live long and prosperous.


Life expectancy in Ancient Rome was only 20 to 30 years. But they didn’t all die young. Average life expectancy was skewed by the large number of women who died giving birth, and by high infant mortality. If a Roman made it to maturity, they were likely to live as long as people in the modern western world.

3. Size matters.

The Roman Empire was not the largest empire in history. At its peak, it comprised 12% of the world’s population, making it the 28th largest empire. The British Empire was the largest in history, followed by the Mongol Empire.

4. Can’t everyone just get along?


The wars between Romans and Persians lasted about 721 years. This constitutes the longest conflict in human history.

5. Now you know how it feels.


Ancient Romans celebrated a festival called “Saturnalia” in which slaves and their masters would switch places. Slaves were treated to a banquet of the kind usually enjoyed by their masters.

6. Nail in the coffin.

During the 7th century B.C., ancient Roman “vestal virgins” were required to keep their hymens intact as proof of virginity until age 30. Vestal virgins who engaged in sexual conduct were buried alive.

7. Praying for a good poop.

The inhabitants of ancient Rome had a sewer goddess, a toilet god, and a god of excrement. The gods were said to frequent the latrine in large numbers and excrement was regarded as the food of the dead.

8. Dental hygiene matters.


Urine was used in Ancient Rome to wash clothes. The Romans also used it to whiten their teeth.

9. All is favour of the Free Carrots Bill?

The Roman Emperor Gaius Caligula made his horse a senator. Caligula also allegedly committed incest with his sisters, fed prisoners to wild beasts and had conversations with the moon.

10. Salt and Blood.


Ancient Greeks and Romans often bought slaves with salt. Salt not only served to flavor and preserve food but also made a good antiseptic, which is why the Roman word for these salubrious crystals (“sal”) is a first cousin to Salus, the goddess of health.

11. Ancient cook book: 100 Uses of Gladiator Fluids.


Ancient Roman women wore the sweat of Gladiators to improve their beauty and complexion. Romans also used to drink Gladiator blood because they thought that the blood of these strong and fierce beings had the power to cure epilepsy.

12. Ever thought about how much of a win the invention of toilet paper was?



Ancient Romans used a sponge on a stick called a “spongia” to clean themselves after pooping. Public facilities had a long marble bench with holes on top – for the obvious thing – and holes at the front: for the sponge-sticks. There were no doors or dividing walls. You sat right next to your friend and did what you had to do. Once you had done your business, you would rinse the spongia in the channel of running water at your feet and – without standing up or revealing anything –push the spongia through the hole at the front, give your bottom a solid wipe, rinse off the spongia… and leave it in a basin for the next person to use!

13. Enslavement Engagement?


Most Romans avoided being cruel to slaves. Just like modern employers, they used bonuses and branding to improve productivity.

14. Screw you guys, I’m out of here.


Cincinnati is named after Cincinnatus, a dictator of the Roman Republic who saved Rome from crisis and then retired to his farm because he didn’t want to rule.

15. Your argument won’t hold water… at least not like the Romans.


Two Roman dams in Spain are still in use after 1900 years. These dams are noteworthy for their extraordinary height, which remained unsurpassed anywhere in the world until the Late Middle Ages.

16. Where’d they get the bears?


In the 1st century A.D., polar bears fought seals in Roman amphitheaters flooded with water.

17. Dear Lady liberty.

The Statue of Liberty Was Inspired By The Roman Pagan Goddess Libertas.

17. The Statue of Liberty Was Inspired By The Roman Pagan Goddess Libertas.

18. Building like champions.


After the fall of the Roman Empire, the technology to make concrete was lost for 1000 years. In fact, Ancient Roman concrete has withstood the attack by elements for over 2,000 years, which is considerably longer than the lifetime of modern concrete structures.

19. Better shopaholics than the Kardashians.


Ancient Rome had a 4-story-tall shopping mall called “Trajan’s Market” with 150 shops and offices.

20. Heft price tag.

If Ancient Rome’s Colosseum was built today, it would cost about $380 million.

love all things Rome