Ancient Rome was a civilization centred around the city of Rome, that lasted from the 8th century BC to 476 AD (West); 1453 AD (East).
14
votes
4answers
221 views
How did the Roman state verify citizenship?
How were ancient Roman citizens identified, and how did officials make sure that their identity wasn't fake? I.e., did they maintain some kind of citizens registry, or did they have some kind of ...
4
votes
1answer
63 views
Are there any Vandal or Goth relics or monuments in Rome?
The Vandals and Goths ruled Rome for several years after the fall of the empire. Did they leave any relics, monuments or buildings that can still be seen?
10
votes
3answers
298 views
In ancient Rome, did a lot of people feel guilty about owning slaves?
Do we have historical evidence which shows whether significant number of people felt guilty about owning (without necessarily abusing) slaves in the ancient Roman era, e.g. 1-2 century AD?
4
votes
0answers
85 views
Did the Eastern Roman Empire materially contribute to the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
Did the Eastern Empire actually contribute to the fall of the West?
The Eastern Emperors did, with their vast sums of gold, pay off Hunnic and Germanic tribes that were harassing the Danube ...
5
votes
0answers
67 views
How much of an impact did the Roman emperors' civil wars have on their decision to debase the coinage?
From Adrian Goldsworthy's How Rome Fell: "Civil war remained a common event, ...the economy collapsed, as successive emperors massively devalued the coinage to pay for their wars."
Other sources say ...
16
votes
3answers
493 views
What form of home address did Romans use?
Were the buildings in an ancient Roman city numbered, named or something else? How would they tell each other where they lived? Were the numbers painted on the walls? Did they have apartment numbers? ...
4
votes
2answers
47 views
Land division to soldiers
In what times and places was it common to give land to soldiers, as a form of payment for their army service?
I have learned in school that this was common in Rome. However, in the wikipedia article ...
2
votes
0answers
111 views
Why did Emperor Nero kill his mother and others?
Why did Nero kill his own mother? Was it true that she was dangerous to the point where it was "her life or his?" Did he have "good" reasons (in the sense of being understandable or acceptable at the ...
9
votes
0answers
156 views
Has history mistreated Nero?
Nero is (wrongly) "known" as the Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned." But he did kill a number of prominent people, including his own mother. He is treated by much of history as a psychopath, and ...
16
votes
0answers
111 views
When did the Romans begin using the sword, as opposed to the axe, for decapitation?
According to this article, the Romans first used the axe for decapitation, and then moved to using the sword later. The article states:
[B]eheading, a mode of executing capital punishment by which ...
6
votes
2answers
204 views
Were Roman emperors officially considered kings of Egypt?
On this statue of Augustus (image is from Wikipedia), he is depicted wearing the traditional dress of Egyptian pharaohs:
I wonder whether Roman emperors were officially declared kings of Egypt or ...
7
votes
2answers
441 views
Did war chariots ever actually have blades on the wheel hubs?
Several movies depict Greek and Roman war chariots with sharp, sword like blades protruding from the hub in the centre of the wheels. Was such a design just theatre on the part of the movies or is ...
9
votes
2answers
420 views
How does the amount of equipment carried by various historical infantries compare?
I've heard many statements amount the weight of supplies and munition carried by soldiers of various historical forces. In particular, I've heard many comments about the amount that the British ...
2
votes
1answer
60 views
Roman aristocrat with slave assassins named after him?
I remember reading a few years back that there was a particular Roman strongman who had a very intense way of dealing with enemies.
He had dozens of either slaves or former slaves (freedmen), but I ...
8
votes
4answers
237 views
Why did the scutum fall out of use?
Wikipedia says
By the end of the 3rd century the rectangular scutum seems to have
disappeared.
Why did the rectangular scutum design fall out of use? Why was the shield design not commonly ...
3
votes
2answers
87 views
Successors of the Roman Empire
I know that the Byzantine Empire was technically the Eastern Roman Empire, but did they carry over actual Roman traditions with them? Also, did the Holy Roman Empire have anything to do with the ...
9
votes
1answer
117 views
How quickly could the roman legions march? How does it compare to the mobile cavalry?
In the history of Rome there are numerous instances of legions being marched up and down Europe, from Spain to Rome and from Rome to Syria. I'm interested to know how quickly these armies could move? ...
7
votes
1answer
53 views
Is there any way to historically consider the cultural severity on a disease or impairment? (specifically during the Roman Empire)
I'm looking to find how certain diseases or impairments were viewed during the Roman Empire (circa ~50AD) by the Roman culture prior, during, and after that time.
I'm mainly looking for physical ...
1
vote
0answers
32 views
Were there rules about the number of retainers for the Achaemenid Empire?
In Rome, magistrates (and later the emperors too) each had a fixed number of lictors, according to the rank of the office they held. Is a similar regulation of the number of retainers according to ...
4
votes
1answer
65 views
Rulers of Rome - Caesar and Pompei
Why is Pompei Magnus' name not lauded as much as Caesar's is as a Roman ruler ,considering Magnus was the one who ran Rome in the first place ?
2
votes
1answer
79 views
What repercussions did Agrippina's murder have for Pompeii?
This review of a book about Pompeii has an intriguing remark (emphasis mine):
There is an emphasis within this book on weaving both Imperial and
provincial figures, events and episodes into the ...
17
votes
3answers
349 views
Did the Romans have winter uniforms?
Standard ancient Roman uniform consisted of a tunic, a cloak and sandal-type boots, resulting in a look like this. Now, this is all very well for Mediterranean climates but I really cannot fathom how ...
7
votes
2answers
231 views
Why did Greeks and Romans dilute their wine?
I’ve gathered that ancient Greeks and Romans watered their wine heavily, up to 90% water. Roman-era Talmudic sources speak of wine not being fit to drink until it had been watered (although mixtures ...
4
votes
4answers
146 views
Monotheism/Atheism in Polytheistic societies
I would like to know if there are any documents telling us how common (or if it even existed) among people in polytheistic societies (like ancient Greece, Rome, etc.) it was to believe that there is ...
4
votes
1answer
78 views
Was the ancient Roman King ( i.e. rex) elected for eight years?
This is an outgrowth of the discussion here. The rex was indeed elected (or perhaps acclaimed would be better term) by the people at the suggestion of the Senate, as far as I recall but I do not ...
3
votes
0answers
40 views
Roman consuls under Roman rex
Wikipedia says that the consuls were initially the king's counsels judging from the name of the office. I wonder whether it is the fact and is there any reliable evidence for consuls under reges?
7
votes
1answer
204 views
Did the Romans “copy” their political system from the Greeks?
This is an outgrowth of the discussion here. My sense is that the Romans developed their system autochthonously, probably with some influence from their Etruscan neigbours and one-time-overlords.
...
8
votes
1answer
175 views
Did the Romans melt down looted golden objects or did they keep them intact?
The most famous such object is, of course, the Menorah which is reported to have surfaced up later in Constantinople via Carthage, so it seems to have been kept intact.
But I am wondering if there ...
4
votes
2answers
149 views
When were the lictors abolished?
I wonder when the institute of lictors was abolished in the Ancient Rome? Who was the last emperor to have lictors as companions?
6
votes
1answer
66 views
Why did the start of the Roman consular year move?
Thus quoth wikipedia:
The first day of the consular term changed several times during Roman
history. It became 1 January in 153 BC.
Question is: why? (And what is the source, since wiki is ...
6
votes
1answer
184 views
Did Roman military require uniform weapons?
It seems to me that weapons were quite expensive in ancient world. At the same time there could be much of captured and imported weapons available. So did the Roman military prohibit use of captured ...
10
votes
3answers
245 views
What is the evidence to claim that political order in ancient Rome was sufficiently different under “kingdom”, “republic” and “empire”?
Traditionally the following stages are counted for the political order of the Ancient Rome:
Kingdom
Republic
Empire (subdivided into Principate and Dominate)
The "kingdom" is usually regarded as ...
6
votes
1answer
170 views
What was the status of specialized workers during the Roman times?
It's obvious that people in the Senate or people with political power would be considered of higher status, while ordinary plebs, such as farmers, would have a lower status. However, where exactly ...
2
votes
1answer
136 views
Did the Latins see the Etruscans as a plague?
I've read that Latins considered the Etruscans as a plague. However, it seems that the Etruscans (being peaceful merchants) were more civilized and educated than the Latins.
18
votes
2answers
428 views
Where did the Romans store their cash?
In the era before banking was invented, where did wealthy Romans store their cash? The emperor probably could store it somewhere in the imperial palace thanks to the Praetorian guard, but what about ...
16
votes
1answer
213 views
Did the Romans pour wine down wells for health purposes?
I've heard some kind of story that after the Romans would conquer a new village or city, they would pour wine (or other alcohol?) down the wells to kill the bacteria and make it safe for future ...
9
votes
2answers
241 views
When did the Roman forum fall into disuse?
The Roman forum is reported to have already been falling apart in 8th century by a anonymous traveler, according to Wikipedia. The question is, with the Visigothic and Byzantine conquests of Italy, ...
11
votes
2answers
327 views
Nero and the Great Fire of Rome 64AD
I have always been fascinated by the history of ancient Rome and this is one of the topics, I always wanted to know a little bit more about.
The rumor about Nero himself giving the order to burn down ...
6
votes
1answer
277 views
How did the Romans discover dry cleaning?
It seems that the Romans would dry clean their laundry with ammonia derived from urine. Considering the source of the ammonia, and the smell of pure ammonia, I find it hard to believe that this ...
9
votes
1answer
376 views
Were the animals used for gladiatorial combat in Rome trained?
Were the animals used for gladiatorial combat in Rome 100% wild, or were they trained in any way (either for entertainment purposes like today's circus animals, or for fighting like fighting dogs are ...
6
votes
2answers
285 views
Who proposed the motion that gave Gaius Julius Caesar the title Augustus?
In 27 BC, the Senate gave Gaius Julius Caesar the title Augustus. I am assuming that as the senate gave him that title, the motion must have been proposed by someone at the senate floor. Do we know, ...
3
votes
1answer
158 views
Is this true that the requirement to sacrifice to the Roman gods was put in by the Caesar only after Christianity emerged?
Is this true that the requirement to worship and to sacrifice to the Roman gods was put in by the Caesar only after Christianity emerged? I just encountered a statement that this requirement was put ...
7
votes
1answer
182 views
Extent of the Roman empire after Trajan?
It is generally acknowledged that the Roman Empire reached its geographical zenith during Trajan's reign. Listening to the highly interesting History of Rome podcast I didn't notice any major ...
12
votes
3answers
210 views
Were there any conquests that Ancient Rome undertook explicitly to gain control of a natural resource?
Was there ever a case when Rome conquered a territory solely for the purpose of gaining control of a specific resource (spice, ore, timber, etc....)?
I'm looking for something backed up by historical ...
12
votes
2answers
702 views
What did ex-Gladiators do after being freed?
What did ex-Gladiators do after being freed? Did they stay near to what they knew or chose completely unrelated professions and prospered?
4
votes
1answer
128 views
What was more expensive to lose in a gladiatorial fight: a gladiator or a rare animal?
We know that, aside from man-to-man combat, gladiatorial fights would often pit human gladiators against wild animals.
Is there any documented historical evidence that would show what was a bigger ...
3
votes
1answer
96 views
Why Sulla general slaughtered inhabitants of Praeneste?
The citizen doesn't seem to be against Sulla. In fact they disallow Marius from coming in.
Its citizens were offered Roman citizenship in 90 BC in the Social War, when concessions had to be made by ...
9
votes
1answer
123 views
How widespread was practice of fusion of Graeco-Roman and barbarian names?
There are some instances when barbarian names were romanized in order to be similar to already existing Roman or Greek names. Just some examples that come to mind:
Hebrew Martha -> Marta ("of Mars")
...
