Our early history books gave us a glimpse of the Roman Empire and left the kids interested in the Roman era with a lot of curious questions. Ancient Romans have always been a matter of interest not only for Hollywood but also for the historians. This empire has legacies, beliefs, myths, traditions, taboos, several dark sides, illogical concepts that are enough to leave you thinking about it for the entire day. From Yin and Yang to Roman slaves, from gladiators to inventions many misconceptions will be broken by the time you reach the end of this article.
Keep aside your knowledge about the Romans because you are about to read a lot about them you haven’t been aware of before.
Just 10% Of Ancient Rome
Let’s start with the progress that we’ve made so far. The ancient Rome rests in peace 30 feet under the modern street levels. Many researchers suggest that all that we’ve discovered is merely 10% of the empire. It looks like that there are no chances for any further excavations considering the human population thriving on top of it at present.
Pompei and Herculaneum were two significant cities during the Roman era and we’ve only excavated 20-25% of these cities.
Julius Caesar Cared For The People
Julius Caesar is one of the most discussed and known Roman emperors. He went on doing one big time favor on his citizens even when he is known for being quite calculative. The ideal ruler cares for the citizens and Julius had that quality. You will be surprised to know that he left behind what will approximately worth for $270 for every Roman citizen!
It might look like a small amount today but back then, it must have been a fortune of money for the poor population of the empire. Wishing someone would think for you this much as well?
An Inspirational Find
It happened during the 15th century, when an Italian slipped and fell from the side of a hill, ended up discovering the remains of the Domus Aurea, a huge Roman palace packed with exquisite art. If you are interested in arts and would appreciate some inspiration then you should follow the footsteps of Michaelangelo and Raphael, famous painters who used to get down the hill to visit the buried artistic treasure, to get inspiration for their art. This indirectly led to the Italian Renaissance.
Coolest Sights Are Underground
If you are a traveler, you might’ve seen a lot but if you are a wanderer you must have explored a lot. And let’s just say that apart from the regular monuments, every country has some unique things on display which one wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Same is the case with Rome and its history, and if you’re interested in the eerie sides of a country then we will suggest Rome’s underground tour. Starting from the Mithraic cult temple below the Basilica, San Clemente to the Catacombs, Domitilla to the Catacombs, San Sebastiano.
Yin And Yang
When talking of Yin and Yang, the first thing that pops in our minds is related to China. Well, this symbol was first used as a shield design for the Roman Army. If you find this to be strange, we haven’t revealed the weirdest part yet. Yin Yang is the symbol of Taoist culture, popular in China. Here comes the strangest part, according to the historians there is no way that the Taoist interacted with the Romans. Then how did they both land on the symbol?