10 weird misconceptions about Ancient Rome

People mistakenly believe that ancient Romans lived in idleness, indulging in gluttony, debauchery. Meanwhile, Roman society was guided by strict rules. The code, which was called the mos maiorum, ordered the Romans to be honest, frugal, sincere and persistent. Alas, thanks to Hollywood, there have been many ridiculous misconceptions about ancient Romans.

Vomitoria

The most common misconception attributed to the Romans intemperance in eating. Supposedly their halls for feasts bordered on "vomit room". This was done for the comfort of guests, a full stomach bothered to continue the feast. Vomitoria really existed in Ancient Rome. The so-called spacious halls adjoining the main hall. Leaving the feast, guests walked through vomitory.

The plebeians

There is a misconception that the lower classes of the Empire were called plebeians. Because our people consider the name offensive. In fact, the plebeians called all the inhabitants of Ancient Rome who belonged to the ruling class. Later, the plebeians had achieved equal rights with the patricians, which led to the collapse of the old order.

The value of the thumb

Mistakenly assume that using a raised or lowered thumb decided the fate of a Gladiator. Today's popular gesture used for commands to lower or raise the weapon. Of course, this affects the fate of the men. The losing Gladiator was left to live, but he was eliminated from the competition. Gladiators fight rarely ended with the death of one of them.

Investors were not interested in the death of gladiators. If the competition was fatal, very quickly came to be there. In gladiatorial battle, won the most hardy fighter who longest remained on his feet. The study of the remains of the cemetery of gladiators show that wounded soldiers were saved from suffering a blow to the head.

More about the gladiators

Not only slaves became soldiers. In the pursuit of reward in the arena was on their own, so by the verdict. Gladiators were mainly the plebeians. Although often impoverished patricians saw the chance to bring well-being with victory in the arena. Another little known fact — among the soldiers met women.

Language

The ancient Romans knew several languages. Latin was the official language of written evidence. Citizens of the Roman Empire mastered Latin, Greek, Osinski, Etruscan languages. Still, there were local variations of the language. The poet Dante Alighieri found thousands of dialects of the Latin language. Written records are uniformity. It is noteworthy that the educated elite were predominantly used in the Greek language.

Toga

Our knowledge of tor is limited to Hollywood movies in which actors dressed in togas. Perhaps the costume designers don't realize that the Romans wore togas of different styles. Men wore them only on special occasions. Early togas were simple. Later models were much harder harder. Toga emphasized the social status of the owner. Only the Emperor was entitled to wear purple garments. The rest had to settle for other colors.

In everyday life practical, the Romans wore woollen or linen tunics. The soldiers wore leather jackets. Commoners and slaves wore short tunics. The toga was forbidden to wear women, slaves, and outcasts. Shortly before the fall of the Roman Empire, many residents have chosen pants, although previously it was thought that such clothing should wear only barbarians.

Carthage

For a hundred years, Rome and Carthage fought three times. Carthage finally fell in 146 BC, the Romans captured 50 thousand people, which later sold into slavery. The city is completely destroyed. The claim that the Romans destroyed the farmlands of Carthage with salt, not true. In those days salt was a very valuable mineral. Moreover, scientists cannot find any evidence in favor of this theory.

Nero and the violin

Suetonius wrote of Nero that the Emperor was eager for all sorts of filth: tortured stray animals, not averse to incest, murder. But the special irrationality of the Emperor distinguished himself during the fire which destroyed Rome in 64 ad

Supposedly the Emperor wore their best clothes, climbed the city wall and began with tears in his eyes to read the lines about the fall of Troy. According to the historian dio Cassius, Nero dressed in the costume of the player on the guitar, which is considered the predecessor of the lute.

Get the picture, like a Roman Emperor perceived a terrible fire as a kind of performance. Looking at the dying fire in the city, he played the violin. Later, Shakespeare wrote that Nero played the violin, contemplating the burning city. It is noteworthy that in the era of the Roman Empire, yet there were no violins. The lute became the violin when George Daniel was written by the famous words of Nero, who at the funeral of Rome, played the violin.

The Nazi salute

The Romans are credited with the invention of the Nazi salute, which extended up the hand turned palm down. However, historians have not found any documents of that period that would confirm this version. The myth of the Nazi salute is based on the painting "the Oath Horatii" 1784.

It depicts a group of soldiers with a raised hand. It is unknown what inspired Jacques-Louis David to draw the Roman soldiers in this position. Hollywood movies reinforced a strange myth. It is known that the party of Mussolini, highlighting Italian heritage, picked up the salute warlike ancestors. Hitler copied the idea from Italian Nazis.

Caligula and the horse

25-year-old Emperor began to reign with a General Amnesty, the abolition of taxes, the organization of the Roman games. A few months later, Caligula became seriously ill and everything went to pieces. "Brain fever" were signs of paranoia. The Emperor became suspicious, aggressive. Caligula drove the wife dealt with their closest advisers, has brought father-in-law to suicide. The courtiers were whispering that the Emperor sleeps with his sister. Later Caligula had an Epiphany to proclaim himself a living deity. In anticipation of the gifts he long sat in the temple.

His love for horses gave rise to the awful rumors. It was said that Caligula appointed the animal to the post of Senator to follow his advice. Historians have not found written evidence that the horse had met in the Roman government. Suetonius wrote about the intention of Caligula, not a fait accompli. The Emperor lived for 41 years and died at the hands of their own protection.