How much do you really know about Ancient Rome?
đˇď¸ TĂ o lao
Are you not entertained? And this is what you think of us. O tempora! O mores! Salvete! Minerva here is esteemed Roman goddess of reason, wisdom, handicrafts, and war. Itâs come to my attention that many of you have been thinking about Ancient Rome a lot. But how much do you really know? Iâll be the judge. Letâs play a little game I like to call duo vera et mendacium. Or, to the rest of you: two truths and a lie. Letâs meet our three brave contestants. And letâs show them what they are playing for. An all-expense paid cruise abroad one of Caligulaâs pleasure barges! Prepare to be wined and dined on a trip youâll never forget, well, youâll probably forget.
As for the losers, the die is cast. Prepare to spot the lie. A, gladiators had their own guilds. B, most gladiatorial fights ended before anyone died. C, gladiators were from an enslaved class. And I thought this was an easy one. Itâs true that from their introduction from around the 3rd century BCE, Roman galadiators were often enslaved or convicted criminal. But this changed by the 1st century CE. After the opening of the Colosseum in 80 CE, freemen and former soldiers began signing up for a life in the arena, lured by the potential for fame and regular employment. They even formed their own guilds, which organized funerals and provided pensions for gladiatorsâ families if they were to die.
But it took a lot of time and money to train a gladiator, so it wouldnât make any sense to have them fighting to the death, at least not all the time. Moving on to fashion. A, the toga was the cornerstone of daily Roman dress. B, many Roman women wore dress made with Chinese silk. C, urine was the primary laundry detergent for Roman clothes. While male Roman citizens did wear togas , they were strictly for ceremonial and official events. And they were worn over clothing like tunics, never on their own. That would be indecent. As indecent as some writers called the flimsy Chinese silk dresses that became fashionable amongst upper class Roman women in the 1st century CE.
And finally, the ammonia in urine does indeed make for an excellent stain-fighting solution, which is why Roman launderers often placed buckets on the corners to collect the urine of passersby. That reminds me, next question. A, many Roman homes featured a vomitorium, a room where people could vomit after overindulging. B, the Pythagoreans, who followed the teachings of the Greek mathematician Pythagoras, embraced a vegetarian diet. C, a favorite Roman condiment was sauce made from fermented fish guts. While vomit and vomitoria come from the same root, meaning to spew forth, a vomitorium is simply a passage through which spectators spewed from amphitheaters or arenas into the street.
Purging was a common medical treatment, but it certainly wasnât prescribed to make room for more fish gut sauce. As for Pythagoras, there were more than three sides to the man, Iâll have you know. He was a philosopher, and his followers embraced his belief that eating anima flesh increased agressive behavior. Weâre all tied up. But this last question is sure to separate the true Romano-files from the Romano-flakes. A, the city of Rome was sacked twice during the 5th century CE. B, the last western Roman Emperor was Romulus Augustulus. C, the Roman Empire fell in 476 CE. Just as I thought. The very idea that Rome fell is complicated.
Itâs true that by 476 the empire looked very different. By the 4th century, it had permanently split into eastern and western halves, each with its own emperor. The last emperor in the west, Romulus Augustulus, was overthrown in 476 CE in a military coup. But the Germanic general who replaced him didnât make sweeping changes. Roman political and cultural life endured, and military conquests continued at least until the eastern Emperor Justinian led a devastating invasion of Italy in the 530s. In the east, the Roman Empire survived for a thousand years, becoming what you now called the Byzantine Empire. That makes contestant number 3 our big winner. Enjoy the spoils. As for our losers, better luck next time. Hereâs hoping there is one.