We love history, especially anything that has to do with the ancient Romans. We’ve had a few lists about this unique civilization in the past, but there’s just so much fascinating information about them that we’re still discovering. Here are 10 more little known incredible things you probably never knew about ancient Rome.
1 Little Known Phallic Charms
Romans were a superstitious bunch, and one of their favorite good‑luck talismans was the phallus—a bold, erect symbol of fertility and protection. They wore tiny phallic amulets around their necks, hung them over doorways, and even crafted wind chimes shaped like the male organ. Some of these chimes were fancily embellished with lion’s feet, bird wings, or a stylized penis head. Today, hanging such a piece in your home would raise eyebrows, but back then it was a serious charm against evil spirits.
2 Trajan’s Market: The First Shopping Mall
Trajan’s market was a massive two‑storey complex in the heart of ancient Rome, and it’s widely regarded as the world’s earliest example of a shopping mall. Housing roughly 150 shops, the market survived millennia thanks to the Romans’ innovative concrete recipe—mixing lime into the mix to guard against corrosion. Even after 2,000 years, the structure still stands, a testament to Roman engineering prowess.
3 Gladiator Blood as a Cure
Medically, the Romans were both ahead of their time and wildly eccentric. They believed that the fresh blood of a slain gladiator could cure epilepsy, so vendors would sell still‑warm blood to eager crowds right after the arena bout. When gladiatorial combat was outlawed around AD 400, the practice shifted to using the blood of executed criminals as a substitute remedy.
4 Sinister Reputation of Left‑Handed Romans
Left‑handed people have long been stigmatized. In ancient Rome, being left‑handed was considered unlucky and untrustworthy—the Latin word “sinister” actually means “left.” Yet left‑handed gladiators were prized for their unconventional fighting style, earning them special bonuses in the arena. The superstition persisted, linking left‑handedness with evil across centuries.
5 The Emperor’s Urine Tax
In the first century AD, Emperor Vespasian introduced a tax on urine—a surprisingly lucrative commodity. Romans collected urine from public bathhouses because its ammonia was perfect for bleaching clothes and even used it in certain medicines. The tax, akin to modern liquor or tobacco duties, turned bodily waste into a taxable resource.
6 Spiderweb Bandages in Roman Medicine
Roman military medics were surprisingly inventive. To tend wounds, they often used a mixture of cobwebs, honey, and vinegar as bandages. Modern research shows spider silk is stronger than steel and may possess antibacterial properties—so the Romans were essentially pioneering a high‑tech medical material centuries before its scientific validation.
7 Caligula’s Cross‑Dressing Scandals
Emperor Gaius, better known as Caligula, was notorious for his excesses. Among his many eccentricities, he liked to appear in public dressed in women’s clothing and gave his guards feminine‑sounding call‑signs like “Kiss me quick.” He also declared himself a god and even appointed his beloved horse as a priest, showcasing his unbridled eccentricity.
8 Roman Flushing Toilets
While most people associate Romans with grand aqueducts, they also pioneered indoor plumbing. Wealthy Romans enjoyed hot and cold water on demand, and some private homes featured flushing toilets that used flowing water to carry waste away. This sophisticated sanitation system fell into disuse after Rome’s decline, later replaced by medieval bedpans.
9 Crucifixion Reserved for Non‑Citizens
Crucifixion is often linked to the crucifixion of Jesus, but in ancient Rome it was a punishment reserved mainly for non‑citizens and traitors. Roman citizens—even those who committed serious crimes—were typically exiled or fined instead of crucified. Non‑citizens, however, could be crucified for offenses ranging from petty robbery to treason.
10 Ancient Roman UFO Sightings
Even the ancients reported odd sky phenomena. In 218 BC, a fleet of gleaming ships was said to float above Rome’s sky, and around AD 150, witnesses described a massive, multicolored “beast” about a hundred feet tall, shooting fiery rays before landing in a dust cloud. These accounts, recorded in the study “Unidentified Flying Objects in Classical Antiquity,” hint at early UFO‑type sightings.