1. There really WERE zebras in Ancient Rome
The Romans did love their exotic animals, and dragged them from every corner of their empire to show them off to bemused crowds in the Colosseum. But, unlike in my book, where Julius Zebra fights back against the brutish gladiators, zebras were in reality trained to pull chariots around the circuses. The Romans even gave our stripy friends the fantastic name “hippotigris”, meaning “Horse-tiger”!
2. Not-so-fun sports
The Colosseum was Ancient Rome’s biggest amphitheatre, seating up to 50,000 spectators. And, unlike today’s expensive football stadia, it was completely free to get in! Here you could watch gruesome gladiatorial combats to the death, wild animals slaughtered by the thousand and big sea battles thanks to a flooded arena. Fun times! Just make sure you didn’t complain, or else you’d get chucked in to be killed too!
3. Cheating mad emperor
Emperor Commodus (161 – 192AD) loved gladiators, he loved them so much he wanted to be one! He would put on spectacular shows hunting savage bears and lions and beating dozens of gladiators in one on one combat. Trouble is, the animals were tied up so they couldn’t run away, and the gladiators fought with wooden, or blunt, swords, so Commodus could never lose. What a big cheat!
4. They once had a horse for a senator
Ancient Rome had its fair share of batty emperors, but Caligula (12 – 41AD) really took the biscuit. Not content with talking to the Moon as if it was his best friend, or declaring war on the god Neptune, ordering his soldiers to stab the sea, he even appointed his favourite horse, Incitatus, to serve as a senator.
5. Romans hated being bald
As far as Roman citizens were concerned, being bald was the absolute worst thing in the world. They would rub the craziest mixtures on their heads to encourage regrowth of their beloved barnets, including ground up mice and horse teeth, or even slapping on rat dung.
6. Superstitions ruled their lives
Romans took superstitions very seriously. So many things were regarded as a bad omen: they wouldn’t leave the house if they stumbled on the threshold, they whistled whenever there was lightning, cut their nails only on a market day and woe betide if a snake fell from the roof, or if a horse wept hot tears, you really were in for a rotten day!
7. Introduced the rabbit and domestic cat to Britain
It wasn’t all exotic, wild animals in the Roman world, they loved their cute and fluffy critters, too. In fact, it’s all thanks to the Roman invasion of Britain that we have bunnies hopping in our fields and fluffy cats purring on our laps.
8. Introduced less lovely things to Britain
Don’t get too soppy and dewy-eyed though, the Romans also brought over stinging nettles (for treating tired legs) and cabbage. Yeah, thanks a bunch!
9. They enjoyed yucky food
The food of Ancient Rome was pretty weird compared to what we eat these days. Their favourite stinky sauce, garum, was derived from fish entrails left out in the sun to ferment. They also enjoyed cooking mushrooms in honey and loved to dine on flamingo tongues, parrots and peacocks. The more colourful the bird the better, it seems!
10. Centurions were a cut above the rest
Centurions were soldiers of the Roman army who commanded 80 men (centuria) or more. They wore big feathery or hairy crests on their helmets to make them stand taller than anyone else. A centurion’s stick was his badge of rank in the army, but he was probably just as likely to hit you with it, to be honest.
Gary Northfield is the author of Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans.
