Rome was founded in 735 BC. ¹⁾

There was a 98-foot-tall statue of Nero erected near the Roman Colosseum. The huge statue, made of bronze, was called “The Colossus of Nero.” ²⁾

Romans invented shopping malls. The first-ever shopping mall was ordered to be built by Emperor Trajan somewhere between 107-110AD. There were many goods sold there. ³⁾

The Romans considered left-handed people untrustworthy and evil. Some history books suggest that the ancient Romans first believed the left side to be lucky but accepted the Greeks' way of thinking, meaning the lucky side is the right one. ⁴⁾

Rome is home to over 280 fountains and 900 churches. ⁵⁾

“Homo homini lupus (est)”, meaning “Man is a wolf to man”, is a paraphrase from Plautus' comedy “Asinaria”, summarizing the author's opinion on human nature. Titus Maccius Plautus (250 BC -184 BC) was a Roman comedy writer, one of the oldest Roman writers whose works have survived. ⁶⁾

King Tullus Hostilius was the third ruler of Rome from 673 BC. - 642 BC. After winning the war against the Sabines, the city was struck by a plague, which was blamed on the king and his troubled rule. Livius claims that to propitiate the gods Tullius participated in a secret cult of Jupiter. The carelessness of the ritual, however, angered the god and the king was burned in a fire in his own house, which caught fire from a lightning strike. ⁷⁾

The construction of the Flavian Amphitheatre (Colosseum) began in 70 AD under Vespasian, however, its construction was completed in 80 AD, i.e. under Titus. ⁸⁾

Horreum was a type of public warehouse used in ancient Rome to store various goods. The huge Horrea Galbae in Rome was used to store grain and oil, wine, groceries, and clothing. By the end of the imperial period, there were as many as 300 horrea in Rome alone to meet the needs of the city's inhabitants. ⁹⁾.

Rome is called “The Eternal City.” Even the ancient Romans called it that already. They claimed that no matter what happened their city would survive and continue to thrive. ¹⁰⁾

Every night about 3,000 Euros are fished out of the bottom of the Trevi fountain. This money goes to the Caritas Foundation, which cares for families in need in the Rome area. ¹¹⁾

The Milliarium Aureum (Latin: golden milestone) is a column erected by Octavian Augustus in 20 BC in the Roman Forum. Because it was located in the central point of Rome, where the most important roads crossed, it was considered to be the beginning of all roads, and distances in the Roman Empire were measured from it. According to historians, the expression “all roads lead to Rome” refers to the Milliarium Aureum. ¹²⁾

In ancient Rome, only free-born Romans could wear togas. ¹³⁾

S.P.Q.R. - the inscription we can often see on Roman walls and monuments means “Senate and citizens of Rome”. ¹⁴⁾

They dyed their hair blonde and red using goat's fat and bouquet ash. ¹⁵⁾

Urine was a coveted commodity in ancient Rome. It was collected in specially designated areas and later used to wash clothes and brush teeth. ¹⁶⁾

In the year 64, a huge fire consumed the city. This event is known as the “Great Fire of Rome”. According to Tacitus, the conflagration lasted 5 and a half days and brought ruin to 10 of the then 14 city districts. ¹⁷⁾