Definition.org

Definitions, Translations, and Word of the Day

Hide Advertisement
  • Homes
    • Abandoned
    • Renovations
    • Haunted
  • Entertainment
  • Vintage
  • Videos
Site logo
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

5 Really Peculiar Things That Took Place in Ancient Rome

October 7, 2016 | By David Clarke
Advertisement - Continue reading below

FeaturedRome

Ancient Rome is often thought to be one of the cradles of modern civilization but those ancient Romans did some pretty strange stuff from a modern perspective.

Advertisement

Here are 5 really peculiar things that took place in Ancient Rome:

They Brushed Their Teeth With Urine

Rome1
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AToothpasteonbrush.jpg

Urine was really useful stuff in the ancient world and it was never wasted. It was put to work in tanning, cleaning, and as fertilizer but one of the strangest uses for urine was as a teeth whitener.

The Romans would collect their pee in pots. The pot was then taken and emptied into a cesspool. The cesspools were then drained and the contents sold off to any business that was prepared to pay a “urine tax” (no we’re not taking the pee here).

Urine was then used as a mouthwash. Why? Because the ammonia in urine acts a mild bleach and removes stains from teeth.

Their Toilets Were Deadly

Rome2
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ostia-Toilets.JPG

Before the introduction of modern sanitation; a toilet could be a pretty horrifying place to be. A roman toilet was basically a hole in the ground (or many holes in the ground) over an open sewer.

This wasn’t the healthiest of environments. Rats were known to occasionally take a bite out of the exposed buttocks of a citizen on the throne. Worse, the decaying waste would produce methane and if a citizen were foolish enough to create a spark or take a torch so they could read on the potty – the ensuing explosion could kill.

There Was No Toilet Paper So They Shared A Stick

Rome3
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AXylospongium.jpg

There was no paper to wipe with in Ancient Rome; so once you’d finished your “business” on the toilet – you had to wipe with something else. In many cases, this would be a sponge (the sea creature was easily harvested in the seas around the empire) which was placed on the end of a stick.

Disturbingly, sponges weren’t cheap and you didn’t get a personal stick with your own sponge instead you’d have to share it with other people. This explains a lot of the disease that was prevalent in ancient times.

People Vomited on the Dinner Table

Rome4
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pompeii_-_Casa_dei_Casti_Amanti_-_Banquet.jpg

Roman feasts (and orgies) were designed to be spectacles of excess. You turned up and gorged yourself endlessly until you couldn’t eat anymore.

Then when you’d had your fill; you didn’t go home. You put your fingers down your throat and threw it all back up again so you could eat some more. You didn’t do this in private or in the bathroom but rather in a bowl placed on the table for exactly that purpose.

They Drank Goat Dung for Energy

Rome5
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ADung_of_Goat.jpg

Yes, another scatological fact – the Romans liked to use goat dung for a variety of things. They would use it mainly as a medicinal aid to be packed into bleeding wounds; there was a preference for dry, old dung but in a pinch, it was also used fresh from the goat too.

Powdered dung was also used in an energy drink which was consumed by charioteers in combat to  avoid exhaustion.

← Previous Post Next Post →
Advertisement - Continue reading below
Share  On Facebook

Would You Dare to Step Inside This Creepy Abandoned Asylum?

This Abandoned Castle Was Left to Deteriorate Over the Years Due to Lack of Money

The Lie That Led to the Baseball Hall of Fame Being Built in Cooperstown

This Guy Risked His Life to Save a Stray Dog Stranded in the Ocean

How Ancient Astronomers Contributed To Modern Science

10 Awesome Movies Using Props Made From Things YOU Have at Home

Man Turns Volkswagen Beetle Into ‘World’s Smallest Hotel’

5 Ways To Get To Know Yourself Better

This Dog Wouldn’t Leave This Family’s House Until They Adopted Her

This Hero Rescued a Dog From an Abandoned House

Check Out These Abandoned Houses That Will Haunt Your Dreams

Hollywood’s Biggest Unsolved Mysteries

sidebar

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

sidebar-alt

  • About
  • Imprint
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy