Could you tell me if it is true that there were undefeated gladiators as in the movie?

Gladiators have become a very popular topic! Evidence indicates that gladiators first performed around 264 B.C. They did so at funerals in Etruria, the region to the north of Rome, to ensure a safe passageway for the dead to the next life. Originally, three pairs of fighters competed. However, by A.D. 14, 5,000 pairs had battled to the death on several occasions. While most gladiators were prisoners of war, slaves, or condemned criminals, some were freemen who volunteered for the ring -- among these was the Roman emperor Commodus! And, yes, many did survive several combats. Ancient texts tell of a few who retired from the arena to become trainers in special gladiator schools. Some won their freedom by fighting well, and a few won admirers and made fortunes.

What is a remora? Did it really play a role in the Battle of Actium?

The Roman writer Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23/24-79) claimed that, in 31 B.C., a remora held fast the Roman general Antony""'s ship at the Battle of Actium (the naval battle Antony and Cleopatra lost against the Roman leader Octavian). Remoras, from the Latin noun remora ("hindrance"), do exist. This type of fish has a suction dish on its head that it uses to cling to other fish and to ships. Many vessels have experienced its frightening consequences. In centuries past, oar and/or sail power were not enough to overcome the effect caused by remoras clinging to a ship's hull.

Why did the ancient Romans construct arches just standing in the middle of a city?

The Romans often constructed triumphal arches to honor heroes and commemorate victories on the battlefield. Many survive today in areas that were once governed by Rome. The Romans were wonderful engineers and architects, and it was their use of concrete that allowed them to use design elements such as the arch to create huge, roofed structures that were freestanding.

Who were the "Barbarians" who conquered Rome?

"Barbarians" is the name history has given to peoples in the ancient world who were not Greeks or Romans. Barbarians were warriors, dependent on chiefs and nobles who fed, housed, and led them into battle. The first "barbarians" who really threatened Rome's existence were the Goths. As these invaders advanced and then were repelled, they split into two groups, the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths. By 374 B.C., a new group of fierce invaders, the Huns, had swept out of the east. The Huns, under the leadership of Attila, supposedly conquered Rome. While the Huns did conquer many Roman cities, they did not actually plunder Rome. In A.D. 476, a barbarian leader named Odoacer finally took control of the city.

I read that the Romans had an awning for the Colosseum ... Is this true?

Yes! Because the high walls prevented any breeze or cool wind from entering the Amphitheatrum Flavium - that's what the Romans called the Colosseum, the architects designed a velarium ("awning") that extended from the perimeter walls out over the spectators. To allow light and air to enter, a circular area about the arena was left open, leaving only the gladiators and others "in the ring" exposed to the hot Mediterranean sun. You can still see the remains of the brackets and sockets that supported the 242 masts that held the awning and the holes in the projecting wall above through which the masts were set for support and stability. Ropes were then used to work the awning - how is still being debated. Before an event, posters advertised "Vela erunt!" ("There will be awnings!")

What are the names of the seven hills of Rome?

Caelian, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Capitoline, Aventine, and Palatine. Why in this order - because it's easier to remember! Just have the first letter of each word in the following phrase help you remember the name of a hill: Catch Queen Victoria eating cold apple pie.

Did the Romans use cinnamon and pepper?

Yes! Cinnamon and pepper have been used to season food for thousands of years, but many peoples have had to import both. Cinnamon was found in China and pepper in India. As early as 1450 B.C., Egypt was importing cinnamon. By the first century A.D., the quality of a Roman meal depended, to a great extent, on the spices used. Spices helped preserve food at a time when refrigeration did not exist.

What can you tell me about how the great obelisk in Rome got here?

Bringing an obelisk from Egypt to Rome was a tremendous undertaking. According to ancient records, an enormous ship was used to transport the obelisk now in the Vatican area of Rome, Italy. Records tell of workers hollowing an enormous fir tree, the thickness of which was as much as four men could embrace with their arms. The ship was hundreds of tons and carried approximately 1,000 tons of lentils as ballast to complement the weight of the obelisk. 

What are Papal Bulls?

Beginning in the early Middle Ages, when popes, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, issued important mandates, scribes recorded them on parchment and sealed them with a lump of lead, called a bulla in Latin. The pope then "signed" the document by pressing his signet ring into the soft lead. These formal letters came to be known as Papal Bulls. Papal Bulls begin with the name of the pope and the date. Historians refer to bulls by the first two words of the text and the date. Because the pope was the spiritual leader of western Europe, Papal Bulls carried the weight of international law among Roman Catholics and could be used to arbitrate disputes between rulers.

Who was Hamilcar Barca? Was he related to the Hannibal who fought Rome?

Hamilcar Barca was a highly distinguished general in Africa's city-state of Carthage. His eldest son was Hannibal, born 247 B.C. The Barcids (members of the Barca family) were one of the most important families in Carthage. After losing to the Romans in the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.), Hamilcar reportedly made Hannibal swear eternal hatred for Rome. Then, in order to expand Carthage's power in the western Mediterranean and to gain control of vital natural resources, Hamilcar led troops into Spain and conquered much of what is now Spain and Portugal. Hannibal and his younger brother Hasdrubal accompanied their father on his campaigns and learned much about soldiering.

What happened to Vercingetorix after he surrendered to Julius Caesar?

Caesar did not execute him immediately, as it was the Roman custom for a conquering general to parade his captives before the Roman people. After taking control of Gaul (mostly present-day France) in the first century B.C., Caesar brought Vercingetorix, along with other captives, back to Italy. Vercingetorix remained in prison until 46 B.C.-six years! Then, following Caesar's triumphal parade honoring his many victories, Vercingetorix was led to his death - accomplished by a simple sword thrust.

What happened to Hannibal after he lost to the Romans in 202 B.C.?

After his defeat, Hannibal remained in Carthage and tried to curb corruption in government. When he learned that his rivals were trying to discredit him and that Roman envoys were coming to arrest him, he escaped to Syria, whose king hated Rome. When the Romans defeated Syrian troops, Hannibal again fled, this time to the court of the king of Bithynia. When the army of the Bithynia's king lost to the Romans, the Romans demanded that the 63-year-old Hannibal be handed over to them. Hannibal refused to become Rome's prisoner and ended his life by swallowing poison.

Did Boudicca, the ancient British queen, really kill herself?

After Boudicca's husband, Prasatagus, king of the Iceni of Britain, died in A.D. 60, the Roman officials in charge of the area said that the money Rome had given them was not a gift but a loan, and demanded instant repayment. When Boudicca refused, she was severely punished. Boudicca then led her people and those of surrounding areas against the Romans. Defeated, Boudicca is said to have chosen poison for herself and her daughters rather than imprisonment. Her followers secretly buried her remains, which have never been found.

What was Nero's Golden House?

In A.D. 64, the Roman emperor Nero began construction on a sprawling country palace within the city of Rome. It soon became known as the domus aurea, Latin for "golden house." The home was said to be more than a mile in length and included many large gardens and parks for wild animals. Throughout the interior of this lavish estate were areas inlaid and studded with gold and jewels from around the world. There was also a 120-foot-high statue of the emperor himself. Ancient accounts tell of sprinklers in the dining room that scattered flowers and perfume into the air as guests dined. The spectacular structure was partially destroyed after Nero's death in A.D. 68. The site was then used for public buildings and provided the foundation for both the Colosseum and the Thermae (Baths) of Titus.

Is it true that Cleopatra gave a Roman general a pearl to eat?

It seems so! Cleopatra once invited Antony, a powerful Roman general and statesman, to dinner. She bet Antony that she would offer him a banquet more costly than any he had ever known. Later, as the two sat in a magnificently decorated room before an extravagantly laid table, Cleopatra supposedly took off her beautiful pearl earrings and dropped one into a goblet filled with wine and vinegar. After allowing time for the gem to dissolve, she then drank the mixture. As she was about to drop the second earring into another goblet, Antony reportedly stopped her saying, "No, you have already won the bet."

What's a corvus?

During the wars against the Carthaginians from North Africa (third century B.C.), Roman shipbuilders devised a special boarding plank that had a large iron spike at one end. They nicknamed it "the raven" (corvus) because of its shape. The Romans knew their military strength lay in their army, while Carthage's strength lay in its navy, so they determined to turn sea battles into "land" battles. With the new plank, a Roman ship could now pull alongside a Carthaginian ship and drop the plank onto the enemy vessel. The corvus "grabbed" hold of the enemy ship and locked the two ships together. Roman soldiers quickly walked the plank onto the Carthaginian ship and fought as if on land.