Miscellanea Romana Trivia Quiz

Answer: Placing a brassiere on one's head

Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus, 23-79 AD) was not only a writer and natural philosopher, but also a military commander. He is best known for his encyclopaedic work "Naturalis Historia", a massive 37-book work covering topics from astronomy and geography to medicine, minerals and the arts. His medical advice often mixed observation with superstition, illustrating the eclectic nature of Roman knowledge.

The recommendation to wear a brassiere on one's head to cure headaches is just one of many unusual remedies found in his writings. Pliny also suggested that eating the liver of a vulture could prolong life, wearing the genitals of a hyena as an amulet could ward off evil, and spitting on the ground after seeing a lizard could avert bad luck. His advice was a mixture of folk belief, herbal remedies and early attempts at science.

Despite the oddities, Pliny's work was widely read and respected throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages. His accounts often served as a reference for medieval scholars, although Renaissance scientists such as Francis Bacon criticised his lack of empirical methodology. Nevertheless, Pliny's ambition to catalogue all known knowledge of his time remains impressive, even if his conclusions were not always accurate by modern standards.

Pliny died heroically during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, while attempting to rescue people near Pompeii. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, gave a vivid account of his death, cementing his legacy, not only as a scholar, but also as a man of action.

Answer: Rome, watch out!

The story of the talking cow is found in the writings of Livy and Valerius Maximus. According to these historians, the cow allegedly proclaimed "Roma, cave tibi" ("Rome, watch out!"), which was interpreted as a portent of the Third Punic War (149-146 BC). Such stories were not uncommon in Roman literature, where miracles and omens played a significant role in interpreting the will of the gods.

The Romans took omens very seriously, consulting augurs who interpreted the flight of birds, examined animal entrails and observed natural phenomena for divine messages. While modern readers may find these stories amusing or implausible, they reflect the deep connection between religion, superstition and statecraft in ancient Rome.

In times of crisis, Rome often performed elaborate rituals to appease the gods, including the "lectisternium" (a banquet for the gods) or the sacrifice of unusual animals. The story of the talking cow is part of a wider tradition of interpreting strange events as signs of the future. While there's no evidence that the Romans actually believed that a cow could talk, such stories probably served as cautionary tales or political propaganda, reinforcing the idea that Rome's fate was tied to divine favour.

Answer: Domitian

This curious anecdote about the Emperor Domitian (reigned 81-96 AD) comes from Suetonius, a Roman historian known for his often sensational accounts of the lives of emperors. Domitian was said to isolate himself for long periods and engage in trivial, even bizarre, activities such as stinging flies with a pen.

This detail fits with wider historical accounts of Domitian as a paranoid and autocratic ruler. Although he introduced important administrative and military reforms, his reign was also marked by increasing repression, with many senators and perceived enemies executed. Later Roman historians, many of them from the senatorial class, portrayed Domitian as a cruel and obsessive despot.

While modern scholars question whether Domitian's fly-killing habit was real or a literary exaggeration, the story serves as a metaphor for his increasing isolation and erratic behaviour. After his assassination in 96 AD, the Roman Senate quickly condemned his memory ("damnatio memoriae") and erased his name from public records and monuments - a fate that befell some of Rome's most unpopular emperors.

Answer: "Iliad" by Homer

This remarkable claim, often attributed to Pliny the Elder, suggests that a miniature version of Homer's "Iliad" was so small that it could fit inside a nutshell. The story probably originated as an exaggeration of the skill of ancient scribes and craftsmen who were able to create incredibly small inscriptions.

Cicero (106-43 BC) was one of Rome's greatest orators and writers, renowned for his speeches, philosophical works and extensive knowledge of Greek literature. He was a strong advocate of Greek culture and philosophy, often citing Homer as a model of wisdom and eloquence.

The idea of the book in a nutshell also became a metaphor in later centuries, symbolising the compression of great knowledge into a small space. Shakespeare even played with the concept in Hamlet, where the title character declares, "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space". Whether Cicero actually owned such a tiny "Iliad" is uncertain, but the story highlights the Romans' admiration for Greek literature and their fascination with literary curiosities.

Answer: Sweaters

The Romans adapted their clothing to different climates, using woolen tunics, cloaks and accessories for warmth. Socks (udones) were worn especially in colder regions, and gloves are mentioned by authors such as Pliny the Younger ("Letters", 7.18) as protection against the cold. Trousers (braccae), initially associated with "barbarian" tribes such as the Gauls and Germans, were eventually adopted by Roman soldiers stationed in the colder provinces.

However, knitted sweaters did not exist in the Roman world. Unlike woven textiles, knitting as a technique was developed much later, probably in the Middle East in the early Middle Ages. Instead, the Romans relied on layering woolen garments and wearing heavy cloaks such as the paenula to keep warm. Archaeological finds, such as preserved Roman socks from Vindolanda (a Roman fort in Britain), confirm the use of woolen footwear, but there is no evidence of anything resembling a sweater.

Answer: Potato peelers

While many everyday objects we associate with modern life had ancient equivalents, the Romans never had potato peelers for one simple reason: they didn't have potatoes. Potatoes are a New World crop, native to South America, and were completely unknown in Europe until Spanish explorers brought them to Europe in the 16th century. Since the Romans had never encountered potatoes, they had no need for tools to peel them.

The other three options, however, did exist. Piggy banks, often in the shape of small terracotta jars or animals, have been found at Roman archaeological sites, and children would break them open when they were full. Chariot odometers, described by Vitruvius ("De Architectura", 10.9), measured the distance traveled by counting the revolutions of the wheels. As for matches, Martial ("Epigrams", 1.41) describes a type of early sulphur-tipped matchstick used to light lamps.

Answer: Hadrian

For much of early Roman history, men wore beards, but this changed around 300 BC when barbers (tonsores) arrived from Sicily and introduced regular shaving. By the late Republic, clean shaven became the norm, with young men shaving ceremonially for the first time to mark their transition to adulthood. Suetonius in his "Lives of Augustus" describes how Augustus insisted on a well-groomed appearance, reinforcing the trend.

However, facial hair returned to prominence in the early second century AD, when Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117-138) adopted a full beard. Cassius Dio ("Roman History", 69.3) notes that Hadrian was the first emperor in generations to wear a beard, possibly as a way of aligning himself with Greek culture, where beards were associated with wisdom and philosophy. Some also speculate that Hadrian's beard hid facial scars or a skin condition. Whatever the reason, his style set a trend and influenced later emperors.

Plutarch, in his "Parallel Lives", contrasts Greek and Roman attitudes to beards and notes how Hadrian's choice marked a change in Roman grooming habits. In the third and fourth centuries, beards became common among Christian ascetics, and the increasing presence of Germanic troops in the Roman army - who traditionally wore beards - may have reinforced the trend.

Answer: Gades (modern Cádiz, Spain)

The city of Gades (now Cádiz, Spain) was famous throughout the Roman world for its dancers, known as "Puellae Gaditanae". These women captivated audiences with their rhythmic and often provocative movements, frequently accompanied by the use of castanets (crotala), an instrument still associated with Spanish dance today.

The poet Martial makes several references to these dancers in his "Epigrams". In one passage ("Epigrams", 5.78), he describes their performances as so seductive that even elderly Roman men could not resist their charms. Elsewhere ("Epigrams", 14.203), he mentions them in the context of entertainment and indulgence, reinforcing their reputation as a celebrated feature of Roman leisure culture.

The Greek geographer Strabo also noted the lively atmosphere of Gades in his "Geography" (Book 3, Chapter 5), describing its wealth, its close ties to trade and its thriving entertainment scene. The city's blend of Phoenician heritage and Roman influence helped shape its unique artistic expressions, making it a renowned centre for music and dance.

While other cities such as Alexandria and Carthage were important cultural hubs, Gades stood out for its association with dance, and its performers became a symbol of both fascination and decadence in Roman literature.

Answer: True History

Lucian of Samosata (c. 125-180 AD), a Greek satirist and rhetorician, is famous for his "True History", a humorous and wildly imaginative tale sometimes regarded as one of the earliest examples of science fiction. The story describes a journey beyond the known world where the travelers encounter aerial battles between aliens, a city built on the moon and even a visit to the underworld. Although obviously fictional, "True History" mocks the tall tales of earlier historians and travelers who claimed to have visited fantastic lands.

Lucian's work satirised the exaggerated claims of authors such as Herodotus and Ctesias, who described distant lands with strange customs and creatures. His writings also parodied philosophers who claimed to have absolute knowledge of the universe. While Lucian's voyage takes place beyond the Pillars of Hercules (now the Straits of Gibraltar), the idea of a land beyond the Atlantic - centuries before the discovery of America - fascinated scholars and readers alike.

His work influenced later literature, including medieval travel narratives and even early modern utopian fiction. Today, Lucian is recognised as a master of satire whose wit and scepticism remain as relevant as ever.

Answer: He had an unexpected erotic dream.

Horace (65-8 BC), one of Rome's most famous poets, was known for his sharp wit, philosophical reflections and often playful tone. In "Satires" 1.5 he describes his journey along the famous Via Appia towards Brundisium (now Brindisi). During a stopover at a modest villa near Trivicum, he writes that he had a rather embarrassing experience - he awoke from a dream with his tunic wet. Although he does not go into further detail, the implication is clear, and his frank confession offers a rare glimpse of humour and humanity in Roman literature.

Horace's travelogue in the "Satires" is filled with vivid details of the inconveniences of Roman travel, from bad inns to unpleasant traveling companions. His lighthearted approach contrasts with the more serious and grandiose tone of Roman epic poets such as Virgil.

This passage, while amusing, also reflects a wider tradition in Greco-Roman literature in which dreams - whether prophetic, absurd or embarrassing - were commonly recorded. Some scholars interpret Horace's confession as a deliberately humorous moment, demonstrating his ability to laugh at himself.