Did you know?
Loads of interesting, disgusting and funny facts about the Romans to keep you amused!

And near the end you can discover the answer to the important question:
What did a Roman soldier wear under his kilt?

On this page:

Celts

England at the time of the Romans was lived in by many different Celtic tribes. If they had spent less time fighting each other and more time fighting the Romans, they might have won.

Celtic warriors sometimes fought their battles naked, dyed blue from head to toe!

They also bleached their long hair until it was white and so stiff that it stood on end in long hard points!

Soap

The Romans are famous for their baths, but the Britons washed with soap long before the Romans did!

Slaves

The Romans kept slaves and were usually very cruel to them. They were whipped, kept in chains, barely clothed or fed. Slaves were captured from the countries that the Romans invaded.

However, the slaves were often set free when they were about 30 years old and could become 'freemen' with human rights like other Romans.

Sometimes, if Roman parents didn't like their children, they sold them to be slaves! It was illegal but they still did it.

Marriage

Girls had to get married at the age of 14, her father would choose the husband for her.

Maths

Do you like doing sums at school? Just be grateful you're not a Roman child! Below is a Roman sum. (The answer is at the bottom of the page!)
LXXXVIII + XII = ?

Games

If you met some Roman children, you'd be able to play lots of games you know with them. They played hide and seek, chase, hopscotch, leapfrog and ball games. They had swings, kites, building blocks and dolls.

Toothpaste

Romans used powdered mouse brains as toothpaste! Yuck!

Toilet Paper

The Roman army didn't have toilet paper so they used a water soaked sponge on the end of a stick instead!

Feasts

Romans were famous for their amazing feasts. They loved to show off their money and eat exotic things like snails, swans, crows, horses, peacocks and dormice.

At some feasts they ate until they were sick, there would be a special room to be sick in, and then they would come back to the feast and carry on eating! Yuck!

Calendars

Julius Caesar gave us our modern calendar with 12 months and 365 days. Originally there were only 10 months, running from March to December. The winter time didn't have any months.

Then they added two more, but you can still tell that there were 10 because, September (from the Latin septem)- means 7 (but now it's the 9th month). October (from the Latin octo) means 8 (but now it's the 10th month). November (from the Latin novem) - means 9 (and now it's the 11th month) and finally December(from the Latin decem) - means 10 (and of course now it's the 12th month.) Now you know some Latin!

What did a Roman Soldier wear under his leather kilt?

(answer under his kilt!....)

The answer to the maths question is 'C' - did you get it right? Don't worry, hardly anyone can do sums with Roman Numerals any more.