5 Bizarre Customs in Ancient Greece and Rome
It would be an understatement to say that life was very different a couple thousand years ago, be it food or housing or hygiene. In many cases, that was due to a lack of scientific understanding — such as how the human body works, or how to build an oven in a house without setting it on fire. Social norms in ancient times were also a sharp contrast to modern ones, particularly where modesty is concerned. Many of the customs practiced by ancient Greeks and Romans would be considered unusual or even gross today, such as purchasing sweat from famous athletes or washing clothes in urine. Here are five strange ancient habits we’re happy to leave in the past.
Drinking Gladiator Blood
In Roman gladiatorial combat, athletes were forced to fight in front of a live audience, sometimes to the death. Yet the public’s thirst for blood didn’t stop there. The blood of defeated gladiators was considered a powerful medicine, and was used to treat everything from epilepsy to impotence. Patients were even encouraged to drink directly from the fallen gladiator on the battlefield. Roman scholar Pliny the Elder wrote that “these persons, forsooth, consider it a most effectual cure for their disease, to quaff the warm, breathing, blood from man himself, and, as they apply their mouth to the wound, to draw forth his very life.” Livers from fallen gladiators were also a supposed cure for various ailments, and Roman physician Scribonius Largus wrote of spectators who would “snatch a piece of liver from a gladiator lying gutted in the dust.” Gladiators often died young, powerful, and healthy, which is likely why their blood was so sought-after.
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Going to the Bathroom in Close Quarters
Public restrooms in ancient Rome were not for the shy. Some toilet holes were cut close together in long benches with no dividers between them, so people doing their business had very little wiggle room. Togas offered this setup a surprising amount of privacy, however, since the draped garments obscured pretty much everything. Still, the upper classes rarely used these public toilets, understandably preferring their own personal latrines. Even being connected to the same sewer system was considered too close for some wealthy Romans.
Exercising and Competing Nude
The word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek word gymnasion, meaning “school for naked exercise.” That’s because ancient Greek athletes largely eschewed clothing, instead covering themselves in oil and dust. The first recorded nude athlete was Orsippus of Megara, who competed in the 15th Olympic Games in 720 BCE. According to some ancient scholars, his loincloth fell off during the race and he ran on to victory. A rival story paints a different picture, claiming Orsippus actually tripped over his loincloth and died. Either way, competing nude in the Olympics and other athletic events became a common custom in ancient Greece. At the end of the sixth century BCE, athletes in Athens briefly tried wearing loincloths again, but soon abandoned them and returned to full nudity.
Literally Scraping Sweat Off the Skin
Ancient Greeks and Romans took cleaning themselves pretty seriously, but they couldn’t exactly hop into the shower and build up a lather. Rather, some people used a hook-shaped instrument called a strigil to wipe moisture off of their skin. Strigils were commonly used by athletes, who would slather their bodies in oil before exercising, sometimes adding sand to increase grip. Afterward, they’d apply fresh oil, scrape all the sweat, oil, and dirt off the skin, and finish with water and a sponge. Fans would sometimes purchase what the strigil left behind. The cleaning instruments were prized possessions, and ancient Romans sometimes paired them with a decorated oil vessel called a balsamarium.
Stamping Bread
Just before putting bread in the oven, ancient Roman bakers would often place a bronze stamp on top of the dough, which would leave an indent as it baked. The symbol it left behind would identify the baker behind the loaf, similar to a maker’s mark on fine ceramics. Bakers at the time typically shared ovens — in-home ovens were a fire hazard — so using a stamp helped bakers keep track of their products and pick up the right loaf once the bread was done. It was important to keep track of your bread not just for professional reputation, but for legal reasons, too. Bread was strictly regulated in ancient Rome, and government officials would inspect the weight, size, and cost of the finished products to prevent fraud.
