Interesting facts about the Roman house. Interesting facts about Ancient Rome - a state that influenced the history of the world

Roman state- it's not only great empire, Caesar and the proud legions. Lifestyle and traditions of the ancient Romans to modern man may seem wild. Don't believe me? Read and see for yourself.

1. In the immediate vicinity of the arenas where the “going to the death” fights took place, there were always trading tents. There, for quite a lot of money at that time, it was possible to get a drug that replaced cosmetics for the inhabitants of Rome - the sweat of gladiators, as well as animal fat. Such an unusual set helped eliminate wrinkles.

2. An annual festival dedicated to the god Saturn took place in Ancient Rome. It differed from other celebrations in that on these days the slaves had the illusion of freedom.

They could sit at the same table with their owner. It also happened that even the owner himself prepared dinner for his slaves.

3. The poets and writers of the “Eternal City” were haunted by Emperor Claudius. Therefore, they did not miss an opportunity not to ridicule him in public. The fact is that Claudius always preferred women exclusively and was not seen in relationships with men. At that time, it was believed that someone who has relationships only with the fair sex becomes like a woman himself.

4. Everyone knows that the inhabitants of Ancient Rome loved bloody spectacles. But few people know that the tradition of taking the lives of others in gladiatorial arenas has successfully migrated to the theater stage. Therefore, if according to the script the hero was supposed to die, then he was sure to be killed. Thus, for some actors, the first role became the last.

5. The attitude towards medicine was the most serious. The ancient Aesculapians were usually not forgiven for their mistakes. For example, if a patient died during an operation, the doctor’s hands were immediately cut off.

6. Rich Romans lived in large and luxurious mansions. Those who wanted to get inside had to knock, either with a special ring or with a wooden mallet.

Some especially wealthy Romans had slaves chained in their courtyards. They replaced the dogs and the “bell”, warning the owner about the guests with their screams.

7. In ancient Rome, instead of napkins and towels, rich residents wiped their hands on the heads of curly-haired children during a feast. By the way, they were called “canteen boys.” Such “service” was considered very honorable.

8. The Roman Emperor Claudius had a wife named Messalina. She amazed even her completely unenslaved compatriots with lust and depravity. According to the stories of historians Tacitus and Suetonius, Messalina even had her own brothel.

The “First Lady” not only paid for the costs of its maintenance, but sometimes she herself served everyone. Once Messalina even staged a competition with another priestess of love to find out which of them could serve more clients in the same amount of time. The emperor's wife won by exactly two times the margin: fifty to twenty-five.

9 . As you know, prostitution in Ancient Rome was considered an absolutely normal and legal activity. Therefore, the priestesses of love did not need to hide their status. Moreover, they tried their best to stand out from the crowd. For example, only prostitutes could walk around the city in high-heeled shoes, which immediately attracted attention.

10. By the way, the “abracadabra” spell, familiar from childhood, came from Rome. It appears in the works personal doctor Emperor of Caracalla Serenus Sammonik.

To get rid of any illness or drive away evil spirits, this phrase had to be written on the amulet in a column eleven times.

11. In the Roman army there was special kind execution, which was called decimation (execution of the tenth). Its meaning was as follows: the offending detachment was divided into dozens and each of the soldiers drew lots. The one who pulled out the unlucky one died at the hands of nine colleagues.

12. The interesting thing is that according to tradition personal names were given only to the first four sons in the family. If there were more, they were called ordinal numbers. For example, Quintus is the fifth or Sextus is the sixth. Over time, these names became generally accepted.

13. During military operations against a state or tribe, the Romans often resorted to a peculiar ritual called “evocation.” Simply put, the soldiers turned to the enemy gods and asked them to come over to the side of Rome. In return, they were promised to be worshiped and honored in every possible way.

14. On the very first day of the opening of the Colosseum, about five thousand animals died on its sands, and a little less people.

By the way, according to researchers, more than a hundred gladiators lost their lives in the arena every month.

15. In the Roman Empire Special attention focused on transport links. By the time of the death of the state, many roads stretched across its territory, the total length of which exceeded fifty-four thousand kilometers.

There are not many well-preserved great cities in the world, whose history begins before our era, but they have not turned into ruins, and still amaze the imagination with their architecture, museums, and memorable places. It is not for nothing that the common name of the capital of Ancient Rome and the current Republic of Italy is the Eternal City. Interesting facts about Ancient Rome, a powerful state that in many ways served as the basis of modern Western civilization, always attract the attention of even sophisticated readers, including those who were lucky enough to visit there.

From kingdom through republic to empire

This is how the history of Ancient Rome sounds like a cheat sheet for the exam. The beginning is the founding of Rome by the “illegitimate” son of the god Mars, Romulus, who had previously killed his brother Remus in the struggle for the right to found the Eternal City. This legendary event took place in 753 BC. e. Further until 476 AD. BC, when the Roman Empire finally fell, a huge number of events occurred:

• The basis of the original population of ancient Rome were criminals, exiles from other cities in nearby lands. Very reminiscent of the history of the settlement of the USA and Australia, where enlightened sailors exiled criminals of all stripes.
• When they lacked female attention, they kidnapped Sabine women. When there was no money, they raided neighboring villages.
• But common sense, indicating the dead-end path of such development of Ancient Rome, prevailed over the purely aggressive method of development, and in parallel, various crafts and trade began to rapidly develop.
• Even during the tsarist period of rule, stable power structures were created, such as the Senate and the institution of lictors. The reign of the last king, who tired the freedom-loving people of Rome with his tyranny, ended in 509 BC. e. creation of the Roman Republic. An interesting fact is that the area of ​​territory that belonged to the Eternal City of that period of history, according to historical evidence, results archaeological excavations, amounted to no more than 900 sq km of land located along the banks of the Tiber River.
• It took the Roman Republic exactly 240 years to expand its sovereign land area to cover the entire territory of Italy. Of course, this was a story of conquest. They forged the invincible Roman army, the principles of construction, management, and supply of which were reflected in the creation of even modern troops. Not everything was always smooth. One day, the newly emerging power of the republic was defeated by the Gauls who invaded the lands of Italy, as a result of which Rome was burned.
• But the city was rebuilt again, and the lands were recaptured. The true heyday of Ancient Rome is associated with the period of the empire - the dominant state for all of Europe and northern Africa. This was the only thing public education, who owned all the lands of the coast Mediterranean Sea, which cannot fail to impress.

The period of the Roman Empire dates back to 27 AD. e., when the Julio-Claudian dynasty came to power, the founder of which is considered the famous Julius Caesar. The main significant events reflected in historical documents are: works of art, popularizing Ancient Rome during its heyday and subsequent fall, date back to this time.

An interesting fact about Julius Caesar, who, contrary to popular belief, was not the first emperor of Rome, but its dictator, is that back in 63 BC. e. he was chosen as Pontifex Maximus, i.e. occupied the highest priestly position, later from 440 AD. e. who became known as the Pope in the Catholic Church, which replaced the polytheism of pagan Rome.

Gladiator fights in ancient Rome

No matter how high the moral foundations of any society, the authorities always try to give bread and circuses to the democratic majority within the necessary limits. Otherwise, conspiracies, uprisings, and revolutions will certainly begin, which are absolutely unnecessary for the ruling class. From public executions to humorous TV shows, all means are good.

In ancient Rome, excellent entertainment for the crowd was athletic competitions and horse racing in stadiums; gladiatorial fights held in specially equipped halls and buildings - amphitheaters. The latter were introduced officially as public spectacles in 106 BC. e., and the state took care of their implementation.

The most grandiose building for holding bloody fights between people and predatory animals was the Colosseum in Rome:

• The colossus of ancient architecture, which received its name because of its size, accommodated, according to modern estimates, more than 50 thousand spectators. Although historical records mention 87 thousand enthusiastic visitors who wanted to witness the bloody battles.
• The construction of the huge amphitheater, which lasted eight years, was completed in 80 AD. e. Enormous amounts of money were invested in it.
• The external dimensions of the structure, built in the shape of an ellipse, are amazing - 524 by 188 m, the internal arena is 86 by 54 m. The height of the walls reaches 50 m.
• This is the fruit of the efforts of the imperial Flavian dynasty from Vespasian to Titus, which ruled in those years. The latter consecrated the Colosseum, after which games began there, including gladiator fights, beloved by all the Roman people.

The decline of the Colosseum's popularity came in 405, when gladiator fights were banned throughout the Roman Empire as contrary to Christian morality. Currently, the Colosseum is an easily recognizable, undisputed symbol of Rome, one of the most frequently visited tourist sites in Europe.

Foundations of Civilization

Interesting historical facts about Ancient Rome that give an idea of ​​the influence it had on the destinies of the whole world:

• Roman law. One of the sources of the modern legal system, a subject studied in legal educational institutions. The basic principle of Roman law is that the state is the result of an agreement between citizens. It still sounds relevant today.
• Newspapers, bound pages of books, the Julian calendar are a significant contribution to the future of the human community.
• The official language of Ancient Rome was Latin, without knowledge of which it is difficult to imagine modern doctors, lawyers, and biologists.
• Field surgery, which saved many lives of Roman legionnaires, is still relevant today.
• Architecture. Some solutions and their implementations, including those that are perfectly preserved, still amaze the imagination. For example, the famous Pantheon in Rome, which has a dome with a diameter of more than 43 m, was built in 126 AD. e. Looking at it, it is difficult to imagine that such a grandiose building could stand for many centuries, despite the fall of Rome, numerous wars, barbarians of all times and peoples, earthquakes, which are not uncommon in Italy.
• Many engineering solutions, both borrowed from the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, and invented in Ancient Rome. For example, mills driven by a water wheel, throwing siege and defensive military equipment.
• Construction solutions. Aqueducts built before our era still regularly supply water to the cities of Italy.

Fountains, of which there are a huge number in Rome, the use of concrete, roads that do not need to be repaired every year are only a small part of the heritage of the ancient Romans.

Capital of Christendom

The famous phrase attributed to Henry I of Navarre, who renounced Protestantism in favor of Catholicism, that Paris is worth a mass, applies to a much greater extent specifically to Rome:

• After all, on the lands of this ancient state, which included Jerusalem, all biblical events associated with Jesus Christ took place.
• In Rome there is the Vatican State with the Holy See of the Pope - the head of the Catholic Church.
• The concept of the Roman Mass appeared here in the first centuries of our era with the advent of Christianity.

Without diminishing the importance of Protestant, Orthodox Church, it was the Catholic one that appeared as decisive factor the inexorable spread of Christianity throughout the world, and served to exalt Ancient Rome.

However, even now the Church of St. Peter, the Vatican Museums, numerous Catholic churches in the Eternal City work like a powerful electromagnet, attracting iron filings - pilgrims, tourists from all over the world, who are ready to spend a lot of money to worship Christian shrines, to see the historical, architectural beauty, and unusualness of Rome.

Ancient Rome is one of the greatest states of Antiquity. The state was located on the territory of modern. Rome Was named after the founder - Romulus. It was famous for its customs, gladiatorial fights, the Colosseum, Emperors, etc.

• Not far from the gladiator arenas, you could always buy gladiator sweat, as well as animal fat. These substances were used by women as cosmetics.

• Saturnalia- a large annual festival in ancient Rome in honor of the God Saturn. These days slaves had some privileges, for example they could dine at one festive table with the owner, and sometimes even the owners set the table for the slaves.
• Emperor Claudius was ridiculed for not having sex with men. They said that those who have relationships only with women become effeminate themselves.

• Kiss after the wedding ceremony came to us from Ancient Rome. But then a kiss was considered not just a beautiful tradition, but a kind of seal confirming the marriage contract.
• The expression “return to one’s native land” means “return to native home" This expression comes from Ancient Rome, but it must be pronounced a little differently, “return to your native Penates,” since the Penates are the guardian gods of the hearth. In every house there hung images of penates.
• In Ancient Rome, the Goddess Juno bore the title "Coin", which meant "Counselor". Near her temple there were workshops where metal money was minted, so they also began to be called coins. Also from this word comes the general English name all money "money".

• Spinthria- These are ancient Roman coins with images of sexual intercourse. These coins were made specifically to be used as payment in brothels.

• Emperor Caligula once declared war on Neptune (the Sea God) and ordered spears to be thrown into the sea. He was also known for introducing his horse into the Senate.

• Leap year introduced.
• In the Roman armies, people lived in tents of 10 people. In each tent there was a leader, who was called the Dean.
• If the patient died during the operation, the doctor's hands were cut off.
• About 40% of the ancient Roman population were slaves.

• The Colosseum was the largest arena and could accommodate more than 200,000 spectators.

• After the death of the emperor, an eagle was released to carry his soul to heaven. The eagle was a symbol of the God Jupiter.
• The ancient Romans were the first to make toilets. Emperor Vespasian even came up with a urine tax. The point was that initially not all toilets were connected to a common drain, but there were containers underground that filled up over time. This is what the tax was levied on. By the way, after this he also managed to sell this urine to tanners and laundresses for various household needs. By the way, it was after this that the expression “Money doesn’t smell” came about.

Everyone knows that Rome is the capital of Italy, but many will agree that this characteristic of the “Eternal City” is not enough. First of all, Rome is the capital of the world cultural heritage, a city filled with splendor and power.

The best musicians, poets, artists and sculptors sang the beauty of Rome and the Vatican located on its territory, which, in addition to its incredible beauty, to this day represents the center of the Catholic world.

Ancient Rome – a city demanding “bread and circuses”

It is difficult to imagine a stronger state than the Ancient Roman Empire. The Roman emperors covered part of Europe, not to mention North Africa and the Middle East. The Romans were considered truly innovators in the art of war, creating an army that quickly conquered the world. In the conquered lands, not only the language of the Empire spread, but also the culture and way of life of the Romans was instilled.

The famous Roman arches appeared in the second century BC and immediately became an indispensable structure and distinctive feature architecture of the "Eternal City". Besides external beauty and pomp, arches bear the entire weight of the building, which is why they first began to appear in projects of bridges and amphitheaters.

The main buildings in Rome were temples, triumphal arches, public baths, city squares (forums) and aqueducts - structures for supplying water to the Romans.

However, the inhabitants of Rome did not have enough land. Therefore, individual houses became the privilege of wealthy Romans, while the rest lived in multi-story buildings. On the ground floor, as a rule, there were shops of traders, on the second floor there were comfortable and spacious rooms. Everything that was located higher was much more cramped, but also cheaper. There was no running water in the tiny rooms on the upper floors, but this problem could be solved, since there were public toilets and baths on the streets of Rome; in addition, the Romans quenched their thirst from special drinking fountains.

From the outside, the center of the Roman Empire looked amazing. Numerous palaces of the emperor and his family, houses close to the emperor, decorated with columns and hand-painted paintings, statues and triumphal arches - all this took the breath away from those who came to the “Eternal City”. I also admired the temple of all gods - the Pantheon, which reflected the greatness of the Empire. True, this is only the external side, as is the case with any state. The poor were forced to huddle in crowded places, where dirt and sewage led to disease, and old houses were endlessly exposed to fires. What can we say about the thousands of slaves brought from the conquered territories. In addition to the terrible living and working conditions, eligible men from the conquered countries were drawn to gladiatorial combat, the most popular spectacle of the Ancient Roman Empire.

The Romans generally loved entertainment. Crowds gathered to watch chariot races or hunt wild animals. But nothing could compare for them with gladiatorial fights, in which slaves armed with swords fought to the death with angry animals. After a gladiator was wounded, the crowd decided whether to let him live or not. However, there is a myth that they expressed their decision with their thumb, raising or lowering it. In fact, historians claim that the gestures were different. If the crowd wanted to save the life of the gladiator, then they expressed this with their thumb hidden in their fist. And the position of the finger up, to the side and down meant only the method of the desired death of the gladiator: whether to cut his throat, hit him between the shoulder blades with a sword, or in the heart. The gestures were accompanied by cries for pardon or the speedy shedding of blood.

Mainly, the battles took place in the Colosseum, an amphitheater that became a symbol of the Roman Empire.

1. Near the arenas where gladiator fights were held, merchants with tents were located. They mainly sold vessels containing the fat of animals that had participated in battles, or the sweat of a gladiator. Thanks to these “cosmetic products,” according to the Romans, it was possible to easily get rid of wrinkles.
2. The most interesting ancient Roman festival was dedicated to the god Saturn. Its distinctive feature was the following: on the days of celebration, the slaves had a certain illusion of freedom, they sat at the same table with the owner, in addition, the owner could even serve them during the meal.

1. It is known that the main entertainment of the Romans was bloody spectacles. But a little-known fact is that this “hobby” was also reflected in the theatrical life of Ancient Rome. If the hero was supposed to die on stage, then he was actually killed. Therefore, some actors were destined to play a once-in-a-lifetime role.
2. A strict attitude towards medicine led to the fact that if a patient died during an operation, both hands of the attending physician were cut off.
3. Among the rich in Ancient Rome, a kind of “bell” was popular, notifying about the arrival of guests. He was replaced by slaves chained in the courtyard in front of the entrance, who made noise, thereby signaling the arrival of guests.
4. In ancient Rome, the rich did not use napkins or towels during meals. They preferred the heads of curly-haired children, who were considered “table boys.” Rich Romans wiped their hands on these heads, and such service was considered a worthy occupation.

"Table boy" in ancient Rome

1. The “abracadabra” spell, familiar to children, had serious applications in Ancient Rome. Doctors created special amulets to get rid of diseases. The word “abracadabra” was indicated eleven times on the amulet.
2. In the Ancient Roman army they came up with the new kind execution, which was called the “execution of the tenth.” If the detachment was guilty, then it was divided into groups of ten people, each of whom drew lots. Every tenth died with an unlucky lot at the hands of his comrades.
3. Not everyone was entitled to personal names in families. Only the first four sons had “special” names. If there were more sons, then the rest were called ordinal numbers, starting with the “fifth.”
4. There are known cases when Roman troops turned to the gods of their opponents, trying to lure them to their side. In return, the Romans promised to continue to worship them.
5. The first day of the opening of the Colosseum caused a sensation, since five thousand animals and approximately the same number of people were killed.
6. Ancient Rome was famous for its roads. By the time of the collapse of the Great Roman Empire, the total length of roads was 54,000 km. This is where the common phrase “All roads lead to Rome” came from.

1. The symbol of consolidating marriage with a kiss also spread thanks to Ancient Rome. But for the Romans it was not just a tradition, but a kind of consolidation of marriage, at the level of the official press.
2. In the history of Ancient Rome, there is a known case of declaring war on Neptune, who was tried to be defeated by throwing spears into the sea.
3. Those with a hooked nose were held in special esteem by the Romans, since such a nose was considered a symbol of intelligence and leadership qualities.

1. The blood of defeated gladiators was carefully collected in the arena at the end of the spectacle, as it was considered a reliable means of treating infertility.
2. More than 1 million people lived in Rome. This figure was achieved only in the 19th century in London.
3. The first “shopping mall” was also built in Ancient Rome. The building consisted of several floors and included 150 retail shops that sold everything - food, clothing, etc.
4. Roman emperors practiced taking a minimal amount of poison daily. They did this in order to get used to the properties of toxic substances in order to avoid poisoning in the future.
5. In Ancient Rome, the concept of “surname” was used, but it designated a group of slaves of one master.

Army of the Ancient Roman Empire

The Roman Empire, of course, owes its territory and power to the army that conquered the entire Mediterranean coast and part of Africa. The size of the army increased every year, as the inhabitants of the conquered territories became the new warriors of Rome. By the beginning of our era, the size of the Roman army was 25,000 trained soldiers.

In ancient Rome, a legion was an organizational unit of an army consisting of 4,500 people. Each legion had maniples of 450 people, in turn divided into centuries, which included 100 people. Later, a new unit appeared - cohorts. This special units, which included residents of the conquered lands.

A standing army did not appear immediately in the Roman Empire. Initially, warriors were collected only in times of external danger or to conquer new lands. The rich were obliged to provide “equipped” warriors, with armor and weapons, the middle population provided warriors with weapons, and the poor were not involved in military operations.

But already in the 4th century BC the situation changed dramatically and the army appeared in Rome on a permanent basis. The secret of the army's success lay in undergoing preliminary training before military campaigns, which made it possible to win victories over a less prepared enemy. According to the rules established in Ancient Rome, a warrior carried out military service 25 years. Afterwards they received a lifelong pension and part of the conquered territory. Soldiers who particularly distinguished themselves in battle received all these privileges during their service.

The progressive army of the Roman Empire was rightfully considered invincible and for centuries held a leading position in the world.

Modern Rome as the capital of Italy. Description and interesting facts

If we talk about modern Rome, then it is the largest tourist center in both Italy and the whole world. But the city is developed not only in the tourist direction. Being the capital, it has a large economic and political significance for the country.

According to official sources, there are 3 million people in the city, but those who come from all over the world to work are not taken into account.

On the territory of Rome, in the Vatican, is the largest church in the world - St. Peter's Basilica.

The authorities of Rome are very interested in changing the image of the Colosseum, which is associated among city residents and tourists with the cruelest bloody spectacles of antiquity. Therefore, with the beginning of the new millennium, the Colosseum at Night program was launched in Rome. As soon as it gets dark, the building acquires a standard white backlight, but if on that day an execution or death sentence is abolished in the world, the Colosseum's backlighting turns golden.

In Rome there is a church, some of the halls of which are decorated with the bones of monks, and in other halls there are skeletons in cloaks. This is the church of the Capuchins, who expressed their attitude towards life and death in such an original way.

In Rome there is an operating restaurant called “Swearing”, where the waiters are at a loss for words when addressing visitors and are rude to them at the first opportunity. In response, the waiters also receive a dose of rudeness from restaurant guests. The place is popular due to its color and originality.

Ancient Rome, like Ancient Greece, can be considered the cradle of European culture. Here are some interesting facts about ancient Rome and its inhabitants.

There was no room for flowers on the streets of Rome, much less for trees. There were real traffic jams there!

Explicit sexual scenes were depicted on the walls of many houses. The Romans considered this an object of worship and admiration. The ability of the artists to convey to the audience all the intensity and passion of such scenes was especially appreciated.

Ancient Rome is famous for its free morals: same-sex relationships, group orgies (and more) were the order of the day there. Although noble wealthy Romans should not have resorted to having sex with women from high society, because it could result in an illegitimate child, and there could be big problems with the division of inheritance. But despite the generally accepted opinion about the orgy of human passions that reigned in Ancient Rome and complete loyalty to various types of pleasure, there is a theory that such unbridledness was inherent only to the aristocracy, the inhabitants of the city of Pompeii, frescoes from this city are still prohibited for display in many countries.

Gladiator fights the Romans "took" from the Greeks. Not only prisoners of war, slaves, but also any free citizen could become a gladiator in order to earn money. To become a gladiator, a citizen had to take an oath and declare himself “legally dead.” Civil criminals, such as swindlers and deceivers, could also be sent to the arena. It is interesting, but the opinion that the audience in Colosseum chose life or death for the defeated gladiator, directing thumb up or down is actually wrong. In fact, if the thumb was bent in any direction (up or down) it meant death for the loser, because it symbolized a drawn sword. And in order to give life to the vanquished, the audience showed a clenched fist, as a symbol of a sword hidden in a sheath.

At one time in Ancient Rome there was something like a movie; historical battles were played out on stages in great detail. It is known that a large artificial lake was dug to stage one battle. 16 galleys took part in this performance, with 4 thousand oarsmen and 2 thousand gladiator soldiers on them. The ancient Roman public loved bloody spectacles at ordinary theatrical performances: for example, if an actor was to die during the performance, they were replaced at the last moment with the condemned to the execution of a criminal who was killed right on stage.

An interesting fact about prostitution in Ancient Rome: there it was, perhaps, one of the most widespread women's professions. Prostitutes were practically everywhere and varied both in cost and in the nature of the services provided. It is also interesting that the wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Messalina, was known for her lust and depravity. According to the historians Tacitus and Suetonius, she ran a brothel in Rome, and she herself worked there as a prostitute. Messalina once arranged a competition with another famous prostitute. She won it - she served 50 clients versus 25. In Ancient Rome there were special bronze coins that were used to pay for the services of prostitutes - spintrii. This money depicted erotic scenes - as a rule, people in various positions during sexual intercourse. At the very top of “paid love”, courtesans reigned - these were unusual prostitutes. They did not experience all the bitterness of the profession - humiliation, pimps, etc. Courtesans had privileged lovers, they influenced the cultural, as well as social life and, of course, were surrounded by luxury.

Roman toilets were spacious - the largest could “fit” about 50 people. There was a mosaic on the floor of the toilets, usually with images of dolphins, and in the center of the toilet there was a fountain, musicians often played there, and the gathered people had conversations and shared news.

The soldiers in the Roman army lived in tents of 10 people. In each tent there was a leader, who was called the “dean”.

And the last one in this article interesting fact about ancient Rome: The kiss of the newlyweds at the end of the marriage ceremony, as a custom, came from Ancient Rome. Back then, a wedding was a contract, and a kiss was a kind of seal that sealed it.