Those Crazy Ancient Romans

Here at Pinsa Rossa, we’re constantly telling everyone that Pinsas were created in Ancient Rome and that got us wondering what else was happening during that time. The results were pretty strange and somewhat amusing. Read below to see our favorite Ancient Rome facts.

• Romans consumed flamingo tongues.

• During the fesitval of Saturnalia, slaves were treated as their masters' equals.

• Roman Emperor Tiberius banned kissing in public.

• Upper class Romans ate while lying down.

• Roman rulers ingested small doses of poison daily to develop immunity.

• Julius Caeser hated going bald so he made it illegal for anyone to stand above him and look down. If you looked down at his bald patch you could be put to death!

• Cobwebs were used to stop bleeding.

• Gladiators and chariot racers had fans just like modern athletes

• There were people in Rome who earned their living by plucking other people’s armpits!

• When the Roman soldiers were first ordered to invade Britain in 43 AD, they went on strike on the grounds that it was beyond the known world and there could even be monsters.

• Julius Caesar was never an emperor. He was a powerful general who would eventually rule as a dictator 

• Ancient Rome wasn’t as classically white as we imagine. Columns and statues in Rome were brightly colored. Today when we visit museums all we see is white marble because the paint has washed off over the centuries. 

If you still haven’t tried Pinsa yet, head to Pinsa Rossa for the best happy hour on Fillmore Street in San Francisco and try it for yourself.