Submitted by Bija Knowles on Thu, 07/09/2009 - 10:15
A Little-known Fact
A little-known fact about the emperor Titus Flavius Vespasianus is that he shares his name with a common word for public latrines in Italian. Not only were the antique communal latrines, such as those at Ostia Antica – see photo – referred to as 'vespasiani', but modern-day urinals in Italy, including the portable plastic versions often seen outside stadiums, also go by that name.
The Capitoline Venus occupies the centre of a small octagonal room in Palazzo Nuovo. The statue is splendidly preserved - it shows a beautiful female figure who has possibily just finished bathing. She seems to have been caught unawares and is modestly covering her body with her arms. The statue is based on the prototype model of the Cnidian Aphrodite by Praxiteles. It dates from the fourth century BC and was found in Rome in the Viminale between 1667-1670. It was donated by Pope Benedict 14th to the Capitoline Museums in 1752.
This male portrait in bronze is one of the oldest of all Roman statues. It is placed on a modern bust. It shows Lucius Junius Brutus, who was the founder of the Roman republic and traditionally one of the first consuls in 509 BC. He was the primary ancestor of the Junius family in Ancient Rome, including Marcus Junius Brutus, who later became famous for betraying Julius Caesar in 44 BC.
