Gladiators were sometimes seen as symbols of virility, so this custom may have been viewed as a way to ensure a fertile union.

The Latin words, vena amoris, translate to vein of love.

Goliath was just over 9-feet tall. In biblical measurements, 6 cubits and a span. (Samuel 17:14)

Pliny wrote that walnuts were associated with fertility and were sacred to weddings. Catullus suggested that tossing nuts was a sign of the bride and groom leaving youthful things behind; nuts were a very common childhood toy. (See First Century Life: Hand in Marriage)

When Julius Caesar was Consul in 59 BC, he began distributing the Acta Diurna (Daily Events). Handwritten on parchment, it was posted in markets, doors of temples, baths, and in all public places.

The Subura was a crowded lower class neighborhood and manufacturing hub, also known to be a red-light district plagued by crime. Martial describes it as being continually wet and filthy. Aristocrats shunned the area, but their slaves in charge of household bargains were frequent customers. A notable childhood resident was the future military genius, Julius Caesar.

The ancient ruling class had a distinctive shaped nose. Ultimately, this type of nose may have become associated with nobility and leadership.

Typically, it's a brown leather belt worn by Roman soldiers.

Augustus instituted a property requirement for senators. For a period of time, men who needed help meeting this sum were given grants. Should they mismanage their funds, they were expected to step down.

A left and right sandal outline was detected on the Shroud of Turin using the Polarized Image Overlay Technique, pioneered by Dr. Alan and Mary Whanger. (See: Shroud Science)