Everyday modern things that might impress an ancient Roman

[Ludovicus]

Definitely not a DIY (do it yourself) culture! Working with your hands was for slaves. Also I think the Romans would find the lack of strong patron-client relations in modern society quite unbelievable.

[Melvadius]

[<Snip>

 

Back on topic I think a Roman arriving in the 21st century would be blown away by much of what he sees but might wonder why our homes lack under floor heating.

Its quite cold in my living room right now because the radiators have furniture in front of them making them very inefficient. If the heating ran under the floors (with suitable insulation below) it would be all nice and toasty underfoot right now.

 

I'm glad however that we don't have fabulous detailed wall murals, as my bloody kids would have drawn all over them by now!

 

I know the feeling or lack of same when the radiators in out house don't work properly for which reason we do consider form time to time doing away with them and installing modern underfloor heating instead.

 

You can get this but rather than via hypocaust it involves running a long length of wiring or pipes (depending which system is installed) under the floor surface, after that warm floors whenever you wish.

[Geek Amicus]

Things in my pocket that might impress a Roman? What about a ball point pen or a Sharpie? We've already discussed paper (of all sorts) here but the possibility of writing on almost any surface any time you wanted could be considered pretty nifty. What about credit/debit cards? Being able to carry around my complete net worth in a little card has to be a darn site more convenient than trying to protect bags of coins (or just coin in my case). And since we've decided due to a battery issue my Blackberry is left out of the running, what about the other thing I can't live without, a book? They're cheap and common compared to their predecessors. Zippers are also a handy little concept that everybody uses every day but nobody really thinks about. Stepping outside of my pocket -- What about a glass mirror? Or a fork?

 

And running with the thought that Trethiwr started, I wonder if a Roman coming to the 21st century would find our plumbing an improvement. Does a massaging shower head or a spa tub in your own home make a significant improvement over going to the baths? Certainly there has to be a lot said for in-house flush toilets that don't smell.

[GhostOfClayton]

Stepping outside of my pocket -- What about a glass mirror? Or a fork?

 

It was interesting to find a fork attached to the multi-tool unearthed (not literally) by Artimi and Maty (in seperate threads).

 

And running with the thought that Trethiwr started, I wonder if a Roman coming to the 21st century would find our plumbing an improvement. Does a massaging shower head or a spa tub in your own home make a significant improvement over going to the baths? Certainly there has to be a lot said for in-house flush toilets that don't smell.

 

Interesting point. I know that a lot of the 'quality' had private baths installed, but was that just in villas where public baths weren't available? The Romans regarded the baths as more than just a place to get clean. It was a place to socialise, perform rituals, do business, etc. A fundamental part of their daily lives. Perhaps they would see private bathing as a backward step?

 

Obviously though, flush toilets are an unquestionable forward step.

Edited November 17, 2010 by GhostOfClayton

[k08el01]

What about modern day gymnasiums (weight rooms, treadmills, machines, the whole deal)? or sporting events for that matter...

[Trethiwr]

What about modern day gymnasiums (weight rooms, treadmills, machines, the whole deal)? or sporting events for that matter...

 

Not sure.

Sometimes I think, some gym equipment is just a solution searching for a problem. A treadmill is one of the silliest wastes of space I have ever seen, ditto cycle machines. Why run and stay in one place? Duh!

 

As for sporting events, I think the lack of bloodshed might leave them asking for their money back.

[Paulus]

Distilled ammonia (that doesn't come from pee), chilly-bins, pressurised gas bottles (for smokeless cooking fires and possibly to be used as explosives?), syringes, surgical rubber (small compact Y-frame slingshots)surgical gloves and condoms, not so much bicycles, but the idea of them; a modern ten speed wouldn't last two minutes on a Roman road but the mechanical theory could be applied in other areas, razor blades, morphine (as opposed to tincture of opium taken orally), tampons!, The New Zealand Boyscout's First-aid Manual, soap!, deodorant, zippers, modern mirrors...

[Crispina]

Distilled ammonia (that doesn't come from pee), chilly-bins, pressurised gas bottles (for smokeless cooking fires and possibly to be used as explosives?), syringes, surgical rubber (small compact Y-frame slingshots)surgical gloves and condoms, not so much bicycles, but the idea of them; a modern ten speed wouldn't last two minutes on a Roman road but the mechanical theory could be applied in other areas, razor blades, morphine (as opposed to tincture of opium taken orally), tampons!, The New Zealand Boyscout's First-aid Manual, soap!, deodorant, zippers, modern mirrors...

 

I wonder how many of those things were actually invented (in some form)and the guy/gal was told he/she was nuts and it never caught on. Or someone's Uncle Castor made a zipper just to entertain the kiddies, after he died the thing got thrown away.

[Geek Amicus]

Sitting here all weekend with a a headache, what about aspirin? Any kind of pain killer in a pill is darn nice some days. The other thing that the headache has brought to mind is eyeglasses? I would have been a non-contributing member of Roman society, can't see a flippin' thing without my specs.

[GhostOfClayton]

Specs - definitely, (lost without mine) but I can't believe some kind of salicylate pain killer wouldn't have been in use. I can't find any direct evidence of use by Romans, but they pre-date the Romans by about 3000 years. Also, they're simple, effective and readily available. Maybe not in pill form, though.

Edited December 6, 2010 by GhostOfClayton

[Trethiwr]

Specs - definitely, (lost without mine) but I can't believe some kind of salicylate pain killer wouldn't have been in use. I can't find any direct evidence of use by Romans, but they pre-date the Romans by about 3000 years. Also, they're simple, effective and readily available. Maybe not in pill form, though.

 

Yep I'm certain that salicylic acid was well known to the ancients.

I'm pretty sure the druids knew all about it so unless the Roman aversion to magic was an obstacle then surely they had it in their medicine chest.

Although obviously other, less effective, disgusting, or even downright dangerous, cures were in use as well.

[Fulvia]

Lego! All the city planners and architects would probably fall off their chair giddy to see Lego!

Clothes hangers- I'm saying this not knowing the method of clothing storage they commonly employed

Full floor carpeting

Watches- they might not feel such a liberation as we do having a "mini-sundial" attached to the wrist though. lol

[Curer]

Velcro

Cigarette lighter

Casio watch

Safety pins?  (penannular fibulae work pretty well)

Ball point pen, graphite pencil, or paper, really

Corn

Tequila

Water balloons or latex condoms

Sharpie marker

Panty hose

Superglue

certain shades of Ritz dye, like you get at the grocery store

Playboy magazine

Spray paint

Rubber bands

Duct tape

Legos

Sea monkeys

Binoculars/telescope/field microscope

A globe, or heck, an atlas

An inflatable pool toy (though I realize they sometimes inflated animal bladders)

A laser pointer

A Wooly Willy toy (it's that thing with a picture of a bald man where you draw hair on him with iron shavings using a magnet)

A plastic sack (the things are amazing, if you think about it)

A tape measure

Alka Seltzer

Mentos and a bottle of soda

This is fun.  I could do this all day.

 

I think of that one scene in Labyrinth where Sarah Connoly trades her bracelet to Hoggle.  Hoggle wavers for a minute, "What's that made of, anyway?"  She shrugs.  "Plastic."  Hoggle's eyes go wide and he gets excited.

[caldrail]

The credit card. They'd love it.