---
title: Incredible Infographic on the Impact of Ancient Rome, a City of Firsts
description: Incredible Infographic on the Impact of Ancient Rome, a City of Firsts
image: https://blog.crystalking.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/rome.png
---

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As a result of my research a knew a lot of this great information already but it's great to see how [History.com ](http://www.history.com/)and the design firm [Column 5](http://www.columnfivemedia.com/) put it all into such an easily digestible visual.  
 Allow me a tiny bit of commentary before you dig in below.

1. Apartments in ancient Rome were called*[insulae](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insula_%28building%29)* and mostly built from wood. Fires were terribly common and there were fire codes which included being forbidden to have cooking fires in your home. That's why they had so many *popinae*, or [taverns that sold fast food](http://news.discovery.com/history/thank-the-ancient-romans-for-street-food-150803.htm).

2. The cover photo for this blog post is actually a slice of the [Monte Testaccio](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=41.8759518333,12.475694&spn=0.01,0.01&q=41.8759518333,12.475694%20(Monte%20Testaccio)&t=h) and all the layers of terra cotta amphorae in ancient Rome's trash heap.

3.  The phrase "[bread and circuses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_circuses)" came about because it was the duty of the city of Rome to both help feed the lower classes by giving them a grain allowance, and to entertain them with chariot races, gladiator games and more.

[![](https://blog.crystalking.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/rome.png)](https://blog.crystalking.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/rome.png)

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