Can You Guess These Iconic Movies From Just a Screenshot?

Can You Guess These Iconic Movies From Just a Screenshot?

You may think you’re a movie expert, but are you good enough to recognize a famous film from just a screenshot? How about if said screenshot is completely out of context? Or, what if it’s cropped so you can only see a portion of the image? Test your movie knowledge by taking this quiz to see if you’re really an expert on iconic films!

Fashion Tech

This ’90s teen movie quickly became a cult classic, partially due to its seriously enviable fashion. So, what exactly is this particular fashion tech that was so far ahead of its time?

Fashion Tech

Here’s a hint: the star of this movie had been in other films before, but this particular hit catapulted her to a whole new level of fame. Something tells us that if we show you the next outfit on this fashion machine, you’ll instantly recognize the movie…

Clueless

This machine was a part of Cher’s closet in the movie Clueless. Yes, that bit of technology was way ahead of its time, but it’s now an actual app that anyone can use on their phone.

Clueless

Clueless writer and director Amy Heckerling has joked about those apps saying, “They should all pay me some money, I want residuals on that.” Amy may have been saying that tongue-in-cheek, but we definitely think she has a point!

Location, Location, Location

This scene was shot in the actual place it claims to be in the movie — Hermosa Beach Pier. While many movies are filmed somewhere other than the location the story takes place, this film was shot in over 60 locations, all of them being where they’re set in the story.

Location, Location, Location

So, where did this romantic drama take place? And who are the couple dancing in the screenshot? Here’s a hint: both lead actors in this film were already hugely famous before this movie came out.

La La Land

Given that La La Land is essentially a love story about the City of Angels, it makes perfect sense that the movie was actually shot in and around Los Angeles. We may have tricked you, though, when we asked who the dancing couple is.

La La Land

The truth is that they just played a small part and aren’t the main characters of the movie. The actual main actors — Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone — were both nominated for Oscars for their roles, and Emma Stone won!

Horrifying Wallpaper

This horror movie takes place in either a hotel or a motel — it’s your job to figure out which one it is. Given the very dated wallpaper, you’ve probably already guessed that this is an older movie.

Horrifying Wallpaper

The other thing we can tell you is that not everyone had a very good time on set. There have been accusations that this film’s director mistreated some of the talent, to the point in which one could argue that a lot of the actors weren’t even acting anymore.

The Shining

Shelley Duvall played Wendy in the 1980 horror film The Shining but probably regrets the experience. Apparently, film director Stanley Kubrick wanted Wendy’s anguish to be authentic, so he mistreated Shelley on set.

The Shining

He’d yell at her, insult her, and make her re-shoot physically demanding scenes (literally) hundreds of times over. Furthermore, Stanley kept parts of the script a secret from Shelley (for example, the part when the door is broken down with an ax), causing her fear to be completely real.

When You’re Late for School

This action-packed film has a theme of vehicles attached to it. Don’t let the school bus deceive you — this is not a children’s movie. Since we’re talking about mature topics, one of the stars of this movie tragically passed away.

When You’re Late for School

Of course, their work on this film is still celebrated today. This particular movie is part of a series, though, so what do you think happened to the actor’s character after they passed away?

The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger iconically played the Joker in The Dark Knight. Tragically, he passed away shortly before the film’s release. Since then, his role has been recast, as has the role of Batman (this is typical in superhero franchises).

The Dark Knight

Ledger was posthumously given an Oscar for his role and is still widely regarded as the best Joker to date. It’s worth noting, though, that many people blame Ledger’s untimely passing on the toll that portraying the Joker took on his mental health.

A Screenshot of Yoda, This Is

This alien-filled movie is undeniably a classic. Interestingly, one of the actors in this film is never actually seen on-camera — we only hear their voice. That person’s voice was heard by the movie’s sound designer while in a camera store.

A Screenshot of Yoda, This Is

After hearing that individual, the sound designer knew that this person’s voice was perfect for the role! It’s also worth noting that the individual probably wasn’t born with these vocals, but they enjoy the usage of quite a few adult products, which has impacted their lungs.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Everyone’s favorite alien, E.T., was played by a Californian housewife named Pat Welsh. That’s how E.T. got his voice, but what about his looks? Apparently, he was inspired by Albert Einstein, a poet named Carl Sandburg, and a pug dog.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Roughly 10% of the movie’s $10.5 million (approximately $30 million today) budget went to designing E.T. We wonder how much Pat Welsh was paid, given that she wasn’t officially an actress and was uncredited for the film.

A Concert or a Protest?

The leading actor in this movie was already famous before he began work on this film. However, this particular role is often regarded as one of his best works, and it even won him an Oscar!

A Concert or a Protest?

In this particular scene, the main character’s microphone is cut off, and the people in the scene can’t hear him. Likewise, the audience doesn’t know what’s said while watching the movie. Of course, the internet now has all the answers…

Forrest Gump

There’s a popular fan theory online about what Forrest Gump said in this scene. Apparently, Tom Hanks himself has fed the flames of this theory, leading us to believe that this was in the actual script.

Forrest Gump

“Sometimes, when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes, they don’t go home at all. That’s a bad thing. That’s all I have to say about that.” That being said, some of the extras who were there claim that they don’t remember that monologue at all.

A Balancing Act

The two stars of this movie played characters who had a connection but, in real life, they didn’t get along at all. While it may not have been pleasant on set, the “friction” worked for their characters on screen as it translated into the energy needed for the story.

A Balancing Act

Luckily, the actors still maintained mutual respect for each other. One of them has even said, “One thing that worked beautifully was that it really was a teaching situation.”

Dirty Dancing

Although Johnny and Baby fell in love, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey didn’t get along at all in real life. It was Patrick who called working with Jennifer a “teaching situation.” He also said she’s “one of the most gifted actresses around.”

Dirty Dancing

Likewise, Jennifer has expressed that if Swayze were still with us today, she’d tell him, “I would say, ‘I’m so sorry that I couldn’t just appreciate and luxuriate in who you were, instead of me wishing you were more like what I wanted you to be.’”

Past, Present, or Future?

This room has a strange way of looking like it’s simultaneously set in both the past and the future. One thing’s for certain, there’s quite a bit of money in this movie — we mean that both in the plot and in the funds put into making the film.

Past, Present, or Future?

This production cost a whopping $10.5 million and took roughly four years. Clearly, it was worth it, as the final product earned a staggering $146 million and got rave reviews.

2001: A Space Odyssey

The reason this set looks like it’s both in the past and present is that… well, it is! 2001: A Space Odyssey was released in 1968, but the story takes place in, you guessed it, 2001.

2001: A Space Odyssey

This means the film design was according to what people in the past expected the future (which is now also the past) to look like. What adds to this futuristic feeling is the fact that the special effects used for this movie were revolutionary for their time.

Old School Leo

Clearly, this movie stars a young Leonardo DiCaprio. Given that we can all recognize the Oscar-winning actor, we can also figure out that this film is from the ‘90s.

Old School Leo

This would make Leonardo DiCaprio in his early 20s here (so about the same age as the women the now-48-year-old dates). This was by no means DiCaprio’s first movie, but it was one of his more swoon-worthy roles. Sorry, we know that doesn’t exactly narrow it down.

Titanic

This often-forgotten scene features Jack and Fabrizio running in their attempt to make it onto the Titanic. The scene that came shortly after that, though, is far more remembered as that’s when Jack says his iconic line, “I’m the king of the world!”

Titanic

Apparently, that line wasn’t in the original script, but director James Cameron threw it out there as a last attempt to get the scene right. This just goes to show that some of cinema’s best moments are truly spontaneous.

Which Family Is It?

This comedy/drama is about a dysfunctional family. The question is, which family? We’ll give you a hint, this person’s finger was injured unintentionally. There’s a lot of symbolism to it, too, as there is throughout the whole movie.

Which Family Is It?

One last thing to help you decide which movie this screenshot is from is the answer to the question: would you want to be a part of this family? For us, it’s a no, but maybe you’ll feel differently.

The Royal Tenenbaums

In The Royal Tenenbaums, Margot’s biological father accidentally cut her ring finger off while she was attempting to bond with him. The wooden finger symbolizes Margot’s unfortunate inability to fit in with neither her biological nor adopted families.

The Royal Tenenbaums

Just as she looks different, she feels different, and a bit out of place. As is typical with Wes Anderson films, The Royal Tenenbaums is full of symbolic imagery and family woes.

A Prestigious Award

This Pixar film is one of the company’s most popular works to date. On the surface, this story is a typical and sweet animated film for children and adults alike. However, there’s a widely supported fan theory that sees a completely different plot in this movie.

A Prestigious Award

Many argue that the fan theory plot is extremely depressing. However, some see it as even more beautiful and heartwarming than the obvious storyline. So, which movie is this and do you think there was a hidden plot in the script?

Up

The fan theory believes that Carl passed away at the beginning of the film Up, and his journey to Paradise Falls is quite literally a journey to paradise/heaven. This would mean that Russell is an angel who’s trying to help Carl move into the afterlife.

Up

If he succeeds, Russell will earn his wings — a.k.a. Wilderness Explorer Badge. Similarly, this would make Charles Muntz a fallen angel who’s attempting to drag Carl to the underworld. Good luck ever seeing Up the same way again!

A Fantasy World

This movie is undoubtedly a fantasy film but it’s one of those movies that’s set in the real world and has fantasy elements — rather than being set in an imagined world. One of the main actors in this film said that this was their favorite personal performance.

A Fantasy World

This actor has said that their character was “very, very vulnerable, I think, underneath all of that stuff. I just had to work very, very hard.” Clearly, all that hard work paid off, as they were nominated for an Oscar.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Kate Winslet found it extremely challenging to play Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind but she believes it was some of her best work. She said that she’d tell the director, “Let me know if I’m going too far.”

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

To which he’d respond, “Yeah, it doesn’t matter. Just do it, just try it.” Kate has said, “That was fantastically liberating. When you do classical period films, you don’t get the opportunity to do that. It’s a more subtle approach.”

Do You Recognize This Tattoo?

This thriller/horror movie is about a serial killer who’s obsessed with the human body. While the story itself isn’t based on reality, it’s based on a book by the same name. The book is inspired by several true crime stories that have taken place throughout history.

Do You Recognize This Tattoo?

The villain was based on several serial killers. One of them was a real-life doctor named Alfredo Ballí Treviño, who spent his life trying to rectify his dark past by helping the ill and the poor.

The Silence of the Lambs

Other inspirations for The Silence of the Lambs’ horrific characters were Ted Bundy and Gary Heidnik. Many people cite the movie’s basis on reality as being the reason why the film was so successful — and so terrifying.

The Silence of the Lambs

To this day, The Silence of the Lambs is the only horror movie to ever win an Oscar for Best Picture. Not only that, but it got all the “Big Five” Oscar awards — Best Picture, Director, Leading Actor, Leading Actress, and Screenplay.

Taking it Down a Notch

This kid-friendly movie offers a bit of nostalgia and a look at things from a different perspective. This film is all about being small, and viewers get to enjoy seeing normal everyday things portrayed as gigantic.

Taking it Down a Notch

In order to achieve this effect, oversized sets were created, and visual effects were used. Interestingly, an unrelated movie contributed to the success of this film. That movie is Batman, which was expected to overshadow this film — not further its success.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was a shocking success at the box office! It earned a whopping $14 million on its opening weekend which, at the time, was groundbreaking for Disney.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

While the family film is a masterpiece in its own right, the fact that it was released the same day as Batman contributed to ticket sales. People lined up outside theatres to see Batman but it sold out quickly, so they’d go to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids instead.

Seeing Double

This particular movie had to compete with another film that came out at the same time and was almost the exact same movie. Released by a different company, the competing movie featured similar characters, and a nearly identical plot.

Seeing Double

It also came out within six weeks of the film in this screenshot. The two companies were in competition with each other, and the movie shown here is the one that won the war, making twice as much as its rival.

A Bug’s Life

Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures’ A Bug’s Life was far more successful than DreamWorks Animation’s Antz, although most fans will gladly debate which movie was actually better.

A Bug’s Life

The movies’ similarities were no coincidence, as Antz was pitched by a former Disney employee who admittedly wanted to “battle” the company, as he left on poor terms. Antz was a shameless rip-off of A Bug’s Life, which was already in production. Admittedly, rip-off or not, Antz is a fantastic movie!

Out of This World

Clearly, this movie takes place in outer space, but that’s really the only thing you can discern from this screenshot. One of the main actors in the film said that filming “wasn’t fun” as they had to spend four weeks wearing a 40-pound spacesuit in which oxygen supply was unreliable.

Out of This World

The actor explained, “We were mic’d. So you’d say, ‘Yeah, my air cut off. Roll really quickly.’” It’s possible that this costume issue was an intentional choice by the director to make things more realistic.

The Martian

Matt Damon’s hard work paid off, as he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his work in The Martian. It was certainly hard work, though! Not only did Damon have to contend with his uncomfortable costume, but he spent seven out of eight weeks of filming by himself.

The Martian

The actor explained that he wanted the challenge of acting alone, as “so much of your performance comes from the other person. But, that was one of the reasons I wanted to do it.”

Name That Super

Okay, we know this is a superperson but is it a hero or villain? They fight within several superteams, but it’s up to you to decide if this particular group is made up of good guys or bad guys. For those who really want to know, we’ll tell you this woman’s name… Katana.

Name That Super

Katana is played by Karen Fukuhara, who’s largely known as Kimiko from The Boys. It seems that Fukuhara has a thing for playing characters with deadly superpowers who have questionable friends…

Suicide Squad

Katana is a member of the Justice League, the Outsiders, and the Suicide Squad. She was featured in Suicide Squad but, like many of the cast, didn’t return for The Suicide Squad.

Suicide Squad

She’s also in the Birds of Prey comics but didn’t feature in the movie. That being said, there are rumors that Karen Fukuhara will join the cast for the Birds of Prey sequel, although that’s yet to be confirmed.

Which Emma Stone Is This?

We know this is Emma Stone, but which Emma Stone is it? Is this comedy Emma? Superhero movie Emma? Or drama Emma? The hair color is a pretty big clue, so we suggest you pay attention to that.

Which Emma Stone Is This?

Here’s another hint: this movie’s script proved to be a challenge for Stone, and her colleagues often say that she’s the one who messed up her lines the most. Does that narrow it down at all?

Birdman

The script for Birdman was written more like a play than a movie. This meant that shots were extremely long, like a play, rather than quick cuts as movies do. Therefore, the cast had to memorize extremely long bits of the script, as they would if they were performing in a theater.

Birdman

Stone admits that “it was hard. It was definitely hard. And I screwed it up, quite a few times.” Well, at least she’s now prepped for a career in theater, if she so chooses!

The Terrors of Technology

This horror film was clearly made for Gen Z, as it’s tech-oriented and features relatively young characters. The film had a low budget of just a million bucks and didn’t acquire any A-list actors.

The Terrors of Technology

That being said, it did very well at the box office, bringing in $64 million, despite its mixed reviews. The movie’s success has opened the door for the horror genre as the film is, arguably, the first-ever horror about social media.

Unfriended

The story of Unfriended takes place online, so it makes sense that the movie didn’t have a typical production set. Instead, the director rented out a house and put each of the actors in a separate room.

Unfriended

The cast would then act out the movie like a play, meaning they’d film the entire thing in one go. Each take was 85 minutes long, and the cast would do several takes a day. And that’s how you turn out a serious profit from a low-budget film.

Old School Romantic Comedy

This romantic comedy is undoubtedly a classic, and it stars an actress who was the queen of this genre at the time — Meg Ryan. In a move that’s rare for such a lighthearted film, this movie had quite an impact on society.

Old School Romantic Comedy

It made a certain topic a bit less taboo, drawing attention to the fact that the experience portrayed in a certain scene isn’t an uncommon one. So, which of these movies managed to change the conversation?

When Harry Met Sally

That famous “I’ll have what she’s having” scene in When Harry Met Sally made people feel comfortable about being honest in regard to intimacy, and brought certain realizations to light.

When Harry Met Sally

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen aptly wrote, “When the scene was shown to a Las Vegas convention of movie distributors, the men in the room did not react at all. They didn’t get it. The women, however, did. They laughed, and their laughter became infectious until, one by one, the men joined in.”

Hungry?

We’re not going to tell you what food this is but if you recognize it, you may just lose your appetite. This romantic comedy came out in 1999 and was quite groundbreaking for its time. The movie is largely credited for inventing a certain term that’s still used today.

Hungry?

However, credit isn’t exactly put where it’s due, as the movie screenshotted here didn’t actually make it up. The term became well-known a full four years before this film was released, but the movie did make the term popular.

American Pie

The food photographed is an apple pie, and if you’ve seen the movie American Pie, then that dessert has likely been ruined for you forever. As for the term this movie popularized, it’s the acronym MILF — which stands for “Mother I’d Like to…”

American Pie

We’ll just let you guess the last word. The term was used to describe Stifler’s Mom, played by Jennifer Coolidge. Coolidge claims that being labeled as the original MILF has allowed her to enjoy the company of men who wouldn’t have been interested in her otherwise.

Teenage Boy With Flowers = Every Movie Ever

We know, we know — pretty much every teen movie ever has a scene with a boy holding flowers. We’ll help you narrow it down, though. That actor is Ansel Elgort, and although he plays a 16-year-old in this movie, he was actually 20 years old when filming.

Teenage Boy With Flowers = Every Movie Ever

This wasn’t Elgort’s first movie, but it was his first time working in this genre. Furthermore, this film is the one that catapulted him into stardom. Is it obvious yet which movie we’re referring to?

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is a serious tearjerker, posing a challenge for Elgort, who hadn’t done a drama before. The actor explained, “We would cry all the time. It felt good. I let it out.”

The Fault in Our Stars

“It’s good therapy and releases tension […] I put myself in the moment during the tough scenes. Like when Gus is at the hospital and trying to visit Hazel and has been there all night, I’m tired and a wreck — I was emotionally there.”

Anne’s Always Glammed Up

With the notable exception of Les Misérables, Anne Hathaway is usually glammed-up in her movies. The actress often plays characters who are well-off and attend fancy dinners like the one in this screenshot.

Anne’s Always Glammed Up

So, which movie is the Anne Hathaway film shown here? Here’s a hint: this is a female-centric film with an impressive cast of mostly women. We know we’ve just described half of Hathaway’s movies — but that’s the challenge!

Ocean’s 8

Ocean’s 8 was Anne Hathaway’s first movie since giving birth, and sadly, she was somewhat insecure about her changed body. Luckily, the set was filled with supportive women — some of whom are also mothers.

Ocean’s 8

Hathaway gushed that she walked onto the set with her few extra pounds, and… “Sandy Bullock just looks up and goes, ‘Lookin’ good, mama.’ That made me feel amazing. Then Cate Blanchett’s like, ‘Nice jeans, Hathaway.’ Rihanna looks up and goes, “Damn girl, you got an […] like me.’” Now, that’s a compliment!

Freefalling

This movie takes place in two worlds, one which is the real world and one which is a fantasy. Aside from the obvious protagonists, this film has an unlikely extra character.

Freefalling

Admittedly, the thing we’re alluding to isn’t officially a character, and there’s no actor that plays the part. But, the cast felt this thing’s presence and believe it added a lot to the final film. In fact, one specific actor credits this object for some of the better aspects of their performance.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Kevin Hart credits the backpack he wore in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle for a lot, even going as far as to say that he considers it to be a main character! “It just became the unsung hero, because everything is always directed to my backpack. That was my go-to for any improv, any comedy.”

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Any fan of Jumanji can see that Hart’s comedic abilities really shone in this project. If co-starring with a backpack helped him out, who are we to judge?

Tea Time

This movie was directed by someone who’s really better known for their comedic acting rather than their work behind the camera. This individual stepped outside their comfort zone and created something that’s quite different than their previous work.

Tea Time

So, who is this mysterious director? And which of their movies is this teacup from? We’ll give one more hint, for those who are truly stumped: this particular movie was the director’s debut behind the camera, and they got rave reviews for it!

Get Out

Get Out was Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, and it completely changed the way the world saw him. This teacup, in particular, was a major plot point. Spoiler alert! The stirring of the spoon in the teacup created a portal to the Sunken Place.

Get Out

Peele has explained the symbolism behind this imagery by saying, “The teacup is symbolic in that slave masters used to summon house slaves using teacups.” It’s also worth noting that the spoon is silver, as silver spoons are often seen as a symbol of privilege.

35+ Facts That Prove They Didn’t Tell Us The Coolest Things About Ancient Rome In School

There are tons of cool facts that are left out of those dry history lessons about Ancient Rome we sat through in class. So we thought it might be cool to share some facts that prove they didn’t tell us the coolest things about Ancient Rome back in the day.

Roman Apartments

Nowadays, tons of people live in apartments; in fact, some of those apartments are pretty darn posh. But back in the days of ancient Rome, people with money lived in those villas we all think of when we think of that period.

Roman Apartments

The poor were the ones that loved the apartments. These apartments were very similar to apartments in cities of today when it comes to layout and planning.

Father Knows Best

It is not a surprise that in the old days of Rome, the father of a family was the head of the family and had all the power. But some of the powers that they had were absolutely crazy. They had complete control over everyone’s lives.

Father Knows Best

This included the ability to disown a newborn and cast them out of the house. All they had to do was say they were unable to feed them, and it was perfectly acceptable. Sounds pretty cruel.

Food Courts

We all have sat in the food court and had lunch with a friend, but did you know that this concept is nothing new. In fact, the ancient Romans had a setup that was pretty similar to this.

Food Courts

They called it a Thermoplia, and it was a counter with clay jars that housed the food. This was a popular place for the commoners to grab a bite, and you could eat in the establishment or take it home.

Returns

In today’s world, we don’t think anything of taking something back to a store when it doesn’t work out. There we can either do a return or get a refund. This ability might not be around if it wasn’t for the ancient Romans.

Returns

They were the first civilization that adopted this idea. You could purchase something down the market or from a tradesman, and if you didn’t like it, you could return it to them or even get a replacement. After Christmas would not be the same without them, it appears.

Seasonal Times

The ancient Romans had the same amount of hours in the day, but they did something pretty interesting with the division of those hours. That’s right, it wasn’t an even split, and that made for seasonal times.

Seasonal Times

Some times of the year, an hour would be 75 minutes; at other times, it would be just 45 minutes; this was because of the fact they split the day up by sunset until dawn and dawn until sunset.

Amphitheaters Matter

Have you been to a concert or sporting event in a big stadium? Then you should probably give a big high five to the ancient Romans. The basic design of our modern stadiums is based on the Roman amphitheater.

Amphitheaters Matter

The architects of Rome came up with the idea by adjusting aspects from the Greeks and making improvements on them. They made them bigger and made them a complete circle.

Can You Pass the TP Stick?

There are a lot of things that we can say about the bathroom habits of the Romans, besides doing their duty while they completed business deals. It was all a very communal event. For us, though, the coolest fact had to do with the cleanup.

Can You Pass The TP Stick?

They didn’t have toilet paper to wipe their bottom, but they didn’t walk around dirty. Instead, they used a sponge on a stick. They called this tool xylospongium.

Ancient Shopping Mall

As teens, we all spent hours hanging out at the local mall. This type of establishment has its roots all the way back to the ancient Romans. They had something called Trajan’s Market in Rome, a place with many private shops.

Ancient Shopping Mall

The market also had several eating and drinking establishments; some of these even administered free food to the shoppers as they perused the goods.

Fight It Out

There were a lot of ways that crimes got punished in the Ancient Roman world. Among them was the punishment of a duel in the Colosseum. But if this was your sentencing, you might not always find yourself fighting another human.

Fight It Out

Often you might find yourself up against one of the wild animals kept beneath the amphitheater; this even included a lion. That is some serious punishment!

Get Your Gladiator Swag Here!

Today when you go to an event at a stadium, there are kiosks sitting outside the arena that typically sell hats, tee-shirts, and other paraphernalia for the event. The old world was no different.

Get Your Gladiator Swag Here!

Well, that’s not true; they didn’t sell t-shirts and hats. Instead, the kiosk outside the Colosseum sold things like gladiator sweat and the fat of animals that were killed. These were used as cosmetics, among other things.

Big, Beautiful Eyes

When it comes to beauty trends, often, things go in cycles. Things like big eyes with luscious lashes for ladies have always been something that marked beauty. But sometimes, the meaning and why they were important varies.

Big, Beautiful Eyes

In ancient Rome, the thick eyelashes were a sign of chastity. They thought that your eyelashes fell out when you were a little promiscuous. They really thought some pretty crazy things in the past, right?

Let the Party Begin

The Romans knew how to throw parties. One of the biggest was the Saturnalia which was thrown in honor of the god of agriculture, Saturn. This party even saw the slaves having a day of freedom to party it up with their owners.

Let The Party Begin

They were granted the ability to feast at the tables of their owners, and they could also speak their minds when it came to their masters.

One Brow Above All

Today, when someone has a unibrow, they are looked at as unattractive and, at the very least, are the butt of a lot of jokes. But back in the day, those nicely groomed eyebrows were a sign of being common and unintelligent.

One Brow Above All

The really posh and upper-class Romans all wanted the eyebrows to grow together. This was a sign of true intelligence. Some people have used fake eyebrows or drew them on. Just like today!

Drink Up!

So we might think it is gross and probably a little unsanitary, but in Ancient Rome, many people drink the blood of the mighty warriors of the Colosseum, the gladiators. This may make you a little nauseous, but the Romans had their reasons.

Drink Up!

Apparently, imbibing this liquid was said to help with impotence and infertility. People would drink this tonic hoping for the warrior virility to be transferred to them to have more kids.

Purple Was the Color

When you think of royalty, one color comes to mind…purple. Why is that? Back in the ancient world, the ingredients used to get that color were hard to get and rare. This, in turn, made it super expensive.

Purple Was The Color

Because of this rarity and difficulty, the high-class people of ancient Rome were the ones that could purchase fabric made in purple.

They Eat What?

Though Christianity is one of the major religions of the world now, it started as a smaller religion. In fact, back in the day, they were looked at as a cult and frowned upon. During ancient Roman times, there were a lot of falsities about the religion that circulated.

They Eat What?

One of the most heinous rumors spread to keep people from converting to this new religion was that they were cannibals. After all, they did eat bread and said it was the flesh of their Christ and the wine was his blood.

He’s the Worst

So on to another horrible ruler and perhaps the worst of them. That emperor would be the famous fiddler of Rome, Nero. He was a different kind of ruler because he had no qualms about being corrupt and was very active in removing any of the people that were in his way.

He’s The Worst

He might have deteriorated into the crazy ruler we have all learned about, but what we don’t learn is that the first part of his rule was very successful.

Pull in Here

So when we are taught about Rome, we are right about its heyday when it was the heart of the world, but the city started off as a small city that was known for its trade. This made it a trade stop on any routes across the country and the world.

Pull In Here

Rome was not what it was called at first; it was Latium. It was a juncture between two major territories, and that is how it became the city it was.

Excuse Me

There was something that many of us were taught or learned that we have to dispel right now. The Romans had a lavish feast with tons of food, and in order to enjoy this, they threw up at some time in the meal.

Excuse Me

This is false. Though the feast was lavish and large, they also ran a long time, so they paced themselves. This meant there was no need to binge and purge.

Where Is the Soap?

The people of ancient Rome loved a good bath and staying clean, but they may not have been as clean as we think they were. Today when you get in the shower or tub, you grab that bar of soap to get yourself clean.

Where Is The Soap?

But back in ancient Rome, they didn’t use soap. They relied on clean hot water to get their bodies fresh and clean.

Women’s Rights

It may not be the liberties that women of today have, but back in ancient Rome, women had more rights and freedoms than many of the women in other empires of the time. Roman women, unlike many other women, were able to own their own property.

Women’s Rights

On top of that, Roman women were able to go and come when they wanted. But they were still not able to enter the halls of government.

Twin City

We are taught about Rome, and the empire that came from it but very few of us are taught the story of its founding. It is actually a pretty interesting story. It involves some wolves and a pair of twins.

Twin City

Two twins were abandoned and found by a she-wolf. The wolf raised them, and they were the ones who found the mighty city of Rome, building it from the core of Latium.

I Will Survive!

When we were taught about the ancient world, one of the things we learned is that it was hard to survive. There were rampant diseases and many things that could kill you, including constant battles.

I Will Survive!

Because of this, we were told that the mortality rate was very low. But on the whole, the average was not as low as we were told. It was still lower than ours, but it wasn’t as bad as we thought.

Multi-Lingual

What many people don’t think about when they are learning about ancient Rome is that this was a metropolis that saw major trade. The fact it saw so many traders made the city alive with many different tongues.

Multi-Lingual

Many of the merchants were also versed in many languages so they could deal with all the people that came into their city. That meant many of them spoke not only Roman but things like Egyptian, Greek, and Germanic language so they could trade with more people.

Cultural Appropriation

Nowadays, people are very cautious about the idea of cultural appropriation. But back in ancient Rome, it was a basic way of life and the way that empire was able to last as long as it did. They not only added pieces of the concord cultures into their culture but many other things.

Cultural Appropriation

Of course, the Romans melded pieces of Greek culture into their world, but many other things from other cultures that they concord.

How About Those Aqueducts!

Like many other things in ancient Rome, the aqueducts are something that stood the test of time. They were so well built that even today, there are examples of them all over the European continent.

How About Those Aqueducts!

The aqueducts were built to last, and they were by far one of the inventions to come from ancient Rome, if not the best. They allowed the empire to deliver water to places that were not close to water.

Check Out the Size of That

Nowadays, there are tons of major cities that you might deem megacities. But back in ancient Rome, there were not very many of them in the world. The first may well have been Rome.

Check Out The Size Of That

You may want to argue with it, but it is definitely the first. Rome housed at one time over a million people, where places like Babylon only saw a population of 200,000.

Cemented in History

What would the world be without concrete? Many modern buildings use this compound as the foundation, which means we have a lot to thank the Romans for. But our cement is nothing to the Romans!

Cemented In History

The Romans used volcanic ash as a core ingredient. This mixed the limestone and seawater made a strong mortar. In fact, this compound only seems to get stronger with time, and that is pretty cool.

Public Restrooms

So one of the things we all learn about ancient Rome is that they were amazing innovators. They came up with some pretty epic things, and that includes bathrooms. This innovation includes the sewer, but the bathrooms of their time were not what we think of.

Public Restrooms

The bathrooms of ancient Rome were stall-less and a place to socialize. They had fewer inhibitions than we do. So their bathrooms were holes set in benches in a public setting.

Ask Him!

Rome had many emperors that probably were in desperate need of therapy or a little time away in the sanitarium. One of the most famous was Caligula. Besides being accused of killing his family and anybody that stood against him, he also liked to chat up the moon.

Ask Him!

Oh yeah, and he fought for his horse to be made a special counsel to the emperor. He must have really liked that horse!

Who’s That Girl?

In Rome, women may have had a lot of rights, but they didn’t have a personal name. Most women would be given a name after their lineage. So if you came from Claudius, you would be Claudia. But what if there was more than one girl in the family?

Who’s That Girl?

Well, then you would get a descriptor after your name. So the second Claudia would be Claudia Secunda. And it would go from there.

Thumbs Up!

Hand signals are still used to this day settings to show approval and sometimes to not. But in Ancient Rome, a simple gesture of the hand in the Colosseum could mean a whole world of different things. We all know the thumbs up and thumbs down, but there were others.

Thumbs Up!

If you bend your thumb in any direction, it means the fighter was meant to die. To save the gladiator, a clenched fist was raised in the air.

Big Battle

When you think of the Colosseum, you probably think of gladiatorial fights. But the amphitheater was used for tons of other events as well, including some pretty epic naval battles.

Big Battle

That is right, Emperor Titus actually filled the Colosseum with water and had mock naval battles in it. That sounds pretty cool! What do you think? We wish we could have seen that.

Earn Your Freedom

In ancient Rome, many households owned slaves, but they were able to gain freedom. Sort of once they were freed, they still were required to work for their former owner. On top of that, these freed slaves that were citizens had to vote for their former owners in elections.

Earn Your Freedom

They also had to work for them for free and even leave them their property when they passed away. If not, they could be put back into a slave state.

Major Metropolis

It is no surprise that at its height, Rome was the center of the world. It was the heart of the empire and a major trading and cultural center. But how did it stack up against the cities of the modern world?

Major Metropolis

Well, Rome was a major metropolis that at one time or another was the home of over a million people, which even by today’s standards is pretty big.