Ancient Rome - The Empire that Shaped the World
Discover the military, transportation and construction technology of the Empire that shaped our modern world in this hands-on exhibition for all ages. Featuring catapults, aqueducts and the secrets of the Colosseum.
This award-winning exhibition brings to life the lost and forgotten technology and inventions that set the Roman Empire apart from the rest of the Ancient World and which continue to influence us to this day. By reconstructing Ancient Roman technology using the same materials and techniques used by the Romans thousands of years ago, we can learn so much more than we could from studying archaeological finds and ancient texts exclusively. Recreating the machines also offers us the unique opportunity to use some of these incredible inventions to understand how they work firsthand.
Touring exhibition facts
- Rental: Discounted long-term rental for over months
- Setup: 5 day install/5 day dismantle
- Footprint: 4000-8000sq ft (400m2-800m2)
- Delivery: Single truck or shipping container
Key themes and exhibits
Military genius – Veni vidi vici
Catapults, seige towers, battle tactics, centurions and legionnaires.
Transport and logistics - All roads lead to Rome
Transportation innovations: odomerers, roads and the World’s oldest road map
Building Rome – Rome wasn't built in a day
Enormous cranes driven by soldiers inside human-sized hamster-wheels, flour-mills, waterproof concrete and aquaducts
Lifestyle and entertainment – Bread and circuses
Mighty gladiatorial games, secrets of the Colosseum, fresco paintings, costumes and games.
Gallery
Testimonials
“A truly unique way of experiencing history.”
Giorgio Napolitano
Italian President from 2006 to 2016
“A great number of engineers visited returning with friends and family to share early concepts of designs still used today. The hands-on aspect was an engaging teaching tool!
Rod Hansen, Director of Exhibits
Museum of Idaho
“By every metric, the exhibition “Ancient Rome” was a success. It became a highlight of our city’s spring calendar, which means it was a terrific revenue generator for the museum. The craftsmanship on each and every piece is absolutely spectacular, which means the installed exhibition is truly beautiful. As visitors rounded the corner into the gallery, I noticed they often let out a little gasp – it literally took their breath away. Our expectations are high, and this exhibition exceeded them at every turn.”
Meg McCrummen Fowler
Director of the History Museum of Mobile