Romans to touch

Whether on television, in the cinema or at city festivals: we encounter images of Romans everywhere. But was the world of antiquity really as it is often depicted today? The exhibition explored this exciting question. Many reconstructions to touch and try out made the world of the ancient Romans come alive.

From copperplate engravings to Hollywood films to virtual reality: our image of the Romans is subject to constant change. This is revealed by a look at the depictions of the Romans over the last 400 years, which always reflect the spirit of their time. The exhibition shows how the most diverse aspects of life in the Roman past can be reconstructed. Although the past cannot be reconstructed beyond doubt, good reconstructions can give us an accurate idea of it.

The world of the Romans was colorful, very colorful! This is shown not least by the comic-like reliefs on Trajan's Column in Rome, whose color scheme has recently been reconstructed. The Victory Column, inaugurated in 113 AD to commemorate Emperor Trajan's conquest of Dacia, contains a wealth of information and tells us what weapons, armor and even buildings of the Roman military once looked like.

However, there are often different ways to reconstruct things. What did the armor of Roman soldiers look like in detail? How heavy was their equipment? Were their tunics red or green?

Not only conventional handicraft techniques, but also modern 3D printing methods helped reconstruct Roman life and made found objects comprehensible.