Below is an overview of all the claims that we have examined so far. Have you come across a claim you’d like us to fact-check? Feel free to send it to us.
Were thumbs-up/thumbs-down gestures used to mean life and death in Roman gladiatorial arenas?
Popular portrayals of the gladiatorial games always present the Emperor presiding over them, gesturing with his thumb to offer his judgement: thumbs-up, the defeated gladiator may live; thumbs-down, he should die. But is there any actual evidence to support this image?
Did Roman phallic carvings “point” towards brothels?
Phallic imagery is not in short supply at the ancient site of Pompeii, including carved versions under foot. But did they really direct people to the brothel?
Was Homer a real person?
The epic poems that are known as the Odyssey and the Iliad were attributed in ancient times to a poet called Homer. But did this Homer really exist?
Were there any Roman survivors at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest?
In AD 9, three Roman legions under the command of Publius Quinctilius Varus were ambushed and destroyed in the Teutoburg Forest in Germania. Were there any survivors?
Was Julius Caesar the First Emperor of Rome?
It is sometimes claimed that Julius Caesar was the first emperor of Rome. While this was not the case, defining who was the first emperor of Rome is no easy task.
Was the date for Christmas decided at the Council of Nicaea (AD 325)?
The Roman emperor Constantine the Great convened the first Council of Nicea, where it was decided that 25 December would be the official date for Christmas. Is this notion correct?
Did Jesus steal Mithras' birthday?
Christmas time often brings with it the claim that early Christians stole the story and date for Jesus’ birth from the cult of Mithras. There is no ancient evidence that confirms this.
Did Pheidippides invent the marathon?
After the Battle of Marathon, Pheidippides is said to have run back to Athens to report the news of the Athenian victory. But was this run the inspiration for the modern marathon race?
Was Aesop Greek?
It is often assumed that Aesop, the writer of the famous Fables, was a Greek author. However, none of the evidence agrees with this.
Were elephants given wine before battle?
Some ancient sources claim that elephants were given wine before battle in order to rouse them into a fighting frenzy. But was this practical or even safe?