The Ancients is a game set on Earth. In 200BC. The Roman Republic is slowly taking the mediterranean by storm, the second of the punic wars has just ended, yet the war against Macedon has just begun - and this is just in Italy. Travel and explore the land and peoples, from the Lusitanians of the Iberian Peninsula to the ancient Ainu of Japan.
Umbilicus Urbis Romae
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Description
An image of Umbilicus Urbis Romae, alpha complete.
Bathroom? oO
Umbilicus Urbis Romae... Navel of the City of Rome. It's built at the center of the city, is what all roman distances are measured by and is said to be a direct route to the underworld.
It's only opened three days a year during festivities. During this time, official transactions could not be had, due to worries of the bad spirits escaping affecting the deal, or some such.
Interesting stuff.
Quote:Wikipedia
The Umbilicus Urbis Romae — "Navel of the City of Rome" — was the symbolic centre of the city from which, and to which, all distances in Ancient Rome were measured. It was situated in the Roman Forum where its remnants can still be seen. These remains are located beside the Arch of Septimius Severus, behind the Rostra. Originally covered in marble, the Umbilicus is now a forlorn-looking brick core some 2 metres high and 4.45 metres in diameter.
History
Roman legend related that Romulus, when he founded the city, had a circular pit dug in the Forum. The first fruits of the year were thrown into this pit as a sacrifice and all new citizens of Rome had to throw in a handful of dirt from their place of origin.
The Mundus (Latin, “world”), known only from literary sources, was an underground structure considered a gate to the underworld. It may be that the Umbilicus Urbis Romae was the external (above ground) part of the subterranean Mundus. The Mundus was ritually opened only three times each year. These days were considered dies nefasti — days on which official transactions were forbidden on religious grounds —– because evil spirits of the underworld were thought to escape then.
Nice research... ^^
I could surely tell that it was a bathroom. xD