Leaky Aqueducts, Battle Pigeons, and Mystery Cults: More Frequently Asked Questions About the Ancient Greeks and Romans

by Garrett Ryan

Could a Roman bridge carry a modern freight train? How much would it cost to build the Colosseum today? What if the Romans had grown potatoes?

In a series of fast-paced essays, Leaky Aqueducts, War Pigeons, and Mystery Cults answers 45 questions that ancient historian Garrett Ryan has been asked in the classroom and through his popular YouTube channel Toldinstone. As in the two previous books of this fun and fascinating series, the emphasis is on the surprising details of daily life in the classical world. 

Discover the answers  

• Were there pigeons on the streets of Rome? 

• Did the Colosseum cost more than St. Peter's Basilica? 

• What did gladiators do after they retired?

• How did the Egyptians forget hieroglyphs? 

• Could potatoes have saved the Roman Empire? 

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Historical, Ancient History

272 pages, Paperback

Published June 16, 2026

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful as usual from this series.

[Josh McQueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really have any issues with this book as a concept. I thought it was a nice, interesting idea. My main group is just that it was a long read for me. Each and every chapter has its own focus, so there’s no real narrative structure. The book is filled with many interesting facts, but the end of every chapter feels like a conclusion to me, so I don’t feel motivated to keep reading it. Personally, it was not my favorite style of book, but there is a number of cool facts in here and I really enjoyed how the author even included the development of times new Roman font.

[Ernest Spoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

About as much fun as a man can have reading Roman history. Garrett Ryan covers the little things that a citizen of ancient Rome would take for granted, but that a citizen of the 21st century might find exotic, disgusting, and/or just plain weird. Actually it took me a little longer to finish than expected because the footnotes are as fascinating as the main text.

[Pat Danna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book by this author on the fascinating, weird, and interesting facts about Ancient Rome (and Greece). The footnotes are just as informative. This book is a great addition for anyone who studies and/or enjoys learning about Ancient Rome.

[Seth Tomko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time reading this one.