Ancient Romans Witnessed Mysterious Metallic Objects in the Sky—Were These Early UFO Encounters?

KPNO/NOIRLab/Wikimedia CommonsThe Romans may have actually been seeing bright meteors rather than UFOs.

Claims of ships appearing in the sky have other potential explanations.

In the case of the 218 B.C.E. account of phantom ships seen over Italy, Livy’s report pairs this event with reports of a talking infant, a self-moving spear, white human-like figures, a shower of stones, and an ox climbing a building. This section is also prefaced with a note saying that, given the anxieties of the time, many of these portents were being reported — and believed — without evidence. All of these factors make it difficult to determine what actually occurred and what was simply reported out of fear.

There are plenty of alternate explanations for these and other similar tales. Historians may have been referring to clouds that bore a striking resemblance to ships. They could have also been describing events not literally but symbolically, with the sight of ships in the sky meant to demonstrate how coming events were forewarned.

Public DomainThe phenomena in the sky described by Roman historians may have been strange cloud formations, such as those pictured in this Renaissance painting of a miraculous summer snowfall in Rome.

But as far as the silver rain is concerned, no one is sure. While Cassius Dio wrote that it occurred, there is no surviving chemical description, preserved sample, independent eyewitness account, or reported smell, texture, or temperature. Still, historians have tried to determine what the substance could have been, with theories ranging from falling spider silk to a metaphor for ongoing political turmoil.

So, did the Romans really see UFOs? Or were they simply a mix of mirage, metaphor, misunderstanding, and mythmaking? We may never know.

All That’s Interesting reached out to Grimm via email.

After reading about the “UFOs” spotted by ancient Romans, discover nine ancient mysteries that still puzzle historians to this day. Then, learn about Commodus, the most disastrous ruler of ancient Rome.