Rome - the Romans!

Our second day in Rome we spent exploring the Roman ruins.   It was a fascinating walk through the past, seeing the remnants of a sophisticated people.  Would have loved to see all this in it's glory days!  We saw the Roman Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Roman Circus.

This is a shot of the ancient "bleachers" in the colosseum, where excited crowds would come to cheer on their favored gladiator.  Picture tiered seats on all the slanted surfaces above, filled with jeering, shouting Roman citizens.  The colosseum was just short of the length of a football field.  Below the main floor where the gladiators would fight they had holding places for the animals of all species.  The animals would rise to the fighting floor in a random location unknown to the gladiator and then the fight would begin.  The colosseum even had a canvas covering they would stretch over the roof to shield from the weather. Now days the colosseum, though magnificent, is just a shadow of what it once was.  It was severely damaged by two separate earthquakes.  Scavenging Christians robbed the building of much of it's marble and steel to construct many of the cathedrals throughout the city, including St Peter's Basilica.

Ancient stairways - many a Roman foot must have walked up this path.

Next to the colosseum was the Roman forum.  Here warriors would parade the spoils of their conquered land for all of Rome to jeer and jest.  They would come with exotic animals from distant lands, enslaved peoples, riches and precious items, and at the very front of it all, the kink of the conquered land on a raised platform, high enough for all the people to see, spit at, and to mock at their pleasure.

This is the temple of Julius Caesar.  After being assassinated by his senators, his body was taken here and burned.  It has now become a shrine in dedication to him.  Even today people place flowers over the site.

This is the location where the Vestal virgins lived.  The temple of Vesta,the goddess of the hearth, contained an eternal flame that these virgins kept watch over. If they kept their promise of chastity they were given an honorable release from their commission at the age of 30 and allowed to marry.  If they did not - death!

This is the remaining standing wall of Constantine's basilica.  In it's full construction it must have been a magnificent structure!  The nave itself was 4000 square meters.

This is what remains today of the ancient Roman circus, where chariot races would have been held.  The winners of these races held celebrity status among the Romans.  DJ had a Ben Hur moment walking past this ancient ruin.

The coloseum at night - a little quieter, and very pretty with the rising moon in the background.