Ancient Rome

by Dawnielle Jacobson | Jul 12, 2019 | Destinations

Ancient Rome

Read about some of David’s favorite sites dating back to ancient Rome.

The Colosseum

This massive arena is the first image that comes to mind when I think of Rome.  Constructed by the Emperor Vespasian (the first of several “Flavian” emperors) it was inaugurated in AD 80 as the Flavian Amphitheatre.  The Romans were always seeking ways to take a Greek idea and put a new Roman twist on it.  The Flavian Amphitheatre is no exception.  In essence, the Romans took the plans for a Classical Greek theatre and built two of them end to end, coming up with the design for a huge freestanding “amphi” theatre. 

Nero, Emperor Vespasian’s predecessor, had constructed a lavish palace just over the hill, behind the modern-day metro station.  The site where the Colosseum sits today was once a large man-made lake surrounded by porticos, balconies and grand walkways.  This palace complex, known as the Domus Aurea (Golden House), contained a colossal 33-meter-tall (100 feet) bronze statue of the Emperor Nero.  After the Flavian Amphitheatre was constructed, Vespasian had Nero’s colossal statue placed out in front of his new colossal amphitheatre.  The combination of the colossal statue of Nero and the colossal amphitheatre seemed to stick and the amphitheatre took on the nickname of the Colossal-seum, or Colosseum.  Nero’s statue has perished, but you can see the site where it once stood on the grassy area between the Colosseum and the wrought iron fence flanking the forum area.

The Romans were known as great builders and pioneered many construction techniques still in use today.  One such idea was that of the “rounded arch” and concrete.  Essentially, the Romans would construct a shell of bricks and mortar and then pour concrete in the void making for a super strong and sturdy structure.  This concrete-filled shell was then covered with gleaming white travertine marble for a finishing touch of grandeur.  Once inside the Colosseum be sure to notice the many examples of this shell and concrete construction method.

Notice the exterior of the Colosseum; see all those potholes in the walls?  The huge stones flanking the exterior were originally held together with iron pegs, buried into the stone.  Then, as mentioned before, the whole thing was covered in travertine marble.  The Colosseum became a relic after the fall of Rome and its ready-cut stones were cannibalized for easy building material in the Middle Ages and Renaissance period.  Later, when iron was at a shortage, the Colosseum’s iron pegs were chiseled out to make weapons for war, as well as hinges, railing, and the like.

Look again at the exterior; do you see a resemblance to our modern-day soccer and football stadiums?  In Roman times, the citizens attending an event at the amphitheatre had a ticket noting their seating assignment and which doorway to enter to get to their seats.  Now look above the rounded arched “doorways” on the ground level and you’ll find “Roman numerals” etched into the marble noting the doorway’s number.  Just like our stadiums today, the wide walkways and stairs were designed to get people into and out of the amphitheatre very quickly.  Inside, along the walkways, were a multitude of kiosks in which vendors would sell official team merchandise, bowls of spaghetti, pizza and even Bud Light.

Still outside, notice the upper levels of the Colosseum.  It’s not Roman at all… it’s all Greek: Corinthian columns on the top level, Ionic on the middle and Doric on the ground floor.  Originally, each arch on the top levels contained a copy of Greek statues further contributing to the artistic beauty of the Colosseum.  

Only a third of the original Colosseum still stands today.  Some of it was destroyed in earthquakes but most was deconstructed after the fall of Rome and used as stonework for newer buildings.

Once inside the Colosseum it may be difficult to imagine just how the exposed skeleton/foundation which remains fit in with the colossal arena of Roman times.  I suggest going directly to the arena/ground level as soon as you enter the ticket gate.  Exiting from the tunnel into the arena is much like doing the same thing in our modern stadiums.  The difference here is that you are looking at the tunneling and foundations which once supported the floor of the playing field.  These skeletal pillars and passageways were once covered with wooden planks on which sand was spread to make the playing field.  Arena in Latin means sand, thus the origin of our modern-day term for an oval-shaped stadium.  The Colosseum’s arena was 86 by 50 meters, slightly smaller than our present-day football field.  With some imagination, you can visualize the rings of seating circling the arena.  Notice the buttresses and supports for the tunnels leading to the second level.  Even higher up, you can still see the remains of dual stairs leading up to the cheap seats on level three.  At the very top, wooden beams stuck out of the stone walls to support huge canvas tarps designed to be drawn to shade the spectators from the mid-day sun.

The Colosseum was constructed for the enjoyment and entertainment of the citizens of Rome.  Admission was always free and events were often sponsored by politicians.  The Colosseum opened in AD 80 with a 100-day festival of events in which 2,000 men and 9,000 animals were killed in one sort of competition or the other.

The Arch of Constantine

Exiting the Colosseum, work your way around to the right and find this massive triumphal arch known as the Arch of Constantine.  It was erected here in 315 to commemorate Emperor Constantine’s victory over Maxentius in the mighty battle of Ponte Milvio (see description on page 6) and the subsequent proclamation “legalizing” Christianity. If you are a Christian, it is a very important date!  Three centuries after Christ began spreading the Gospel to a lowly group of twelve disciples, his message had spread to the “utmost” parts of the world using the Roman Empire as its broadcast beacon.  Higher up on the arch are some scenes carved to depict the epic battle in 313.  Don’t dwell too much on the lower panels, as they have no meaning or relation to Constantine.  It seems that by the time the 4th century rolled around artists were beginning to pillage older monuments to decorate the new ones. 

The Roman Forum

With the Arch of Constantine to your back, walk up the street (via San Gregorio) about 200 meters and find the entrance gate/ticket booth for the Forum and Palatine Hill. (By the way, this is a good location to purchase your entry ticket for the Colosseum, no long lines and you can walk right in to the Colosseum without the wait).  The forum was the political, religious and commercial center of Rome.  Citizens would mingle here on a daily basis to catch up on the gossip, purchase food, worship their gods, elect political leaders, and generally participate in Roman life. 

From the entrance gate, wander around the right side of the Palatine Hill, making your way past present-day excavations to another triumphal arch dedicated to Titus.  The rocky road leading from the Colosseum, through the arch and into the forum valley, is known as the via Sacra.  This was the “Main Street” of Rome stretching from here to the distant Arch of Septimius Severus at the foot of Capitoline Hill (800 meters in front of you).

The Fall of Rome

Basically, Rome could not patrol its borders and invaders from the North attacked the weakened city.  The year 476 marks the date when the last emperor pulled the plug and left Rome in the dark.  All of Europe wasted away for a thousand years in the Dark Ages, a time of weak government, poverty and ignorance.  HOWEVER, Rome lived on in the Church!  The term “Emperor” now translates to “Pope,” senators became cardinals, territorial governors became bishops, orators became priests and basilicas became churches.

To read about sites in Vatican City, click here.

To read about sites in Rome’s Baroque city center, click here.

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