Rome #3, The Forum, Italy 1/2014
March 6, 2014
Aside from the Colosseum, the Forum is where all of Ancient Rome happened: Temples, market, craftsmen, debates, justice courts and even murders.
Walking through the ruins that had been built, torn down, destroyed by earthquakes, rebuilt, vandalized, robbed, covered with centuries of rubble and finally, what was left, excavated and to the extent possible, restored, it felt like walking through a small abandon town, complete with a sport’s arena.
Some of the detail on the few columns and statues was amazing, considering that more than 2,000 years had passed. What we thought we could see in an hour took four, and all day could be spent wandering the backside paths.
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- Rome’s Forum is where it all happened. After being buried in rubble for centuries, it still retains the feeling of what was one of the World’s great Empires.
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- According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus. He and his twin brother Remus were abandoned and saved by a she-wolf.
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- Detailed carving on the surviving arches, columns and sculptures showed the level of artistic ability of the city.
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- A block of carved marble, maybe only 2,000 years old, made a good lunch stop.
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- Monika posed with one of her favorite Romans, Julius Caesar.
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- After Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC, (The Ides of March), Augustus raised a temple in the Forum where he was cremated. It had been decorated with the rostra taken from the ships of Anthony and Cleopatra, captured by Augustus at the battle of Actium two years earlier.
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- The priestly order of Vestals dates back to Romulus or Numa, (8th-7th century BC). They had to be young aristocratic virgins between the ages of 6 & 10. Their service as priestess lasted for 30 years. It brought them wealth and privilege but required chastity and observations of rituals including keeping the public fire alight in the temple of Vesta.
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- The so-called Stadium, an important area of the Flavian Palace, was actually a huge rectangular garden with fountains and multiple statues.
Aside from the Colosseum, the Forum is where all of Ancient Rome happened: Temples, market, craftsmen, debates,… http://t.co/MejWaJRBqw