Day Two

We walked to the Roman Forum this morning.  It is unbelievable to me that all of these amazing archaeological sites and ruins are in the middle of the city, not blocked off or protected from the polluted Roman air.  The Arch of Titus was our first stop.  As my Dad explained, it fused the “here and now” with mythology/fantasy. Again, the attention to detail is amazing.  Every space is filled with intricate patterns, inscriptions, and battle scenes or victories.  I find the art I enjoy the most involves some type of fantasy or story, so I preferred the scene where Titus is riding with Nike. 

Seeing the interior of ancient houses was very interesting; I was surprised to see the walls painted almost as if they were trying to create the illusion of space (something we may try to do today with mirrors).  Painted columns and mantles adorned the walls of the house. I also found their use of color interesting; today, such vibrant shades of red and green would perhaps be seen as harsh or unorthodox.

THE COLOSSEUM!

The Colosseum was everything I hoped it would be. It must be one of the most lucrative places in the world if you add up how much money has been spent on it and in it over the years. While I don’t think I would particularly enjoy seeing people getting killed, imagining the place filled with screaming fans is exciting.  The idea of killing another man for sport and entertainment goes well with the Roman’s extravagant architecture; it seems their culture pushed to the limit, and what is more thrilling or extreme than public execution?