Parts of the Colosseum were removed over the years and used in the construction of St. Peters. At the time there was a myth of Christian persecution in the Colosseum being stoked as justification for using the materials. You can see it in the different brickwork and in the holes from where iron rods were removed.
One of the more interesting facts I learned was about the marketing. The innermost circles of the arena had carved the names of various patrons and donors to the Colosseum so that people who were gifted tickets to see the games would know to attribute their entertainment to and thank in coming elections. We’re still doing it to this day.
9,000 slaves were killed within the first 100 days of opening, and 1,000,000 during its operation. Games weren’t always to the death though. They’d sometimes re-enact famous battles or hold ceremonies in the Emperor’s honour. Vicious animals from all over the empire would square off and they’d even hold comedy fights between women and midgets.
It originally held a 55,000 capacity before the earthquake damaged it. It fell into disuse after the collapse of the Western Empire and Rome’s population drop from 1.5 million to twenty thousand.
Gladiators usually fell into 1 of 3 categories - slaves who fought for their freedom, prisoners and volunteers. Volunteers did so to avoid the 25 years of military conscription in the Empire and to earn the fortune, fame and women. They fought only a few times a year.
Next I headed over to the Roman Forum.
This was especially insightful as certain areas were still in the process of being excavated.
On the left side is the Senate built by Caesar for the Senators of Rome. His assassination on the steps was what sparked the Imperial Age, ironically what the Senators had been trying to prevent after he declared himself ruler for life.
In the centre is the Temple of Romulus (the son, not the founder) and on the right is a basilica used for court meetings and trading of goods.
After waging successful military campaigns, returning armies would pass through the Arch of Titus and along the sacred path, stopping at the Treasury in the Temple of Saturn to drop off the plundered goods before giving thanks at the Temple of Jupiter.
Atop Palatine Hill are the remains of The Imperial Palace. Built entirely from brick in 11 years, the walls were entirely covered in marble. There was even a private theatre used for entertaining guests and influential people in the Empire.
These are the supposed huts where Romulus founded Rome in 754BC.
On Thursday I headed to the Pantheon.
Unfortunately the tourist trade was now in full swing so I had to navigate crowds of photographers and map readers.
It was built between 27 and 25BC as a Pagan temple and features an oculus in the roof. This makes the building a natural sundial and one of the most impressive feats of construction in the ancient world considering that there was little technology at the time to create such an architectural marvel. It has 22 holes built into the concave marble floor to allow rain to drain. It was rebuilt by Hadrian from 118-125 and became a Christian temple when donated by Emperor Foca to Pope Boniface IV.
Friday was my birthday.
Saturday I visited the Castle of Sant’Angelo.
Originally built by Hadrian as a mausoleum for him and his family, it lost the original entrance when the Tibur was re-banked. The Sant’Angelo bridge was, therefore, at one point the only way to access the castle. It was converted into a fortress during the Renaissance and has the Borghetto Passage – an underground walkway used by the Pope to seek refuge and was in use for 7 months during the sacking of Rome.
It’s interesting to note the historical parallel to the passage in the White House or any other such Government building.
Sunday I went to the Basilica’s of St. John Lateran and Santa Maria Maggiore as well as the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.
The first had 12 ornately carved statues of the 12 disciples and another Egyptian obelisk in the courtyard. The second had a similar layout to St. Peter’s and contained a statue of Pious IX. If seeing the beauty of these places is something that appeals to you then I say go for it, but there’s little to actually do there.
I was disappointed by the Trevi fountain as it was half covered on scaffolding and had been completely drained. I suppose because it was off-season but it was still a let-down.
The Spanish steps weren’t particularly riveting. They were just kind of…..there. Something to go and see but not especially noteworthy. Lots of lazy tourists.
And that about wraps it up for the city.
Here’s my cultural observation and personal notes.
I always thought it was a cliché stereotype, but the Italians really are fanatics for Pizza. Every other restaurant has it. And their toppings are far more eclectic than our own – black olives, broccoli and suede were some of the more interesting ones I saw. You’ll need a discerning palate to find the quality stuff. Some restaurants ask you to pay up front and some after eating – it varies from place to place.
On a larger note, most restaurants have waiters outside who actively encourage you to come in and sample their cuisine. In fact, not just restaurants but theatres and shop vendors too. Walking down the street you’ll be approached numerous times.
One I visited was La Base Restaurant – it was 80’s themed and had figures for everyone from the Blues Brothers to Bruce Springsteen with music by Huey Lewis and the News, Survivor, Scorpion and so on. The food was so-so but the atmosphere was brilliant. It had kind of a Back to the Future feel to it. Definitely worth a look-see if you’re into retro diners.
The cuisine itself is good, but not particularly exotic. I was expecting a wide variety of Mediterranean dishes but the most exotic things I sampled during my stay were Veal and Sea Bass. (You know how some people say that it turns you off your food if you can see it still alive before you eat it? Turns I’m absolutely ok with it.)
I’m not a fan of cappuccino. More specifically, I wasn’t until last week. See, with most coffee houses there’s a 50/50 chance that you’ll scold your tongue on the first sip. And the taste doesn’t always match up.
Not so in Rome. Every place I went to, it was always at perfect drinking temperature when it was served, there wasn’t a ridiculous amount of froth and the taste was just right. You could even get flavoured toppings if you preferred. My only worry is that I won’t be able to drink the stuff anywhere else now.
Lots more dog walkers. And a few strays too.
One thing that successfully riled me during my stay was the street vendors. For every place that I went to visit, there were people flogging selfie sticks. And I don’t just mean 1 or 2 with a handful. There were dozens all over the place.
As someone who despises the narcissism of the selfie it really pissed me off to see so many people using them, even when they were eating dinner. I made it a point to always ask someone to take a photo if I wanted one, just to try and offset the damage.
Moving on, the language barrier. As I said, there wasn’t a shortage to choose from. I’m pretty competent in French and Spanish with a smattering of Japanese but even I had trouble communicating. The advantage is that it teaches you to acclimate really damn fast if you need to ask for something.
There were very few English speaking people there to converse with. The few I did find weren’t locals. There was an Irish pub near the Piazza Venetia but of course it charged an arm and a leg.
I had a doozy of a time figuring out the public transport. My plan was to not use it while I was there and instead see everything on foot. Unfortunately because my B&B was so far out of town I was doing more miles than I could keep track of and wound up injuring my foot. I must have looked like Keyser Soze.
The roads don’t have nearly as many markings as here in the UK so arguments between drivers were more common. Taxis are still extortion. Half the buses are in good condition, half have the windows scratched up to hell.
Tickets are bought in shops and have to be validated in a reader either on the bus or on the train platform. If they’re not, then you’re fined regardless of whether you have a ticket.
The beggars are much more pious. They’re either in diminutive statures with arms outreached or on their knees, though that’s probably not do good for them.
I didn’t watch much television out there but they seem to have both dubbed and native shows.
Buses had adverts for 50 Shades on the back. Go figure.
Speaking of which, I think some of you’ve made your mark on the city already.
Which brings us to the game topic, which I imagine a lot of you want to know about.
I’m sorry to say the adage is true – if your game is poor at home, then your game will be poor abroad. And as someone who hasn’t managed to overcome his AA yet, I can’t give you an in-depth analysis. But here’s what I can tell you from my observations.
Needless to say, you need good language skills if you want to go after any of the foreign girls, otherwise you’ll be muddling through with very slow speech and hand gestures. Not exactly productive.
Isolation is hard. I didn’t see a single woman travelling alone and tourists are invariably wary of being in an unfamiliar city with a person they’ve just met so I suspect that same-day dates will prove challenging unless you’re good at building initial attraction.
The map is a good prop. Asking for directions and help with xyz is a good ice-breaker. Don’t expect any revelatory information though.
I couldn’t find many clubs during my stay so I can’t say if large numbers congregate there or not. But following established models, it’s reasonable to assume they’re sausage fests, especially during summer months.
Unless you’re staying in a hotel close to the city centre, logistics will be difficult. They can be simplified but at a price. Established game tenets apply here.
The women themselves aren’t too different from other western European varieties - constantly taking pictures, dressing provocatively for attention and validation et cetera.
And I think that about covers it. Hope you find this thread useful.
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