May 19, 2024 - Classic Italy
Ancient Rome: Colosseum and Forum
Now looking northwest. The Victor Emanuelle Monument dominates.
Looking down at the Arch of Septimius Severus, a white marble triumphal arch dedicated in 203 AD to commemorate the Parthian victories of African-born Emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, in the two campaigns against the Parthians of 194-195 and 197–199.
After the death of Septimius Severus, his sons Caracalla and Geta were initially joint Emperors. Caracalla had Geta assassinated in Rome [not exactly a brother's love is a brother's love]; in the practice now known as damnatio memoriae, Geta's memorials were destroyed and all images or mentions of him were removed from street buildings and monuments. Accordingly, Geta's image and inscriptions referring to him were removed from the arch.
Looking east-northeast. The area to the left was called Caesar's Forum.
Julius Caesar decided to construct a forum bearing his name in the northeast section of the Forum Romanum (Roman Forum), and purchased some very expensive parcels of land in that area (the final cost was said to be 100,000,000 sesterces). Forum construction began probably in 51 BC.
These three Corinthian pillars are all that remain of the Temple of Venus, dedicated to the Roman goddess Venus Genetrix, the patron goddess of the Julian family. It was dedicated to the goddess on 26 September 46 BCE by Julius Caesar.
On the eve of the Battle of Pharsalus in 48, Caesar vowed a temple to Venus.. This original dedication was done because Venus was Pompey's favourite goddess, and Caesar may have hoped to gain the goddess's favour before the battle against Pompey.
The decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War fought on 9 August 48 BC near Pharsalus in Central Greece. Julius Caesar and his allies formed up opposite the army of the Roman Republic under the command of Pompey. Pompey had the backing of a majority of Roman senators and his army significantly outnumbered the veteran Caesarian legions. Pompey suffered an overwhelming defeat, ultimately fleeing the camp and his men. Eventually making his way to Egypt, he was assassinated upon his arrival at the order of Ptolemy XIII.
Paul K. Davis wrote that "Caesar's victory took him to the pinnacle of power, effectively ending the Republic."
Now we're on the famous Via dei Fori Imperiali. It's closed to cars, which is nice. On the opposite (northeast) side of the street is Trajan's Market.
Per Rick Steve's: "This structure was part shopping mall, part warehouse, and part administration building and/or government offices. For now the conventional wisdom holds that at ground level, the 13 tall (shallow) arches housed shops selling fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers to people who passed by on the street. The 26 arched windows (above) lit a covered walkway lined with shops that sold wine and olive oil. On the roof (now lined with a metal railing) ran a street that likely held still more shops, making about 150 in all. Shoppers could browse through goods from every corner of Rome's fast empire -- exotic fruits from Africa, spices from Asia, and fish-and-chips from Londinium. Above the semicircle, the upper floors of the complex housed bureaucrats in charge of a crucial element of city life; doling out free grain to unemployed citizens, who lived off the wealth plundered from distant lands. Better to pacify them than risk a riot. Above the offices, at the very top, rises a tower added in the Middle Ages."
In front of Trajan's Market is where Trajan's Forum used to be but the ruins are from the medieval era..
These are the Colonnacce “ugly columns” part of the Forum of Nerva in Rome. Specifically, they are the remaining portion of the Temple of Minerva, built during the reign of Domitian (81-96 CE). The richly decorated Corinthian columns, adorned with friezes depicting mythological scenes and figures, showcase the Roman Empire’s architectural sophistication and dedication to the gods.
The so-called "Colonnacce" are two of the over fifty columns that decorated the long sides of the square: so called due to their state of ruin.
The "Colonnacce" are the only important remains that we can admire of the Temple of Minerva, which acted as a backdrop to the Forum of NERVA, one of the five monumental areas of the Imperial Forums, built when the Roman Forum was no longer sufficient for the major demanding of ancient Rome, due to its expansion. Of the Temple of Minerva, unfortunately only ruins have come down to us, since its materials were used for the construction of other monuments (in particular the Paola water fountain on the Janiculum), as was the custom in past centuries, among the remains the two splendid projecting and fluted columns known as the "Colonnacce" stand out, over 10 meters high with Corinthian capitals on which a part of the attic rests in which the splendid bas-relief depicting the goddess Minerva stands out and other depictions of activities are visible on the frieze female workers.
At lower left, with the big columns, is what is left of The Temple of Peace, also known as the Forum of Vespasian. Built built in the Roman Forum in 71 AD under Emperor Vespasian, it honored Pax, the Roman goddess of peace.
These columns are actually the smaller side columns of the temple.
Another look at the seven (smaller) columns that are all that are left of the 60+ columns of the Temple of Peace.
Looking back west at Capitoline Hill across the Roman Forum.
The square brick building at left looks fairly modern but it is actually the largely intact Senate House (or Curia), built in 44 BC, though converted into a basilica in the 7th century. Per Rick Steves: "The Curia was the most important political building in the Forum. While the present building dates from 283 AD, this was the site of Rome's official center of government since the birth of the Republic. 300 senators, elected by the citizens of Rome, met here to debate and create the laws of the land. Their wooden seats once circled the building in three tiers; the Senate president's podium sat at the far end. The marble floor is from ancient times. The Curia building is well preserved, having been used a s achurch since early Christian times. (Note: Although Julius Caesar was assassinated in "the Senate," it wasn't here -- the Senate was temporarily meeting across town.)"
To the right of the Senate House is the Church of Santi Luca e Martina. The church was initially dedicated to Saint Martina, martyred in 228 AD during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus. In 625 Pope Honorius I commissioned construction of the church. Restored first in 1256 during the reign of Pope Alexander IV, it was a simple rectangular structure surrounded on three sides by other constructions until it was rebuilt by the painter and architect, Pietro da Cortona, in the seventeenth century.
The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, sometimes known as the Basilica Nova—meaning "new basilica"—, is an ancient building in the Roman Forum. It was the largest building in the Forum, and the last Roman basilica built in the city. The building's northern aisle is all that remains.
Construction began on the northern side of the forum under the emperor Maxentius in 308 AD, and was completed in 312 by Constantine I after his defeat of Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
In ancient Rome, a basilica was a rectangular building with a large central open space, and often a raised apse at the far end from the entrance. Basilicas served a variety of functions, including a combination of a court-house, council chamber and meeting hall.
There was a ton of stuff down in the Roman Forum but this tour didn't take us there and we did other things instead of doing a Roman Forum guided tour on our own. We really need to come back and spend at least a half a day in the Roman Forum, seeing things like the Arch of Titus, the Temple of Vesta (perhaps Rome's most sacred spot), House of the Vestal Virgins, Caligula's Palace, Temple of Castor and Pollux (the most photographed sight in the Forum), the Forum's Main Square (where Rome was born), the Temple of Julius Caesar (where he was assassinated), the Curia (Senate House), the Rostrum (or Speaker's Corner), the Column of Phocas (a gift from the powerful Byzantine Empire to a fallen empire - Rome).
The closer we got to the Colosseum, the more crowded it was.
Just like in modern sports stadiums, the colosseum sections were marked. This is LII or 52.
The colosseum was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators.
A Christian cross stands in the Colosseum, with a plaque, stating: "The amphitheater, one consecrated to triumphs, entertainments, and the impious worship of pagan gods, is now dedicated to the sufferings of the martyrs purified from impious superstitions."
