Today we met at the door of the Rome Center for our walk through the Forum and the Coliseum. Unfortunately it was raining off and on all day, so our picnic on the Palatine had to be canceled. We walked through back streets and the Jewish Ghetto, stopping to marvel at the Theatre of Marcellus, the Capitoline, and other prominent landmarks that lined our path to the Forum. When we arrived at a lookout point by the entrance, Lisa told us about the mythical foundations of the city of Rome: the story of Romulus and Remus. Originally the two brothers were from the city of Alba Longa. After being sent down the river over a monarchical dispute, they alighted on the spot where Rome is now, and were suckled by a she-wolf until a benevolent shepherd took them in. While fighting over which of Rome’s most central hills should be the city, Romulus killed Remus. Romulus’s development of the city afterward, relied upon the downcast of society, as he invited all to start a new life and take asylum in Rome. In this way, Rome has always been a city that everyone can be a part of. I’m sure we are all tacitly asking Rome for her approval in taking us in over the next three months.
After we paid the admission fee and entered the Forum, Marco began to lecture on the history of the place and it’s buildings. The valley between the Palatine and the Capitoline hills, in which the Forum now rests, was once a river. Because of the marshy conditions of the spot, those living on the hills first had to drain the valley in order to connect their cities. They did so by building the Cloaca Maxima, or Great Sewer, which drained into the Tiber. There is a place in the Forum that marks the start of this sewer, which has segments so big that you can drive a horse carriage through them
Marco spoke about the buildings in the Forum that were constructed in the monarchical and republican periods; the Regia, the Basilica Julia, the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Vesta, and others. The Basilica Julia, a large civic center where courts of all kinds were held, is almost completely gone. In fact, no one really knows what it looked like. This is a product of the all too common practice in the middle ages of taking valuable materials from these buildings and using them for churches or family houses. One thing we can tell from these stones, is that many who were waiting for trials found amusement by carving game boards into the steps and playing to pass the time. Views like this into the personalities and pastimes of Romans are rare and special. Here, Shannon and Nicolette play, perhaps waiting for the rain to stop.
We were all particularly interested in the Temple of Vesta and the Vestal virgins, keepers of the Eternal Flame of Rome. These girls, having been picked for their beauty at the ages of 6-10, watched over a fire in the “hearth” of the temple. Many believed that this flame was the soul of the city itself, and if extinguished, meant certain doom for Rome. Perhaps the most interesting aspects of these priestesses were their outstanding rights and privileges, setting them apart not only from other women but also from most men. They owned property, handled important documents, presided over religious rights, were transported in personal vehicles, had the right of way on the road, and occupied exclusive seats at the games. But, there was a catch. If they ever broke their 30-year vow of chastity, they were buried alive.
Marco then told us the story of St. Lawrence being grilled on the steps of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina for his Christian ‘insolence,’ and we exited the Forum and assembled at the Coliseum. After a short discussion of its construction and function, we were free to walk among the ruins and contemplate the history of one Rome’s most famous ancient monuments.
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