The PalatineThe Palatine is the hill on which the city of Rome was born. And on this hill we can still see the very ancient traces which are identified with the origins of Rome. In fact the bases of a group of huts was discovered on the south part of the hill confirm the tradition that Rome was born on this hill in 753 B.C.
During the Imperial period, one of these huts was held in great consideration, almost worshipped, because it was believed to be the hut of the founder of Rome, Romulus (Tugurium Romuli). The choice of this hill was due to its privileged position: 160 feet above sea level and 130 feet above the level of the Tiber, it constituted a natural refuge which could be easily defended. From the Republican period to the Imperial age it was considered a residential zone and the wealthiest and most noble Roman families lived there. From the remains, it is difficult to realise how many buildings, with terraces, porticoes, peristyles and halls, were erected here. Each emperor modified, enlarged, destroyed and rebuilt what his predecessor had created. Nevertheless, the original dwelling of Augustus, can be identified with certainty. Its large atrium, triclinium and wings can still be seen, as well as paintings in the second style, large panels containing figures, landscapes, perspective effects and festoons. But we know that the most important works constructed by Augustus were the Temple of Apollo, the porticoes and the libraries. CampidoglioThe Campidoglio was the natural fortress of Rome. Its occupation by the Romans was a necessary step in the development of Rome and indeed in its very existence. The strategic position of the Campidoglio made it a bulwark with respect to both river and overland communications: dominating the Tiber on one side and the Valley of the Forum on the other, it allowed the Romans to cut off anyone who wanted either to cross or to travel up the river, and at the same time offered a natural link with the sea. The Latins, the Sabines and the Etruscans all had to succumb to or be absorbed by the rising new power.
Obelisks in RomeThe obelisks were brought to Rome after Egypt became part of the Roman Empire. It was Augustus, the first emperor who had the great obelisk of Ramses II transported from Heliopolis towards 10 B.C., in order to place it on the spina in the centre of the Circus Maximus.
Libraries and SchoolsThe libraries of ancient Rome were built according to specific architectural principle. They were almost always composed of two rectangular areas thus separating the Latin from the Greek works.
The first library was that of Asinius Polio (28 B.C.) and was situated in the Atrium Libertatis. At the end of the Empire it is estimated that Rome had about 40 public and hundreds of private libraries. There were no special school buildings and teaching took place in certain parts of the Forums and the basilicas. There was a school in the Basilica Argentaria, in Caesar's Forum, where the students left graffiti in the form of letters and lines from Virgil etc. In the 4th century A.D. there were also schools in the Forum of Augustus and in the hemicycle of Trajan's Forum. The Athenaeum, the "ludus ingenuarum artium", was probably the first purpose built university and was founded by Hadrian. ColosseumThe Flavian Amphitheatre (this is the Colosseum's real name) was begun in the year 72 A.D. under Vespasian and inaugurated by the Emperor Titus in the year 80. The inauguration was a solemn event marked by 100 days of festivities. The writer Dion Cassius relates that during these festivities 9000 wild beasts were killed and some 2000 gladiators lost their lives.
The amphitheatre was completed, however, by the Emperor Domitian. The capacity of the amphitheatre must have held about 50,000 spectators, in any case not more than this. The spectacles in the amphitheatre were of two sorts: combats between gladiators and "venationes", or hunts of wild beasts. The animal hunts took place in the morning and the fights between gladiators in the afternoon. The occasions on which the games were held could be classified as ordinary and extraordinary. The ordinary occasions were the anniversary of the Emperor's birthday and days on which historical events were celebrated; the extraordinary occasions were to celebrate a triumph or a victory; even funerals were a reason for the staging of spectacles. Theatres Historical evidence of the activity in the theatres is scanty, although we know that, from as early as the 3rd century B.C., Greek theatrical works were presented in Rome. The construction of the first theatre dates from 179 B.C., a work ordered by the censor M. Emilius Lepidus (Theatrum ad Apollinis).
The Roman theatres were free-standing constructions, in contrast with the Greek theatres which were cut into the slope of the hill. The external, semicircular part of the theatre consisted of a series of superimposed orders of arches, an interesting and practical solution both from the engineering and aesthetic points of view. The stage was in contact with the seating area and the wall at the end of it was of the same height as the seating area. Unfortunately it must be said that the dramatic art for which these theatres were built was not at the same level as their grandiose dimensions and capacity, and indeed was in a state of decadence both in Rome itself and in all the provinces of the Empire. |
The Roman ForumWith the construction of the Cloaca Maxima, completed under Etruscan dynasty of the Tarquins, the last kings of Rome, the swampy valley which lay between the Campidoglio, the Palatine and the slopes of the Esquiline Hill was drained and reclaimed and became the meeting-place of the inhabitants who lived on the surrounding hills. From that moment, the small valley became the square (the forum), the political, religious and commercial fulcrum of Rome: the Forum Romanum.
Processions, trials, triumphal ceremonies, political meetings and elections took place here, and in fact it was the nerve centre of Republican Rome. But it was given its monumental appearance, for the most part, by Caesar, Augustus and Tiberius. It is difficult for someone looking at the ruins for the first time today to realise its importance: neverthless, in this square, among what are now the ruins of basilicasand temples, honorary columns and triumphal arches, men with names like Silla, Cato, Cicero, Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius and many others discussed and decided the destiny of Rome. In this square, the great adventure of the Romans, the adventure of our own civilisation, had its beginnings. ReligionThe Roman religion, during the course of the centuries generously adopted the divinities of all the people who became part of the civilisation of Rome; indeed, the Greek divinities, which were already famous in literature and art, were assimilated whith the old Italic divinities, which had a completely different character
In 312 the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, converted to Christianity. Under his rule Christianity became the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. PantheonThe Pantheon represents the highest expression of the Romans genius as architects and builders.
Its origin dates back to Agrippa, who between 27 and 25 B.C. built a temple dedicated to all the gods, in order to create an ideal centre for the new area of the city in the Campus Martius. However, we cannot have any idea of the appearance of the Pantheon of Agrippa, because the temple was completely rebuilt in a different form between 120 and 125 A.D. by the emperor Hadrian. The form of Hadrian's Pantheon is exceptional in every respect when compared with the other temples of ancient times: it consists in fact of two clearly distinct parts, a pronaos with columns and a gigantic circular chamber covered with a cupola, which completely dominates the whole structure. The Pantheon was one of the very few monuments which emerged unscathed from the destruction wrought by the barbarians, and with the advent of Christianity it became a church dedicated to Our Lady and all the martyrs, after the Byzantine emperor Phocas handed it over to Pope Boniface IV in 608. From the 16th century on, the Pantheon became the burial place for illustrious men, especially artists. Michelangelo defined it as " not a human but an angelic design . " Triumphal ArchesThe triumphal arch is generally held to be a creation of the Romans. It should be remembered that the triumphal arches were erected to fulfill a functional and harmonious role in Rome's town-planning, becoming an integral part of the city They were often built to span a road (Arch of Titus on the summit of the Via Sacra) or to serve as entrances to monumental zones (Arch of Trajan at the entrance to the forum of the same name) and sometimes they were built as a base for statues.
The CircusesRome had four circuses, to mention the most important. The Circus Maximus was the most famous and the largest of them: its seating capacity has been calculated at around 250,000 people.
From the abundant testimonies which have come down to us, it is estimated that the Circus Maximus was used on about 240 days a year, so many were the festivities or excuses invented by the Romans for holding horse-races in all possible shapes and forms. We know that under Augustus 12 races a day were held; under Caligula there were as many as 34 a day and under the Flavians no less than 100. All the Romans and visitors to Rome came to the Circus. This was the meeting-place of Roman society, including the Emperor. The races in the Circus were so popular that they became one of the most common motifs in Roman figurative art: mosaics, bas-reliefs, statues, even sarcophagi reproduced both general views and particular moments and personalities from the spectacle. The Baths and AqueductsOne of the highest expressions of the might and civilisation of Rome lay in the construction of its numerous baths. From the earliest times, the Romans had private baths in their houses and villas, and at Rome there was a public swimming-pool, which gave its name to the 12th District and where the Romans learnt to swim.
An estimate based on various sources indicates that in ancient Rome at the beginning of the 4th century A.D. there were 11 public baths, 926 private baths and about 2000 fountains. The huge quantity of water necessary to supply them was furnished by no less than 14 aqueducts, which brought water to Rome from the nearby springs or lakes. |