Roman Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill

In this second semester, the Art History and Ancient History courses focus studies on the Roman Empire and Renaissance Italy. Therefore, most day Friday day excursions take the school to Rome. There is one Friday trip each in January, February and March. Two of the three are repeated each month and each student must attend the tour of the Vatican and the tour of the Roman Forum. The third trip each month is a "wild card." The first "wild card" was a scavenger hunt to many great historical and visual sites of Rome which I organized. 10 pairs of students scattered around Rome using their BIRG ticket (a 9 Euro all day pass which allows them to ride all subways, trains and buses -- a TRUE bargain). Students on the scavenger hunt were required to find the answers to questions and take pictures of themselves in front of these sites. Think high school students enjoying themselves in Rome and interacting with locals and getting pictures of themselves all over the place....I was rolling on the floor of the train on the way home. They are priceless and I will post the best of in the next week or so.

Because my work was all done as preparation, I got to spend the day on one of the other trips and I chose to join the group visiting the Roman Forum. The legend goes that Rome was founded on the Palatine Hill by the twins Romulus and Remus back in 753 BCE. The flat area at the base of the hill became the Roman Forum, where many public buildings and houses of worship were built over the course of the next 1,000 years, most of them being erected at the time of the height of the Roman Empire, the first first few centuries CE.

The excavations of the Palatine Hill provide evidence that these "bell" shaped huts were the first buildings on the site. The Palatine Hill in time because the most prestigious address in Ancient Rome, the Beverly Hills of Rome as you might say as it appears every leader built some sort of residence on the Palatine Hill.

Just to the north of the Palatine Hill is the flat area which became the Roman Forum. At the western end, at the base of the Capitoline Hill, has stood different incarnations of The Temple of Saturn. What we see here is most likely third Temple of Saturn having been rebuilt after fires.

Just to the north of the Temple of Saturn is the Curia, or the building in which the Roman Senate met.

I know about the Vestal Virgins (VV) from the line in the song "A Whiter Shade of Pale" but what were they. There were six VV who were selected at age 6 from the elite Roman families. For 10 years they trained to carry out the duty of keeping the flame in the temple going. The flame represented the founding of Rome or something of that nature. 10 years of duty and then 10 years of training the next set of VV. The story goes that is a young woman lost her virginity, she was buried alive.

Here is a partial reconstruction (by Mussolini no less) of the temple of the Vestal Virgins.

The great Augustus (adopted son of Julius Caesar) consolidated power and became the first Roman Emperor and he died in 14 CE he was succeeded by a succession of rulers called the Julio-Claudians, the last of which was Nero, who was in a word INSANE. The great Roman fire of 64 CE, which some think Nero set himself, burned a majority of the city. In the wake of the fire, Nero appropriated for himself much of the prime real estate to the east of the Forum and much of the Esquiline Hill to build his grand Domus Aurea, or his Golden House. This house had a kilometer long colonnade and a huge naked statue of himself. Nero could make it this large because of the new material, CONCRETE. Nero committed suicide in 68 CE.

The remains of Nero's Domus Aurea with the Colosseum in background. The land upon which the Colosseum stands was the Domus Aurea's fish pond.

Nero's successor was Vespasian (ruled 69-79 CE), the first of the Flavian emperors. To bring a sense of order back to Rome, he had his portraits made with "verism" showing his age and flaws to try and portray being and elder statesman.

Vespasian, in a brilliant political move took Nero's fish pond and gave it back to the people of Rome in the form of the Colosseum, a public space. Vespasian understood the idea of "Bread and Circus", keep your subjects fed and entertained and they'll be happy.

During Vespasian's rule, his son, Titus, won some major victories, the key being conquering Jerusalem. Titus, unfortunately for the Roman people, lived for only two years after being installed as Emperor in 79 CE. During his two year reign, he had to deal with the eruption of Vesuvius. After his death in 81 CE, the Roman Senate bestowed "god" status to Titus and they erected a triumphal arch to him.

Titus

The Arch of Titus stands at the eastern end of the Roman Forum and required pedestrians to walk under it as they proceeded from the Colosseum into the Forum.

The panel on the south side of the inside of the arch shows victory crowning Titus in his triumphal chariot. Also present are Honor and Valor the first known instance of the mixing of human and divine figures in Roman art.

This panel commemorates the conquest of Judea. Here the Roman soldiers carry the spoils of the Jews from Jerusalem. Notice the high relief here, which conveys rapid movement and provides shadows which enhance the sense of movement.

Via Sacra, the main East-West "road" in the Forum.

The arch of Titus as seen across the Forum from the western end.

The group of 18 students and I would stop at major points of interest and read aloud from primary sources as to the thoughts and events that occurred at the time of the Romans themselves.

During Titus' two years he dedicated the Colosseum started by his father Vespasian. In a nod to the Greeks, the first layer of arches are made of Doric columns. Above them, Ionic, then Corinthian and at the top, a typical Roman mish-mash of their favorite parts of what came before.

The reconstructed platform is what the ancient citizens would have watched and below is the rooms where the performers and animals would remain until being raised onto the stage. Shows were sponsored by those politician/citizens who wanted to gain favor with the citizens and during which, of course, they would advertise their generosity and promote their agendas.

Just like in modern times, the important people down front (senators) and the least important up top (women and slaves).

The reason the Colosseum stands today is that in the 4th century Constantine planted a cross inside the structure and declared it a Christian building, therefore it wasn't ever looted or quarried for other buildings.

Back in the Forum, here is the remains of the Temple of Antonius and Faustina. Originally started in 141 CE as a temple to honor his wife Faustina, Antonius' successor in 161 CE dedicated it to both Antonius and his wife.

On the Palatine Hill, here are remnants of structures built by the Severan Emperors who started ruling in 192 CE.

Diocletian, like many Emperor's took parts of their predecessors' building and incorporated them into their own homes. Here is a part of his domus.

Next to Diocletian's palace on the Palatine Hill is what looks to be a stadium of some sort, but it's exact purpose is not known.

Diocletian found the spot on the hill with the best view.

His view? The Circus Maximus.

The largest structure in the forum is the Basilica of Constantine. The word basilica didn't have religious connotations until Constantine had that structure turned into a site of worship and thereby the shape of the basilica became what it is today.

The last structure to be built in the Forum, in the 6th century, was the Column of Phocas.

The Forum we see today is only the older part of the Forum. The forums of August and Trajan, survived in some form until the 1930's when Mussolini tore it up and paved it over with a huge road. The markets of Trajan still exist, but those structures of the Ancient world are gone.

I write all these historical notes as a way for me to learn the history for myself so I'll remember it for my Art History quizzes. You need not read all the text but just look at the pictures and captions.