The Roman Forum: Ruins and Gardens

I apologize for the slowness of this post... I wrote it three times and blogger deleted it every time. Fourth time's the charm!!

Last week (Well, two weeks ago now), we took a class excursion to the Palatine Hill. This is the historic site of the Roman forum, which houses the buildings of the Senate, various temples, and multiple basilicas (buildings of the law--later became converted to churches, where the Law of God is delivered... makes sense, no? :)). Some of these buildings were really impressive, and some had some fascinating back-stories.

 It was another overcast day, like at the Pantheon, so my photos aren't fantastic, but they portray the experience.

We started at the house of the Vestal Virgins--the lovely ladies of Rome (who were publicly disgraced and executed if they were found impure) who guarded the eternal flame of Rome and the gods that Aeneas brought when he founded Rome. They said that as long as it burned, Rome would reign supreme... 

...no flame burning. huh? 

Courtyard of the Vestal Virgins. They had a lovely series of apartments, rose bushes, and sculptures of the most famous virgins. Just heard that one of them was named Sylvia... Also, historians think that this inspired the Christian convent and nuns. 

Shot of the oldest road in Rome...

That brick platform in front of Caesar's arch is the Rostrum from which Caesar made his speeches. (It's also, apparently, a place where his daughter had rendesvous. A politician's daughter misbehaving? I guess there's nothing new under the sun...)

Various flowers and scattered around the ruins... I get really excited to see living things.

This is the....

...Umbilicus Urbis Romae, or bellybutton of Rome! The site at which the roads of Rome converged. All roads lead to Rome, and all Roman roads lead to the bellybutton. Many bellybuttons made appearances in the tourist photos.

Tradition has it that this building was the prison in which both Paul and Peter were confined when they were imprisoned in Rome. It's neighbor to the Roman Senate building (which was closed for renovations, sadly) so I'm not exactly sure how accurate that is...

Temple of Romulus. I just like the doors. :)

This massive beast is the Basilica of Constantine and Maximus. I can't even explain how massive this is. The fragments of the statue of Constantine I posted about in the Capitoline Museum hung out here--its immense size makes sense when you put it in this place...

That little Borrower-size figure is me...

Olive Tree! They are my favorite tree here... I love the silvery leaves. 

The Arch of Titus--look closely! Yep, that's a Minorah... Titus sacked Jerusalem, and celebrated it by constructing this arch that portrays all the treasures of the temple triumphantly entering Rome.

Gardens atop the Palatine hill...

Caesar and Livia's private arena. The Circus Maximus (which backed their property) wasn't enough, apparently. Pretty cool-looking though!

Friends. :) 

Just walking on one of the oldest roads in Rome, no big deal. :) 

These are the remains of an old feasting hall in Rome. It had heated floors (and many other accouterments) which increases my opinion that we greatly underestimate ancient cultures...

Roma!!

Frescoes from Caesar's house... look how bright that red is!! I'm always shocked by the vibrancy of the frescoes, some of which are thousands of years old.

Tradition has it that these are the huts of Romulus. It was the site of pagan rituals involving men dressing as wolves and beating each other with whips... (sounds a bit like fraternity initiation, no?)

Like I said, I'm always refreshed by colorful, growing things. It makes me feel as though I can see what the ancient people saw... With the buildings, I'm only seeing a remnant of its former glory, but with the gardens, I can see them vibrant and full of life. There's something different and thrilling about that...

I was sorely tempted.

A shot of the Roman baths... Another example of how incredibly technologically advanced the Romans were! They housed everything from saunas, to arenas and athletic centers, to cold, warm, and hot baths, to lounges, to massage parlors. 

We saw even more, but I don't want to bore you with rambling on about ancient ruins. I've discovered that I can appreciate things so much more when I know the history of a situation and the story behind it... To me, it's always worth the slight headache of some research before I see a place. More on the Colosseum and Circus Maximus to follow!!