Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill

The Colosseum--
What is there to say about the Colosseum? Most of us have seen pictures of it and heard stories about it at some point in our lives. I can honestly say that the pictures and stories do not do it justice until you've seen it, and have stood inside it and imagined what an event may have been like. Most tourists to the area only enter and get to see the Colosseum from the main level, my tour had some additional parts to it: the underground (where gladiators and animals waited, the stage where you get to stand out about 1/4 of the way out into the arena (to see things from a gladiator perspective), and the third tier (uppermost level) which present a fantastic view of the entire Colosseum as well as a beautiful view of Rome.

I took a couple of video clips of the Colosseum to share, hopefully to give a better perspective to the place, and I'm just going to post lots of pictures, because nothing I can say can convey the level of awe I felt while being there.

The first video clip was taken from the stage/platform area, so I was part way out into the middle of the arena on the main level. The second clip was taken from the 3rd tier, so it is more of an overview of the Colosseum. (Sorry the videos are sideways, I'm not sure how to rotate them on here.)

Gladiator fights were more commonly carried out by slaves, and not professionals. If a slave won enough times and proved themselves they were eventually set free, and most of them became trainers for other gladiators.

And pictures...

My favorite photo I took of the Colosseum!

Views from the platform stage

A remaining section of the covering and the entry way to the seating

The white squares in the middle are one of the only remaining sections of seating left in the Colosseum

From the underground of the Colosseum

Underground walkway leading to the main area of the Colosseum. Apparently the smell of animals and death caused many new/young gladiators to commit suicide here as they were too afraid to face what lay ahead waiting for them.

Reconstructed model of an 'elevator'. It required 8 men (4 on bottom, and 4 above) to rotate the wheel, which pulled a post up out of a metal ring in the ground.

Metal ring with post...'elevator' lifted it up to release whatever animal or person was being held captive in the spot.

The underground tunnels

From the third tier

These next few pictures are of a gladiator training camp. The first picture shows the part of it that has been excavated; there is still more of it underground but is now covered by buildings and apartments. Most 'professional' gladiators only fought approximately 5 times a year, the rest of the time they spent training. This particular training area was actually connected to the Colosseum by underground tunnels.

                                                  

                                   

Roman Forum & Palatine Hill--
The Roman Forum, which was originally an Etruscan burial ground, grew to the hub of life in ancient Rome. It was the political, administrative, and religious center of Rome. It was the place you went to market, to meet friends, or to have a meal. The forum is also surrounded by the ruins of ancient government buildings. Sites include the Arch of Titus, Temple of Saturn, Arch of Titus, and the Temple of Vesta.

Palatine Hill is on the edge of the Roman Forum, and it is the center most of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the oldest parts of the city. According to tradition, Romulus founded Rome (and some of the remains found today confirm the accuracy of the legend). The elevated position and the proximity to the Tiber made the area suitable for settlement. Augustus turned the Palatine into the official seat of power, and started the construction of the Imperial Palaces, which many emperors lived in after him.

Again, I'm just going to go with mostly pictures, there was so much to see and as they say "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Ruins of the Roman Forum

The 3 white pillars are what remains of the Temple of Vespasian and Titus

Temple of Saturn

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina

Random pieces of building found during excavations

Arch of Titus

View from the top of Palatine Hill

View from the top of Palatine Hill

Temple of Vesta--(circular spot with only a few columns)--the temple was a store house for the legal will and documents of Roman Senators.

Temple of Castor and Pollux

The Stadium of Domitian (Hippodrome) was a private field for holding chariot races, modeled after the Circus Maximus. It was turned into a garden.

Arch of Constantine--Triumphal Arch

An interesting tidbit I learned on this tour was that many of the arches have significance. Arches like the Triumphal Arch of Constantine or the Arch of Titus are a representation of a 'victoty' of some kind. The building of the arches and the engravings made in them told the story of what the victory was, and it gave the people of the Roman Empire something to celebrate and be proud of.