Today I was introduced to two of Rome’s most famous inhabitants: The Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Meeting this pair was like meeting a celebrity for the very first time-it’s like you hold your breath and you can’t believe just how close you are to them or you are lost for words because you don’t want to ruin your first impression and leave them thinking that you were a waste of their precious time. Their façade and beautiful stature make them incredibly intimidating and yet they seem to be holding within a secret that is as wise as the time that has passed them. Passing through these two sites you feel as if you are intruding on someone else’s home and that you should not really be let alone with the swarm of people. Yet, these two monuments have been left behind for us on purpose so that we can remember- instead of having to relive the mistakes of the past. This is where their secret -that they hold so close -begins to unravel.
The experience of walking within the hearts of these two ancient ruins is like sitting down with two old men of Rome. They have seen it all –having had experienced many trials and tribulations- along with the glory days that were full of ecstasy and excitement. The stories they have to tell can lend a hand to us as we make our journey through our own lives – so that we may not fall as hard when making mistakes because we have learned from their errors. At first I was overwhelmed by the awe and beauty before me – the glory days that were full of adventure and mystery. The impact of the how enormous the Colosseum stretches to the sky and how vast the Forum is leaves you with a sense of astonishment. How could all of this have been accomplished and maintained for so long. Yet the stories behind these two ancients ruins leaves you almost saddened and in disbelief. How could people have wanted death and torture as entertainment –as the way to escape everyday life? How could the slaughter of slaves been acceptable? Where was the line between human beings as citizens of Rome and those people labeled as not worthy to live? How could the vestal virgins be punished for not being able to maintain their fire when they had the elements against them? Why would the Visigoths try to cut down the beautiful pillars of the temple? This is where the glory days become the gory days and you can never quite look at the ancients ruins in the same way.
The Colosseum has a lot to tell us- he is saying ---“Yes, I am magnificent and strong and have impacted many as they travelled by-yet -do not forget the havoc, pain, and destruction that I have had dwell within me. As time has passed do not forget the once white façade I used to revel in. The marble that has been stripped away from me has left its mark behind -like a soldier being stripped of his medals and honor. The people that have carried out these events and others like them have caused the true ruins. They have cut down others –those that were fashioned in the same image-and for what reason? You may not see it now but the blood shed upon these floors still haunt me and the memory of those lost people are part of the ruin that maintains my character. Those that had once passed through these arches no longer exist- but I carry the memory of them with me so that I can tell you of their story of their joys and suffering- so that you can make your own choices and come to better understand what life was like in another time.”
Just as in meeting any celebrity we must remember that they too have their shares of ups and downs. As it says in The Smiles of Rome, “the Eternal City is the place to begin an investigation into the feelings of pleasure and fear which ruins suggest,” we can come to terms with what we see sprawled before us. We may not immediately know how to respond to what we encounter but we must be willing to be open to all sides of what it has to offer. Then as we can begin to see clearly from the haze of amazement we can come to appreciate the ruins and history before us(regardless of why we are here in Italy) and use that in our own stories that we will leave behind – the story that someone else will find and make a part of them.
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