To finish up my last post (its late… I know… I blame lack of wireless! (That’s right, I still don’t have it…)), we have Trajans Pillar and Hadrians tomb left to discuss.

Trajan’s Pillar.  Well, its a pillar.  A giant pillar.  But this is no ordinary pillar.  This work of art depicts the Roman conquest of Dacian under Emperor Trajan (an excellent general and an emperor remembered favorably).

I’m very glad that I saw pictures of the pillar in my Roman Empire class before seeing it in person.  There was a gate around it (just like there are around so many of these artifacts), so we couldn’t get up close and study it.  A couple of pictures (which I can’t put up because I STILL don’t have wireless) I have capture travelling armies and the like, and of course, a statue of Trajan at the top.  It is truely an awesome sight to behold, especially when you know what you’re seeing.  (Something I found amusing is that there is a COPY (if we’re not mistaken) in a different place in Rome, and we thought that was the original, origially.)  This is something I recommend seeing, but binoculars are a must!  There’s nothing quite like an ancient comic strip on a pillar.

We also have Hadrian’s tomb.  Or, Il Castello di San Angelo (The Castle of Saint Angelo).  Again, this is one of the reasons this castle survived– the Catholics decided to remake it instead of destroying it.  However, there were still a lot of original artifacts from Hadrian’s time in the palace; I guess there was a lot of value placed on it.  Not saying there weren’t Christian figures all over the place though; there were PLENTY!  However, it was still amazing to just see the sheer size of this tomb/castle.  I think that was what made it all the better– it was a grave and a giant house! 

I have to say though, the most memorable view is from the top.  If you get to the top of this building, the view is amazing.  I’m not going to try to describe it, but its breaking-taking.  Just like many other things on this trip, it made me gasp and stare for a minute because it was just that beautiful.  I only wish I could imagine it in ancient times.  Now we see modern Rome, the Vatican, cars driving, tourists walking.  Its very hard to think about what the ancient Roman who climbed that building would have seen, at least for me.  Here’s where I would like a little History Channel CGI magic!

We also have seen the Roman Forum… Or what’s left of it.  It is truly in ruins.  Victory arches (such as Titus’s and Serverus’s) remain, but the majority look like one would think:  a place that’s been abandoned for 1000 or so years.  A temple turned church is in ruin, with the top half of Antonius Pius’s statue’s body chopped off (what was left of him was sitting in a chair at the top of the stairs; it was quite amusing).  The house of the Vestal Virgins was ok, but the place of the hearth they had to keep burning for Rome was all but gone (just down to a couple of pillars).  The Senate House is there, but has been refurbrished. 

However, while this place is, well, in ruins, it doesn’t make it any less amazing to behold.  As you walk through and see the foundations for everything, you start to rebuild it somewhat in your head.  Eventually, you might have some idea.  Some of these buildings were quite small, while others were enormous (such as the house for the Vestal Virgins– Best treated women get the best kind of house).  It’s only an idea, but that helps to make what you’re seeing so much greater.  You remember that this one city held 1,000,000 people, an enormous amount for the time and you just stand in more awe.  Awe for how big this place must have been, and awe for how much it has fallen apart and crumbled into pieces sizable enough that your professor can make a comfortable seat out of one and read during a lecture break.

Now I shall break until the next post (which could come in less than 20 minutes, more than 20 hours, WHO KNOWS! (but I’m trying to catch up…)

Peace, love, and football jerseys (Barcelona/Argentina!!!!! GO MESSI! Yes, I’m the one who comes to Italy and gets jersey of an Argentinean who plays for a spanish club… he’s half italian, does this count?)

-E.M.M.