Check out Google Earth! It now includes Ancient Rome!
Now, on to other things I did in Rome today...
I browsed a leather shop, where the bags, belts, etc. are designed by the daughter and made by her father, right there in the store.
The leather workshop.
Finished products!
Also, I've started a collection of empty cigarette cartons sporting very explicit warnings against smoking. This is something my Disease in History professor did in France throughout the years. According to him, the only thing that effectively decreases cigarette sales is raising the tax on them. I've seen near 5 between today and yesterday.
Let me start by saying that anyone traveling, especially to Italy, needs to carry Tide to Go (stain remover) with them at all times. I am constantly dripping, splashing or spilling yummy, oily thing on myself. Tide to the rescue!!
This morning we went to Piazza Vitorrio, which has been the central element in my migration class. It's located very close to the train station, and a very large population of immigrants. We spent our time in the market and got tons of fruits and vegetable, such as cauliflower, tomatoes, peaches, apples, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, peppers, etc. Yesterday we got some free spices at the Rome Center so we made curry, and plan to do it again.
Lots of rice at the Market in Piazzo Vittorio.
After the market we bought our train tickets to Florence! Kristin, Melissa and I will take the fast train and will have 12 hours to spend in Florence. The majority of the people in my program will be going as well, but there's a wide variety of people taking the fast or slow train, and spending the night or only staying for a day.
This afternoon, we had two sessions of art history. We first went to the Capitoline Hill where we spent a couple of hours in the Musei Capitolini. My most favorite part of the museum was was going down underneath the courtyard into the ancient tabularium - the place where ancient records were housed. From here, we had a great view of the Roman Forum. Next we visited Castel Sant Angelo which is an ancient castle and prison. Interestingly, this was originally commissioned by Emporer Hadrian as a mausoleum (tomb) for Hadrian and his family.
A Roman classic - Romulus and Remus suckling the she-wolf.
View of the Roman Forum from the tabularium.
Castel Sant Angelo, an old prison located on the Tiber River.
A gorgeous statue, also known as a seagull perch.
The second century bridge (ponte de angeli) leading to Castel Sant Angelo.
Gelato So a big update on the gelato front! My roommates and I got gelato before class - it was almost 90 degrees out (!) - and then we got it again with our prof. between visiting sites. I only repeated coffee, so I have 4 new flavors to comment on.
Pesca (Peach) - a little disappointing because it wasn't particularly flavorful. There were pieces of real peach in it, which was comforting. I'll probably have to try this one again at a different place.
Yogurt - essentially frozen yogurt. The particular one I tried wasn't incredibly creamy, but it was still very good and refreshing.
Crema Catalana (vanilla caramel) - this wasn't especially flavorful, but I combined it with tufola and coffee, which was a great combination. And, it was definitely better than the previous caramel type I tried.
Tufola (sp?) aka 4 types of chocolate - sooo good! Definitely the best chocolate variety I've tried. It had chunks of fudge and other chocolatey chunks in it. For all of you who know that I'm a fan of chunks in my ice cream, I'm sure you're not surprised that this was a hit.
In ancient times, Trajan’s Column, Market and Forum acted as a central hub, brought to life by the people shopping for everyday food items, visiting the libraries, and attending civic court. Today, despite the fact that the Forum has not survived the test of time, the Market’s space is still utilized and the Column of Trajan stands proudly, in near perfect condition. Regardless of the state of the remaining structures, the sheer size of the space and value of the materials that remain give the modern day viewer a sense of the magnificent complex that celebrated Emperor Trajan and rewarded the Roman people. It is through the grand space, intelligently designed structures, and extravagant remnants of ancient materials that continue to perpetuate the memory of Trajan as an accomplished military man and benevolent emperor.
Only one year after Domitian’s assassination in 97 AD, Nerva adopted Marcus Ulpius Traianus (Trajan) as his son and the heir of the Roman Empire. This decision employed successful political policy, for the Roman Army did not respect Emperor Nerva, as their loyalty still lay with the late Emperor Domitian. On the other hand, Trajan had been a senator and army commander and was currently Governor of Upper Germany. Trajan’s military accomplishments made him a good candidate for he could compensate for Nerva’s inability to lead the Roman Army. After Nerva’s death in 98 AD, Trajan, who was born in Spain, became the first emperor not of Italian descent and also the first of the Five Great Emperors. Each of the Five Great Emperors was known as being moderate, less oppressive rulers who had earned the respect of the Roman people. Additionally, the emperor preceding each of the Five Great Emperors had adopted them, such that the current emperor could choose his successor and hopefully provide continuity of ruling practices for the Roman people.
Trajan, who is said to have excelled at war, expanded the Roman Empire to its greatest boundaries. Inevitably, while pushing the boundaries of the Roman Empire, wars will occur. Given that Trajan had a personal fondness for battle, effort on his part was required to convince the public that such wars were necessary. Therefore, after winning the second war against the Dacians in 106 AD, Trajan commissioned the engineer Apollodurus of Damascus to build a gift for the people of Rome, namely the Market, Column and Forum of Trajan, using materials and spoils from recently conquered Dacia. The Column of Trajan bears the most explicit relation to the Dacian Wars as a detailed account of the wars spirals up the Column’s shaft. Newly accessible resources in what was previously Dacian land, such as rare colored marble, were proudly taken advantage of and displayed in the Forum.
Description
Trajan's Glorious Forum: Drawing
Reconstruction drawing of the Forum of Trajan shows:
(1) the triumphal arch at the entrance
(2) statue of the emperor on horseback
(3) hemicycles
(4) Basilica Ulpia (a law court), (5) two libraries
(6) Trajan's Column, and
(7) his temple.
Passing by the Forum of Augustus, Roman citizens proceeding into Trajan’s Forum would walk under the triumphal arch (1) marking the entrance, and first and foremost would be exposed to the product of Trajan’s successful military conquest against the people of Dacia; this victory was seen in the form of an abundance of marble, colored with veins of purple and gold, lining the square and coating the forty-foot columns. Furthermore, their eyes would immediately be drawn to the grand Equestrian Statue of Trajan (2) set equally between the hemicycle (3) located on the exterior of both long sides of the Forum’s walls. Looking ahead, one would see the area just beyond the far columns darkened by the roof of the Basilica Ulpia (4). On top of the lower roof level, directly above the columns, stood statues of Dacian prisoners, gazing solemly downwards with a look of defeat etched on their faces. Passing through this ancient court of law, and then between the closely spaces East and West Libraries (5), one would have to gaze 140 feet into the sunlit sky searching for the statue at the top, eyes pouring over the long tale of the Dacian Wars circling the surface of the intricately detailed Column (6).
The Column of Trajan was constructed by placing twenty-nine blocks of Luna marble on top of each other, and then carving the exterior. The 600 foot long frieze marching up and around the column at a slight angle civilly depicted Roman soldiers, battle techniques and most importantly Trajan, conquering the people of Dacia. Unlike the harsh reality of war, grotesque images were omitted from this frieze. This is thought to be because the people of Dacia were generally well respected and moreover, merciless depictions would not help Trajan gain public support for his wars. Interestingly, depending on the time period, the statue situated on top of the Column would change. The eagle originally placed on top of the Column at the time of its completion was replaced by a statue of Trajan after his death in 117 AD. In 1587 the top of the Column lay vacant, as the statue has disappeared during the Middle Ages, so Pope Sixtus V commissioned a statue of St. Peter to take residence at the top of the Column.
From inside the Forum, looking to the east, it is possible that Romans were able to see the Market of Trajan nestled into the Quirinal Hill over the Forum’s walls, but there is no doubt that they had an exceptional view of the Markets and Forum from the ballastere of the Column. Climbing to the top of the spiral staircase within the Column was described as “a ‘sudden surprise’… as the visitor's abrupt emergence from the narrow, dark staircase into the dazzling sunlight, where [she or] he stood, blinded for a moment, surrounded on all sides by open air, released from total restriction to utter freedom (Davies, 2000, pg. 65).” The height of the Column’s lookout is thought to be representative of the height of the Quirinal Hill before the hill was cleared away to prepare for the construction of the Forum. The Temple of Trajan (7), which was not constructed until after Trajan’s death, was built to the north of Trajan’s Column by Emperor Hadrian, who was Trajan’s adopted son.
When used as a marketplace, Trajan’s Market must have been bustling with shoppers buying their daily provisions, such as bread, fruit and olive oil, as well as other people on their way to work in the upper stories of the Market. The Market, built six stories into the Quirinal Hill, had space for approximately one hundred and fifty stores or offices. It is suggested that the vendors sold their items from the lower-most level of the Market, as that was easily accessible from the ancient street. Taken together, Trajan’s Column, Forum and Market incorporated practical structures and exquisite resources that constantly reminded the Roman people of their victory over the Dacians.
A contemporary view of Trajan’s Market and Column
Function
The Column
Whether Apollodorus intended this or not, Trajan’s Column is interpreted today to have multiple layers of possible functions. The most obvious purpose of the Column is to illustrate Trajan’s path to victory during the two Dacian Wars. Scholars continue to debate the significance of the continuous story that spirals up the Column. Viewers often complain that they cannot see very far up the Column, or that they lose their place while following the military narrative. From these criticisms stems the idea that perhaps one was not meant to follow the sequence of events until one could no longer make out the figures on the relief, but rather the Column was intended to be viewed from any single location around its base only as far up as the eye can clearly see.
On the other side of the spectrum, Davies presents the argument that it is the act of reading the spiraling story that is important, not the account of the Dacian Wars itself. Moreover, she proposes that one’s movement around the invisible circular track that must be followed to read the twisting narrative forces the viewer into reenacting the ancient funerary ritual of circumambulation, intended to honor and remember the deceased. This claim is further supported by the fact that Trajan and his wife Plotina were buried at the base of the Column for some time, as well as the persistent importance of the circle as an ancient Roman symbol.
After learning the story of the Dacian Wars, people could enter into the Column to climb its internal staircase. The darkened staircase winding its way to the platform near the top of the Column could be used by Romans to look out upon Trajan’s Market and Forum, which were the products of the spoils won during the Roman victory over the Dacians. If the glory of victory alone failed to excite the people about the expansion of the Roman Empire through conquest, surely this was not the case when one looked out over the astounding complex Trajan built for his people.
The Forum
The Forum of Trajan is located right next to the Forum of Augustus and it is no accident that one must pass the Forum of Augustus to find the only entrance to Trajan's Forum. Rather, this was a tool used by Trajan to associate himself with the great emperor Augustus. Additionally, looking underneath the Forum’s exquisitely decorated façade it becomes clear that the floor plan is modeled after an ancient Roman military camp. The decision to use the miliatry camp as a template for the Forum design works to enforce the underlying theme of Trajan's enthusiasm for war, as well as his military successes that set him apart as an accomplished military man.
Floor Plan of Trajan’s Forum
The function of the individual structures within the Forum, such as the Basilica Ulpia and East and West Libraries, are more straightforward – they were simply built to be used by the people. The Basilica Ulpia was a place where court cases could be heard and senators could save their valuables, and the East and West Libraries housed documents and books that could be stored or read.
The Market
The largest "mall" of its time, the Market of Trajan, provided an indoor shopping experience for the citizens of Rome and was the first of its kind. The incorporation of this building into Trajan’s complex is perhaps the only element commissioned solely for the people. Of course, the one exception to this is that Trajan’s generous gift to the people inevitably makes himself look good.
Goals of the Patron
Trajan's love of war served the Roman Empire well, but it also required him to convince the people of Rome that war was necessary. The first Dacian War occurred from 101-102 AD, and unfinished business resulted in a second war with the Dacians, lasting from 105-106 AD. Given that the expenses of war are great, and the two had been fought in a relatively short amount of time, Trajan built his complex to celebrate the successes of these wars, give much of the spoils back to the people, and most importantly teach the people that although wars are difficult, victory can bring many great rewards. While the Column and Forum of Trajan focus on explaining the narrative of the Dacian wars and displaying war booty, scholars suspect that Trajan was also subtly preparing the people of Rome for his next military campaign – the invasion of the Parthian peoples. If today’s politicians learned anything from Ancient Roman emperors it was that underlying, personal motives tend to be overlooked when they are accompanied by “gifts” for the people.
Conclusion
The Column, Market and Forum of Trajan reflect intelligent, innovative and stunning design by Apollodorus of Damascus and the fact that the Column and Market are still standing today prove the quality of these second century designs. While viewing the Column, the modern person has the privilege of learning the story of the Dacian Wars, as well as the military techniques used to conquer the Dacian people. Unfortunately, people today can no longer climb the staircase up to the platform situated beneath the statue of St. Peter to view the spacious Forum and Market, or circle around the column to decide for oneself whether the act of circling the column deserves more merit than the extensively detailed narrative gradually spiraling up the Column. Although the Forum and Market are one of a kind, the design and war-themed content depicted on Trajan's Column were borrowed to create the Column of Marcus Aurelius, adding weight to the argument that the purpose of the spiraling frieze was not simply to tell a story. To this day, the statement made by Ammianus Marcellinus during ancient times still holds true; the Forum, Market and Column of Trajan, as a whole, was “never again to be imitated by mortal men (Packer, pg. 34).” For this reason, those passing by Trajan’s Column, Market and Forum continue to be amazed by the empty space representing the size of the Forum, the extraordinary, lasting architecture of Market and Column, and the sheer height and precise detail of the Column. Overall, these elements persuade the modern viewer, just as they must have during ancient times, to remember the greatness of Trajan’s military victory against the Dacians and his philanthropic character that compelled him to use the spoils of war to better the life of the Roman people and teach them of the glories of war.
Personal Interests
While researching Trajan’s Complex as a whole, as well as the Column, Market and Forum individually, I was captivated by the debate over the intended purpose of the spiraling frieze encircling Trajan’s Column. Although I think the possibilities put forth by both Davies and Packer are well supported, and definitely plausible, the originality and strength of Davies’ argument came to me as a complete surprise. Her argument was so compelling that I could not wait to get to Rome to see for myself whether my personal interpretation of the Column depended on whether I was circling or standing in place while admiring the frieze. To my dismay, people today are not easily able to go down below the modern street level to stand or circle at the base of the Column. Regardless, I appreciated the variety of perspectives and interpretations of the Column. I felt that the different angles opened up the discussion on the subject and worked to help those studying this complex explore it deeper and begin to think about new interpretations of the Column and its function.
Bibliography
Davies, Penelope J.E. “The Dynamics of Form.” Death and the Emperor: Roman Funerary Monuments from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Davies, Penelope J.E. “The Politics of Perpetuation: Trajan's Column and the Art of Commemoration.” American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 101, No. 1 (Jan., 1997), pp. 41-65.
Lancaster, Lynne C. "Building Trajan's Column" American Journal of Archaeology. 1999, 419-39.
Happy St. Peter and Paul Day everyone! Not knowing what this holiday was about, I looked it up on Wikipedia. Here's what I found:
The Roman Martyrology assigns 29 June as the feast day of both Peter and Paul, without thereby declaring that to be the day of their deaths. St. Augustine of Hippo says in his Sermon 295: "One day is assigned for the celebration of the martyrdom of the two apostles. But those two were one. Although their martyrdom occurred on different days, they were one."
...and from an early date it has been said that they were martyred at Rome at the command of the Emperor Nero, and buried there. As a Roman citizen, Paul would probably have been beheaded with a sword. It is said of Peter that he was crucified head downward.
Really, to me, this day means that no markets or stores are open. Luckily, my favorite cafe was open :)
All in all, today was basically a catch-up day. We were up early, as the plumber came at 8 to deal with the bathroom, which was a successful visit! Gelato Crema (cream) - like other flavors, this was a little disappointing. I'm not really sure what I was expecting (whipped cream?), but it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. I kept on tasting a hint of an underlying flavor, maybe egg, hopefully orange, that I really wasn't fond of.
Cioccolato (chocolate) - really good!This was a very dark (as opposed to milk) type of chocolate gelatto that was great. But, I have to admit (as both of my followers know) nothing is more satisfying than a piece of dark chocolate.
Notes and Notable Differences Pastries - another one of Rome's surprisingly cheap eats. Pastries, at my favorite cafe, are only .80E and this is not your simple, standard treat you'd expect for that price in the US. The .80E pastry variety includes chocolate filled pastries, cream or fruit filled croissants, plain croissants and other delicious breakfast pastries. Yum! Church Bells - Every 15 minutes, churches sound their bells. Traditionally, I believe it's one bell for quarter after, two for half after the hour and three for three quarters after the hour, and then the time of day (seven, etc.) on the hour. The church nearest to us does not follow this patter, and I'm not sure exactly what it's pattern is. I do known that it tolls every 15 minutes, though. What I find most intriguing about these bells is that sometimes you hear them and sometimes you don't. This, of course, correlates to your distance to a church during these times, but also depends on the wind, the noise level in the street/area and your attentiveness to outside noises.
This afternoon, for art history, we went to the Vatican. After a little waiting in line and a little sweet talking the Italians, we got in.
Raphael - my new favorite Renaissance artist.
Raphael - again.
A pretty outdoor courtyard, with very expressive statues.
A pretty ceiling...I can't remember the details.
Rafael's self portrait (he's the guy looking out, engaging the reader); a wall fresco in a Vatican apartment.
After class at the Vatican we watched a movie for another class. It was called the Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio. Piazza Vittorio is the main place that immigrants settle in Rome. In my class on migration, we read a book centered in this Piazza, and have now watched the movie. The movie was a documentary that told the story of people from all over the world, who came together to start an international orchestra - the music was really great! All in all, it was a long, but productive day.
This morning we didn't have class until 1:30, so Kristin and I got up and ready and went for our morning cappuccino. The people at the cafe, whom we see every morning always greet us with "ciao, ciao." Five minutes later, we were done with our coffee and then we went to buy bus tickets for class/volunteering and added a few postcards to our collection.
Our next stop was the local market. We bought an assortment of apples, peaches, nectarines, tomatoes and oranges for about 7.5E. Because we go to the same stand often, we each got a cherry and our basil for free. The owner of the stand is really great, and he, like others we know, tries to teach us Italian. When he's weighing out the item he says the name and price in Italian. I haven't really caught on to much of it yet, but will probably be understanding/learning more (hopefully!) before we leave Italy.
The weather was very hot, nearing 80 before 10:30am. This is the Rome weather I was expecting!
My Apartment
Our lovely kitchen. Hidden behind the facade of the cupboards are a dishwasher, fridge and washing machine!
Living room.
Bedroom. The open door on the left side is the bathroom that has been lightly flooding for the past few days.
Keys! One of which is huge. This is the key to our apartment door - see Notes and Notable Differences.
Basically posting these pictures and blogging fulfills my multitasking requirement, while reading the 60 page article for one of my classes tomorrow.
Notes and Notable Differences Foam spoons - with each cappuccino, comes a foam spoon. This can be a small, completely flat "spoon", better resembling the long-handled tools used to take pizzas in and out of the oven. Other places simply use cute, small spoons, with the cupped shape we are used to. Both are very effective at consuming every last bit of foam left in the cup.
Keys and locks - In order to lock/unlock the door you have to turn the large key 4 times. Each time you turn it another deadbolt is locked/unlocked. Pretty secure!
Today the group took a short trip to Ostia Antica, an Ancient Roman settlement that is more complete and less excavated than what we've looked at thus far. To get there we first took a bus to the train station, and then took the train to Ostia Antica. The trip there only cost 1E because on one ticket you can take an unlimited number of buses, and one train, in the 75 minutes during which you ticket is valid.
Looking down on the ancient bath complex.
Beautiful mosaic on the floor of the baths.
The ancient toilets.
Ancient piping in the baths used to pump hot water behind the marble walls.
Beach!
We went to a pay beach (3E), but you could rent umbrellas, beach chairs, beach houses, etc...a foreign concept for sure.
I definitely applied sunscreen twice and still got really burnt on my forearms and the back of my hands :(
Gelato Update Lemon - Very flavorful, but not good enough to top strawberry. Quite refreshing, though! Stratiacella (again) - still excellent as before. This time, I think there were small bits of cone, or something in addition to the chocolate chips.
By the time we got off the bus at our stop in Rome, dark clouds were on the horizon. Soon after I got home the thunder started, followed by rain.
Dinner So I guess it's safe to say that there is a good and a bad to everything.
The bad: water and contents from our kitchen sink/washing machine is backing up into the bathroom in my room. Luckily, we have one bathroom that we're able to use most of the time, but we can't really put water down the sink or use the dishwasher.
The good: we got to eat out today! We went to a restaurant near our apartment. I had bruschetta, ravioli (spinach and cheese in a butter sauce) and tiramisu with wine.
Finally, the pictures of Ancient Rome - as promised. All of these sights we visited for Lisa's art history class. Consider this blog entry to be a photo journal. Enjoy! And, sorry for the crappy layout.
A picture of the half of the Pantheon that is not under construction.
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (Capitoline Hill).
Trajan's Market and Column - my monuments!
The Colosseum.
A pretty church ceiling.
Michael Angelo's Moses. This is has the reputation of being one of his best sculptures. Not a bad reputation to have!
Michael Angelo's Risen Christ. It has the reputation of being his worst piece of work. Doesn't look too shabby to me!
A protest we witnessed today. The first sign of the demonstration was spotting all 3 types of Italian police on each block. Sure enough, a few hours later it was in full swing. I'm still not sure what exactly the protest was about...
Gelato update Tiramisu - disappointing. After eating real, Italian, excellent Tiramisu, the gelatto flavor was a major let down.
Stracciatella - really good! It's basically the Italian equivalent of chocolate chip ice cream. Very creamy; would pair great with fruit or chocolate.
Here's the link to an allegedly simple gelatto recipe. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
