Ancient Rome, Rome

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Favorite thing: The best of Rome.

To a tourist on a first visit to Rome I would without hesitation recommend following visits:

Antiques: Coliseum, Arch of Constantine, Forum Romano, Palatine hill, Trajan forum (in the same area), Terme di Caracalla, Pantheon.

Churches: St Peters, Santa Maria Maggiore, St John Lateran, Chiesa del Gesu, San Paolo Fuori le Mure (the last one outside the centre).

Museums of Antiques: Capitoline Museums on the Piazza del Campidoglio (an absolute must), Museo Nazionale Romano Palazzo Massimo & Museo Nazionale Romano Palazzo Altemps, Vatican museum (if he is prepared to spend time on queuing).

Medieval and Baroque Rome: Castel Sant' Angelo, Piazza Navona, Trevi fountain, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo.

This program covering the essential of Rome takes 4 - 5 days.

Favorite thing: Any good tourist will have learned that the foundation of Rome goes back to Romulus and Remus (precisely in 753 (!) according to Marcus Varron called "the most learned of the Romans") and that they were children of the princess Rhea Sylvia and the god Mars himself. The princess Rhea was the daughter of the king Numitor of Alba.
Just like Moses the two babies were put in a basket and entrusted to the floods to escape death. The guides will of course have told you their rescue by a she-wolf, the famous Lupa which became the symbol of Rome.

But did they tell you that in Latin the word Lupa has two significances: she-wolf and prostitute!
Now who saved our two cherubim's, a she-wolf or a prostitute?

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Favorite thing: At its maximum extent, under Emperor Trajan in 117 AD, the Roman Empire counted 60 - 80 millions Roman citizens and as many as 100 - 120 millions people lived within its borders extending from England to Egypt, from Portugal to Syria over 5 millions Km2.
Roman citizens counted for 1/5th of the world's population at the time of the Roman Empire.
The probability that you have Roman ancestors is therefore higher than you might think when you booked your trip to Rome.

As soon as you will walk on the Foro Romano you will feel a very special sensation telling you that your roots are on the Via Sacra.

For those whose ancestors did not like mine fight against the Roman legions, to be killed or enslaved and finally obtain the Roman citizenship, there is the fact that your way of thinking was very probably inspired by the Greek-Roman civilisation.

Yes you have Roman ancestors.

Favorite thing: Sometimes I'm frustrated that there is more interest on VT for logistical questions than for cultural and historical matters. But I admit that arriving at the right monument at the right time is not without interest so that I admire the VT members who are permanently and repeatedly advising travelers what train or bus to take to get there where my review about art and history starts.

Nevertheless VirtualTourist remains miles-kilometers in advance of Tripadvisor as what concerns cultural matters.

Do you know what is the N° 1 of Traveler recommended attractions for Rome on Tripadvisor?
Colosseum? no.
Forum? no.
Trevi Fountain? no.
Vatican Museum? no

I tell you - are you seated - it is "Cooking Classes in Rome" and refers to the commercial activity of a restaurant located in Trastevere.

Shame.

Favorite thing: When visiting and writing reviews about Roman monuments I read so much about earthquakes shaking the Colosseum half a dozen times, destroying Basilica's, that I felt it my duty to add this type of event to "Rome warnings and dangers".

Don't think this danger is just far away in the past; on 22/08/2005 the centre of Rome felt an earthquake of 4.5 on the Righter scale. There was a lot of talking between neighbours on the streets but no serious damages.
And closer to us on 12/04/2008 a small earthquake has shaken the Alban Hills southeast of Rome during the night and woke many people.

Don't think that nothing serious can happen and that pickpockets are much more a danger than earthquakes! On 26 September 1997 strong earthquakes struck central Italy and shook Assisi so strongly that frescoed vaults of the upper Basilica collapsed.

When I wrote this in 2008 I could not imagine what was going to happen one year later in Aquila..

This night (6/04/2009) a terrible earthquake struck the mountainous Abruzzo region with the city of Aquila at 100 Km east of Rome. There are more than 250 death and enormous destructions. All my sympathy goes to the victims.

Favorite thing: One can be indifferent to the history of the Roman antiquity but be obliged to meet Roman Emperors in this city of Rome full of monuments, forums, statues to the glory of these Emperors.
Very quickly the tourist will realize that among the eighty emperors, without counting the usurpers, there were good and bad ones, even some insane.
Here a small list to distinguish roughly the best from the worst.

The best:
Octave Augustus (reigned 41 years), Trajan, Vespasian, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Antoninus Pius.
The mad:
Caligula, Nero, Elegabalus.
The ferocious:
Commodus, Diocletianus.
The more or less ferocious but also efficient emperors:
Many emperors are in this category like Tiberius, Constantine I, Claudius.

As most Roman emperors died a violent death one will understand that the job was not an easy one and most often associated to violence.

Favorite thing: On peut être indifférent à l'histoire de l'antiquité romaine (mais alors pourquoi se taper Rome?) et ne pas pouvoir échapper à la rencontre avec les empereurs romains dans cette ville truffée de monuments, de forums, de statues à la gloire de ces empereurs.
Très rapidement le touriste se rendra compte qu'il y a les bons et les mauvais, même des empereurs "fous".
Une petite liste peut se révéler utile à s'y retrouver parmi les quatre-vingt "Augustes" sans compter les usurpateurs.

Bien connus pour leurs dérèglement psychiatriques sont :
Caligula, Néron et le moins connu Elegabalus.
Parmi les féroces les historiens peu impartiaux de l'époque romaine citent Domitien. Le personnage était brutal mais ne manqua pas d'efficacité. Ce qui fut également le cas de Dioclétien.

Parmi les meilleurs on classe généralement:
Octave Auguste, qui régna 41 ans,
Vespasien "l'empereur du bon sens" selon l'historien L. Homo.
Trajan (le premier empereur non italien, né en Espagne),
Hadrien, Marcus Aurelius, Antonin le Pieux.

Entre ces extrêmes il y eut une catégorie d'empereurs efficaces tels que Tibère, Nerva, Constantin I, Claudius un excellent administrateur mais qui eut pour épouse la dangereuse Messaline.

La plupart des empereurs romains moururent de mort violente. Le job n'était pas de tout repos et n'était pas fait pour les enfants de chœur.

Favorite thing: When glancing through the twelve centuries of history of ancient Rome one cannot avoid meeting Julius Caesar, one of the most important political personalities of the Roman history.
Among the reforms initiated by Caesar when he was named “dictator” figures the reform of the calendar which he did in his quality of "Pontifex Maximus".
In order to catch up with the shift between the calendar year and the solar year, Julius Caesar decided to extend the year 45 (before J.C.) until it reached 445 days. After that he fixed the calendar year at 365 and 1/4 days.
The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months and a leap day added every 4 years to February.
The Julian calendar was of general use in Europe at the Roman Empire until 1582, when the pope Gregory XIII promulgated the Gregorian calendar, which was quickly adopted by the majority of the catholic countries. This calendar still in use corrected a slow forward drift of the Julian calendar which is still used by many national orthodox churches.

To pay homage to Julius Caesar his first name was given to a month of the year named July since then, or a similar name, in all the European languages as well Latin, Germanic as Anglo-Saxon.
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ANNEE DE 445 JOURS !

En parcourant les douze siècles d'histoire de la Rome antique on ne peut éviter de rencontrer Jules César l'une des personnalités politiques les plus importantes de l'histoire romaine. Parmi les réformes initiées par César lorsqu'il fut nommé "dictator" figure celle du calendrier réalisé dans sa fonction de "Pontifex maximus".
Afin de rattraper le décalage entre l'année civile et l'année solaire il prolongea l'année 45 (avant J.C.) jusqu'à 445 jours. Ensuite il fixa l'année civile à 365 jours et 1/4. Une année normale compte 365 jours avec tous les 4 ans une année bissextile par addition d'un jour supplémentaire au mois de février.
Le calendrier julien était d'utilisation générale en Europe du temps de l'Empire romain jusqu'en 1582, quand le pape Grégoire XIII a promulgué le calendrier grégorien, qui fut rapidement adopté par la plupart des pays catholiques. Ce calendrier toujours en usage corrigea une dérive du calendrier julien.

Pour rendre hommage à Jules César son prénom fut donné à un mois de l'année nommé depuis lors juillet, ou un nom similaire, dans toutes les langues aussi bien latines, germaniques qu'anglo-saxonnes.

Favorite thing: To Romulus, murderer of his brother Remus (I don't know if one should make a link with Cain assassinating Abel?), succeeded as kings Numa Pompilius, Tullius Hostilius (the one of the duel between the Horace's and Curacies) and Ancus Martius who is said to have founded the port of Ostia and have build the first aqueduct of Rome.

It is here that the myth, the legend, collides with reality.
At the 7th century before J.C the seven hills of Rome were inhabited by shepherds living in modest huts as one can see at the museum of the Baths of Diocletian's at the section of proto-history (ref. my comment on the museum of the Baths).
From the myth remains that all the history of ancient Rome was impregnated by a sacred context which directed the life of the Roman society as well as the individuals.
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DU MYTHE A LA REALITE. II.

Romulus assassin de son frère Remus (je ne sais pas s'il faut faire un rapprochement avec Caïn assassinant Abel ?) fut suivi des rois Numa Pompilius, Tullius Hostilius (celui du duel des Horaces et des Curiaces) et Ancus Martius dont on dit qu'il fonda le port d'Ostie et fit construire le premier aqueduc.

C'est ici que le mythe, la légende s'entrechoque avec la réalité.
Au 7e siècle avant J.C. les sept collines de Rome étaient habitées par des bergers logeant dans des modestes cabanes comme on peut voir au musée des Thermes de Dioclétien à la section de protohistoire (ref. mon commentaire sur le musée des Thermes).

Du mythe il reste que toute l'histoire de la Rome antique est imprégnée d'un contexte sacré qui a dirigé la vie de la société romaine et des individus.

Favorite thing: With the progression of their expansion the ancient Romans showed less and less modesty.
As the grandfather of Romulus and Remus was the Alban king Numitor and as according to the legend the town of Alba Longa (in the Alban mounts near Rome) had been founded by Iule the son of Aeneas, illustrious prince of Troy, son of Anchises and of the goddess Aphrodite/Venus, the Romans regarded themselves as descendants of the famous Trojans but also of two most important divinities of the Olympus Mars and Venus.

Actually when the Romans conquered Greece, it were the descendants of the unhappy Hector of Troy who took their revenge.
This always satisfied me because I never liked Achilles a cruel and sulky character.
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DU MYTHE A LA REALITE. I.
Au fur et à mesure de leur expansion les anciens Romains firent de moins en moins preuve de modestie. Comme le grand-père de Romulus et Remus était le roi albain Numitor et que selon la légende la ville d'Alba avait été fondée par Iule le fils d'Enée, illustre prince Troyen, fils d'Anchise et de la déesse Vénus, les Romains se sont considérés comme descendants des illustres Troyens mais aussi de deux divinités des plus importantes de l'Olympe soit Mars et Venus.
En fait lorsque les Romains ont conquis la Grèce, c'étaient les descendants du malheureux Hector le Troyen qui prenaient leur revanche.
J'avoue que cette revanche me plait bien car j'ai toujours trouvé qu'Achille était un type peu sympathique, boudeur et cruel.