Rocks! (an ancient rubble adventure)

Me at the Colosseum

For anyone who knows me or my family we are big fans of rocks, and today I saw some of the most amazing ancient ruins. Today I saw the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Walking into the colosseum was like so many experiences in Rome - indescribable.

In the colosseum

I kept thinking about all of the people who had walked there before me: the emperors, the ancient Romans, the gladiators. I was walking on the same stone that they trod. It helped that right before I went to the colosseum a fantastic ancient history professor at the rome center gave us a presentation on the colosseum and roman forum. After his wonderful lecture I was able to imagine what the colosseum would have looked like and what would be going on when it was being used by the ancient romans. The views all around the colosseum were awesome.

Ancient Basilica

When we moved onto the roman forum we saw a ton of ancient ruins. There were lots of buildings, but one of my favorites was the ancient basilica. One side of the basilica is still mostly preserved, but then you have to imagine the other half. Even with most of the basilica gone I could imagine what it must have looked like in its glory. The parts of the ceiling that remain were incredible. They were detailed beautifully and were so grand it gave the whole site a feeling of majesty and splendor. I thought of Fr. Bly and Brother Ed when I saw sites similar to scenes from Spartacus and Ben Hur (especially the chariot race scene). Walking over, around, and through so much ancient history was a great experience, and the only downside was the ancient-ness of the ground. The rough stones didn't make my feet too happy, but it was totally worth it. I could have spent all day wondering through the mammoth forum, and hopefully I will have a chance to go back.