Page 25 - All About History - Issue 72-18
P. 25
The Pantheon
remains a holy place
– a Catholic church
The iconic exterior of the Colosseum 5
at night – one of the must-see visitor
attractions of Rome PIAZZA DELLA ROTONDA
THE COLOSSEUM The Pantheon is second only to the
Colosseum in sheer scale and the extent
3 to which it has been preserved. Believed
PIAZZA DEL COLOSSEO to have been built in the 2nd century CE
by Emperor Hadrian, the Pantheon was a
temple built to honour all gods.
Whatcanbesaidaboutthismasterpiece?A fights. With capacity for 50,000-80,000 people,
As the Romans conquered the world and
symbol of Rome, and Italy, the world over, the Colosseum is lauded for its revolutionary
increasingly came into contact with other
the Colosseum – originally called the Flavian design. The many different backstage corridors
religions, rather than persecuting these
Amphitheatre after the imperial dynasty that and numerous staircases made crowd control
religious minorities, the Romans adopted
commissioned it – is the perfect introduction for abreezeandithasbeenclaimedbysome
their belief systems alongside their own.
anyone with a burgeoning interest in the ancient architectural historians that a crowd of 75,000
The Pantheon was originally a place where
world. Opened in 80 CE, after nearly a decade peoplecouldbedispersedwithin15minutes.
any Roman could go to worship, regardless
of construction, the amphitheatre served as a Sadly,themarblethatonceadornedtheinterior
of who or what they believed in. Indeed,
giant entertainment venue that hosted gladiator haslongsincebeenpillaged.Whenvisiting
the very word Pantheon is a hybrid of
battles, animal fighting, mock sea battles and, make sure you get your joint Forum ticket in
the Greek words ‘pan’ meaning all and
in the intervals, mass executions. The Emperor advanceororganiseaprivatetourtoavoidwaiting
‘theos’ meaning god. The inscription on
Vespasian felt that by entertaining his people he forhoursintheheatasthereislittleshade.
the outside of the building reads, “Marcus
could quell years of civil unrest.
Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the
The best seats were, of course, reserved for the The Colosseum opens every day from 8.30am
third time built this,” which is a reference
emperors, though that didn’t stop them getting until sunset.
to one of Rome’s greatest statesmen, a
involved with the action – there are reports of An adult combined ticket for the Colosseum,
close friend and son-in-law of first Roman
Emperors Hadrian and Titus both participating in Roman Forum and the Palatine is 12€.
Emperor Augustus, who built the original
temple on which the current Pantheon
The triumphal 4 THE ROMAN FORUM now stands.
Some of the interior has been
Arch of Septimius
PIAZZA DEL CAMPIDOGLIO to the Roman gods of the planets were
Severus remodelled over the years – the shrines
The Forum was the centre of political and civic life in replaced with Christian icons when Rome
ancient Rome. It was here where the great and good converted – the marble floor and the
of Roman society came to dirty their hands with the huge dome under which the building sits
brutal, often life-or-death business of running the empire. are both original. The hole in the roof,
Archaeologists believe the site started out as a burial site or ‘Oculus’, s 2018
2,000 years on,
in the 7th century BCE for the Etruscans streams in the dome remains
Over hundreds of years, as Rome grew and grew, so too sunlight and awe inspiring
did the Forum. Churches, basilicas and the original seat may have been
of the Roman senate were all built there and additions intended as a
The vast sprawl of the continued to be made until the decline of the city. giant sundial.
Roman Forum Over time it was stripped of its marble and left to
decay. Even for the keenest of history buffs this vast
Admission
collection of buildings from various different eras
is free. Open
can seem unwieldy and overwhelming – so much so
daily from
that hiring a private tour guide and taking several
8.30am-7.30pm
hourstoexplorethegroundsishighlyrecommended.
on weekdays
and Saturdays
The Forum is open from 8.30am until one hour before
and at 9am-6pm
sunset. An adult combined ticket for the Colosseum,
on Sundays.
Roman Forum and the Palatine is 12€.
