The Colosseum and The Forum
The Colosseum:
The Colosseum (or Coliseum) is one of the world's most famous monuments and the cruelty of the spectacles within its walls has become legendary. You will learn of the earlier influences on its architecture and how it was constructed. Your guide will explain the history of gladiatorial and beast fights and how they were an integral part of life in the Roman world. You will discover the differences between different types of gladiators and what life would have been like for them.
The Forum:
The Roman Forum is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. In the days of the Caesars this small area administered most of the known world. It contains many of the most important and interesting ruins of the Roman empire. Your visit to the Forum will include many temples where the ancients worshipped their pantheon of gods. Your guide will explain the intricacies of Roman religion and why such a clash occurred during the rise of Christianity.
You will also learn of the great triumphal arches that emperors built to celebrate their victories in battle and why these are such an important resource for historians and archaeologists.
Your tour will teach you how the political system of ancient Rome functioned in the days of the Republic. Your seminar will give you an insight into the violent civil strife of the first century B.C in the time of Julius Caesar, and how Rome made the transition from Republic to Empire.
The eccentricities and excesses of the Roman emperors, especially the notoriously cruel emperors Caligula, Nero, and Commodus are legendary. You will hear many of the tales of their bizarre behaviour and the some modern interpretations of their actions.
Length:
2-3 hours
