We got up early this morning and went to the Vatican. It is such a holy place steeped in so much history. The crowds were immense. Approximately 40,000 people visit per day. Luckily, our tour included pre-purchased tickets and the ability to skip the line. We just walked right in. For a brief second I felt sorry for those poor souls who were waiting 45 minutes just to buy tickets. I got over it and had a wonderful tour.
St. Perter's Basilica was beautiful. The artwork and artifacts is overwhelming. The Sistine Chapel is a lot smaller than I imagined. The ceiling is breathtaking especially when you can follow much of the symbolism from The Bible.
When we left Vatican City we traveled to The Colosseum. This building is just a shell of its original structure, but to think anything could stand for so long boggles the mind. I learned so much I didn't know. For instance, the building was originally covered in white limestone and marble, but the church stole it to build their temples.
Did you think that this is where the Romans brought the Christians to be eaten by lions? So did I. That's just a myth perpetuated by the church. There were bloody and deadly games that were played here, but the combatants were Roman slaves. The Gladiators we hear so much about were Roman slaves who fought to the death in the Colosseum. Also, sometimes the games included slaves being hunted in the arena by wild (and hungry) animals imported from other lands. To be sure some of the slaves may have been Christian, but your lack of status is what got you on the arena floor more so than your religion.
Where did these slaves come from? They came from regions conquered by Rome. Once conquered, you had three choices: 1) pledge allegiance to Rome; 2) become a slave; or 3) die. Even if you took the first option, you were of much lower status than that of a Roman citizen.
What about the persecuted Christians then? They were taken to place like the Circus Maximus or The Forum. and crucified. It was not sport. It was punishment and clear demand for allegiance to Rome. It was illegal to crucify a Roman citizen so those who converted to Christianity met their fate in some other way such as, beheading.
We ended the day with a unique dinner in an old underground Roman bath house (now converted into a restaurant. Staff dress in period clothing and belt out traditional Italian songs all night long.
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1 comment:
Amazing!
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