ancientrometravellogproject

[ancientrometravellogproject]

I have stayed in Rome for a while now, and although it is a lively city with many sights and sounds to be enjoyed, there is also a dark underbelly which thrives underneath the surface. An ugly truth known as slavery. Many slaves were coerced into rigorous training as gladiators. They would fight for their survival on a daily basis, forced to endure inhumane conditions. One man had reached his limit, his name was Spartacus. I had seen this goliath of a man once before at the colosseum where he sliced a man in two as if cutting into a melon. I have heard whispers of gladiators who seek to escape their chains and live as free men. If there was a man to do it, it would be Spartacus. As I awoke from my slumber at the crack of dawn, I heard the screech of a man who’s spirit had left him. Chains clanking, battle cries rung out. None other than Spartacus had escaped with nearly 100 slaves using only kitchen knives as weapons. The Roman military could do nothing to stop these motivated slaves, “After them! They’re headed to the armory!”. Spartacus and his rebels had managed to seize weapons and chariots from the Roman Republic. Steel clashed against steel, arrows flew, there was a bloody battle, but the rebels would emerge victorious. Later on, Spartacus and his slave rebels would go on to free many more slaves. After the great slave revolt, pleibeians and patricians alike would treat slaves with more respect than before, if not out of empathy than out of fear.

[ancientrometravellogproject]

In recent days I have heard talk of a great Roman war that is soon to be. The Fourth King of Rome, Ancus Marcius has now mandated that any declaration of war by Rome be in accordance with the customs of the Roman forefathers in order to uphold the honor of Rome as well as the favor of the gods. Originally, this practice was known as Aequicolae or in common language, a “public demand for restitution”. It is rumored that this great war is to start this very evening, I wonder if I can catch a glimpse of the action? I asked around at the tavern downtown and after much ado, I located the site of the battle and found a good place to watch. The air is crisp, quiet and still. The calm before the storm as they say. The two armies stand nearly 1000 paces apart, dead still. The etialis (priest dedicated to the god Jupiter) emerges slowly from the league of Romans, clothed with wool upon his face and armed with a steel tipped javelin drenched in blood. The fetialis exclaimed, “Thou hast offended against the Roman people, the Quirites; and forasmuch as the Roman people have ordered that there should be war! The Senate of the Roman people has duly voted that war should be made upon the enemy! I, acting for the Roman people, declare and make actual war upon the enemy!”, the spear was flung, and thus, war had begun.

[ancientrometravellogproject]

In search of cultural and culinary discovery I have traveled to the great city of Sicily. Yet, upon my arrival to the coast, I bore witness to a raging battle against General Hamilcar and the Carthaginian forces in all their might. Scared for my life I fled to the nearest clearing where I watched in awe. It was like nothing I had ever seen before in my life. Generals Gelo and Thero fought valiantly like lions plunging their spears through many a foe. They led their army of brutes into battle without a second thought. Battle cries and screams of terror filled the air. Blood and organs littered the battleground. The terrors of war ensued for what seemed like an eternity. At a certain point it was too much for me to bear, so I looked away. In the end, Sicily won a great victory against Carthage, however, the Carthaginian general Hamilcar was nowhere to be found. He fled the battlefield like a coward as soon as his defeat was all but certain. A great search was ordered so that Hamilcar may be held accountable for his crimes against the empire. Yet this search was to no avail. They searched high and low, questioning everyone they could. It is said that Hamilcar met his end by his own hand and was consumed by fire, but no one knows the real truth. The weight of this battle was not lost upon me. If nothing else, this experience serves as a testament to the great strength of the Roman empire.

[ancientrometravellogproject]

A new age has come to pass in Rome, the rule of Octavian Augustus marks the birth of  a Monarchy, and the death of a republic. The Roman Republic has died, and with it, free speech. Those who are publicly outspoken against Octavian Augustus are never to be seen or heard from again, no one was executed, but what kind of example does that set for future generations?. No longer is open discourse tolerated in Roman society, a truly sad day it is. Although in truth, I cannot say it surprises me, considering the fate of Julius Caesar who was a proponent of free speech. “To hell with it!”, I say as I stumble out of the tavern. A night of drinking wouldn’t erase today's events no matter how much I wished it would. Not four hours earlier, I was in a political science lecture, when the Roman authorities arrested, fined, and exiled my professor. Simply for entertaining a perspective critical of Augustan policy for argument’s sake. I wander towards campus, wondering out loud, “Where does it end? Will they start burning our books too?”  Almost as if on queue, I catch a whiff of ash and fire, It burns the inside of my nose like acid. “No, no – Stop! What are you doing?” The Roman authorities were burning the life's work of my professor as if it were mere firewood, along with every other astrological and oracular document. What has Rome become? This great civilization once at the forefront of science and mathematics is regressing only for the sake of controlling the narrative of the monarchy, a true shame.

[ancientrometravellogproject]

I have finally arrived. It is my first day in Rome. I come here as a student of culture and academia, having traveled by carriage for a near fort-nite to get here. I am parched and extremely sweaty, I thirst for ale and a good night’s rest. But first, I have heard talk of an exquisite new public bath that has been recently constructed by the will of Emperor Augustus himself. After asking around I have found the Thermae Agrippae in all its glory. The building itself is stunning and open to the public free of charge. The architecture is impressive to say the least and the gardens are as beautiful as ever. It is easy to tell after mere moments here that the citizens of Rome revere this place as a symbol of Roman wealth and culture. This is no ordinary bath house. Status is irrelevant in this magical place, plebeian or patrician, it doesn’t matter here. Even slaves can bathe in the same water as a powerful politician. This bath must be an act of divine creation. I wonder if the emperor had an ulterior motive when building this place. Seeing as bathhouses used to be for-profit and privatized to the elite, it seems a bit suspicious to me but… what do I know? The water is just the right temperature as well, nothing like a good bath on a hot day. From an outsider’s perspective, everyone seems to be having a great time, laughing and joking. Thank goodness people started bathing more frequently in Rome because last time I was here things were getting a bit stinky.