#despite being captioned 'gods of rome'

[anime-kia]

Noncommittal

I guess this is me getting somethings off my chest. I'm in my feelings and I'm SICK! Men are annoying LMFAOOO:(OOOOO.

Warnings: Angst

Relationship: Ex Boyfriend Erik x Reader (but y'all are talking... cuz... feelings...)

I was listening to You Don't Know by Tank feat. Wale while writing this. You can also listen to Kehlani's new album if you need a soundtrack lol.

You had no idea what plans God had made for you when this man walked into your life. It had to be some sick joke. 

You met Erik five years ago, and dated eight months after knowing each other. He was perfect, your ideal partner that you weren't actively seeking. You even saw a future with him, a small wedding, and maybe a few kids, but it all came crashing down in an instant. 

Broken communication and wandering eyes were the key factors in the end of what you thought was your future. 

Baby ❤️: I'm just not feeling it anymore...

You couldn't count on your fingers how many times you read his text over and over again. He didn't even the balls to breakup with you in person. 

The tears fell from your eyes, coating your phone screen in a slick layer. Constantly you wiped it with your sleeve, but more kept falling. 

The devastation left you to leave him with a simple 'Okay'. Too broken to be mad, and for months, too sad to be optimistic. 

You spent nights in bed, tears streaming down your cheeks. He was running through your mind from morning to night. Despite all your friends telling you to forget about him, it was hard to forget someone who had you smiling so hard that your cheeks started to hurt. Laughing so hard that tears would spill from your eyes. 

But those were happy tears...

Now... These tear filled eyes were followed by headaches, heartache and snot.  

Though Erik himself stayed off of social media, his new girlfriend surely didn't. Thanks to your best friend, the pretty brown skin with hazel eyes was now someone you stalked from time to time. Just to see his face... That smile that had you bending at will, his every command. 

There were a few videos of them, at restaurants, the basketball court, and other places he would visit with you. Often times he would push the camera away when she aimed it at him, complaining about "the feds".

However there was one picture that made you itch. His head wasn't in the frame, but she had hers against his chest, manicured fingers sprawled across that brawny frame. The caption made it even worse: He's gonna put a ring on it 😘 

Only if she knew that Erik didn't like commitment... That would've avoided the horrible remarks she made about him exactly two weeks after that last post. 

You felt embarrassed for her, but at the same time you were happy that she wasn't with your m- With Erik. 

A couple years later and you were back to yourself, not pressed or crying over Erik anymore. He wasn't running through your mind day to night. 

It was all going great, you were even dating again. And just before you did enter a relationship with the date your sister set you up with, he came back.

A contact that shifted all the way to the bottom of your list had made its way back on top.

His number being the only thing showing, but you memorized it long ago.

Hey. Wyd?

You stared at the message, heart rate picking up and all the emotions flooding back in at once. 

A simple question as that and you felt like you'd been ask to solve the hardest equation in the world. 

Should I ignore it?          

But of course you couldn't. Your heart wouldn't allow you to.

Getting ready to go on a date.

Petty always was the best way to go...  However, it was true. Your date would be pulling up in the next thirty minutes to take you to an Italian restaurant. 

When you getting back?

Again, you stared at the message baffled. What did it matter to him?

Idk.

And that was that. 

Or so you thought. 

"I don't know, the way that waitress was staring at you makes me feel like I have competition." You joked with your date, Rome, who just pulled into your driveway.

But the lights shining on the figure sitting on the steps of your front porch had the both of you quiet for a moment.

"Nah, maybe I'm the one who got competition." He said with a troubled tone.

"I... Rome, thank you for this. I'll call you later, okay?" You kissed him on the cheek and exited the car.

"You want me to come with you?" 

"I'll be okay." You gave him a smile. He nodded and you waved him goodbye, watching as the car pulled out of the driveway.

Erik was staring at you, still seated. It was hard to see his face now that the headlights weren't shining anymore, and the porch light was off. 

You walked closer, ready to remove your heels that threatened to toss you to the ground with a small misstep. 

"Why are you here, Erik?" 

"To see you." 

"For what?" 

"What you mean for what? I'm not allowed to see you?"

You stared at him incredulously. 

"There's nothing to see..." You moved around him, but he caught your arm, staring your body down.

He would say otherwise. Erik kissed his teeth, irked that you had the audacity to step out the house in a slim fitting dress and high heels for another man. 

"Nah, there's a lot to see, ma." He bit his bottom lip, gold slugs glowing in the dark. His eyes were drowned in lust, hypnotizing you as if nothing happened.

Things were never the same, even after you allowed him back into your life. You didn't take him back, you couldn't. 

The fear of him breaking your heart, and the fear of the feelings you felt all those years ago terrified you. So all you could resort to was a situationship. 

Admitted, it wasn't ideal for your future plans. You still wanted to get married and you still wanted children. Everything Erik didn't want back then. 

However, one drunk night of FaceTime resulted in you promising to have his baby in the next few years. Was it a mistake? 

At first, you believed that he didn't want to be in a relationship with you, but if there was one thing you could confirm, it was that he didn't want you to be boo'd up with anyone who wasn't him.

Until one day he made a suggestion.

"I think you need to be with me."

You stared at him, one eyebrow raised then looked away before speaking. "I really don't think that's a good idea, Erik." You couldn't look him in his eyes.

Of course you wanted him back, you were in love with him. No matter what he did, your heart couldn't let go of him. But you refused to be broken again. 

"Why not?"

"Cuz I don't want to go through everything we did before. I can't."

After that, he didn't bring it up again. 

Though you wanted him to, just to vent to him and get everything off your chest. But he wouldn't... So you were left with an active mind, which became even more active once he started showing up less.

Not a text, not a phone call.

Truly, you were exhausted. You were sick of him putting you in your feelings, just to go MIA and return at his own will. 

It made you wonder if he even cared. Or were you just entertainment while other females weren't available? 

You were a human with valid emotions.

No matter how much you cussed him in private, saying you were done with him, you knew it was lie. 

He had you wrapped around his finger, because maybe fate decided that he was your soulmate. A twisted and sick joke made by the universe, tying you to this man who didn't know within himself what he wanted. 

Maybe Prince Charming would be out there to save you one day, but for now... Erik Stevens had you under a spell that felt impossible to break. 

I hope y'all enjoyed!

I been meaning to get this off my chest and into my diary (yes I have one), but I decided to write instead and of course due to story purposes I changed up quite a bit from my actual situation lol. 

Thanks for reading!

(Start/Finish: May 17, 2020)

[hopeworldfan]

RO5EY (2)

summary: you were an idol but didn’t look the part.

pairing: hoseok/reader

word count: 1k+

genre: fluff, angst, idolverse

warning: bullying, mentions of depression, mentions of suicide

Blooms meant the absolute world to you. They were the ones who made it possible for you to have a career that you loved, they supported you and encouraged you through thick and thin, so you tried to give back to them as much as you possibly could. In doing so, you were the most active of your group on Vlive and social media (since your company allowed you all to have your own personal accounts.) It was the least you could do for the people who gave so much to you.

“Hey, guys!” You greeted cheerfully, a wide smile on your face as you sat in your room. “How’s everyone doing today?”

You relaxed back in your chair, scanning the chat log as messages flooded in as people joined the stream.

“Better now that you see my face? You guys are so sweet!” You gushed, framing your face and smiling at the camera. It was hard to not let on just how tired you were after a long day of rehearsing, but you hadn’t streamed in a while and felt guilty. Sleep could wait.

“When are we coming to America? Hopefully soon! I want to see you guys so bad!” You answered with a pout. Your eyes continued to scan the outpour of messages, schooling your expression as the meaner comments started to trickle in.

Fat pig

How disgusting

Why are you in a group with such cute girls, you only bring them down

You should just die

It wasn’t anything new, unfortunately. Ever since the five of you debuted, you always received the most hate, it was commonplace.

“Oh! You guys saw our interview with BTS? They’re all so nice.” You paused to take a sip of your water. “You liked my performance of Cypher? Aww thank you! I was so nervous, it was embarrassing!”

You made a fool of yourself

The performance was terrible

You’re not talented

Kill yourself

“J-Hope is your bias too? We’re bias twins!” You laughed, keeping a smile on your face. The cruel words hurt, of course they did, but you couldn’t let it get to you. If you let it get to you then that means they won, so you soldiered on, chatting with your real fans.

“Advice for unconventional girls who want to be idols?” You paused. That question was a frequent one that was fielded your way. “You have to have thick skin. I’m very vocal about the hate I receive, and it never really gets easier, but sweet fans like you guys give me the strength to power through! As long as I can make one person smile with what I do, nothing is going to stop me!”

You chatted with your fans for another half hour before signing off and slumping down into your chair. What felt like every bone in your body cracked when you stretched your limbs and sighed. It was late, but you had wanted to stream at a time convenient for your American fans and since practice didn’t end until late, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. When in Rome and all that.  

Sinking into your plush mattress felt like heaven and you couldn’t help the sigh that slipped out. Tomorrow was going to be another long day of practicing for the next award show performance. RO5EY strived for nothing less than perfection, it’s what was necessary to stay on top, and it’s what the fans deserved. With fans in mind, you forced yourself to sit back up and grab your phone, working on taking a cute selfie to post on Instagram.  

Since your company’s sole focus was defying idol norms, it wasn’t a surprise when they let you all have your own personal social media accounts. Though they were monitored by a social media manager, you mostly had free reign to post whatever you wanted, within reason. They didn’t want the reputation of the group getting tarnished by outlandish posts.

After a few minutes of changing angles and poses, one of the pictures was decent enough post and you did so quickly, adding a caption thanking the Blooms who tuned into the Vlive and telling them to be on the lookout for the next one. It was only a matter of seconds before the comments started.

No one cares about your vlive.

You’re the worst member.

Ugly.

Hana had suggested turning commenting off, so did the social media manager. That would have been the smart thing to do, because even if the accounts got reported and suspended, more only rose to take their place. You couldn’t bring yourself to do it though, the whole reason for your presence on social media was to interact with your fans. There was something so amazing about being able to bring joy to someone just by replying to their comment, or hell, even just liking it. So, you dealt with the hate, tried to let it roll off your back, focusing on the positives and trying your best to ignore the negatives.

Just as you were sinking back in your bed, your phone buzzed, and you laughed when you saw it was a text from your leader.

Why are you posting so late? We have a long day tomorrow; you need your rest.

Also, that’s a cute picture.

Practice was intense, but it always was. Youra was a perfectionist and she led practices since she was assigned the role of lead dancer. She was a harsh teacher, never letting the smallest of mistakes slip by, but none of you ever took it personally, you wanted to be perfect.

“And feet together on eight,” She instructed and the four of you immediately followed suit. “Next the dance line has a feature so you two can go have a quick break while we go over this.”

The dance line consisted of you, Youra, and Hana. Out of the three, you were by far the least experienced dancer which meant you always had to work ten times harder to make the work look effortless. Hana was classically trained before she became a trainee, and Youra’s parents owned a hip-hop studio so she’d been dancing since she could walk.

Byeol would have been the ideal third member of the dance line since she was also classically trained, but since Youra and Hana were both vocalists, management wanted a either you or Seung and your poor rap partner was even more hopeless at dancing than you were.  

Sweat dripped down your face as you worked to keep up with Youra’s movements. Your muscles burned with every move, ever stretch, but you refused to give up. Dancing had become easier over the years, but it still took you longer to master routines.  

“Alright, let’s take a break then take it from the top.” You immediately slumped to the ground the second the words slipped out Youra’s mouth. The cool, wooden floors were a welcome relief against your hot skin.

“Yeah unnie! That’s my rap partner!” Seung cheered, running up and collapsing on top of your pitiful form. You groaned and immediately pushed her off, flopping onto your back.

“Put me out of my misery.” You pleaded desperately but your black-haired friend just laughed.

“You don’t get off the hook that easy unnie.”

“You’re doing really well unnie.” Byeol complimented, walking up to the two of you.

“Thanks, ByeBye.” You said, your voice muffled from your arms covering your voice. Your maknae was always there to shower you in compliments when necessary, she was the cutest person on the entire planet and that wasn’t an exaggeration.

“Hey girls!” A cheery voice interrupted, and you immediately jumped up.

“Jaewon-unnie!”

“Hello Jaewon-unnie!”

“Good morning Jaewon-unnie.”

“There’s our favorite manager!”

“Hiya Jaewon-unnie.” You all greeted. Jaewon was the one who started it all. Despite only being ten years older than you, she was the CEO and one of the founders of the small company your group belonged to. It was uncommon, having a female CEO, but it was also uncommon having a chubby girl as an idol, and that was the whole point.

Jaewon was highly critical of the toxic parts of the K-Pop industry. Her aunt had been an idol back in the day and she saw first-hand the effects the industry had on young men and women. She did her senior thesis on the changes the industry should make. With a few friends and help from her very wealthy family, she founded the company. You all admired her so much, knowing how hard she’s worked to make the company, and your group successful.  

“I have some exciting news,” She started with a smile and the five of you crowded her immediately, eager for whatever news she had. “I’ve been in contact with BigHit-”

Seung immediately squealed and you slapped your hand over her mouth, despite the fact that you easily could have had the same reaction. You all knew BigHit, more importantly, you all knew a certain group that was under their management.

“As I was saying,” Jaewon laughed. “I’ve been in contact with BigHit. The ratings for the show you did with BTS were better than either of us thought they would be. Apparently, there was a surge of international viewers. There are talks about a collaboration being thrown around.”

All five of your squealed that time, even Hana, though hers was more subdued.

“Nothing is set in stone yet.” Your manager quickly interjected. “But we’re thinking about doing a series of some sort since there are too many people for one song. If it all goes according to plan, we’re looking at RM and Hana since you’re both leaders, Byeol and Jungkook since you’re both the maknae, Youra with Jimin and V, Seung with Suga and Jin, and (y/n) with J-Hope.”

“Oh my god shut up unnie! Ahh!” Seung shrieked, bouncing up and down in sheer excitement. “I get to work with Suga? Is this a dream? This has to be a dream! Pinch me (y/n)-unnie!”

You automatically pinched your excited companion and she squealed again. “It’s not a dream!”

“Jimin is a beautiful dancer, this is exciting.” Youra grinned.

“With Jungkook?” Byeol’s face was a bright red.

“When will we know more?” Hana questioned, always getting straight to business.

“We’re having a meeting in three days to iron out the details.”

You were frozen solid. A collaboration with J-Hope? Just you and him? You reached down and pinched yourself, wincing at the pain. Okay, not a dream.

[jennasrye-blog]

Month 4

As my days over here in Italy have come and gone it has completely escaped me to write in my blog. So much for writing more than once a month since almost three have gone by without a single post (whoops.) But here I am! I have so many experiences and things to share with you all. Each day brings new challenges, new emotions and many new and wonderful memories. Lets start from where I left off last, shall we?

These past four months have simultaneously been the most exciting, nerve wracking, tiring, and most hectic months of my entire life. Days go by slow but the weeks and months sure so fly by. With the generosity of my host family, I was fortunate enough to travel to Rome for three days. Rome has stolen my heart and I can’t wait to return to this beautiful city sometime in the future. Each street carries such a rich history and mass amounts of beauty. I’ve never walked so much in such a short amount of time. I saw most of the historical buildings and fountains around the city and captured every possible sight with my camera. I lived out my childhood dream of becoming Lizzy McGuire, even just for a few days. I had such a blast exploring with my host family and I am incredibly thankful for all of the support they continuously give me as well as the opportunity they provide me to see as much of Italy as I can. Other than traveling to Rome I have:

Traveled to Milan five times

Went on a school trip to Venice

Completed multiple art projects for school

Drank way too much espresso

Made Thanksgiving dinner with a friend for our host families

Taken approximately 73 naps

Learned how to make homemade pasta

Experienced Italian Christmas, New Years and Santa Lucia

Enrolled in two Italian courses

Over the course of these past four months I feel like I have finally started to find my place here in Italy. Each day is an emotional rollercoaster, but I expected nothing less after drastically changing my life in an instant. My biggest struggle so far has been homesickness. When i say “homesickness” I mostly mean “friend sickness.” Back home I have such an array of people who I’m close to who have constantly been there for me when times were tough. Leaving them and trying to provide that same sense of comfort solely by myself is extremely difficult. Each day I am learning to be okay with being alone and I'm finding new ways to provide my own happiness. Playing cards with my host family, going on walks around my neighborhood, and even having Mario Kart tournaments with my host brother all make me feel less secluded and more of an integral part of the family. Italy doesn’t seem so scary anymore and the world seems a heck of a lot smaller than it once did. I know that I am strong, capable, and that sometimes you have to have bad to appreciate the good. And there sure is a lot of good in my life, I can tell you that. My friends and family back home are supporting me every step of they way. I have a great second family established here that fill my days with lots of love and laughter. I have the most genuine and caring friends in Rotary who completely understand what I am going through since they too are experiencing all of the changes right along side me. I truly feel like I am growing and learning more about myself with every trial that I face. God is taking good care of me and I truly am blessed to be here. I am starting to integrate more into the Italian culture and I couldn’t be more happy with the progress that I have made.

Despite the fact that I have to wake up at 5:45 to look decent for school, I am enjoying school more with each passing day. Now that I can understand a lot more Italian, conversations with classmates have gone a lot smoother. They are so patient and kind when it comes to helping me with Italian. Most of them enjoy showing off their english skills to me so its hard to find the balance between speaking more Italian than English. They make school worth it and I throughly enjoy being in their presence everyday. They are some of the most talented and hardworking people I have ever met. Italian school is not a walk in the park, but they sure do make it look easy and manage to leave school with a smile on their face.

Relative to keeping you updated about my travels, the best way to follow me is by looking at my Facebook pictures. I try to add some info regarding what each picture entails in the caption. I am currently putting together a video of different things that I have done and my daily life at home and hopefully I will be finished very soon. Until then, I will try my best to write more than one every three months (sorry mom.) Italy has been such a great experience so far and I can’t wait for my remaining months ahead. Ciao!

[boatfire]

The Dance of Death, Panel by Panel.

Clasped in the arms of Death, no one escapes its grip, a fatal one to be sure, but here anguish conceals its own depressive force and displays defiance through sarcasm or the grimace of a mocking smile, without triumph, as if, knowing it is done for, laughter is the only answer.” Julia Kristeva on the Dance of Death in her essay ‘Holbein’s Dead Christ‘

Modern images of the moment of death are predominately photojournalistic in nature, with an incidental, documentary approach, however intentional this may actually be. Although we may assume a certain intent in publishing such an image, most likely a desire to induce empathy, this is not necessary for the creation of an effective photograph. In contrast, the late medieval motif of the Dance of the Death, which also depicts the moment of death, emphasizes the allegorical intent of the image: no matter who you are or what your level of privilege may be, death can arrive for you at any moment. The king, merchant, peasant or baby that death ensnares is, in fact, every king, merchant, peasant or baby. The language of the Dance of Death, despite depicting the moment when death comes to claim another victim, is more akin to that of the editorial cartoon or comic strip than the documentary photograph. These images are meant to inspire contemplation and fear, not empathy.

The Dance of Death motifs first appeared in paintings, especially frescoes on the walls of churches or graveyards. The first known Dance of Death, now lost to time, is thought to have been painted in 1424 on the wall of the charnel house, a vault for storing bones unearthed when digging new graves, at Cimetière des Innocents in Paris. The composition, a single horizontal line of figures starting with the most powerful on the left and descending in social station to the right, set the template for future Dances. This composition emphasizes the allegorical and editorial in its very structure. The wealthy and powerful come first and everyone else follows. But death takes them all. The ‘dance’ depicted is that of the farandole, or community dance, where hands are joined in a line, thus uniting all of society in Death’s grip.

Unlike a single, traditional image (rectangle or square), the Dance of Death is ‘read’ rather than seen. The reader starts at one end and progresses to the conclusion, as with a comic book. From the beginning, the Dance of Death incorporated text, and in the case of the Saint Innocents mural also depicted a narrator. At each end of the sequence, the author sat at a desk in a separate book-lined space, or comic panel, if you will. The text in the author panels was contained in unfurled scrolls (or banderoles), again conjuring the comic’s modern caption box. Each station in the line of the Innocents mural had accompanying text, most likely painted below the images, as it appears in subsequent and surviving murals throughout Europe. It is fair to assume the text came first, inspired by the 13th-century French literary  genre Vado Mori (I prepare myself to die), in which people of various social classes rail in verse against the inevitability of death. But it is the introduction of the mocking voice of Death addressing his victim that gives the text of the  Dance of Death mural its mischievous sting:

Death:

Patriarch, it is not by lowering your head only

that you can be acquitted.

The cross of Lorraine which is so dear to you,

Another will receive it: it is all justice.

Think no more of honours,

You will never be Pope at Rome;

You are now called to account (of your acts).

The foolish hopes deceive man.

Death’s mocking is then followed by the words of the vanquished lamenting the futility of their striving for position and honour. It is only the Hermit who deviates from this and seems to accept his fate.

The Hermit

Despite a hard and lonely life,

Death does not grant a delay.

Everyone sees it and must be silent.

I pray to God to give me a gift:

Let him erase all my sins.

I am pleased with all the benefits of

which I have profited by His grace.

Who is not happy with what he has, has nothing.

We have only the prints of Guy Marchant’s drawings of the Dance of Death in the Cimetière des Innocents to go by, as the mural was destroyed in 1669 in order, it is said, to widen a road. Marchant’s drawings were reproduced in a popular pamphlet that enjoyed multiple editions. The pioneering anatomist Andreas Vesalius, author and illustrator of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, De humani corporis fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body), is said to have developed his interest in anatomy after examining the bones in the charnel houses of the Innocents cemetery. It is easy to imagine the seed for one of his most famous images from De Humani, that of a skeleton contemplating a skull, being planted as Vesalius contemplated the first known mural of the Dance of Death.

The first known picture of a printing press appears in a similar context. An image in La grat danse macabre des homes (Lyon, 1499), of which only two copies survive, depicts Death in its familiar skeletal form disrupting a book shop, interrupting the work of a compositor placing type, and halting the printing of a book. Contemplating this image, I wonder if the printer could be alluding to a deeper purpose in his work –  to cheat Death’s erasure of the words of man through the means of reproduction. Pondering the relationship between death and the written word leads to a rabbit hole of associations, from images of Saint Jerome translating the bible with only a candle and a skull on his desk to the popularity of the skull as an image on ex libris, perhaps serving as much as a warning to a book thief as a memento mori.

Most people encounter the Dance of Death in book form, as I did in the dustiest of bookstores, Hood Used Books, in Lawrence, Kansas. More specifically, I stumbled upon Hans Holbein’s Dance of Death, which is the most widely known and reproduced iteration of the genre. I found my copy among bright spines of pop art catalogues and monographs on Impressionism, its black spine with faded gold type standing out in the negative, a slice of darkness among stripes of colour. It is from 1947 and, written in pencil next to the price of $12.50, is ‘out-of-print’. But, of course, that applies only to this edition, for Holbein’s Dance of Death is never out of print and likely will never be (it has recently been reissued as a Penguin Classic). The cover of my copy, also black with gold embossing, depicts Death beating a drum, framed in an oval that contains the words: Vitas Brevis, Ars Longa (Life is Short, Art is Long).    

Given that my own artistic output at the time leaned towards punkish images of apocalypse and alienation, I no doubt instantly responded to the social critique imbedded in Holbein’s images. And I must have recognized something of the editorial cartoon, if only in the familiar configuration of a single image with a caption below. Due to the need for a separate vignette for each page in the sequence, the original dance, the farandole, or community dance, is lost. Holbein was doubtless aware of this, given that it is likely he would have seen Guy Marchant’s drawings of the Innocents mural, which paired figures but retained the pillars of the charnel house and the joined hands of the dance. Holbein’s choice to isolate the figures, imbuing each image with details specific to the individual’s station in society, is not insignificant. Indeed, Holbein’s other leap forward, to take the Death images out of the symbolic and into the everyday, realistic lived space of late medieval life, would not be possible, or at least quite clumsy in a single image mural (though it’s fun to imagine something akin to a Bruegel crowd composition applied to this theme).

With his emphasis on specifics, Holbein expands what was previously a moral lesson — Death as the great equalizer, putting all social stations on notice — into the realm of social criticism that is tied to the reform ideas of his time. For instance, anti-papacy sentiment is expressed in the image of Death coming for the pope. Demons symbolize corruption and Holbein deepens the reformist critique by depicting the king kissing the foot of the pope, in contrast to Jesus washing the feet of the poor. A corrupting demon makes only one other appearance, blowing bellows into the ear of the Senator to mask the words of the imploring poor man at his shoulder. Such details abound and reward deeper viewing. The nun is distracted from her prayers by a handsome minstrel, as a broken hourglass, a recurring symbol of approaching death, lies broken at her feet. The astrologer points to his model of the universe as Death presents a skull, an object considered more worthy of his contemplation. In contrast, the Ploughman, unlike the nobles and other powerful characters, who resist or ignore Death, is the beneficiary of Death’s help as it implores his horses with a whip towards the setting sun.

One image I return to, which is among ten plates that only appears in later editions, is the Idiot Fool. Perhaps this one captures my attention because it is hard to identify our modern equivalent, or perhaps there is something in the specific details that I find compelling. His misshapen head, exposed member, finger in mouth and what the text refers to as a ‘bladder bauble’ makes one wonder if such a fool actually crossed Holbein’s path at one time. Unlike many of the other encounters, which are set in urban scenes, the one between the Idiot Fool and Death takes place in a rocky, barren landscape. Death plays the bagpipes and gently tugs on the fool’s clothing, while the fool looks quizzical and even entertained, unlike most of the other victims, who regard Death with fear and alarm. Is the fool’s lack of concern due to a deficiency of mind or does he, like the Hermit, benefit from a life lived without worldly desire? Holbein’s images also contain objects and details contemporary to the time, a feature highlighted in the introduction to my edition. The writer notes the variety of instruments, costumes, furniture, etc, ending with “Whatever one’s profession, business, or special hobby, he is sure to find relevant interesting illustrations in the following pages”, as if trying to ignore that the subject of death is quite relevant enough.

Holbein’s Dance of Death was printed in 1538. It was immensely popular. In addition to the eleven editions published in the subsequent twenty years or so, it inspired around a hundred unauthorized copies or imitations. Most notable of the subsequent versions influenced by Holbein’s imagery are the dramatic and elaborate series by the Baroque artists Rudolf and Conrad Meyer, whose Sterbensspiegel was published in 1650. By the 1800s, many examples of the genre return to a stripped-down allegorical form, isolating the figures without backgrounds and eliminating other characters or symbolic props. In one example, a series of delightful 19th-century German ceramics, the context is removed completely. Nonetheless, by virtue of the indomitable structure of the motif and playful text, Death is still the mirthful and mocking equalizer even if the pointed editorial content is subdued.

However, Alfred Rethel’s 1848 Auch ein Totentanz (Yet Another Dance of Death) marked a departure in the genre. Rethel’s Dance of Death is a conservative response to the 1848 revolution, though art historians disagree about Rethel’s political leanings. Yet the message is unmistakable. Unfolding in a sequential series with text below, Rethel’s Dance of Death recasts Death not as a mocking and mirthful dancer but as a political seducer who manipulates the mob for his own purposes. When printed on a broadside, as it was, the six-panel series would call to mind the classic six-panel structure of modern comics and the visual language of editorial cartoons. For example, the first panel presents vices such as Frenzy, Falsehood and Bloodthirstiness as women, who greet and aid Death as he is woken by the revolutionary cries of ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’. The careful viewer will notice Justice tied up in the background.

From here, Death proceeds, in a series of beautifully composed panels, to ride to an industrialized town (wearing an 18th century coat symbolic of the Enlightenment and broad-brimmed hat favored by radicals of the time) and seduce the mob and ultimately incite them to revolutionary violence. In the last panel, Death is fully revealed in his skeletal nature save for a victor’s wreath, triumphantly astride a horse that steps among the corpses — ‘all as brothers, free and equal.’ Death is again the equalizer, but using revolution to do his bidding. With its balanced diagonals, historic details and sharp satire, Rethel’s Dance of Death harks back to Holbein’s aesthetic and message but for entirely different political ends. Although Rethel chose to call it a Dance of Death, the differences in social class are not equalized but championed in the depiction of the perils of revolution.

In contrast, Thomas Rowlandson’s The English Dance of Death (1815) gives the comedic and social satire possibilities of the motif full rein. Nagging wives, leering husbands, fetching chambermaids, obese drunkards in wheelbarrows are all rendered in grotesque parodies of human folly. A pitiless and delighted Death chases, drags or leads the characters to their inevitable fate. As with Holbein, all social stations are represented, although not in the traditional order, and Rowlandson melds the motif with portions of its obvious cousin, the seven deadly sins. The gluttonous, the vain and the conniving all make appearances, as do some curious modern equivalents such as the Quack Doctor, the Catchpole (tax collector) and Genealogist. Only a few appear noble, such as the  Recruit, which only serves to show death at its cruellest. In both style and content, it seems that Rowlandson’s Dance of Death is the clearest expression of the motif as editorial cartoon.

Despite adopting the title and exploring the social foibles and hypocrisy of Holbein’s template, Rowlandson was not slavish in his interpretation. This is true of many modern  riffs on the motif. Today, the Dance of Death’s most enduring feature, that of the personification of Death, is unleashed in all sorts of forms and permutations, though some themes recur. For instance, many of the images in the war-related artwork of the Richard Harris Collection, including works by Goya, Käthe Kollwitz, Otto Dix and John Heartfield, draw on the Dance of Death theme, with antecedents in post-Holbein images of Death taking the soldier as well as Rethel’s repurposing. It is, of course, inevitable that the figure of Death and war are linked and, interesting that this is more often in the form of a print rather than an original painting – so much the better for wide distribution.

Perhaps the most curious and inscrutable of the Dance of Death’s permutations is that of the Death and the Maiden. First appearing in Germany in the early 1500s, the motif is typified by a skeletal figure embracing a naked woman in the bloom of her youth. Erotically charged and tinged with the taboo, it reads like a censored panel of the Dance of Death. It has inspired generations of artists, from Edvard Munch to Joseph Beuys. One modern depiction, attributed to the prolific poster designer Josef Fenneker in 1919 used the image to promote a film written by Fritz Lang that purports to be about a beautiful dancer exploited by a cripple to lure men to their deaths. Like the original mural at the Cimetière des Innocents, the film, entitled Der Totentanz ((Dance of Death), is lost to time.

In contemplating the original mural and all the subsequent Dance of Deaths, one wonders if they had the intended effect of inspiring a more virtuous populace. One can imagine how the less fortunate classes may have taken pleasure in seeing their oppressors and those lucky enough to be born into wealth brought low by the great equalizer. Perhaps the effect was less like a photograph that might inspire empathy and more like the editorial cartoon, that tireless tormentor of the corrupt blowhard. It is not hard to imagine a bit of comfort being derived by applying this motif to the least humble and most privileged in today’s society. I suspect such an image would go viral much faster than something closer to the cautionary intent of the original Dance of Death.  For instance, a conscience-prodding image that shows shoppers being chased by Death through a climate-changed landscape may have more power than an image seeking to elicit sympathy by depicting a migrant welcoming Death in the desert. For whatever ends, and whichever side of human nature it appeals to, the adaptability of the Dance of Death comes from a universality that extends beyond content to form. In fact the single image with a single caption, a form once seen in the mural of a Parisian cemetery, is referred to by contemporary cartoonists as a ‘gag’ comic. The term not only conjures up the involuntary laugh but also the deathly grip. The mirthful grinning skull is the dark punchline, reminding us that the joke is on us. All of us.

This essay appears, with many other essays and hundreds of images in Death: A Graveside Companion edited by Joanna Ebenstein, a must have for anyone interested in this subject.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Padre Pio and Emilia Sanguinetti

Story with Images:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/padre-pio-emilia-sanguinet-harold-baines/?published=t

Emilia (Spillmann) Sanguinetti and Guglielmo Sanguinetti

Emilia chose to live in humility and self efficacy commitment to her husband "the doctor"

***

Padre Pio and Emilia Sanguinetti (Caption for image on linked page)

by Marianna Iafelice

"Today 13 July 1975, I Emilia Sanguinetti Spillmann, in the full possession of my faculties and forever grateful to the Capuchin Friars of San Giovanni Rotondo for taking care of the burial of my husband, request that my mortal remains be placed to rest here in San Giovanni Rotondo in the grave plot purchased by me beside my beloved husband Guglielmo. I desire that my funeral be held in the church of San Giovanni Rotondo."

This was the last testament of Emilia Spillmann Sanguinetti, or "Mi" as she was nicknamed by friends, and who would leave this world on 2 July 1977 silently, with the same self-effacing humility that characterize her whole life.

Emilia was a good-looking woman, from a well-to-do family and with a strong character, nevertheless she chose to live in the shadow, and because of this quality and her commitment to her husband, "the doctor" and Padre Pio's Apostolic Work, she struck everyone as an angel of goodness.

Emilia came to San Giovanni Rotondo for the first time in 1934, but she had learnt of Padre Pio much earlier. She had read an article on the Friar in the home of her in-laws during the first years of her marriage and had been captivated by him.

However, she left it at that. Then different events brought her closer to him. A friend and relation of Pope Pius XII, the Marquis Gerini Pacelli, came back from a visit to San Giovanni Rotondo and brought her greetings from Padre Pio. On another occasion, Emilia requested a patient of her husband, a farmer, who was going down to the Padre to ask him to pray for an increase of faith for herself and especially for her husband who was then critical of the Church.

Another person who helped in her coming closer to Padre Pio was a spiritual daughter of the Padre, Elena Bandini, who lived in the Mugello region in Northern Tuscany like the Sanguinetti's and who in 1937 would move down to live permanently in San Giovanni Rotondo. Suffering from poor health Elena Bandini would be visited by Dr. Sanguinetti, and whenever he went to her home, he would be confronted with a large photograph of Padre Pio in her bedroom.

This image had a disturbing effect on him and would often be the cause of heated arguments with his wife, who instead was finding herself "drawn to religion always more," and "reading books on religion and Sacred Scripture." "It was as if there was a new light within me," she would recount. "And I would talk with my husband about these things and he would listen to me quite interested which also surprised me."

And then before Christmas one year, Emilia felt the strong desire to go to confession. She asked her husband to accompany her to a priest, Msgr. Arturo Bonardi at Borgo San Lorenzo. And while there she would recall, "as I was making my thanksgiving, I heard someone close to me crying and I realized that it was my husband. I asked him what was the matter and he answered me that he suddenly felt as if a great abyss had opened up between us separating us forever. After many years away from the Church, he made up his mind to go to confession and receive Communion. It was a very beautiful Christmas for us."

Their first visit to Padre Pio was a birthday present from the doctor to his wife. In later years she would recount how this came about. "Every year my husband would give me a present for my birthday, but that year I asked him if instead he could take me to San Giovanni Rotondo. He was somewhat skeptical about the Padre and so answered: 'Yes, I will take you, but only as your driver; as I would not like you to be on your own should you discover him to be a person who is deranged or an epileptic.'"

Towards the end of the month of May, along with Elena Bandini, Dr. Sanguinetti and his wife Emilia, drove down to San Giovanni Rotondo in their Fiat Balilla to meet Padre Pio. It was around 8:00 PM when they arrived and the doctor not knowing the cloistral regulations of the friary, knocked at the main door, while Emilia waited in the car. A lay brother came to answer the door and began to severely tell the doctor: "How rude can you be to come knocking at this hour! We are closed now!" When the doctor got back into the car he simply said to his wife: "Well that's a fine beginning! I have just been told that I am very rude!"

They both saw the Padre for the first time the following morning in the church during holy Mass and when Emilia asked her husband: "What do you think?" He said gently to her: "He's a man of God." The doctor was so struck by him on this visit that they stayed for several days longer than they planned to be close to Padre Pio. Later on Emilia stated that they had put up with all kinds of hardships during this visit.

During one of her first confessions to Padre Pio, Emilia was unable to hold herself back from exclaiming, "Padre how beautiful it is to live here close to you!" He answered her, "Well why not remain always!" to which she said, "I can't because of my husband's work!" Then the Padre in a quite commanding tone, answered her, "Send him away, and remain always here!" She was so taken back by this answer that she was at a loss to what to do and when she asked him, "But how am I to tell him?" Padre Pio went on to explain, "But what have you understood. I don't separate anyone, you must leave and then return together."

A few months later the Sanguinetti's returned to San Giovanni Rotondo and Padre Pio said to the doctor: "We must build three tabernacles, three tents: one for Jesus, one for you and one for me! How beautiful that would be! You must remain here forever!"

Emilia recalled that during one of these encounters that Padre Pio had asked her husband to stay and work for him: "Doctor, I need your help. I have to build a hospital here and you shall be my doctor." But her husband, not being from the place and already with a job, answer: "Padre, no. It's impossible, because even if I left my job and came to work here I would be unable to practice my profession in San Giovanni Rotondo, because I would be taken the patients of the other doctors." The Padre responded at once: "And yet I tell you that you will come here, and you will help me with this construction."

Sometime later, Emilia would often recall their final journey down to San Giovanni Rotondo after Padre Pio had convinced them to work for him. The removal van was unable to bring all their antique furniture and so some had to be left behind. When they stopped along the way to refuel at a petrol station they discovered that some of the woolen mattresses had been stolen. But nothing could make them lose heart as they knew that they had made the right decision. Guglielmo and Emilia remained always convinced of this. They had been united in this way ever since they had first met during their school years in Rome, and they would remain so until that dawn of 6 September 1954, when the Lord would unexpectedly call to Himself the doctor.

How did Emilia take the loss of a husband. After a few weeks of what Emilia described as "very great sadness," she returned to work and dedicated the rest of her life to her husband's work on behalf of Padre Pio.

Her noble, unassuming nature, her dignified beauty that was never showy nor vulgar was greatly admired. Emilia could be described as a modern woman, if by being modern one does not mean a shallow emancipation but rather that capacity to stay at the side of a man with an important position as an equal and without rivalry.

Even though not seen in the front rows at the important official occasions with her husband, she was always close to him, especially during the many inevitable times of trial. She was modern even in the way she dressed. She never felt obliged to follow the fashion trends of the day, yet, she was never inelegant. A woman of simplicity and refinement with a fervent faith, despite the fact she was unable to have children, Emilia never became bitter but grew daily in perfection. She was always able to go forward in life even when, just as those children that never came, her husband was taken from her. She could is spent her remaining years in mourning as what expected of widows by society in those years. Instead she rolled up her sleeves and got down to work, doing what she could to continue her husband's work.

The facts of Emilia and Guglielmo Sanguinetti's life have recently been falsified in a popular book by the Italian author Enrico Malatesta "Padre Pio il Santo delle Stigmate" (Padre Pio the Saint with the Stigmata). One can only be saddened by these errors that have now spread. The inaccuracies of this author go even to the point of mistaking Emilia for the "daughter" of Sanguinetti. He erroneously describes Dr. Sanguinetti as the first director of the Hospital for the Relief of Suffering, and even suggests that he may not have saved his soul. He writes: "Padre Pio was not an infallible 'saint.' The daughter of Dr. Guglielmo Sanguinetti, the first director of the Home for the Relief of Suffering, went to the friar to ask for a grace for her father who was dying. She dreamt of Padre Pio who was knocking at a door that would not open until blood ran from the knuckles of his hands. When Dr. Sanguinetti died, Padre Pio told his daughter that he had knocked at great length on the door of heaven for her father but that the door had not been opened."

How any serious writer can be so inaccurate is beyond comprehension! But we will leave it at that as otherwise we risk going against all that the Sanguinetti's taught us by their lives.

Out of respect to them we wish just to share with you a few lines from the friary chronicles dated 7 September 1954, the day after the death of Dr. Sanguinetti. In my opinion these important words are enough: "The day after Dr. Sanguinetti's death a spiritual child asked the Padre: 'Can we at least be sure of his eternal salvation?' And he was given the answer: 'Well if he did not save his soul then there would be little hope for anyone!'"

Someone has certainly got the facts wrong. It certainly was not Padre Pio!

Padre Pio celebrated Mass and made a speech on the day of the grand opening of the hospital on May 5, 1956. (Caption for image on linked page).

From the minute of the first meeting: "It is agreed that everything undertaken must be subject to Padre Pio's advice."  Padre Pio refused to consider a bank loan. (Caption for image on linked page)

Home For The Relief Of The Sick And Suffering (Caption for image on linked page)

Padre Pio:"Nothing is too good or too beautiful for the sick and suffering."

[bloggmylyf]

Colosseum

Location–Regio IV Templum Pacis (“Temple of Peace”).                                                                              Built in–70-80.A.D.                                                                                                                                                Type of Structure–Amphitheatre.                                                                                                                      Built by/for-Vespasian, Titus.                                                                                                                            

The Colosseum or Coliseum (/kɒləˈsiːəm/ kol-ə-see-əm), also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio [aŋfiteˈaːtro ˈflaːvjo] or Colosseo [kolosˈsɛːo]), is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and sand, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72, and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96). These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name (Flavius).

The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, having an average audience of some 65,000; it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles (for only a short time as the hypogeum was soon filled in with mechanisms to support the other activities), animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Although partially ruined because of damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and also has links to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit “Way of the Cross” procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.

The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.

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Map the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum’s original Latin name was Amphitheatrum Flavium, often anglicized as Flavian Amphitheatre. The building was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty, following the reign of Nero. This name is still used in modern English, but generally the structure is better known as the Colosseum. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name Amphitheatrum Caesareum (with Caesareum an adjective pertaining to the title Caesar), but this name may have been strictly poetic as it was not exclusive to the Colosseum; Vespasian and Titus, builders of the Colosseum, also constructed an amphitheater of the same name in Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli).

The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby (the statue of Nero was named after the Colossus of Rhodes). This statue was later remodeled by Nero‘s successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero’s head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome.

In the 8th century, a famous epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede celebrated the symbolic significance of the statue in a prophecy that is variously quoted: Quamdiu stat Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus (“as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world”). This is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus (as in, for instance, Byron‘s poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage). However, at the time that the Pseudo-Bede wrote, the masculine noun coliseus was applied to the statue rather than to what was still known as the Flavian amphitheatre.

The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name “Colosseum” had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.

The name further evolved to Coliseum during the Middle Ages. In Italy, the amphitheatre is still known as il Colosseo, and other Romance languages have come to use similar forms such as Coloseumul (Romanian), le Colisée (French), el Coliseo (Spanish) and o Coliseu (Portuguese).

History

Construction, inauguration and the Roman renovations

The site chosen was a flat area on the floor of a low valley between the Caelian, Esquiline and Palatine Hills, through which a canalised stream ran. By the 2nd century BC the area was densely inhabited. It was devastated by the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64, following which Nero seized much of the area to add to his personal domain. He built the grandiose Domus Aurea on the site, in front of which he created an artificial lake surrounded by pavilions, gardens and porticoes. The existing Aqua Claudia aqueduct was extended to supply water to the area and the gigantic bronze Colossus of Nero was set up nearby at the entrance to the Domus Aurea.

The Colosseum 

Although the Colossus was preserved, much of the Domus Aurea was torn down. The lake was filled in and the land reused as the location for the new Flavian Amphitheatre. Gladiatorial schools and other support buildings were constructed nearby within the former grounds of the Domus Aurea. Vespasian’s decision to build the Colosseum on the site of Nero’s lake can be seen as a populist gesture of returning to the people an area of the city which Nero had appropriated for his own use. In contrast to many other amphitheatres, which were located on the outskirts of a city, the Colosseum was constructed in the city centre; in effect, placing it both symbolically and precisely at the heart of Rome.

Sestertius of Titus celebrating the inauguration of the Colosseum (minted 80.A.D.)

Construction was funded by the opulent spoils taken from the Jewish Temple after the Great Jewish Revolt in 70 AD led to the Siege of Jerusalem. According to a reconstructed inscription found on the site, “the emperor Vespasian ordered this new amphitheatre to be erected from his general’s share of the booty.” Along with the spoils, estimated 100,000 Jewish prisoners were brought back to Rome after the war, and many contributed to the massive workforce needed for construction. The slaves undertook manual labor such as working in the quarries at Tivoli where the travertine was quarried, along with lifting and transporting the quarried stones 20 miles from Tivoli to Rome. Along with this free source of unskilled labor, teams of professional Roman builders, engineers, artists, painters and decorators undertook the more specialized tasks necessary for building the Colosseum.

Cross-Section from the Lexikon der gesamten technik (1904) 

Construction of the Colosseum began under the rule of Vespasian in around 70–72 AD (73-75 AD according to some sources) The Colosseum had been completed up to the third story by the time of Vespasian’s death in 79. The top level was finished by his son, Titus, in 80, and the inaugural games were held in A.D. 80 or 81. Dio Cassius recounts that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during the inaugural games of the amphitheatre. Commemorative coinage was issued celebrating the inauguration. The building was remodelled further under Vespasian’s younger son, the newly designated Emperor Domitian, who constructed the hypogeum, a series of underground tunnels used to house animals and slaves. He also added a gallery to the top of the Colosseum to increase its seating capacity.

A map of Central Rome during the Roman Empire, with the Colosseum at the upper right corner.

In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged by a major fire (caused by lightning, according to Dio Cassius) which destroyed the wooden upper levels of the amphitheatre’s interior. It was not fully repaired until about 240 and underwent further repairs in 250 or 252 and again in 320. Gladiatorial fights are last mentioned around 435. An inscription records the restoration of various parts of the Colosseum under Theodosius II and Valentinian III (reigned 425–455), possibly to repair damage caused by a major earthquake in 443; more work followed in 484 and 508. The arena continued to be used for contests well into the 6th century. Animal hunts continued until at least 523, when Anicius Maximus celebrated his consulship with some venationes, criticised by King Theodoric the Great for their high cost.

Medieval

The Colosseum underwent several radical changes of use during the medieval period. By the late 6th century a small chapel had been built into the structure of the amphitheater, though this apparently did not confer any particular religious significance on the building as a whole. The arena was converted into a cemetery. The numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and workshops, and are recorded as still being rented out as late as the 12th century. Around 1200 the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle.

Map of Medieval Rome depicting the Colosseum  

Severe damage was inflicted on the Colosseum by the great earthquake in 1349, causing the outer south side, lying on a less stable alluvial terrain, to collapse. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome. A religious order moved into the northern third of the Colosseum in the mid-14th century  and continued to inhabit it until as late as the early 19th century. The interior of the amphitheater was extensively stripped of stone, which was reused elsewhere, or (in the case of the marble façade) was burned to make quicklime. The bronze clamps which held the stonework together were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today.

Modern

During the 16th and 17th century, Church officials sought a productive role for the Colosseum. Pope Sixtus V (1585–1590) planned to turn the building into a wool factory to provide employment for Rome’s prostitutes, though this proposal fell through with his premature death. In 1671 Cardinal Altieri authorized its use for bullfights; a public outcry caused the idea to be hastily abandoned.

In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV endorsed the view that the Colosseum was a sacred site where early Christians had been martyred. He forbade the use of the Colosseum as a quarry and consecrated the building to the Passion of Christ and installed Stations of the Cross, declaring it sanctified by the blood of the Christian martyrs who perished there (see Significance in Christianity). However, there is no historical evidence to support Benedict’s claim, nor is there even any evidence that anyone prior to the 16th century suggested this might be the case; the Catholic Encyclopedia concludes that there are no historical grounds for the supposition, other than the reasonably plausible conjecture that some of the many martyrs may well have been.

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The Colosseum in a 1757 engraving by Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Allied troops consult a guidebook outside the Colosseum after liberation in 1944

Later popes initiated various stabilization and restoration projects, removing the extensive vegetation which had overgrown the structure and threatened to damage it further. The façade was reinforced with triangular brick wedges in 1807 and 1827, and the interior was repaired in 1831, 1846 and in the 1930s. The arena substructure was partly excavated in 1810–1814 and 1874 and was fully exposed under Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.

The Colosseum is today one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions, receiving millions of visitors annually. The effects of pollution and general deterioration over time prompted a major restoration programme carried out between 1993 and 2000, at a cost of 40 billion Italian lire ($19.3m / €20.6m at 2000 prices).

1747 view by Giovanni Paolo Panini, emphasizing the semi-rural environs of the Colosseum at the time

In recent years the Colosseum has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment, which was abolished in Italy in 1948. Several anti–death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Colosseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome change the color of the Colosseum’s night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released, or if a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty. Most recently, the Colosseum was illuminated in gold in November 2012 following the abolishment of capital punishment in the American state of Connecticut in April 2012.

Interior of the Colosseum, Rome (1832) by Thomas Cole, showing the Stations of the Cross around the arena and the extensive vegetation

Because of the ruined state of the interior, it is impractical to use the Colosseum to host large events; only a few hundred spectators can be accommodated in temporary seating. However, much larger concerts have been held just outside, using the Colosseum as a backdrop. Performers who have played at the Colosseum in recent years have included Ray Charles (May 2002), Paul McCartney (May 2003), Elton John (September 2005), and Billy Joel (July 2006).

Physical Description

Exterior

Unlike earlier Greek theatres that were built into hillsides, the Colosseum is an entirely free-standing structure. It derives its basic exterior and interior architecture from that of two Roman theatres back to back. It is elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide, with a base area of 24,000 square metres (6 acres). The height of the outer wall is 48 meters (157 ft / 165 Roman feet). The perimeter originally measured 545 meters (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet). The central arena is an oval 87 m (287 ft) long and 55 m (180 ft) wide, surrounded by a wall 5 m (15 ft) high, above which rose tiers of seating.

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The Colosseum today as a background to the busy metropolis

The exterior of the Colosseum, showing the partially intact outer wall (left) and the mostly intact inner wall (center and right)

The outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic metres (3,531,467 cubic feet) of travertine stone which were set without mortar; they were held together by 300 tons of iron clamps. However, it has suffered extensive damage over the centuries, with large segments having collapsed following earthquakes. The north side of the perimeter wall is still standing; the distinctive triangular brick wedges at each end are modern additions, having been constructed in the early 19th century to shore up the wall. The remainder of the present-day exterior of the Colosseum is in fact the original interior wall.

The surviving part of the outer wall’s monumental façade comprises three stories of superimposedarcades surmounted by a podium on which stands a tall attic, both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals. The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian pilasters. Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from Classical mythology.

Two hundred and forty mast corbels were positioned around the top of the attic. They originally supported a retractable awning, known as the velarium, that kept the sun and rain off spectators. This consisted of a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center It covered two-thirds of the arena, and sloped down towards the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors, specially enlisted from the Roman naval headquarters at Misenum and housed in the nearby Castra Misenatium, were used to work the velarium.

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Entrance LII of the Colosseum, with Roman numerals still visible

Original façade of the Colosseum

The Colosseum’s huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadiums to deal with the same problem. The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators. Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase. The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite. All four axial entrances were richly decorated with painted stucco reliefs, of which fragments survive. Many of the original outer entrances have disappeared with the collapse of the perimeter wall, but entrances XXIII (23) to LIV (54) survive.

Spectators were given tickets in the form of numbered pottery shards, which directed them to the appropriate section and row. They accessed their seats via vomitoria (singular vomitorium), passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind. These quickly dispersed people into their seats and, upon conclusion of the event or in an emergency evacuation, could permit their exit within only a few minutes. The name vomitoria derived from the Latin word for a rapid discharge, from which English derives the word vomit.

Interior seating

According to the Codex-Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodate 87,000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000. They were seated in a tiered arrangement that reflected the rigidly stratified nature of Roman society. Special boxes were provided at the north and south ends respectively for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena. Flanking them at the same level was a broad platform or podium for the senatorial class, who were allowed to bring their own chairs. The names of some 5th century senators can still be seen carved into the stonework, presumably reserving areas for their use.

The raked areas that once held seating

The tier above the senators, known as the maenianum primum, was occupied by the non-senatorial noble class or knights (equites). The next level up, the maenianum secundum, was originally reserved for ordinary Roman citizens (plebeians) and was divided into two sections. The lower part (the immum) was for wealthy citizens, while the upper part (the summum) was for poor citizens. Specific sectors were provided for other social groups: for instance, boys with their tutors, soldiers on leave, foreign dignitaries, scribes, heralds, priests and so on. Stone (and later marble) seating was provided for the citizens and nobles, who presumably would have brought their own cushions with them. Inscriptions identified the areas reserved for specific groups.

Another level, the maenianum secundum in legneis, was added at the very top of the building during the reign of Domitian. This comprised a gallery for the common poor, slaves and women. It would have been either standing room only, or would have had very steep wooden benches. Some groups were banned altogether from the Colosseum, notably gravediggers, actors and former gladiators.

Diagram of the levels of seating.

Each tier was divided into sections (maeniana) by curved passages and low walls (praecinctiones or baltei), and were subdivided into cunei, or wedges, by the steps and aisles from the vomitoria. Each row (gradus) of seats was numbered, permitting each individual seat to be exactly designated by its gradus, cuneus, and number.

Arena and hypogeum

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The Colosseum arena, showing the hypogeum now filled with walls. The walls were added early in the Colosseum’s existence when it was decided it would no longer be flooded and used for naval battles.

Latin inscription in the Colosseum

The arena itself was 83 meters by 48 meters (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet). It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning “underground”). The hypogeum was not part of the original construction but was ordered to be built by Emperor Domitian. Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen.

The hypogeum was connected by underground tunnels to a number of points outside the Colosseum. Animals and performers were brought through the tunnel from nearby stables, with the gladiators’ barracks at the Ludus Magnus to the east also being connected by tunnels. Separate tunnels were provided for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins to permit them to enter and exit the Colosseum without needing to pass through the crowds.

Detail of the hypogeum

Substantial quantities of machinery also existed in the hypogeum. Elevators and pulleys raised and lowered scenery and props, as well as lifting caged animals to the surface for release. There is evidence for the existence of major hydraulic mechanisms and according to ancient accounts, it was possible to flood the arena rapidly, presumably via a connection to a nearby aqueduct. However, the construction of the hypogeum at Domitian’s behest put an end to the practise of flooding, and thus also to naval battles, early in the Colosseum’s existence.

Supporting buildings

The Colosseum and its activities supported a substantial industry in the area. In addition to the amphitheatre itself, many other buildings nearby were linked to the games. Immediately to the east is the remains of the Ludus Magnus, a training school for gladiators. This was connected to the Colosseum by an underground passage, to allow easy access for the gladiators. The Ludus Magnus had its own miniature training arena, which was itself a popular attraction for Roman spectators. Other training schools were in the same area, including the Ludus Matutinus (Morning School), where fighters of animals were trained, plus the Dacian and Gallic Schools.

View from the hill.

Also nearby were the Armamentarium, comprising an armory to store weapons; the Summum Choragium, where machinery was stored; the Sanitarium, which had facilities to treat wounded gladiators; and the Spoliarium, where bodies of dead gladiators were stripped of their armor and disposed of.

  Around the perimeter of the Colosseum, at a distance of 18 m (59 ft) from the perimeter, was a series of tall stone posts, with five remaining on the eastern side. Various explanations have been advanced for their presence; they may have been a religious boundary, or an outer boundary for ticket checks, or an anchor for the velarium or awning.      Right next to the Colosseum is also the Arch of Constantine.

Use

The Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called munera, were always given by private individuals rather than the state. They had a strong religious element but were also demonstrations of power and family prestige, and were immensely popular with the population. Another popular type of show was the animal hunt, or venatio. This utilized a great variety of wild beasts, mainly imported from Africa and the Middle East, and included creatures such as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, aurochs, wisents, Barbary lions, panthers, leopards, bears, Caspian tigers, crocodiles and ostriches. Battles and hunts were often staged amid elaborate sets with movable trees and buildings. Such events were occasionally on a huge scale; Trajan is said to have celebrated his victories in Dacia in 107 with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators over the course of 123 days. During lunch intervals, executions ad bestias would be staged. Those condemned to death would be sent into the arena, naked and unarmed, to face the beasts of death which would literally tear them to pieces. Other performances would also take place by acrobats and magicians, typically during the intervals.

Pollice Verso (Thumbs down), by Jean-Leon Gerome, 1872

During the early days of the Colosseum, ancient writers recorded that the building was used for naumachiae (more properly known as navalia proelia) or simulated sea battles. Accounts of the inaugural games held by Titus in AD 80 describe it being filled with water for a display of specially trained swimming horses and bulls. There is also an account of a re-enactment of a famous sea battle between the Corcyrean (Corfiot) Greeks and the Corinthians. This has been the subject of some debate among historians; although providing the water would not have been a problem, it is unclear how the arena could have been waterproofed, nor would there have been enough space in the arena for the warships to move around. It has been suggested that the reports either have the location wrong, or that the Colosseum originally featured a wide floodable channel down its central axis (which would later have been replaced by the hypogeum).

Sylvae or recreations of natural scenes were also held in the arena. Painters, technicians and architects would construct a simulation of a forest with real trees and bushes planted in the arena’s floor, and animals would then be introduced. Such scenes might be used simply to display a natural environment for the urban population, or could otherwise be used as the backdrop for hunts or dramas depicting episodes from mythology. They were also occasionally used for executions in which the hero of the story – played by a condemned person – was killed in one of various gruesome but mythologically authentic ways, such as being mauled by beasts or burned to death.

Today

The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena, though entrance for citizens of the European Union (EU) is partially subsidised, and entrance is free for EU citizens under eighteen or over sixty-five years of age. There is now a museum dedicated to Eros located in the upper floor of the outer wall of the building. Part of the arena floor has been re-floored. Beneath the Colosseum, a network of subterranean passageways once used to transport wild animals and gladiators to the arena opened to the public in summer 2010.

A Panorama of the interior of the Colosseum in 2016

The Colosseum is also the site of Roman Catholic ceremonies in the 20th and 21st centuries. For instance, Pope Benedict XVI led the Stations of the Cross called the Scriptural Way of the Cross (which calls for more meditation) at the Colosseum on Good Fridays.

Restoration

In 2011 Diego Della Valle, head of the shoe firm Tod’s, entered into an agreement with local officials to sponsor a €25 million restoration of the Colosseum. Work was planned to begin at the end of 2011, taking up to two and a half years. Due to the controversial nature of using a public-private partnership to fund the restoration, work was delayed and began in 2013. As of 2014 the restoration is estimated to be complete by 2016. The restoration is the first full cleaning and repair in the Colosseum’s history. The first stage is to clean and restore the Colosseum’s arcaded façade and replace the metal enclosures that block the ground-level arches. The project plans to create a services center and to restore the galleries and underground spaces inside the Colosseum, including recreating the wooden floor that once covered the underground spaces.

Colosseum Beauty: (*Slideshow*)

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Significance in Christianity 

The Colosseum is generally regarded by Christians as a site of the martyrdom of large numbers of believers during the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, as evidenced by Church history and tradition. On the other hand, other scholars believe that the majority of martyrdoms may have occurred at other venues within the city of Rome, rather than at the Colosseum, citing a lack of still-intact physical evidence or historical records. These scholars assert that “some Christians were executed as common criminals in the Colosseum—their crime being refusal to reverence the Roman gods”, but most Christian martyrs of the early Church were executed for their faith at the Circus Maximus. According to Irenæus (died about 202), Ignatius of Antioch was fed to the lions in Rome around 107 A.D and although Irenaeus says nothing about this happening at the Colosseum, tradition ascribes it to that place.

The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer, by Jean-Leon Gerome (1883) 

In the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was not regarded as a monument, and was used as what some modern sources label a “quarry,” which is to say that stones from the Colosseum were taken for the building of other sacred sites. This fact is used to support the idea that, at a time when sites associated with martyrs were highly venerated the Colosseum was not being treated as a sacred site. It was not included in the itineraries compiled for the use of pilgrims nor in works such as the 12th century Mirabilia Urbis Romae (“Marvels of the City of Rome”), which claims the Circus Flaminius – but not the Colosseum – as the site of martyrdoms. Part of the structure was inhabited by a Christian religious order, but it is not known whether this was for any particular religious reason.

Pope Pius V (1566–1572) is said to have recommended that pilgrims gather sand from the arena of the Colosseum to serve as a relic, on the grounds that it was impregnated with the blood of martyrs, although some of his contemporaries did not share his conviction. A century later Fioravante Martinelli listed the Colosseum at the head of a list of places sacred to the martyrs in his 1653 book Roma ex ethnica sacra. Martinelli’s book evidently had an effect on public opinion; in response to Cardinal Altieri’s proposal some years later to turn the Colosseum into a bullring, Carlo Tomassi published a pamphlet in protest against what he regarded as an act of desecration. The ensuing controversy persuaded Pope Clement X to close the Colosseum’s external arcades and declare it a sanctuary.

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View of the interior of the Colosseum, by C. W. Eckersberg (1815)

Cross dedicated to the Christian martyrs, placed in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

At the insistence of St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Pope Benedict XIV (1740–1758) forbade the quarrying of the Colosseum and erected Stations of the Cross around the arena, which remained until February 1874. Benedict Joseph Labre spent the later years of his life within the walls of the Colosseum, living on alms, prior to his death in 1783. Several 19th century popes funded repair and restoration work on the Colosseum, and it still retains its Christian connection today. A Christian cross stands in the Colosseum, with a plaque, stating:

The amphitheater, one consecrated to triumphs, entertainments, and the impious worship of pagan gods, is now dedicated to the sufferings of the martyrs purified from impious superstitions.

Other Christian crosses stand in several points around the arena and every Good Friday the Pope leads a Via Crucis procession to the amphitheater.

Flora

The Colosseum has a wide and well-documented history of flora ever since Domenico Panaroli made the first catalogue of its plants in 1643. Since then, 684 species have been identified there. The peak was in 1855 (420 species). Attempts were made in 1871 to eradicate the vegetation, because of concerns over the damage that was being caused to the masonry, but much of it has returned. 242 species have been counted today and of the species first identified by Panaroli, 200 remain.

Plants on the inner walls of the Colosseum 

The variation of plants can be explained by the change of climate in Rome through the centuries. Additionally, bird migration, flower blooming, and the growth of Rome that caused the Colosseum to become embedded within the modern city centre rather than on the outskirts of the ancient city, as well as deliberate transport of species, are also contributing causes. One other romantic reason often given is their seeds being unwittingly transported on the animals brought there from all corners of the empire.

Popular culture references

The iconic status of the Colosseum has led it to be featured in numerous films and other items of popular culture:

In the 1953 film Roman Holiday, the Colosseum famously serves as the backdrop for several scenes.

In the 1954 film Demetrius and the Gladiators, the Emperor Caligula anachronistically sentences the Christian Demetrius to fight in the Colosseum.

The conclusion of the 1957 film 20 Million Miles to Earth takes place at the Colosseum.

The Bob Dylan song “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” first recorded in 1971 by The Band and later appearing on the album Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II, mentions both the “Spanish Stairs” (the Spanish Steps) and the Colosseum.

In the 1972 film Way of the Dragon, Bruce Lee fought Chuck Norris in the Colosseum.

In Ridley Scott‘s 2000 film Gladiator, the Colosseum was re-created via computer-generated imagery (CGI) to “restore” it to the glory of its heyday in the 2nd century. The depiction of the building itself is generally accurate and it gives a good impression of what the underground hypogeum would have been like.

In the 2001 movie Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, the Colosseum is destroyed by a meteor.

In the 2003 movie The Core, the Colosseum is destroyed by huge bolts of lightning.

The Colosseum was featured in the video game Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. The Colosseum is of great importance to the entire Assassin’s Creed series as a whole: first, it was an entrance site to a Lair of Romulus, second, the Lair beneath the Colosseum led directly to the Temple of Juno Moneta which housed the Apple of Eden, third, it was used in a Passion Play depicting Jesus Christ‘s crucifixion where an assassination attempt was unfoiled by the protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze and fourth, in the 21st century, Desmond Miles freeran through the maze in the Colosseum in order to find the Temple of Juno Moneta below the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli and the Apple kept in it by Ezio in 1506.

The Colosseum was featured as one of the locations of Vitaly‘s travelling circus in the animated film Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012).

The 2012 augmented reality video game Book of Spells, a companion to the Harry Potter series, features an animated tale about the accidental destruction of the Colosseum by rioting wizards in 1754, and its magical rebuilding before the non-magical Romans woken up by the sound of the explosion arrived at the scene.

A scene from the 2008 film Jumper was filmed in the Colosseum.

In the 2003 film The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Lizzie McGuire performed as Isabella Parigi for the Italian Music Awards.

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