Rome today. We walked across the world’s longest Roman bridge with the typical arches below while looking at a very modern one with one arch above where the pedestrians walk along through the centre. I suppose this modern pedestrian centre path is very similar to days of old where pedestrians would have walked across the centre. The arched architecture used on this bridge I believe was used by many latter Roman bridges.
After a back and forth stroll soaking up the various islands on each side with their abundance of bird life, the only difference from Roman times would be not having to avoid the carts, in our case just a couple of council wheelie bin drivers. After crossing back we bought our ‘Roman tour tickets’ for half price which was strange because usually it is only Europeans they believe ever reach 70.
It was then a quick walk through the amphitheatre and a much slower one through the theatre where live shows were playing, not soldiers slaying. It looked even more huge than the 6000 seats they claimed were there and in such pristine order, claiming to be the world’s best preserved.
There was segregation of course, but it came in many forms: women had a special area allocated to them high up at the back; Roman citizens were given a section; Roman soldiers another; then children and teachers together; servants and slaves had their spot in front of the women; the prestige areas were for magistrates down the very front and politicians in the centre back.
As a rule the lower classes watched puppetry and comedy, and the higher classes the classics. It was of interest to me that there was no segregation amongst all of us gazing down upon a stage where actors were long gone, and the only segregation that would occur when we buy tickets for a play, depends purely on their cost.
We contemplated our last day as we passed ongoing excavations along one street and Roman temples in another. Tonight we’ll climb to the roof with the storks and drink a shandy. It was to be wine but can’t find a bottle with a screw top. I don’t think it’s the done thing in Europe and we couldn’t locate a corkscrew, cause that’s all they use. The Romans however would not have had the same issue for they stored their wine in jugs with perishable stoppers, so they could remove it by hand, or simply let nature take its course.
