 |
| This is the ancient layout of the Circus Maximus. It was 2000x500 ft. |
So I
finally make it to Rome and we start off with one of the coolest race tracks of
all time, the Circus Maximus. When we arrived at the ruins though, I didn’t
even know I was standing on top of it. I had seen pictures of what it probably
looked like, a massive race track that could seat 250,000 people.
I wasn’t expecting what was there, which was almost nothing. The side we entered
on I saw a larger sand, rock area with joggers running toward the other end. I
was shocked that this was the site of such a massive structure. Looking back at
it now, I’m really happy that all I had was a description of what it used to be
because than I have the shock of seeing what it looks like today. Later that
day we walked past the Coliseum and although it was impressive and I couldn’t
stop staring, I didn’t have that shock of seeing what it actually looked like
because I have seen pictures of it as it is now. Although I would have like to
see more ruins of it, I thought what was left was very beautiful and I was so
happy to be standing on the foundations of one of the greatest structures ever
built. What made me incredibly happy, though, was watching runners and bikers
following the rocky path. It reminded me of a track in a way and even though
the people were not racing, it felt like this place was still being used for its
original purposes which were sports and entertainment. There were people there
who were also playing catch, a source of entertainment and with the runners and
bikers, people practicing their sports. As for an audience that would have
filled the grand stands, there weren’t quite 250,000 people but there were many
on the outskirts of the grounds, where the stands would have been, watching
everyday life and just relaxing. In a way, the core of what the Circus Maximus was
intended for can still be seen but then the question is whether people
understand exactly what the ground they are standing on represents. People may
not see it as I did and just see it as a very large park. In that case, the
significance diminishes and that is a sad thought.
 |
| This is what the Circus Maximus looks like in 2015. If you look closely on the right you can see two dots; those are runners. |
 |
| This is the way the Colosseum looks today. It looks similar to all the other pictures I've seen of it so the shock of seeing it wasn't as great. |
 |
These are some of the few ruins that are located at the Circus Maximus. They are of the concrete grandstands.
|
Great juxtaposition of past and present reactions combined with your own interests!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Rachel! I also agree with your statements as well about the Circus Maximus and that people are still using it as a park and using it for recreation and such, just like they did thousands of years ago in ancient times. Although, I do have a question for you about the track; since people were on it that day and just playing around on it that day, do you think that people should treat a monument like that as use a normal park? It was an important thing back in Ancient times, wouldn't the people have more respect for that place and shouldn't Rome have done something to make it a museum or a known monument of the sort? That is just my views. It is nice that they do play on it, the people, like there would haven been in Ancient times.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you on the Circus Maximus. I did not really think about the Coluseum except for noticing the long lines, which I am definitely not looking forward to when we visit. It is really hard to imagine how tall the stands had to be to fit all of those people!
ReplyDelete