Journal Entry for the Week of February 14 to February 18

They say Rome wasn't built in a day. Watching the documentary "Rome: Engineering an Empire," I'm forced to accept that they were right. The documentary is an astonishing account of the centuries it took for Rome to become the architectural gem it is famously regarded as; and all this while the nation was under the guardianship of leader after leader, dictators and philanthropists, the bloodthirsty and the socially conscious, all part of a tangled legacy that belied the creation of Rome into an architectural utopia, a Mecca for lovers of art and architecture around the world.

It is awe-inspiring to say the least when one views the innovations that took birth in Rome, innovations that we take for granted as part of our technologically superior modern world. The first national highway—as sophisticated as the technology of the time allowed—was built in Rome in 312 B.C. and soon became a sophisticated and efficient navigational route. But for the Romans a road was never just a road; primarily under the meticulous rule of Augustus, these highways also functioned as a political statement. They made the Romans a cunning and formidable enemy to neighbouring nations, a people who used their physical achievements to solidify their socio-political prowess. Looking back on this innovation centuries later, I can almost feel the enemy’s hesitation when debating whether to penetrate Roman walls.

But by far the most incredible feat of Roman antiquity was the construction of the infamous Coliseum, begun under Emperor Vespasian. Vespasian, it was duly noted, was a practical leader who was averse to pretension and put his architects to work for the people. He certainly lived up to this characterization in the construction of the Coliseum. What I found particularly interesting— and admittedly disturbing—was the transformation of old lands into a gigantic entertainment amphitheatre symbolized both Rome’s admirable architectural talent and a more sinister underlying bloodlust in entertainment. Two theatres constructed back to back provided a panoramic 360° view that has been appropriated into immeasurable architectural innovations ever since. The numerous entryways both controlled and comforted the audience; when entering and exiting there was a lowered probability of being crushed to death; some might argue this is a good thing. The Roman architects were mindful of their audience and the weather as well; a retractable awning over the Coliseum provided shelter in the hot days, though this likely offered little comfort to the source of entertainment in Coliseum: the victims of vicious and bloody duels. Indeed, while it was an architectural innovation for the centuries, the Coliseum also underscored the more gruesome attributes of Roman antiquity. Amongst these was the pleasure derived from seeing gladiators being torn to shred by animals, or more excitingly by one another (re: is this craziness, brilliance or just sheer boredom?). A panoramic view certainly must have heightened the experience of bloodshed, as you could truly get a feel for a victim’s agony and a winner’s triumph literally from all angles. The Coliseum is quite a challenge to assess as a historian looking back centuries later. In retrospect, it served as an almost nauseating display of self-indulgence and sadistic entertainment; at the same time, I can’t help but admire the sheer magnitude of the achievement in building such a colossal theatre and the implications it had for Rome as an empire. If Rome is an art lover’s Mecca, then the Coliseum is where these travellers must kneel and worship.