Discussion 2 @Roman Forum

I find it troubling that many times “normal people” are not really recognized or emphasized in historical studies. Ancient societies would not have been able to operate without the existence of said “normal people” yet often their contributions are not highlighted. Partially, for this reason, it was hard for me to imagine the City of Rome had existed in some form for thousands of years. Visiting the Roman Forum helped me to picture the age and history of the city better, however. It is still odd to say that I was in the location which Ancient Roman citizens would consider the heart of their city, though I think being there allowed me to imagine streets and buildings filled with people as they would have been in ancient times.  Being in the physical historical location helped me to visualize the everyday person that had existed during that historical period.

 Viewing the ruins of what once was the heart of the Roman city also allowed me to more fully visualize and understand the history of Ancient Rome. The fall of the Roman Republic, the Empirical rule of Rome, and other historical events became things that people actually experienced rather than ones that we only read about. Coming to this fuller understanding was definitely hastened by being in the center of the historical location where these events played out. It was interesting for me to think about what might be left of the American empire thousands of years from now which people may walk through and recall the history of the country.