Ryan 5 Denarii a Day

“The killer [in a case of patricide] would find himself sewn into a leather sack with a dog, a cock, a viper, and an ape, … would be violently beaten, then dropped into the Tiber” (60).

The beautiful view of the Tiber River does betray its brutal past use in this example of capital punishment.

“Despite the 50,000-80,000 people packing the stands, from almost every angle the arena is surprisingly close and personal” (83).

The floor of the Colosseum did seem quite close despite its size.

“For excitement and spectacle the Circus is indeed ‘Maximus’” (88).

The Circus doesn’t seem very Maximus anymore :/

“Considering the future consequences of the religion he brought to Rome, Peter’s tomb is rather humble and inconspicuous” (124).

Though not technically the tomb of St. Peter, St. Peter’s Basilica is not very humble or inconspicuous.

“The function of these villas is less agricultural than to provide refuge from the heat, noise and distractions of city life” (15).

The fountain of this villa was certainly a change of pace from the city of Rome itself.

“Trajan’s Forum is dominated by this huge column”(122).

Trajan’s Column is quite dominating.

“For visitors, no trip to Rome is complete without a trip to the Forum, simply because so much of Rome’s history happened in this one small valley” (115).

Overlooking the ruins of the Forum and thus the history of Rome made my trip more complete.

“Anyone with goods to dispose of might go to a designated commercial area and set up his pitch” (68).

Kind of similar to the small market in Trastevere which sold fruit, vegetable, and other products.

“Since the government of Rome is concerned only with public order, the job of fighting crime is left to Joe Citizen (74)”.

It is interesting to think about how global economic development has influenced the use of military force and the militarization of police forces.

“The Roman year is packed with festivals” (103).

Such as the street festival which featured a puppet show that a few of us stumbled upon in Trastevere.

“Other celebrations are extremely public, and not only can a visitor not miss them, many visitors also come to Rome especially for them” (103).

The celebration of Republic Day could be classified as an extremely public celebration.

“The main course is meat, game, poultry, and combinations of each, so smothered in pungent sauce that it can be hard to determine what is underneath” (46). 

This passage made me think of the Bolognese sauce that topped this lasagna.

“Dessert is no afterthought, and may well be an extravagance of sweetmeats, pastries, fresh fruit and nuts” (46).

As I had two servings of tiramisu in one night I can confirm dessert is not an afterthought in Rome.

“The tone of the evening will be set by the entertainment. There may be readings from the philosophers, cithara music, or poetic works” (46).

This poem hung on the wall of a restaurant. Though it was not actually read and I couldn’t understand it, it was entertaining to look at.

“The Romans pay great attention to their horoscopes” (71).

Though it was hard to see stars, or at times even the moon, it is interesting to think about how ancient Romans viewed these astrological objects in various contexts.