Originally posted on July 28, 2011 by Canicus

This was the penultimate day of my visit. I revisited the “core sites.” First I managed to climb to the summit of the Palatine Hill, where the optimi maximi dwelt in the glory days of Rome.

I located what the signs referred to as “Romulan huts.” They looked rather too substantial to my eyes to be huts although they were circular as the earliest dwellings of Rome would have been. I also found the house of Augustus Caesar to which three “cubicles” are open to the public with mosaics and, in one, evidence of the ceilings. According to historians, this house on the Palatine was “modest” in keeping with the image the Princep (first citizen) wished to convey rather than that of king. His numerous villas outside of Rome were not so modest.

Adjacent to this house was that of Livia–his third and longest wife whom he apparently actually did love. She is also the mother of his stepson, Tiberius who was Emperor after him and ruled during Jesus’ adult life. Her house was more lavish and larger than that of Caesar Augustus. Unfortunately there is no public access to this house. Supposedly visitors can view some of the rooms through windows–which were unfortunately filthy.

There is a spectacular view of the Forum from the Palatine Hill–which is probably why it was a site for the “greatest and best” of Rome’s elite.

I descended the hill into the Coliseum for a second visit, primarily because I had decided I wanted to waste 15 euros on five badly executed imitations of Roman coins apparently fabricated in Great Britain. The main attraction was the Aureus of Claudius–a gold coin (although I’m positive this thing is most likely plastic). Aurei of the imperial period sell for ten thousand dollars and up. There is also a denarius of Caesar Augustus. I have a better, genuine example in my collection worth several hundred dollars. I wonder why the “counterfeiters” didn’t, at least, choose a better example! They say you can tell counterfeit Confederate dollars because they are better than those printed by the Confederacy.

From the Coliseum I took a different route to the Forum–one which took me behind the Trajan Forum. Unfortunately the site behind Trajan’s market was closed. There is much restoration going on there and elsewhere in Rome. You see much of that, as well as archeologists at work, in Rome. Italy may have a national debt that exceeds its GNP, but it is investing in tourism.

I also found a map of the area at a free museum which does the best job I’ve seen of pinpointing the locations of ancient sites. With that I revisited the Forum and spotted things I had previously missed–such as the house of the Vestal Virgins. They were not at home, however.

Picked up a newspaper on the way to the hotel. Seems Cadel Evans, an Australian, has become the first of that country to have won the Tour de France, with the Schleck brothers becoming the first brothers to share the podium in Paris.

Otherwise the world goes on as before. Mass murders in Norway, troubles in the Middle East, media scandals and Congressional Republicans acting like idiots to bring about another Great Depression worldwide.