Originally posted on July 15, 2012 by Canicus

Santa Maria in Cosmedin

Today being Sunday I attended the Divine Liturgy at Santa Maria in Cosmedin. This ancient basilica is not usually listed in the tour guides this way. It is customarily listed as Bocca Della Veritas (Mouth of Truth). In a wall at the portico of the church there is a stone face with an open mouth. According to legend if a liar puts his (or her) hand into the mouth he (or she) will drop dead. There are long lines of tourists seeking the opportunity to pay a euro to stick their hand into the mouth. Seeing that people are not dropping like flies, I am somewhat skeptical of the veracity of the Bocca Della Veritas.

One can skip the line and enter the basilica directly. At least parts of it date back to the Constantinian era, if not earlier. It is located between the Circus Maximus and the Forum Boarium (the Roman cattle market). Before it became a church, it was a place for the distribution of food to the poor (Rome did have a tax supported welfare system which Jesus endorsed.) Later it was taken over by the deacons of the Christian Church – continuing the provision for the poor. The area was settled by Greeks. The church continues today to serve the Eastern Rite (Roman rather than Orthodox) liturgy.

Across the street are a couple of well preserved pagan temples. A circular temple in the Etruscan style is sometimes identified as the Temple of Romulus, but is correctly identified as a Temple of Hercules. (The actual Temple of Romulus is in the Roman Forum. It is also round, but without columns.) Next to it is the Temple of Portunus in the more familiar rectangular style.

I mentioned that the ancient cattle market of Rome was also in the neighborhood. It is marked by a four-way arch.

Organizing and packing up for an early departure to Lyon, France early in the morning. I will be returning to Dallas on Friday.

Canicus Modius

Originally posted on July 14, 2012 by Canicus

The Capitoline

There are seven hills in Rome. Please note that the Vatican is not one of the seven, nor was it a part of the actual ancient city of Rome which is on the opposite side of the Tiber river; so those preachers who interpret the Apocalypse as referring to the Vatican have both their geography and history wrong. One of the actual Seven Hills of Rome is the Capitoline. The Roman Forum lies at the foot of this hill to the east. There were apparently small dwellings on top of this hill in the Iron and Bronze Age. Its importance dates to the Etruscan Kings in the 7th century BC. They turned this hill into the city’s acropolis (literally, the “high city”).

A fortified hill top makes a good defensive site to which the people can flee in times of attack. But it is also the theologically correct place for a Temple to one or more of the gods of high places, such as the Olympians. Thus, in Athens, the Parthenon is located atop a high hill overlooking the city. (Note, that even YHWH was such a God with his Temple atop Mount Zion.) All this in contrast to the gods of the underworld who were worshiped in caves and other “low places.” (Consider the Witch of Endor whom Saul sought in a cave to conjure up the ghost of Elijah the prophet.

So the Etruscan kings of Rome fortified the Capitoline and began the construction of a huge temple dedicated to Jupiter the Greatest and Best, his wife, Juno, and Diana. The Capitoline became Rome’s acropolis. It was not the place of ordinary business (that would be done down in the Forum). But it was a refuge in 390 BC when the Gauls sacked Rome. We are told that during that episode, a garrison defended the acropolis. The Gauls did find a way to scale the difficult Tiber side of the hill, but the defenders were alerted to their attempt by Juno’s sacred geese and the attackers were repelled.

The modern Capitoline Museum is atop the hill today. In it one can visit the massive blocks that made up the podium of the temple and the Tabularum, which was the records building of Rome that is located at the extreme western end of the Forum and which affords a spectacular “aerial” view of the Forum. The museum contains a lot of classical sculptures and inscriptions. This year there was also a special exhibit of mostly medieval documents on lone from the Vatican Library, which apparently displaced many regular exhibits. One that was displaced was one of my favorites – the Spinario or Boy with a Thorn. It probably is a favorite because I too was a boy who got stuck by stickers going barefoot; however, we usually were not completely naked.

Canicus Modius

Originally posted on July 13, 2012 by Canicus

Ostia

Ancient Rome was a city of over one million people. Ostia, where the Tiber flowed into the Tyrrhenian Sea, was the seaport that supplied the city with grain and other items shipped from all over the Mediterranean. In a society where bread was the major staple of diet, along with porridge made from grain, the arrival of grain in huge quantities was as critical to the city’s survival as the water brought in by the numerous aqueducts. And while huge grain ships were a major part of the traffic at Ostia, so were ships bearing wine, oil and imports of silk and frankincense. Over time the shoreline has extended several miles from Ostia and it has been centuries since it was an important port city. Much of the ruins remain, sometimes even second stories of buildings which contained shops on the lower level and dwellings above. Also, because of the nature of the city’s economics, much of the ruins consist of warehouses and wholesale dealers’ facilities.

Archeology is discovering new things. When I was in college, we were taught that the Romans did not navigate in open waters, but rather sailed around the Mediterranean, keeping shorelines in sight. Underwater archeology has shown this was not true. Liquids, such as wine and olive oil, were shipped in large anaphora. These are seen in museums and come in all sizes ranging from tiny jars to hole a ounce of precious perfumes to huge barrel sized jars used in shipping. Characteristically, they have rounded bottoms, expand outward toward the top before narrowing at the top with maybe a couple of handles at the top. Archeologists have discovered literal highways of these amphorae between port cities of the ancient world littering the bottom of the Mediterranean. These highways cut straight across the Mediterranean and are only a few hundred feet wide. We are not quite sure why these ended up on the bottom. It isn’t a trail of shipwrecks. One guess is that at least the contents of some were consumed by the people on the ship and then thrown overboard when emptied. It is also possible that if a ship was in danger of sinking, some of the cargo would be thrown overboard to lighten the ship.

Visiting Ostia is quite pleasant. There are lots of pine trees that provide shade and a nice breeze blowing off the sea to make it comfortable.

Today the hotel finally let me buy at one time enough WiFi hours for the rest of my stay in Rome. Only two more days here, and then to Lyon, France. One week from now I will be on my way home.

Canicus Modius

Originally posted on July 12, 2012 by Canicus

The Forum

The city of Rome is approximately 2,750 years old. Cities (or perhaps more properly, city-states) were a center for the agricultural area surrounding it. Most of the population lived on farms, there were few residents who actually lived in the city proper. The city served as a market place, a center of public worship, governmental administration and defense. When the city-state was under attack, the rural population could withdraw within the walls of the city.

The area between the Palatine and Capitoline hills was originally a swamp. Sometime between 750 BC and 500 BC the kings of Rome built a drainage facility (still in use today) to drain the area, where they constructed a major forum. The forum was dominated by the Temple of Jupiter Greatest and Best atop the Capitoline Hill which served as an acropolis for the city’s defense. Down below in a huge area was the forum – and area for markets, politics and civil religious festivals. Considering the small population of Rome at the time and its insignificance in world affairs, clearly the kings envisioned something great for its future.

In the picture gallery I mention the Rostrum and the Tabularum. The Tabularum was where the records of Rome were stored. The Rostrum was the place where public speeches were made to the assembled Romans. The word comes from a Latin word meaning “rooster’s beak.” No, it’s not about orators crowing. Warships had a metal battering ram that resembled a rooster’s beak. Part of the naval battle consisted in ramming enemy vessels. Some of these rams captured from Carthaginian ships during the Punic Wars were installed on the platform.

The eastern end of the forum contained the Temple of Vesta, in which an eternal flame was maintained by the Vestal Virgins who lived in a house nearby. There was also the Temple of Romulus, the traditional founder of Rome. Both these temples are in the round Etruscan style rather than the more common rectangular temples.

Canicus Modius

Originally posted on July 11, 2012 by Canicus

The Palatine

The Palatine hill has probably been inhabited for 2,750 years. Roman tradition has it that Romulus had his “hut” there. There are some round building foundations that are about that old on the hill. That, plus the fact that later Romans held the area to be sacred and did not build there may lend some credibility to the tradition.

From the time of the Roman Republic on, this area was the “high rent” district, where the rich and famous lived. Eventually, in the era of emperors, the hill gave us the word “palace.” It should be remembered, though, that then (and now) a palace was more than the dwelling place of rulers. It provided places for certain events of State and offices (and residences) for bureaucrats. The ancient palace was not unlike the American White House.

It is fun to try to decide who the first Roman emperor was. Some say G. Julius Caesar, some would have Augustus Caesar be the first, and others Tiberius. The word “imperator” designates general of legions. There were imperatori who were not “emperors” in our sense. “Caesar” (from which modern languages get Kaisar and Tsar) is a family name, although beginning with Vespasian, it was bestowed on those we would surely call “emperors.”

Augustus Caesar (born G. Octavius, adopted as G. Julius Caesar Octavianus) eschewed royal titles, preferring to be known as Princeps, i.e., First Citizen. After the battle of Actium he was unquestionably the absolute ruler of the Roman Empire and probably the richest Roman. He did acquire a resident on the Palatine, much of which still stands today. It is quite modest by the standards of the day in keeping with that low key image he maintained in Rome. He did, however had several lavish villas outside of Rome. Next to Augustus’ house on the Palatine is a house owned by his wife, Liva. Roman women often exercised major power through their husbands, and Liva is a prime example. I am not sure whether Liva’s house – which is somewhat more lavish – was her house while Augustus lived, or whether she moved there after his death and when her son, Tiberius (the Caesar of the Gospels) was ruler.

I had planned more for today, but focused instead on the Palatine. I was feeling my age just getting there. It is a 125 foot climb from the level of the Coliseum to the top of the hill. I kept reminding myself that Augustus Caesar at my age climbed this hill virtually every day as he went home from a busy day in the forum.

Today the hotel elevator is not working. Getting internet access is a hassle. I have to get a new user name and password each day. But there is never anyone around to get it from. Tonight they wanted me to go to the fifth floor. I complained enough that they did the running up and down stairs.

Canicus Modius

Originally posted on July 10, 2012 by Canicus

Two Roman Museums

Today I visited the Roman National Museum and the Roman Epigraphical Museum. The former contains a lot of Roman sculpture on its main two floors. The top floor contains a lot of frescoes and mosaics as well as some preserved rooms. The basement contains a lot of common artifacts – jewelry, tools and the like. One of the most extensive collection of Roman and Italian coins in the world is on display in the basement as well. The exhibit includes lumps of bronze dating to probably the 5th century BC, hundreds of bronze, silver and gold coins of the Roman Republic and Imperial periods right up to the Euro coins.

The other museum is located across the street in what was the Baths of Diocletian. It focuses on inscriptions, but there are other items of interest including a lot of ossiaries.

One of the tricks in doing this is that you can buy an Archaeological Card without dealing with lines. The card is good for 7 days and gets you into the Coliseum, the Palatine, the Forum, the Baths of Caracalla and five other sites. About the only two major museums not on the list are the Capitoline Museum and the Vatican Museum.

Today I was robbed. It was the classic heist. I was eating lunch at a sidewalk restaurant. A man came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder to distract me while his accomplice lifted my camera case. I’ll write it off as a botched job though. The contents of the bag are worth less than $100, all replaceable. And mostly utterly useless without a Canon PowerShot camera. They did not take the $500 camera next to the case.

Canicus Modius

Originally posted on July 9, 2012 by Canicus

Transfer Day: Naples to Rome

Today was another transfer day. I checked out of the hotel in Naples and caught a morning train to Rome, arriving shortly after noon. I had considered spending the afternoon at one of the museums near here. I had visited both previously and enjoyed them. The big deal is I could buy a pass for the Forum, Coliseum, Palatine and some other places without having to stand for hours in the sun. But, alas, the museums were closed. I should have known better. In fact, the design of the trip was to make Mondays travel days precisely because many attractions are closed on Mondays.

So I stopped by the nearby post office to buy a box in which to ship a bunch of stuff back home – probably on Friday. It will contain mostly travel guides and maps (with some clothes as filler – all stuff easily replaced in the U.S. if the package goes astray. It does seem that the contents of luggage seems to grow as the days accumulate. Part of it is doubtless due to souvenirs, like books on Herculaneum and Pompeii. But even without that it grows. I remember learning in high school Latin, reading Caesar that the Latin word for baggage was impedimenta – which it certainly is.

I am getting by with one pair of convertible pants and a white polo shirt for churches, a couple of pair of cargo shorts and polo shirts for everything else. All of these are lightweight, wicking and quick dry fabrics. I can rinse them out in the evening, hang them in the shower and they will be dry in less than 24 hours. I did bring a light rain jacket which I will send back with the books. I’ve not needed it and, the truth is, even if I get caught in the rain these clothes will quickly dry.

The hotel is across the street from where I stayed last year. It is really odd; there are three or four hotels all in the same building. Mine is on the 2nd (and maybe other) floors. Here the 2nd floor is what we would call the 3rd floor. Fortunately there is an elevator that is slightly larger than a telephone booth (for those who remember what a telephone booth looks like). The room is about 7 feet wide and about three times as long (including the bath). Unlike the hotel I was in last year there is a table and a chair. And I can actually access WiFi from my room. Last year I had to go to the lobby; in Naples I had to go to the room where they serve breakfast. I can’t say whether it is cheaper or more expensive than last year. Last year it was 1 euro per hour; this hotel charges 5 euros per 24 hours.

The bed in Naples was awful. It was a “full size” bed that seemed to be constructed of two twin mattresses, but with nothing to fill the gap between them. They were laid on a spring frame (like camp cots). The bed here in Rome is the size of a camp cot, but seems far more comfortable.

I’ll not do a photo journal today, I think I took only three pictures, none of which are particularly interesting.

I’m not sure, but I think they have removed that awful statue of Pope John Paul that “graced” the plaza in front of the Termini railroad station – or else they built a plywood box around it.

Canicus Modius

Originally posted on July 8, 2012Canicus

Naples: Duomo

Today, being Sunday I attended Mass at Duomo, the cathedral church of Naples. It is very much in the style of the Italian Renaissance. Somehow I still prefer the Gothic perpendicular of northern Europe and England. Mass was in Italian, with a longish Italian sermon. The “Shape of the Liturgy” is the shape of the liturgy, which enables one to know what is being said even if in a strange tongue; Dom Gregory Dix was right about that. Still a short sermon is even more appreciated if one has no idea what is being said.

After Mass I took a few pictures of the church which are today’s photo journal.

Then to one final lunch of Neapolitan spaghetti. I’ll probably do my last pizza before returning to Dallas. Tomorrow I leave for a week in Rome. I learned last year that Rome is not the city for pizza – there is better pizza at Alfredo’s in Dallas a couple of miles from where I live. This year’s lesson is Naples is not the place for gelato. That’s better in Rome, or at least easier to find.

After lunch I shopped for a newspaper. Seems the news stands do not carry English language newspapers, so I settled for a copy of Le Monde. There is absolutely no mention of Mitt Romney.

There is one page about Le Tour de France, but virtually the whole thing is about Lance Armstrong, his associates and doping.

In front of the Napoli Centrale station there is a plaza dedicated to Garibaldi, the patriot revered for modern Italian independence and unity. My hotel is located on one side of the plaza. The plaza is totally torn up. Part of it will become an underground shopping mall, the other part a park. But right now it is a mess.

Canicus Modius

Originally posted on July 7, 2012 by Canicus

Paestum

Paestum was a Greek colony dating back to the 6th century B.C., before Rome became a Republic and when it was still an insignificant town to the north. It has several temples, one of which is one of the best preserved anywhere in the world.

Getting there is quite easy by train from Naples, although it is somewhat problematic discovering what train you need to take and at which stop you need to get off. It is clearly labeled Paestum, but you may not be able to see the sign from the train.

It is a pleasant walk of about 500 meters (about five football fields) from the train station to the archeological site. There is a modern street running along the edge of the site. You probably could see most of the things of interest from this street. Entry to the site itself requires a ticket which, curiously, is not sold at the entrances. For that you have to visit the Museum which seems to be carefully hidden on the other side of the street in the midst of abundant souvenir shops and restaurants.

One of the confusing things about planning this has to do with a variety of railroads in this area. There is a Circumvenusian railroad which goes to Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabiae. That railroad also runs on the other side of Mount Vesuvius and, if you are feeling ambitious and athletic, goes part way up the mountain where you can get off and climb to the top. You cannot use a Eurail Pass on this railroad. You have to buy tickets at Stazione Garibaldi, which is in the lower level of Napoli Centrale, the main train station. That railroad does not go to Paestum. To go to Paestum you have to board a train at Napoli Centrale that goes to Solerno. (Paestum is beyond Solerno, but the signs at the station don’t indicate this.) You can use a Eurail Pass for this trip. If you don’t have a spare Eurail Day, you have to buy tickets at the station. If you do that be sure to also buy the ticket BACK to Naples, as they don’t sell tickets at Paestum.

On the train, both ways, I saw people swimming in the Bay of Naples. Looks like fun on a July day.

But Paestum is an interesting sight to visit and is apparently becoming more popular.

Canicus Modius.

Originally posted on July 6, 2012 by Canicus

Naples: Museo Nationale Archeologico

Today I had planned on going to Paestum, but I hadn’t figured out exactly how to get there. I suppose for 250 euros I could have taken the packaged tour, but that didn’t seem to make sense to me. So I visited the Museo Nationale Archeologico in Naples (which had been on the schedule for tomorrow) instead.

Note that the photo journal is rated XXX for nudity and explicit sex. Minors under 18 should view with eyes closed.

The museum dates back to the 16th century, when the Kings of Naples had archeological treasures brought to their palace from places like Herculaneum and Pompeii. They were primarily interested in collecting artworks (remember this is the Italian Renaissance) so most of the fine art from those cities ended up here. Some ended up elsewhere in Europe, as the kings from time to time would make presents of some art works to visiting monarchs. Conversely, some other works (such as from the baths of Caracalla in Rome) ended up here as well.

The discovery of Herculaneum occurred when a farmer was digging a well and hit the mosaic floor of the amphitheater. Remember, this was over 60 feet down through solid volcanic rock that covered the city. The well, quite literally became a mining project. Tunnels were dug and statuary were brought up for the king’s collection. The engineer who supervised the mining did make some contribution to archeology by mapping the ruins he explored in his tunnels. He was not particularly interested in “junk;” he was after the fine artwork.

Over the centuries, archeologists have become far more “scientific” and interested in even the junk – and where it was located.

I hope I have figured out how to get to Paestum. I have a couple of railroad tickets which are supposed to get me there and back. Paestum is a major archeological site, but hasn’t become one of the top tourist must-see places.

Incidentally, if you are interested in visiting Herculaneum and Pompeii, I suggest you do Herculaneum first. A ticket can be bought there for both places (and some others) and the lines are virtually non-existent. Buying the ticket at Pompeii involves long lines.

Canicus Modius