Being the second leg of our trip, I was a bit hesitant entering Rome. The city was much faster paced and a completely different beast when compared to Athens. My first experience in Rome was just pretty on par with this sentiment, as the first thing we got to see was the Colosseum. The colosseum is truly something not comprehensible unless you’re looking at it. The pictures online and the renderings you can view of the colosseum do it no justice. The sheer size of this structure is massive, the Romans most definitely took the elegant nature of Greek architecture and then increased the scale. I still find it easy to skip over the fact that this city is ancient, and the structures I was walking through were constructed from the eighth century BC to the 5th century AD. The ability, tenacity, and might that the city of Rome held in the timeline of this world is truly incredible. Arguably some of the greatest and most known historical figures came and went during the reign of Rome. From the peace and prosperity under Agustus, to the fear and craze brought by Nero, or the might and firm grip of Caesar, Rome had it all. All which turned to nothing. I find the collapse of the greatest empire of all time to be the most interesting thing to think about when in Rome. Through military prowess, political adaptability, and economic domination Rome was the center of the world for centuries. Despite this, the city still fell. A city so sophisticated crumbled, through a steady decline from within due to corruption, overextension, and seemingly a loss of morals. The ancient city with immense infrastructure, the mightiest military and warriors in the world, and developers of modern philosophy and culture, just couldn’t withstand. I believe modern day Rome to be more of a somber tale rather than mighty remains. Learning about the story of Rome, its growth, peak, and fiery decline, the human spirit can’t help but be crushed ever so slightly. When put into perspective with modern day America we tend to believe that we are the greatest nation to ever exist. But, this is just not the case; Much like the US, Rome had it all and eventually lost it all. After my experiences in Rome, I can only hope that we as a nation and as a society can someday outshine the might of Rome. By holding ourselves to such a standard that once created the power of Rome, and perhaps keeping that standard for many years to come, we can compare.
