The first thing I noticed about Rome was the prominence of the Roman architecture. The Roman remains were large and domineering. They captivated the surrounding areas and skyline. In contrast, Greek architecture did not feel as large or intimidating. A notable example of this is the colosseum. This ancient piece of stands as a testament to Roman power and engineering. It can be seen from miles around and stands taller than Kyle Field. It makes the Parthenon in Greece look small in comparison. As a result, I found myself simply wanting to sit and watch the ancient piece of history. The colosseum helped make history come alive. The arch of Constantine also had a similar effect. The size and way it was designed shows the power of the Roman empire and makes you feel small when standing next to it.
The history of how the nation grew to power also became one of the more interesting aspects to me. It was fascinating to see how much Roman culture became influenced by the culture of the Greeks. You can see the influence most notably in the religion and government. The Roman Empire went from a kingdom to a republic to an empire. Each different government system sprouting from the evolution of the people of the empire. Kings served well in the early days but as the nation embraced the ideas and theology of Athens and other Greek states a more democratic system developed. This republic developed as Roman citizens desired more representation and the ability to create change. As for the religion, it is almost an exact copy of Greek mythology. The Romans simply changed the names of the gods then concocted stories that fit their nation’s founding and ideals.
One thing that surprised me was how easily Rome switched from a republic to an empire. I would think that there would have been more resistance from the citizens to maintain the republic government type; however, they were very easily swayed to obey an emperor. I enjoyed studying how a large part of the citizens became content with the idea because of how the emperor would attempt to appease them. The games held in the coliseum being an example. They gave the gave Roman citizens a way to enjoy themselves and the day.
Overall, the most interesting idea to study was how both Greek and Rome evolved over time. I enjoyed being able to see and learn about how they went from a state of constant fighting to a renaissance stage. The Greeks had the golden age and the Romans had Pax Romana. Both sets of years showed how the nations had evolved to a level where they had enough free time to pursue the arts and other activities to fill leisure time.
