Out for my Sabbath stroll yesterday, I got a little lost though the statues atop the Basilica of St. John Lateran worked as my compass, I found my way to the Palatine Hill, which made the German Reformed side of me feel a little at home (though I now know “Palatine” has little to do with Germany and lots to do with an official’s status within the empire). As I progressed to the Foro Romano (Roman Forum for those mentally challenged) and looked out over the ruins to the Colosseum all I could think of was Ephesus. The temperature was as torridly hot as last year’s trip to Turkey, the sun as bright, the air as dry, my throat as parched, and the tourists as numerous.
The big difference is that Ephesus died. The city that was there — it was only second to Constantinople in the Byzantine Era — dried up as the harbor filled with silt and thereby cut of commercial access to the Aegean Sea. An earthquake in 614 did not do Ephesus great favors either. But to my untrained archaeological eye, the Turks have done a better job at restoring Ephesus’ ruins than the Romans have with the Roman Forum and its surroundings.
But that is not a knock on the Romans (as if I’m siding with Muslims over Roman Catholics) since they had matters to keep them preoccupied other than ruins and how to preserve them (and how to attract tourists to them). They had a major European capital city to build and maintain. So for all the money that may have gone into preserving the Colosseum in a way that would make it scaffolding-free for ME during MY trip, Rome’s citizens and officials also needed to worry about roads, a metro system, modern art, and pizza.
This means (at least for today) that the ruins in Rome are a lot more ho hum than in Turkey. Even though the Roman ruins are even more Roman than the Roman ruins in Turkey, they have a lot more to compete with in contemporary Rome. Thus far on this journey into one of the world’s ancient cities, I enjoy the competition.
Old Life 
Make sure you grab a gelato at Giolitti’s a few blocks north of the Pantheon. Also, check out Il Gesu the Jesuit church near the Largo Argentina. It’s a 3d technicolor middle finger to Luther. Well worth it.
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wjw, and I just learned in today’s seminar from John McGreevy who is writing a book on 19th century U.S. Jesuits that there is a replica of the Gesu church in — get this — Philadelphia. Talk about a middle finger to the Know Nothings.
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Will you see the Borghese Galleria? Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne is worth the price of admission.
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Patrick D.G. Hart Fermor.
I assume you’re bringing us all back souvenirs.
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“I commented on his blog and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.”
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ec, I believe the gelatto will melt.
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I want the Pope Soap on a Rope. Please.
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Well DG, at least you are in position to enjoy one of the truly great things to come out of Rome: Spaghetti Carbonara – I would recommend trying some before you head out, I have heard it is quite superb there.
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Jed,
Have you graduated yet?
If not, when? Where do we send our cards/checks?
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Erik,
I qualified to graduate in 2 weeks, but I have 2 classes to finish, so I decided to walk in December. Then it is off to grad school, so the journey continues… either teaching HS econ and civics and coaching Wrestling, or off to seminary to join the ranks of the highly educated but unemployed.
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Darryl:
Glad you got to see Rome.
Saw it once too often, too many times, too many trips thanks to Uncle Sam. The last visit, got to the door of St. Peter’s and said, “Never again, this damned hell hole of abuse and lies.”
My reflections are not kind about that city or “those” bishops of Rome. Not a lick.
Regards and may your travels be enjoyable. It is a city that must be visited, notwithstanding my final views of it. (It gets hotter in August by the way.)
Thank God for the Reformation men of the varied nations.
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Jed,
Good for you. Those are both good options.
I’m getting my coaching authorization the next two weekends, although I’m not certain I’ll have time to actually coach. Maybe if I give up online stuff!
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DPV – The last visit, got to the door of St. Peter’s and said, “Never again, this damned hell hole of abuse and lies.”
Erik – Not likely the Rome Visitors Bureau will be taking that up as a slogan any time soon…
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