So here's another blog post. Today we went to the coast and to the mountains. We explored a Latium site (pre-Romans, 5th century BCE ish) in the morning and then took our own chartered two hour bus to the interior of the Apennine mountains. There we visited a Roman colony from around 300 BCE (Alba Fucens by name, if you want to look it up). This was my favorite day trip we've taken, and I always prefer to be outside on site, than inside at museums, so I was happy. I also had time to explore on my own, instead of being tied to the group, which is another perk. You guys love pictures, so here's the photos of the day:
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| First stop, best preserved Archaic temple, still doesn't thrill me |
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| He followed us around the first site. Would love to pet him, but stray dogs=fleas |
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| In the mountains, as you will see. |
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| Amphitheater |
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| Main road through settlement |
That mountain site looks like a lovely place for a settlement in any age. Glad you enjoyed the outing.
ReplyDeleteMy question and it is a standard question that I always ask is why there? What made this place so wonderful to build an amphitheater? Something like that just doesn't show up in every Roman settlement. In other words (to quote you when you were younger) HOW COME...
ReplyDeleteDad
Oh and by the way, I'm glad you're posting again. Inquiring minds want to know.
ReplyDeleteThe development of the site depends greatly on who the patrons were. Alba Fucens is on a prime trade route, as well as acting as a buffer between the Romans and tribes on the East coast of Italy during the 400-200 BCEs, meaning that it had to be fairly well developed to maintain its defense. All Roman colonies had certain civil buildings required to justify the colony, and you see some of the same structures throughout the empire, including in Albania. While it's not rare to see an amphitheater, some of the other developments make this seem like more than just a trading post. Caesar supplies the answer to this question, as it turns out he was a patron of this site, and so was in a position to fund it and warrant a greater level of architectural development.
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