The Coliseum

Thursday June 14th

We rose a little later than expected and took the Metro to Coliseum (after a round about sojourn through Termini Station to find a public bathroom) only to emerge into the sunlight and look aghast at the giant monolith standing there before us, centuries old and fantastically preserved despite its brick and mortar construction...it was almost an hour before we crossed the street to attempt to enter it ...and crowded and noon.  Oh the tour guides!  Oh the lines! Oh the hat venders and the blaring sun.  We decided to bypass the Coliseum in favor of the Palatine ruins which we explored for three hours, much to Courtney's delight.  Then lunch at a cafe overlooking it all (and a nice, personable waiter) and then on to the Coliseum entryway, this time at 6:00 pm and we walked right in!   And inside it was even more impressive with its vast underground mazes of rooms and passageways, its stairs, archways, and elegant yet efficient design.  Who would be able to sense that horrible killings took place there to entertain and placate the masses and to show off terrible Roman power?  After centuries of use, it was slowly dismantled in the mid 400's as the population slowly Christianized and lost its taste for cruel entertainment.  There is a cross at the entrance now and the Pope says Mass there every Good Friday... I prefer to concentrate on the marvel of the structure and let the dead rest in peace.