Rome via Brooklyn

356 words, 2 minutes read time.

What definitely struck me as very old was seeing how far down the sidewalks and roads were in Ancient Rome in the Sant’Omobono Area. It’s crazy to me to see how the ground level was so much further down compared to the ground level we have today. Not only do we walk around history in Rome, but we are also walking on top of history. In addition, learning about how the Roman government chose what to demolish or preserve, for example, the sacrificial table that was not preserved, I learned there could be so many artifacts and structures that are still hidden beneath the ground just because it was built on top of it. In Claridge, page 283, it says, “The archaic temple is still very poorly known since it is not only trapped under a mass of later structures but also lies below the water table.” This quote was in regards to the temple found in S’Omobono for the fertility goddesses, Fortuna and Mater Matuta. Again, this put into perspective how old everything is since things have been being built upon each other. Also, to me what seemed modern was the jewelry I saw behind the glass in Villa Giulia today. I don’t have a picture, unfortunately, but it was a variety of bangles, bracelets, rings, and necklaces made mainly of gold wire with stones in them. I found them pretty modern because it looked like jewelry that I would wear even today. So, I’m glad to report that I do not consider Etruscan jewelry to be outdated 🙂

I kept seeing a motif of a gorgone, which Medusa is one of them, in many places. The professor explained how some symbols are apotropaic, which means they are symbols that can ward off evil. For example, the lions in front of libraries and Medusa used as a doorknob. It was probably so popular because of how terrifying it looked. I’m sure many people in the past were superstitious and believed in evil spirits, so even I would want something so frightening to be able to ward off the bad spirits.