Statement of Power
The Flavian Amphitheater
Nero was deeply criticized for building his “Golden House” (Imperial Palace) on land devastated by the Great Fire of Rome. Some even started rumors he started the fire just to have the space available. This is probably not true but his “Golden House” was certainly controversial. The power struggle after Nero’s death saw Vespasian and the Flavian dynasty come to power. They built their amphitheater (now known as the Colosseum) right on top of what was Nero’s man-made lake inside the palace complex. The amphitheater was built with the spoils of the Jewish War, including the forced labor of enslaved prisoners. But, today it is most remembered as the site of numerous gladiatorial spectacles.
Readings
Claridge: select portions of Colosseum Valley; Alive! chapter 7
Paired Presentation Topics
(a) Can and should we rehabilitate the memory of “Bad” emperors?
(b) What do we know about ancient urban firefighting and prevention?
(c) How did the meaning of the Colossus (i.e. the statue, not the amphitheater) change overtime?
(d) Why did Mussolini erect these public maps? Which map is missing and why?
Logistics
We’ll first tour the Colosseum and then have student presentations in appropriate locations around the area.
Your ticket for today also lets you explore the Palatine hill and Imperial palaces on your own! A great place for a picnic lunch. Bring Claridge as your guide and get a great view of the Circus Maximus. If you decide to visit the Palatine, feel free to blog about it for extra credit.
THemes
What makes a space public or private? How does the imperial household blur these lines? Are there useful earlier or later autocratic comparisons that can be made to this type of conception of imperial space? What tactics were used in this space to demonstrate imperial control/technological expertise? Who physically did the labor of building the amphitheater? Whose deaths were ‘entertaining’? How is this a religious space? How does this space deliberately interact with what came before?
Blog Prompt
How did today’s sites illustrate the connection between technology and empire? What other messaging about the nature of imperial power was on display? What was the human costs involve in these buildings?
Gallery
Rome via Brooklyn 