Rome Explorations: The Ancient Rome Walking Tour

By Alan Zeleznikar

This book is meant to provide a thorough tour of the ancient Roman ruins and sites of the modern city of Rome. It is not an all-inclusive guidebook; I do not include restaurant, hotel or transportation information. You should augment this tour guide with other Italy and Rome guides from reputable authors and publishers. While detailed walking directions and some maps of the important areas on the tour are included, a detailed map of the city is recommended. For more information on Rome, you can click on the "Rome Tips" link at my website World-Weary Traveler
For dining suggestions, follow the "Rome Restaurants" link.

To read a review about the this book please visit www.linearreflections.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Mar 14, 2008
• ISBN: 9781412249249

Alan Zeleznikar

Alan Zeleznikar is a satellite communications engineer with a deep and abiding love for history and for Rome, modern and ancient. He is the webmaster for the well-known "World Weary Traveler" web site. He grew up in a Southern California beach town but never learned to surf. He swears one day he will live in Italy (or maybe Slovenia, since he's heard the cost of living is lower there).

Book preview

© Copyright 2007 Alan Zeleznikar.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author. Note for Librarians: A cataloguing record for this book is available from Library and Archives Canada at www.collectionscanada.ca/amicus/index-e.html

ISBN: 978-1-5536-9762-6 (softcover)

ISBN: 978-1-4122-4924-9 (ebook)

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Contents

Chapter One—Introduction

Intent

About This Book

About This Author

About This Tour

Chapter Two—Background

A Brief History of Rome

A Brief History of the City

Architecture

Geography

Things to Notice

Chapter Three—The Tour

Itinerary

The Pantheon

Piazza Navona (Domitian s Stadium)

The Largo Argentina Sacred Area

The Capitoline Hill

The Roman Forum

The Colosseum

The Arch of Constantine

Forum Boarium

Theater of Marcellus

The Porticus of Octaviae (Portico d’Ottavia)

Imperial Forums

Marcus Aurelius’ Column

Chapter Four—Conclusion

Discussion Question

Chapter Five—Contact Me

Feedback

Chapter Six-Extras

Pompey’s Theater

The Palatine Hill

The Temple of the Divine Hadrian

The Tomb of Augustus and the Ara Pacis

Basilica di San Clemente

Aqueducts

Diocletian’s Baths

City Walls

Appendix

Dedicated to:

My Italian friends for all the warmth, happiness and good times we’ve enjoyed (and the calender) and my family, for their love and support

Also in this Series

Rome Explorations: The Early Christian Rome Walking Tour

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1—Rome’s Population Through the Ages

Figure 2—The Hills of Rome

Figure 3—Late Imperial Rome

Figure 4—The Tour

Figure 5—The Campus Martius

Figure 6—The Four Temples

Figure 7—The Roman Forum

Figure 8—The Palatine Hill Ruins

Figure 9—The Servian and Aurelian Walls

TABLE OF TABLES

Table 1—Roman Emperor Timeline-O-Rama

Chapter One—Introduction

Intent

Like countless millions before me, my first trip to Rome in December, 1996 left me with a sense of awe and wonder. Every trip I’ve made since (nearly one dozen in the last 6 years) has only deepened my feelings about this truly unique and beautiful city. I’ve tried to infuse this guide with those feelings in the hope that you, too, will fall in love with my city.

This guide is meant as an informative, lively and light-hearted companion to your self-guided walking tour of the ancient city. I hope it is as fun for you to walk as it was for me to write.

About This Book

This book is meant to provide a thorough tour of the ancient Roman ruins and sites of the modern city of Rome. It is not an all-inclusive guidebook; I do not include restaurant, hotel or transportation information. You should augment this tour guide with other Italy and Rome guides from reputable authors and publishers. While detailed walking directions and some maps of the important areas on the tour are included, a detailed map of the city is recommended.

For more information on Rome, you can click on the Rome Tips link at my website (see Chapter Five). For dining suggestions, follow the Rome Restaurants link.

About This Author

The author is ashamed to admit he is neither a historian nor a writer. He is in fact a satellite communications engineer with a deep and abiding love for history and for Rome. He is the webmaster for the well-known World Weary Traveler web site. He grew up in a Southern California beach town but never learned to surf. He swears one day he will live in Italy (or maybe Slovenia, since he’s heard the cost of living is lower there).

About This Tour

This tour guide is designed to give you an efficient and thorough Ancient Rome tour of the Eternal City. It is a walking tour and will take approximately 3 hours to complete not including the time taken inside the various sites visited. It covers the entire central Rome area and requires several kilometers of walking. Sturdy walking shoes, water, a snack (or time out for lunch) and in the summer a hat are highly advisable.

Several busy streets must be crossed, but since traffic in Rome obeys traffic signals this should not prove too difficult a task. If things get too tough, follow an old lady (or a nun—they’re always a good choice) across. A good choice of days for this tour is Sunday, since the city of Rome shuts down Via dei Fori Imperiali and Via del Corso all day, allowing residents and visitors alike to wander the ancient city area freely. Sunday has another advantage; some of the churches that you will visit may only be open that day.

Chapter Two—Background

A Brief History of Rome

Rome was founded in 753 BC (or maybe 754 BC) on the Palatine Hill by Romulus, the wolf-suckled offspring of a god, Mars, and a mortal, Rhea Silvia. A few mud huts with straw roofs formed the first village and marked the start of the Monarchic Age. Rome spent 250 years as a monarchy, with 7 legendary kings: Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Traquinius Priscus, Servius Tullus and Tarquinius Superbus. It was during this time that the first city wall was built, the Roman Forum was first built, the Cloaca Maxima was constructed and the Circus Maximus initially