Happy Birthday, Rome!

Since Antonius: Son of Rome is about ancient Rome, I thought it appropriate to blog about some Latin terminology for the next few weeks, leading up to the city's birthday--supposedly April 21. Rome is one old lady. This year, she celebrates her 2,772nd birthday.

Let's NOT put candles on the cake!

Ab urbe condita (a.u.c.) means "from the city's founding", which most classicists agree was in 753 BC. Today, when one strolls through the Forum Romanum, it's really difficult to get a clear picture of exactly what the city looked like in any given period, since what we see today was built at different times during the archaeological record. My characters--Antony, Caesar, Fadia--they all lived during the 1st century BC, and not many buildings still stand from that period. For those of you reading my book, you'll find that there are a few extant monuments, but not many.

The majestic Tabularium, which encompasses the west end of the Forum is now part of the Capitoline Museum and one of my favorite places to visit. It was built in the 70's BC. There is the ancient Tullianum prison which is now located inside of Church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami in the Forum. And of course, a few bridges, the Via Sacra, and the network of Roman highways like the Via Appia, can still be seen here and there in their original state. Now, portions of the Theater of Pompeius are being excavated in earnest. That site will be a very important part of my next book, Second in Command. Contrary to what most people think, Caesar wasn't assassinated in the Curia (Senate building), but inside the Theater of Pompeius, which was Rome's first permanent  theater.

When you visit Rome's ruins, the sense of past grandeur is overwhelming. And the Forum is a great place to experience the many layers of history ab urbe condita-- from the city's founding.

                                     The ancient Temple of Saturn in the Forum Romanum beneath the Capitoline Hill