Only Fragments

As I entered the Palatine Hill a sense of relaxation overwhelmed me. The space that surrounded me mainly consisted of vibrant nature with sections of ancient ruins. While I was an outsider to this space I felt more like a welcomed guest during my early steps. Although the nature appeared to overtake the ruins, there was still an air of majesty to the area. Both architecturally and historically this region is a monumental symbol of Rome; this is where Romulus saw the omen that granted him the ability to grasp control of the region. I truly felt the importance of my setting as a result of this fact. While time has clearly taken a toll on this space, the significance of the antiquity was not lost but found a new home in the modern era. The cars and buses zooming outside the gate did not deteriorate the past but illustrated the flow of people between the modern and ancient realms; this space is a connection between the current Romans and their predecessors. I was free to move through the space for the first few minutes, as there were only natural barriers and the looming ruins off to our left. Everything was enormous, from the ancient human constructions to the bushes. As we continued on our path the ruins became larger and suddenly we were standing before the remains of a massive palace, the emperor’s imperial palace to be precise. I was humbled and felt extremely insignificant compared to my surroundings. I believe this is what the architects desired all along, to make the viewer understand the imperial family’s influence and the strength of the emperor. I was no longer a guest but an outsider. Each building competed with its neighbor for attention; I could almost hear the egos of the previous emperors as they argued whose addition to the region was the most luxurious and impressive. Even in modern times they demanded to be noticed. I had understood the power of the wealthy in historical terms, but until I witnessed the magnitude of these constructions I did not fully comprehend architectural supremacy of the upper class. And these were only fragments of the emperor’s illustrious home.


(Palatine Hill 5/21)