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Melancholy of the Antique World |
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written
by zinnia / 10.24.2005 |
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| melancholy of the antique world |
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Part 1: |
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For the ancient Romans, there lies only nothingness after death, so they strive for immortality by living in the memories of their progeny. They do so by building everlasting monuments that remind their children of who their ancestors are and the grand things they accomplished. The melancholy for the antique world is their solitary dependence on the monuments they built. The ancients put forth a great deal of blood and sweat in erecting the buildings that would pass on their legacy to be revered by future generation. Yet their architecture failed them; and to a certain extend their progeny too. Only remnants are left of the once great edifices. And we are not reminded of any of the things they hoped us to when we observe the ancient ruins. When mentioned in our era, the Colosseum is deemed everything but what it used to resemble. We reflect on the cruelty of gladiatorial combats and sympathize for the captives and slaves. People do not know of the many patrons that built the amphitheater: Vespasin, Titus, Domitian …etc; all who had contributed to its construction so as to be seen as great emperors. To them, the Colosseum glorified Roman empire’s supremacy above all others. I doubt people would commend on such a purpose if they were informed of it.
The Colosseum was built as a place for entertainment. Emperors, aristocrats, as well as common people of Rome came here for leisure and enjoyment. But in a more subtle manner, the ruling body of the empire used the Colosseum to showcase power. What did the Colosseum present to the Roman people? Brutal and ferocious battles between captives and slaves, with the occasional bloodthirsty lion that’s been famished for days. By doing so, captives are – in the eyes of the Roman people – wrongly perceived as inhuman, with the same social status (if there is any) as slaves and animals. Moreover, as we can probably imagine, the fights held in the Colosseum were filled with bloodshed, especially those between lion and man. The vivid spectacle displays these people as barbaric and savage. Since they are depicted as barbarians, and since most of these slaves are captured during foreign conquests, Rome’s invasion to these lands becomes increasingly justified to the populace: ‘they were barbarians, it was necessary that we bring them civilization’. Furthermore, with “barbarians” surging into the Colosseum from different lands, emperors insinuate a sense of superiority to the Roman people so that they see Roman Empire as the sole source of civilization; whereby it is Rome’s responsibility to enlighten the sometimes unwilling “boors”, through war if necessary.
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Part 2: |
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Pompeii suffers a different kind of melancholy. As an archeological site it is indeed much better preserved than the weathered ruins of Rome. The general form architecture of the houses are still visible, their function can thus be easily deduced. Mt. Vesuvius’ outburst in 79 A.D. allowed Pompeii to practically stay frozen in time. Very advantageous for archeologists of course. The conclusions they draw from the city have a more valid basis. But what about the people that was buried there? We may know a great deal about them, possibly even more than about the other Romans. But the knowledge isn’t always the ones that the ancient people want us to remember them by; maybe none of it is. It wasn’t the eruption itself that demolished Pompeii, but rather the unexpected pyroclastic flow that did the job. It occurred just when the people thought that they’ve escaped nature’s wrath and began to resume their daily lives. They never had the chance to consciously set down something permanent to convey their existence. Everything is based on our interpretation and judgment.
Herculanium is not bestowed with any version of melancholy. Unlike the Roman Forum and Palantine hill, much of the city is still intact. The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius hit Herculanium numerous days after it struck Pompeii, preserving the city as it did Pompeii. Notably, because of the time lapse the people of Herculanium got wind of what happened in Pompeii and fled the city. The evacuation left an almost vacant city for the 400 degree heat waves. Naturally, Herculanium avoided Pompeii’s melancholy because of the lack of deaths. The escaped people had the opportunity to immortalize themselves; also to give account of their experience. Nonetheless, the excavation of a peopleless city gives us much to study about the inhabitants who once occupied it. The Herculanian people are neither forgotten, nor confined to judgment comprised solely of interpretation.
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