Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of
the best of Europe. I'm in Rome,
and this is the ancient Appian Way,
Europe's first super-highway. The gates of imperial Rome are a two-mile
chariot ride this way. Thanks for joining us. ♪ Rome is huge, complex,
and endlessly entertaining, and this is one of
three episodes we dedicate to
the Eternal City. Our focus in this episode...
Classical Rome, once the capital
of the Western world. We'll marvel at the biggies...
the Colosseum... the Pantheon,
the empire's powerful art. Then we'll go offbeat to bike
the Appian Way and be inspired
by Roman engineering. The story of ancient Rome
can be overwhelming. We'll take it slowly, starting where the city did...
in the Forum... and try to bring to life all
this ancient rubble. In a nutshell,
classical Rome lasted about a thousand years,
roughly 500 BC to 500 AD. Rome grew for 500 years,
peaked for 200 years, and fell for 300 years. The first half was the republic,
ruled by elected senators. The last half was the empire,
ruled by unelected emperors. In its glory days,
the word "Rome" meant not just the city,
but what Romans considered the entire civilized world. Everyone was either Roman
or barbarian. People who spoke
Latin or Greek were considered civilized,
part of the empire. Everyone else, barbarian. According to legend,
Rome was founded by two brothers,
Romulus and Remus. Abandoned in the wild
and suckled by a she-wolf, they grew up to
establish the city. In actuality, the first Romans
mixed and mingled here, in the valley between
the famous Seven Hills of Rome. This became the Roman Forum. ♪ In 509, they tossed out
their king and established the relatively
democratic Roman Republic. That began perhaps history's
greatest success story -- the rise of Rome. From the start,
Romans were expert builders, and they had a knack for
effective government. This simple brick building was once
richly veneered with marble and fronted by
a grand portico. It's the Curia. The senate met here
and set the legal standards that still guide
Western civilization. The reign of Julius Caesar,
who ruled around the time of Christ,
marked the turning point between the republic
and the empire. The republic,
designed to rule a small city-state,
found itself trying to rule most of Europe. Something new
and stronger was needed. Caesar established
a no-nonsense, more disciplined government,
became dictator for life, and, for good measure, had a month named
in his honor...July. The powerful elites
of the republic found all this change
just too radical. In an attempt to save
the republic and their political power, a faction of Roman senators
assassinated Caesar. His body was burned
on this spot in 44 BC. The citizens of Rome gathered
here in the heart of the Forum to hear Mark Antony say,
in Shakespeare's words, "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I've come to bury Caesar,
not to praise him." But the republic was finished,
and Rome became the grand capital
of a grand empire. The Via Sacra,
or "Sacred Way," was the main street of
ancient Rome. It stretched from the Arch
of Septimius Severus to the Arch of Titus. Rome's various
triumphal arches, named after the emperors
who built them, functioned as
public-relations tools. Reliefs decorating
the various arches show how war and expansion were
the business of state. Rome's thriving economy
was fueled by plunder and slaves
won in distant wars. Ancient Rome had
a population of over a million at its peak, and anywhere you dig
in the modern city, you'll find remains of
the ancient one. Largo Argentina is
a modern transportation hub, with traffic roaring all around some of Rome's
oldest temples. The Capitoline Hill, which rises majestically
from the busy streets, has long been the home
of Rome's city government. During the Renaissance, Michelangelo designed
this regal staircase. He gave the square its famously
harmonious proportions and its majestic centerpiece... An ancient statue of
Emperor Marcus Aurelius. This is a copy. The second-century original, the greatest equestrian statue
of antiquity, is showcased in
the adjacent Capitoline Museum. This, like the other great
statues of antiquity, is now safely out of
the elements. The museum helps you
imagine life before the fall of Rome. These reliefs show
Marcus Aurelius performing the various
duties of an emperor. Here, as the chief priest,
or Pontifex Maximus, he prepares to
sacrifice a bull. Here, on the battlefield, he grants clemency to
vanquished barbarian leaders. And this one
puts you curbside at a victory parade
with the emperor, the Eisenhower of his day,
on a chariot, Winged Victory
on his shoulder, and trumpets
proclaiming his glory. ♪ The art of imperial Rome almost
always carried a message. This Dying Gaul ,
a Roman copy of a Greek original,
was part of a monument celebrating another victory
over the barbarians. Like any propaganda art, battle scenes
stoked imperial pride. You can wander among heroic statues in
grand halls and look into the eyes
of long-forgotten emperors. And the museum also shows
a more peaceful and intimate side
of Roman life. Here, a boy quietly pulls
a thorn from his foot. At first glance,
these look like paintings, but they're actually micro-mosaics,
made of thousands of tiny chips. This mosaic hung in
Emperor Hadrian's villa. Romans emulated
the high culture of the Greeks, and when it came to
capturing beauty, their forte was making excellent
copies of Greek originals. The Capitoline Venus is
one of the truest representations of the concept of feminine
beauty from ancient times. Like so many classical statues, this is a 2,000-year-old
Roman copy of a 2,500-year-old
Greek original. And this statue,
called the Drunken Faun, is a playful reminder
that a trait of ancient Rome that survives to this day is a fondness for good food
and fine wine. Part of your Roman experience,
regardless of your budget, should be experiencing
a fine meal, and we're doing that al
fresco on Piazza Farnese. We're starting with a great
spread of antipasti ... prosciutto, porcini mushrooms, puntarelle , a
local salad, and fresh mozzarella. As everywhere,
eat with the season. Tonight we said,
"Bring on whatever's fresh." Travelers can enjoy better
restaurants without going broke by sharing an array
of smaller dishes. And now the pasta. I often find the antipasti
and pasta dishes more varied and interesting than the more expensive
secondi , or main courses. Even in early May, it's plenty
warm to dine outside. Dinner within splashing distance
of a tub from the ancient Baths of Caracalla
caps a perfectly Roman day. Rome's a big city,
too big to walk everywhere. Take advantage
of public transport. I like a hotel in
a convenient neighborhood, near a subway stop. Rome's subway system, while not extensive,
is easy to use. From our hotel, it's a straight shot
to the Colosseum. Colosseo.
That's our stop. The Colosseum was
and still is colossal. It's the great example
of ancient Roman engineering. It was begun in 72 AD, during the reign
of Emperor Vespasian, when the empire was
nearing its peak. Using Roman-pioneered concrete, brick, and their
trademark round arches, Romans constructed much larger
buildings than the Greeks. But it seems
they still respected the fine points
of Greek culture. They decorated their no-nonsense
mega-structure with all three Greek orders
of columns... Doric, Ionic,
and Corinthian. Stepping inside,
you can almost hear the roar of ancient Rome. Take a moment to imagine
the place in action. Romans filled and emptied
the Colosseum's 50,000 seats as quickly and efficiently as we do our
super-stadiums today. It's built with two theaters
facing each other -- that's what
an amphitheater is -- so twice as many people could
enjoy the entertainment. Canvas awnings were
hoisted over the stadium to give protection from the sun. These passageways
underneath the arena were covered
by a wooden floor. Between acts,
animals and gladiators were shuffled around
out of sight. Ancient Romans,
whose taste for violence exceeded even modern America's,
came to the Colosseum to unwind. Gladiators, criminals,
and wild animals fought to the death, providing the public
with a festival of gore. To celebrate
the Colosseum's grand opening, Romans were treated to
the slaughter of 5,000 animals. Nearby, Trajan's column trumpets
the glories of Emperor Trajan, who ruled Rome in its heyday. This is a textbook example
of continuous narration. Like a 200-yard-long scroll,
it winds all the way to the top. The purpose? More P.R., telling the story of yet
another military victory. Trajan extended the boundaries
of the empire to its greatest size ever, from the Nile
to the north of Britain. Controlling its
entire coastline, Romans called
the Mediterranean simply "Mare nostrum"...
"our sea." Downtown Rome is a kind of
architectural time warp. You'll see almost nothing
built post-World War II. A striking exception
is this contemporary building showcasing the Ara Pacis. This "Altar of Peace" offers
a stirring glimpse at the pride and power of the Roman Empire
at its peak. Nine years before Christ,
Emperor Augustus led a procession
of priests up these steps to the newly built
"Altar of Peace." They sacrificed
an animal on the top and thanked the gods. The last of the serious
barbarian resistance had been quelled,
and now there could be peace. The empire was established, and this marked the start
of the Pax Romana. The Pax Romana,
or "Roman Peace," was a Golden Age of good living, relative stability,
and military dominance that lasted from
the time of Christ for about two centuries. The altar's exquisite reliefs celebrate Rome's success
and prosperity. This goddess of fertility
is surrounded by symbols of abundance, and this procession
shows a populace thankful for its emperor. The stability and relative
prosperity that characterized the two centuries of
the Roman Peace was due in part to a steady succession
of capable rulers. As visitors,
it's our challenge to appreciate the grandeur
of this incredible city built on the scale of giants. For instance,
when Rome went to the races, it came here,
the Circus Maximus. Imagine a quarter of
a million Romans cheering on careening chariots,
and overlooking it all, the Palatine Hill,
filled with towering palaces. And a visit to
the National Museum at the Palazzo Massimo
helps to humanize the empire. While ancient Rome's
architecture was monumental, its citizens were just people like you and me
without electricity. These frescoes,
a rare surviving example of Roman painting,
bring color to our image of daily life back then. Romans liked to
think of themselves as somehow living
parallel with the gods. These domestic scenes come with
a twist of mythology. And this painted garden,
wallpapering a Roman villa, showed an appreciation
for nature while creating an atmosphere of serenity. Admiring the artifacts
of Rome's elite, from exquisite jewelry to
this delicate golden hair net, we can only marvel at "lifestyles of
the rich and Roman." Many aspects of Roman life
are represented. Roman artists excelled
in realism. This boxer is a picture
of exhaustion, with a roughed-up face
and tired hands complete with brass knuckles. The museum's collection tells
the empire's story through art. Caesar Augustus was
the nephew of Julius Caesar and the first great emperor
of the Pax Romana. Looking into the eyes of
the man who called himself "the first among equals,"
you get the feeling that the ship of state
was in good hands. But by the time this
statue was carved, it's clear: the Pax Romana
was finished, and Rome was falling. This boy is about to
become head of state. It was a chaotic
and unstable time. In fact, in the third century, 16 emperors were assassinated
in a 50-year period. Surrounded by nervous senators, this child emperor is
no picture of confidence. After seeing its museums,
it's easier to envision Rome at its peak --
once a metropolis of marble embellished with
countless statues. Surviving bits of the ancient
empire are everywhere you look. Important squares are still
marked by towering columns. Medieval Romans built with
scavenged fragments of once-grand buildings. Obelisks shipped from Egypt
2,000 years ago still stand like
exclamation points. And peel up any
street or square -- this is
a republican-era temple -- and you'll find stony remnants
of Rome's grand past, standing right next to
its modern present. Throughout the ages,
people mined once-glorious buildings
as quarries. Imagine... They were stacked
with pre-cut stones, free for the taking. Block by block,
they carted away most of this temple
and then incorporated what was still standing,
like these columns, into a modern building. Thankfully,
no one cannibalized the magnificent Pantheon,
the best-preserved temple from ancient Rome. The portico,
with its stately pediment, has symbolized Roman greatness
ever since antiquity. Like the obelisks,
its massive, one-piece granite columns
were shipped from Egypt. They're huge. It takes four tourists
to hug one. Step inside to enjoy
the finest look anywhere at the splendor of ancient Rome. Its dimensions are classic, based on a perfect circle
as wide as it is tall: 140 feet. The oculus is
the only source of light. The Pantheon survived so well
because it's been in continuous use
for over 2,000 years. It went almost directly
from being a pagan temple to being a Christian church. The beauty of the Pantheon and the brilliance of
its construction has inspired architects
through the ages. The dome is made of
poured concrete, which gets thinner
and lighter with height. The highest part
is made with pumice, an airy volcanic stone. "Pan-theon" means
"all the gods." It was a spiritual menagerie where the many gods of
the empire were worshipped. There was a kind of
religious freedom back then. If you were conquered, you were welcome to keep
your own gods, as long as you
worshipped Caesar, too. This was generally no problem. But the Christians,
who had a single and very jealous god,
were the exception. Because they refused
to worship the emperor, early Christians
were persecuted. For a little
early Christian history, we're heading outside the city
for a look at the catacombs. Rome's ancient wall
stretches eleven miles. It protected the city until
Italy was united in 1870. From gates like this,
grand roads fanned out to connect the city
with its empire. The Appian Way,
Rome's gateway to the East, is fun to explore on
a rented bike. It was the grandest
and fastest road yet, the wonder of its day. Very straight, as Roman engineers
were fond of designing, it stretched 400 miles to Naples
and then on to Brindisi, from where Roman ships
sailed to Greece and Egypt. These are the original stones. Tombs of ancient big-shots lined the Appian Way
like billboards. While pagans didn't enjoy
the promise of salvation, those who could afford it
purchased a kind of immortality by building themselves
big and glitzy memorials. These line the main roads
out of town. Judging by their elegant togas, these brothers were from
a fine family. This is the mausoleum of
Caecilia Metella, whose father-in-law
was extremely wealthy. While it dates
from the first century BC, we still remember her
to this day, so apparently
the investment paid off. But of course,
early Christians didn't have that kind of money,
so they buried their dead in mass underground
necropoli , or catacombs, dug beneath the property of the few fellow Christians
who did own land. These catacombs are
scattered all around the city just outside the walls, and several are
open to the public. The tomb-lined tunnels of
the catacombs stretch for miles and are many layers deep. Many of the first
Christians buried here were later recognized
as martyrs and saints. Others then carved out
niches nearby to bury their loved ones close
to these early Christian heroes. By the Middle Ages, the catacombs were
abandoned and forgotten. Centuries later,
they were rediscovered. Romantic Age tourists
on the "Grand Tour" visited by candlelight,
and legends grew about Christians hiding out
to escape persecution. But the catacombs
were not hideouts. They were simply budget
underground cemeteries. Further along the Appian Way
is Rome's Aqueduct Park, offering a chance to see how
the ancient city got its water. With its million people,
Rome needed lots of water. These ingenious aqueducts
carried a steady stream from distant mountains
into the city, and they still seem to gallop,
as they did 2,000 years ago, into Rome. These aqueducts were
the Achille's heel of Rome. If you wanted to
bring down the city, all you had to do was
take down one of the arches. In fact, in the sixth century,
the barbarians did just that. Without water,
Rome basically shriveled up. Today, the park's
a favorite with locals for walking the dog or
burning off some of that pasta. ♪ With its imperial might
and those stories about persecutions and hungry lions
in the Colosseum, it's easy to forget that
the last century of the Roman Empire
was Christian. In 312, the general Constantine,
following a vision that he would triumph under
the sign of the cross, beat his rival, Maxentius. Taking power,
Emperor Constantine then legalized Christianity. This obscure,
outlawed Jewish sect ultimately became
the religion of the empire. In the year 300, you could be
killed for being a Christian. In the year 400, you could be killed for
not being a Christian. Church attendance boomed
and Emperor Constantine built the first great Christian
church right here... San Giovanni in Laterano...
St. John's. It opened as a kind of
"first Vatican." St. John's, which has been
rebuilt over the ages, was the original home of
the bishop of Rome, or "Pope." High atop the canopy
over the altar, a box supposedly contains bits of the skulls of
Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The church is filled
with symbols of Christianity's triumph
over pagan Rome. For instance, tradition says
these gilded bronze columns once stood in pagan Rome's
holiest temple. And what better doors
for this first grand church than those which once hung in
ancient Rome's Senate House? The adjacent Holy Stairs
are a major stop on Rome's pilgrimage trail. Many credit
Emperor Constantine's mother, Saint Helena,
for her son's conversion. She brought home
wagon-loads of relics, including these stairs,
believed to be from the palace
of Pontius Pilate. For 1,700 years, pilgrims,
believing Jesus climbed these stairs on
the day he was condemned, have scaled the Scala Sancta
on their knees. The influence of ancient Rome
is everywhere. Its noble ruins tell a tale
of power, politics, and imperial egos;
of pagan gods now forgotten; of public art
on a grand scale; and of enduring
engineering feats. It's a story of
colossal achievement and monumental failure. By the year 500,
the over-expanded, corrupt, and exhausted Roman Empire
had fallen, but the grandeur of
the Roman Empire lived on in the Roman Church. Over time, Trajan's column was
capped with a Christian saint, the Pantheon became a church, Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum
became the Pope's fortress, and the tomb of
the Apostle Peter, a man the Romans executed, was crowned by the grandest
building in the city... St. Peter's Basilica. Today, visitors to Rome
find fascinating layers of history and culture...
early Christian, Baroque, and modern...
But it all sits upon a solid foundation of
the ancient city, which for centuries was the capital of
our Western civilization. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time,
keep on travelin'. Ciao. Everyone else, bar...
Bar... bar... barbarians. Group: ♪ Bar, bar, bar,
bar, bar, barbarians ♪ ♪ Bar, bar, bar,
bar, bar, barbarians ♪ Imagine a quarter
of a million... [ laughs ] Okay. Ah, the heavy hold
is doing it. Oh, baby! Steves: Yeah, wow. This is ugly. [ laughs ]
Rick Steves is a fucking treasure