Roma

The Terrans are a remarkable species.  While I do not hold them in the regard that the Doctor apparently did, they nevertheless intrigue me.

One of the periods in their history I find most striking was between 100 BC to 300 AD on their calendar, the height of an empire based around the city of Roma.  I find it typical of the entire human paradox.  A time of advanced feats of engineering, of great strides in art, philosophy, and trade, it was nevertheless brutal, at times debauched, and often cruel.  The empire was at once open and tolerant, embracing dozens of cultures and religions, and at the same time the most tyrannical of dictatorships.  If ever you wanted to view the contrasts and contradictions that characterize the inhabitants of Terra, this is the place to do it.

I visited Roma (Roma <215, 25, 23>) recently and wandered the streets.  From the docks where I landed I made my way into the city, where immediately I discovered an elegant bath house adjacent to an arena where men were made to butcher each other, or fight lions, for the entertainment of the crowd.  Shops of all kinds lined the streets; blacksmiths and potters, clothing and art.  At the edge of the city was a great military encampment, displaying the power of the Roman Legions.

Damien Arrives at Roma

Climbing uphill, I came across the forum.  Here one finds a library, various public institutions, and the theater of Dionysus.  I sat here and watched a production of The Bacchae by a Greek named Euripides.  It is an interesting piece, if again bizarre; a god of intoxication and madness takes offense at the rudeness of a strict and sensible king, whereby the god then whips the king's female relatives into a frenzy and they tear the king apart.  One might almost think the humans are trying to say that irrationality triumphs over reason.  I suppose I shall have to mull this over awhile.

Mulling Over the Play

After the play, I climbed up to view one of the temples of their gods.  A magnificent structure, displaying the Roman and human flair for art in the midst of brutality.  

I will come again to this Roma, for a feel certain it deserves several visits.  But for now it leaves me a bit perplexed concerning these human creatures.