Posted on 08/16/2013 12:37:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The Roman emperor Commodus might have cultivated the skills showcased in Ridley Scott’s blockbuster film “Gladiator” in a personal miniature Colosseum on his estate near Rome.
Archaeologists from Montclair State University, in New Jersey, believe that a large oval area with curved walls and floors made of marble is, in fact, the arena where the emperor killed wild beasts, earning the nickname “the Roman Hercules,” as recorded in historical writings.
Found in Genzano, a village southeast of Rome which overlooks Lake Nemi, a crater lake in the Alban Hills, the oval structure measures 200 feet by 130 feet and dates to the 2nd century.
It was found by the U.S. team as they excavated thermal baths at an estate known as the Villa of Antonines.
Based on literary references and the discovery in the 18th century of marble busts of imperial figures, the site is believed to have been the property of the Antonine Dynasty (138–193), which begun with the reign of Antoninus Pius and included emperors Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus and Commodus.
“We first noticed a small section of a curving structure next to the baths. Ground-penetrating radar mapped out the entire foundations revealing new specular curving structures,” Deborah Chatr Aryamontri, a co-director of the excavation, told the Italian daily Il Messaggero.
Forming an ellipse, the arena could sit more than 1,300 people. It featured an imperial box and was richly decorated with mosaic tesserae and luxurious, imported marbles.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
Maybe next visit, maybe,, I still have catacombs to see
Catacombs are fine, but I wonder where they buried the dogs?
Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant
lol. I just through playing “0 A.D.” so I am an expert now.
haha
Commodus had an odd hobby.
are you entertained?
Have you seen the video about the huge boat/barges they found on Lake Neri?
I think they were supposed to be owned by either Nero or Commodus and used for pageants and pleasure boating.
They were propelled by slaves at oars. The only downside was when the Emperor wanted to go water skiing.
Emperor Commodus Zero Obama
Excellent tribute to Emperor Commodus Zero.
Thanks.
Bucket list.
Quest to know ..
Is man the noblest species of them all?
Woof.
For your consideration.
(Poodles may have influenced this posting.-)
The remains of the boats were burned by the Nazis.
As SL said, “Gladiator” was entertaining, but not historical, even though the names of some of the characters were real. I read (probably in an Amazon review) that the movie was basically a high-end remake of a gladiator flick from about 1960.
The real Commodus had his sister exiled to Capri (I’m kinda jealous of that exile) but after she got there, she was executed.
Of course, we need to realize that Hollywood doesn’t make documentaries, at best it makes crockumentaries.
Caligula, Lake Nemi, dirty freakin’ Nazis did burn ‘em.
Salvaging Caligula [Nemi Ships, Caligula, and Mussolini]
Time | Feb. 4, 1929 | staff
Posted on 11/25/2005 4:40:21 PM PST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1528600/posts
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/nemi/nemi.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030322012642/http://pages.zoom.co.uk/leveridge/nemi1.jpg
https://www.google.com/images?q=lake+nemi+ship&oe=utf-8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result_group
More than one. :’) The late Michael Grant noted that the surviving ancient contemporary accounts make it clear that Commodus “had something wrong with his groin”, perhaps a hernia from his birth. He was a big galoot, and was clearly the illegitimate son of a gladiator with whom his whore of a mother had an affair; as emperor he lowered himself by participating in gladiatorial contests, and I think driving chariots.
Eventually he’d bumped off everyone closely related to him (and then some), leaving himself surrounded by servants and others who knew he’d have anyone killed at the drop of a hat, so no one was very broken up about it when he was snuffed. His wrestling partner (not a euphemism, Commodus liked physical competition) was brought into the conspiracy, slipped into the emperor’s bedchamber, and strangled him to death.
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