A very cool animation: http://www.openculture.com/2012/03/rome_reborn_-_a_digital_model_of_ancient_rome.html
Fantastic video. I noticed that the Colosseum doesn't have any statues in the arches, whereas they're depicted on the sestertii. I'm wondering if they were already removed by 320AD?
I agree. Thanks for posting the link! I was surprised to see so many 3 & 4 floor buildings depicted throughout the city. I would have expected more 1 & 2 floor buildings. Again, thanks for posting the link!
Very interesting. However, I would think a city of a million plus in the fourth Century would not be so clean or uncrowded. And I can only imagine the smell, especially in the hot summer months. Nonetheless, this is a great video to understand how Rome may have looked. Thanks for sharing it.
how neat, thanks for sharing. AJ...i noticed the same thing...no statues in the arches. anyone know if they were already gone by this time?
There is no reason to think that the statues in the arches weren't still in place on AD 320. There were still gladiator fights till Honorius around AD 404. The Goths hadn't sacked Rome till August 410. The Colloseum was still being used by the Ostrogoths two centuries later (AD 523). So, there is no reason to think that the statues were removed before or during the rule of Constantine. guy
Great video and I support anything that promotes the study of Ancient Rome. That said...where's the color? Ancient Roman buildings and statues were brightly colored with jarringly garish deep reds and golden yellows, for example. Not the drab "washed out" appearance depicted in the above video. Even the great HBO series "Rome" understated the rich color of Ancient Rome (but at least captures some of the flavor). Thank you, again, for posting this great video. guy
I once heard somewhere that their was a letter recovered in the modern era dating to the Roman period that was addressed to a person living on the 8th floor of an apartment building, in the city of Rome. If I remember correctly the letter was a work order to perform sometype of maintainece on the unit.