After leaving Florence and the oppressive heat, Rosa and I took a train to Rome. Rome has modern buildings intertwined with a lot of old buildings. It is just like Florence, but bigger. The heat has long arms, and those hot arms stretched across into Roman territory. Just like Julius Caesar in his time, the heat was ruling the land in September.
The Trevi Fountain was beautiful, at least what you could see past hundreds of tourists. The massive buildings and beautiful artwork throughout Rome were all created to impress the emperor, the people, and the world.
What struck me most was the Colosseum. I was not impressed by the structure itself, although I could envision the grandeur it once held. I was impressed by the history I was standing in front of. Construction began in 72 AD and took eight years to complete. It was started long after Nero’s death, and Christians were not sacrificed to the lions there. That happened in the Circus Maximus, as well as in smaller venues.
So, what did happen in the Colosseum? Over 500,000 men fought and died within those walls. Up to a million animals were killed for sport within those same walls. The more blood, the better. This was how people were entertained for over 300 years, until around 435 AD.
So, when people told me to smile, this was all I could manage. George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” I listened to all the history I could gather. These facts were sobering. You are lucky to get this much of a smile from me.
I am switching to a new thread here. I can do that. It is my blog post.
I have a very dear friend who has been fighting a very bad disease this year. He has been taking chemotherapy, also known as poison, in hopes of slowing down its advancement. I have been praying for him. I have asked God to heal him. I have asked God to give him more time. I have asked God to shower him with daily health.
He found out yesterday that the chemo has done nothing. The prognosis is definitive, and the timeline is the same as when everything was first discovered.
My heart is broken for him. He, on the other hand, has his faith, his loving children, and a decision to live his life fully through this next year. He has the kind of bravery that resembles what I imagine the gladiators faced as they walked into that arena.
As of today, I can say:
“My friend is the bravest gladiator I know.”
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