Societas Via Romana - Discussion Archives

Salvete,

I've been in doubt about a potential project for some time now, a list of reviews of all great monuments of Rome, starting of course with the most famous of all and gradually dealing with less known achievements of the Romans.

On the one hand I wouldn't really think of it as a good idea, because there must be numerous sites out there that deal with this matter already (though most only deal with the very famous monuments). On the other hand though, it would be rather strange if the Collegium Artium would not have any information of its own about the very fundaments of Roman Art.

So I'm posing the question to all of you; do you think we don't really need to put time in this, or do you think it would be a good idea to do this, and if so, would you be willing to work on it as well, because this can't be done by one man of course

For those interested, I think our members' contributions already list two or three of such monuments, so you can take a look at what I have in mind for a review. Here's an example :

( http://societasviaromana.org/Collegium_ ... osseum.htm )

Of course, other ways to approach this material are welcome as well, so let's hear it, is anyone interested ?

Valete bene
Lupus

Salvete iterum,

So, is there *nobody* interested in this ? Well, I guess that having so many sites out there that already offer this kind of information is kind of a setback, so let's put this idea in the freezer for now, perhaps later, when there are some more members, there will be some interested in participating.

Valete bene
Lupus

Salve Lupe,


I know that it can be very frustrating when you ask for help and no-one reacts. I suppose we have to learn to cope with that.

But there still are some people who keep trying to help, discuss and bring up new topics. I would like to thank them.

I want to give you a hand, amice, what should I describe first?

Vale,


Locatus

Salvete
I'm sorry but i haven't seen this post. I think the reason why nobody responds to it because they haven't seen most monuments; i for one haven't seen any of them only through photograph and the only way to do a good review of any monument is when you stand right afront of it, looking at it and been able to touch it. Seeing on a picture isn't the same as seeing it in real life.
Thats how i see it.
Valete
Sokarus Aurelius Orcus

Salve Locate,

Well, I don't want to force any of them upon you, just pick whatever you like, that way you won't have to search or write about anything you don't really like all that much.

The only ones we have so far (dating from some time ago) are about the Colosseum and Trajan's Column so you might want to avoid those, but pretty much everything else is accepted of course, even literature of course.

Vale bene
Lupus

Salve Sokare,

Yes, that's true of course, one can read all the numbers about the Colosseum, but he would only really understand just how big it is, when he's actually standing in front of it, or walking inside it. There are countless books written about the entire Acropolis in Athens, but none of them can beat the experience of actually walking between the massive columns that stand along the entrace and casting your eyes upon te Parthenon.

However, there are some things that you can't experience by just going to see the monument in itself. Upon looking at the Parthenon, nobody would dare say that the columns in the front are not built in a straight, he would testify that the entire structure is almost perfectly built, while in fact the colums are slightly curved, thus giving them the "trompe l'oeil" effect.

Things like that, along with the history or the meaning of a monument cannot be known when you would simply look at it and have a drink afterwards. That's when extra information comes in hand, a guide explaining why those columns appear perfectly straight, but are in fact, to explain what is on the friezes of Trajan's column or to tell about what the Colosseum was used for.

So considering this, I think it's pretty usefull to study a certain monument, even without having seen it, there are still so many things more to a monument than its bricks alone.

Vale bene
Lupus