Glory of Rome When you meet Heinz-Juergen Best of the German Archaeological Institute in Rome, the main authority of the basement, the extraordinary and long-neglected remains under the floor of the Colosseum in ancient Rome. In the past 14 years, Best spent a lot of time interpreting the basement from the Greek word "underground", and this September, I stood in the middle of the maze with him.
"See the semicircle fragments falling from the wall? He said, one hand on the brick wall. He added that this groove creates space for the four arms of a cross-shaped vertical winch (called winch), which people will push when walking in circles. The winch stick stops in a hole at the tip of Best's toe. " A group of workers on the winch can lift the bear, leopard or lion in the cage to the position directly below the arena. "There is nothing bigger than a lion." He pointed to a chute and tilted down from the top of the wall to the place where the cage was hung. "A wooden slope slides into the groove so that animals can climb directly from the cage into the arena," he said. "Just then, a worker walked over our heads and crossed part of the arena floor. Arena officials rebuilt the floor ten years ago, giving us an idea of what the arena looked like in its heyday, when gladiators fought to the death for public entertainment. The footsteps are staggering. Best looked up and smiled. Can you imagine the sounds of several elephants?
Today, many people can imagine for themselves. Following the renovation project of $654.38+$400,000, the basement was opened to the public in June last year.
As an architect who specializes in historical buildings and understands Greek and Roman archaeology, Best can be said to be a forensic engineer. Through the inspection of the basement relics, the complex machinery under the Colosseum in ancient Rome was rebuilt, which proved the creativity and accuracy of the system. In addition to playing a central role in the grand scene of the Roman Empire,
When Best and a team of German and Italian archaeologists first started exploring the basement in 1996, he was puzzled by its complex and huge structure: "I understand why this site has never been correctly analyzed before. Its complexity is absolutely terrible. The confusion of "KDSP" and "KDSP" reflects the negligence and accidental construction projects about 1500 years, which are superimposed on each other. After the last gladiator performance in the 6th century, the Romans mined stones from the Colosseum, which slowly succumbed to earthquakes and gravity. For centuries, people have filled basements with mud and gravel, planted vegetable gardens, stored hay and dumped animal droppings. In the amphitheater above, the huge arched passage provided shelter for shoemakers, blacksmiths, priests, rubber traders and money changers, not to mention the fortress of/kloc-the warlord Frangi Pa in the 20th century. At that time, local legends and pilgrims' guides described the crumbling walls of the amphitheater, a former temple of the sun. Necromancers go there at night to summon demons. /kloc-At the end of 0/6th century, Pope Sixtus V tried to transform the Colosseum into a wool factory, with the workshop on the floor and the living quarters upstairs. However, due to the huge cost, this project was abandoned after his 1590 died. In the next few years,
Arena has become a popular destination for botanists, because all kinds of plants live in ruins and take root. As early as 1643, naturalists began to compile a detailed flora catalogue, listing 337 different species. /kloc-At the beginning of the 0/9th century, the basement floor was buried under 40 feet of land, and all functions and even the memory of its existence were erased. In 18 13 and 1874, the archaeological excavations trying to reach here were blocked by the flood of groundwater. Finally, under benito mussolini's praise of classical Rome in 1930s, the workers cleaned the basement thoroughly.
Best and his colleagues spent four years drawing the technical drawings of the whole basement with tape measure, plumb line, level and a lot of paper and pencils. Best said: "Today, we may use a laser scanner to complete this work, but if we do this, we will miss a more comprehensive understanding that the old pencil and paper drawing technology has been given to you." . "When you draw slowly and stubbornly, you are so focused that what you see goes deep into your brain. Gradually, when you work, the subconscious mind forms the image of things.
Revealing the complex history of the website, Beste identified four main architectural stages, and made a lot of modifications in its continuous use for nearly 400 years. Arena architects made some changes to allow new methods of stage art. In AD 2 17, a fire caused by lightning destroyed the stadium and caused a large area of travertine to fall into the basement. Best also began to decipher strange marks and cuts in masonry structures. He laid a solid foundation for Roman mechanical engineering in the excavation in southern Italy, where he learned slingshots and other Roman war machines. He also studied the cranes used by the Romans to move large objects, such as 18 foot high marble blocks.
By applying his knowledge to the eyewitness's description of the Roman Colosseum, Best can engage in some deductive reverse engineering. For example, the paired vertical passages he found on some walls seem to be used to guide the tracks of cages or other compartments between the basement and the arena. After working in the field for about a year, he realized that the unique semi-circular fragments on the wall near the vertical passage probably left room for the rotating rods of the large winch, which provided power for the lifting of the cage and platform. Then other archaeological elements were put in place, such as holes in the floor, some with smooth bronze collars as winch shafts, and inclined dents as ramps. There are also some square mortises that support the horizontal beams and the floor between the winch and the basement.
To test his idea, Best built three scale models. He said: "The materials we use are the same as toothpicks, cardboard, paste and tracing paper used in kindergartens." . "But our measurement is accurate, and the model helps us to understand the actual working principle of these elevators." Sure enough, all the components are integrated into a compact and powerful elevator system, which can quickly transport animals, scenery and equipment to the arena. He concluded that at the peak of operation, there were 60 winches in the basement, each of which was two stories high, and each floor was operated by four people in turn. Among them, 40 winches are used to lift the animal cages in the whole arena, and the remaining 20 winches are used to lift the scenery on the hinged platform of 12× 15 feet.
Beste also identified 28 smaller platforms (about 3×3 feet) around the outer edge of the arena, which are also used to cross cables, ramps, cranes and counterweight systems. He even found traces of runoff canals, which he believed were used to drain water after being flooded by waterways near the Colosseum in Rome, in order to stage Naumachia or simulate naval battles. The Romans reformulated these naval battle plans to reduce the maneuvering of warships in 3 to 5 feet of water. In order to build this artificial lake, the stage manager of the arena first removed the floor of the arena, and the wood below supported the columns and beams, leaving a trace still visible on the retaining wall around the floor of the arena. This damp scene ended at the end of the first century A.D., when the Romans replaced wooden supports with masonry walls, making it impossible for the arena to be flooded. )
Best said that the basement itself has a lot in common with a huge sailboat. There are "countless wooden and metal mechanical devices such as ropes and pulleys" in the underground stage area, which are placed in a very limited space and require endless training and drills to be carried out smoothly in the performance. Just like a boat, everything can be disassembled and stored neatly when not in use. " All these ideas have the same purpose: to please the audience, to ensure the success of the performance, and to celebrate and embody the grandeur of Rome.
Outside the thin wooden floor separating the darkness, 50,000 Roman citizens sat in the basement suffocating in the air according to their status in the social class, from slaves and women sitting in the bleachers to the elders and virgins of Vesta, the kitchen god. The position of honor is reserved for editors, who organize and pay for the Olympic Games. The editor is often the emperor himself. He sat in the royal box in the middle of the long bend in the north of the stadium, and his every reaction was carefully observed by the audience.
This official grand event called "Munusium Atque Legality" (a legitimate gladiator performance) began. Like many public events in classical Rome, there was a grand morning parade, Pumba. It is edited by standard holders and typical close-up trumpeters, performers, soldiers, priests, nobles and statues on carriages. Disappointingly, the gladiators didn't seem to say to the emperor in a legendary sentence: "Our dying people salute you." This is related to the naval battle held on a lake east of Rome in 52 AD. This naval battle may be an improvisation of inspiration, not a standard speech. "
The first major stage of the game is Ventiio, or beast hunting, which takes up most of the whole morning: people from the empire appear in the arena, sometimes as bloodless, and more often they are slaughtered. They may kill each other in a brutal battle, or they may be sent by Vena Torres (a trained hunter) wearing a light bulletproof vest and holding a spear. Documents and inscriptions on these wonders are concentrated in exotic zoos, including African herbivores such as elephants, rhinoceroses, hippos and giraffes, bears and elk from northern forests, and strange creatures such as buffaloes, ostriches and cranes. Among them, the most popular are leopards, lions and tigers. They are African dentists or African dentists. Their jumping ability requires the audience to be protected by obstacles. Some are obviously equipped with ivory rollers to prevent emotional cats from climbing. The number of animals displayed and slaughtered in a high-end arena is amazing: in 80 AD, Emperor Titus provided 9,000 animals in a series of competitions for the opening of the Colosseum in Rome. Less than 30 years later, about 1 1000 animals were slaughtered at the sports meeting when Emperor Trajan celebrated the conquest of Dachians (the ancestors of Romanians).
Basement plays an important role in these stages of hunting, allowing animals and hunters to enter the arena in countless ways. Witnesses described how animals suddenly appeared from below, just like magic, and sometimes seemed to be thrown into the air. Best said: "The basement allows the organizers of the Olympic Games to create surprises and suspense." . "The hunters in the arena don't know where the next lion will appear, or whether there will be two or three lions instead of one." This uncertainty can be used for comic effect. Emperor Gallienus punished a businessman who cheated the Queen, made him face a fierce lion in the arena, and replaced the Queen's glass jewels with real ones. However, when the cage was opened, a chicken came out, which aroused the joy of the crowd. Gallienus then told the Herald, "He cheated, and then cheated him." The emperor sent the jeweler home.
During the hunting break, the audience got a series of sensory enjoyment. The handsome housekeeper walked through the crowd, holding plates of cakes, cakes, dates and other sweets, as well as a large glass of wine. An observer pointed out that snacks also fell from the sky like hail, and there were some wooden balls containing prizes, food, money and even a property right certificate of an apartment, which sometimes caused fierce scuffles between observers who tried to rob. On a hot day, the audience may enjoy sparsones ("spray"), a mist with balsam or saffron fragrance, or the shadow of vela. Sailors at the Roman naval headquarters in Misenum near Naples pulled a huge tarpaulin to the roof of the arena.
People who work in the basement have no such relief. Best said, "It's as hot as a boiler room in summer, and it's wet and cold in winter. There is a strong smell all year round. These smells come from the smell of thick smoke, sweaty workers crowded in narrow corridors and wild animals. " . "Noise is an overwhelming creaking machine. People are shouting, animals are growling, and signals sent by organs, horns or drums coordinate a series of complex tasks that people must perform. Of course, the noise of the battle is overhead, accompanied by the roaring crowd. "
Criminals, barbarians, prisoners of war and other unfortunate people, known as "sentenced people", were executed at Rudy Meridian or the noon sports meeting. Although there are many records about the life of saints in the Renaissance and beyond, there is no reliable evidence that Christians were killed in the arena because of their beliefs. Some Damnati people were released to the arena, slaughtered by fierce animals such as lions, and some people were forced to kill each other with swords. Others were sent to what a modern scholar called a "fatal charade", and the scene of execution was similar to that in myth. Marshall, a Roman poet who participated in the first Olympic Games, described a criminal wearing a orpheus playing the piano in The Beast. A bear tore him to pieces. The other is the fate of Hercules, who was burned to death before he became a god.
Here, the powerful lifting of the basement, hidden ramps and other mechanisms are crucial to the formation of hallucinations. "The rock disappeared quietly," Marshall wrote. "What an amazing sight! People think that a forest, such as the orange forest that guards the mythical golden apple, has left. After execution
It is the highlight: gladiator. When the attendants prepared whips, torches and sticks to punish the poor or unwilling soldiers, the soldiers began to warm up until the editor signaled the real battle to begin. Some gladiators belong to specific professions, and each profession has its own equipment, fighting style and traditional opponents. For example, Retialius (or "Netman") often fights with a secret person ("follower"), who holds a sword and wears a mask, showing only his eyes and his heavy net, trident and dagger.
Players abide by the rules enforced by the referee; If a soldier admits defeat, usually, his fate is decided by the editor by raising the index finger of his left hand. The crowd shouted for help, shouting "madam!" ("fired! ) dedicated to those who fought bravely, and "Yugula, Weber, you! ("Cut his throat, beat and burn! ) For those who they think should be put to death. Those fallen gladiators should not hesitate to accept the final blow of their opponents. The prize collected by the winning gladiator may include a victory palm, cash and a crown of special heroes. Because the emperor himself is often the host of the Olympic Games, everything should go smoothly. Suetonius, a Roman historian and biographer, wrote that if a technician broke a pair of glasses, Emperor Claudius might send them to the arena: "(He) will compete with others for trivial and hasty reasons, even carpenters, assistants and the like, if there are any automatic devices or beauty contests, or other similar things," or, as Best said, "The emperor will hold a grand banquet. If not, men sometimes have to pay the price. For the audience, the stadium is the epitome of the empire, and its games reinterpret their basic myths. These killed wild animals symbolize how Rome conquered barren and distant land and nature. The execution dramatically demonstrated the ruthless power of justice and wiped out the enemies of the country. Gladiators embody the masculinity of ancient Rome. Whether as a winner or a conquered person, he waits for the blow of death with indomitable dignity. Mary Beard, a classical historian at Cambridge University, said, "We know this is terrible, but at the same time, people are watching the myth reappear in a vivid way, which has a terrible influence on your face. This is the combination of drama, film, illusion and reality.
Tom Mueller's next book, The History of Olive Oil, will be published this autumn. Photographer Dave Yoder is headquartered in Milan.
He has studied the stone products in the basement for 14 years. Heinz-Juergen Best has always wanted to know how the Romans held the Olympic Games. (Dave Yode) In the gladiator competition in the arena, a huge human mechanical network makes animals and scenery appear from under the wooden floor, just like magic. (Dave Yode) The workers push the vertical winch and push the elevator with the animal cage to the arena. The picture shows the hole where one of the devices is fixed. The vertical groove indicates where the platform once rose. Most basements come from the Greek word "underground"-just under the floor of the arena. The hidden part is two stories high, 250 feet long and 145 feet wide. /kloc-one of the 0/5 corridors leads to the gladiator training ground and the barracks in the east of the Colosseum. "Its complexity is terrible," said BESTE (Firenze's illustration). Animals hiding in the basement entered the stadium through the wooden ramp at the top of the elevator. "The hunters in the arena don't know where the next lion will appear," Best said. (Inklink Firenze's illustration) Initially, the floor and wooden supports of the arena could be removed to make room for simulating a naval battle. The simulated naval battle ended at the end of the first century, when workers installed the permanent masonry buildings we see today. Shown here is a part of the basement and floor of the reconstructed arena. (Dave Yode) After the renovation of $6.5438+0.4 million, the basement was opened to the public at 2065.438+00 and 65438+00. The workers in the basement have no luxuries. If they screw up a scene, they may be sentenced to death. For the audience, the stadium is the epitome of the empire, and its competition is a reinterpretation of their basic myths. The killed wild animals symbolize how Rome conquered barren and distant land and nature. (Dave Joad) When Heinz Juergen Best and a group of German and Italian archaeologists first started to explore the basement in 1996, they were puzzled by the complex and huge structure of the basement. (Dave Yode)/KLOC-At the beginning of the 9th century, the basement floor was buried under 40 feet of soil, and all the memories and even its existence were erased. After the last gladiator performance in the 6th century, the Romans mined stones from the arena, which slowly succumbed to earthquakes and gravity. (Dave Yode) The arena accommodates as many as 50,000 spectators, who enjoy all kinds of fun, including throwing prizes, cakes and wine at the audience. Roman citizens sat according to their position in the social hierarchy. (Dave Yoder) Best's research reveals the complex history of this website, identifies four main architectural stages, and has been revised many times in the continuous use of nearly 400 years. (Dave Joad