Day Six in Rome started out at Circus Maximus, aka chariot racing! The group got to see the course on which chariots would race and spectators would bet… or as we read about, spectators would flirt! Alex called the group around and we read a passage written by Ovid about how to attract a girl at the chariot racing event. Here we were able to delve even further into Roman culture, experiencing firsthand how women were able to sit with men at the racing event, and generally being able to visualize the spectacle in its exact historical location. We scholars then journeyed to the baths. “The Baths of Caracalla”, as it is called, is a complex of lounging areas, baths, and a library in which Romans could pay a small fee to relax and socialize. As visitors we were fortunate to be able to use Virtual Reality headsets and see what the complex would have looked like while walking around inside the remains of the original structure. The VRs played audio that informed us of the various activities of Romans in the baths and the current whereabouts of statues that once resided there. Next, we travelled to Ostia Antica, which was a well-preserved city from antiquity similar to Pompeii. This city provided us with yet another extraordinary experience of getting a direct look at ancient Roman life; we saw baths, a forum, houses, a theater, and incredibly preserved frescos. A highlight and surprise of the evening was finding a cave for the Cult of Mithras. Starkly contrasting with the open and bright landscape of the outer city, the cave was damp and dark—perfect for reading a Latin passage written about cult practices. We sat in benches that ran along a center aisle leading to a very creepy but simultaneously magnificent statue of Mithras about to sacrifice a bull. We read about how the cult would involve sacrificing the bull above the cave over a hole where the blood would spill down on a priest. This excursion provided us with an in-depth look at the darker sides of Roman life, a far cry from the pristine museums and sculptures we had experienced on the previous days. The day would not have been as perfect without the three-mile detour. From dinner to the hotel, a coffee barista led the group astray. We got to see many more sights and spend a long night on the beautiful streets of Rome, but no regrets were had. It was a bonding experience for the kids and something to remember for years to come as a formative, spontaneous excursion.
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