Good-byes

     Tonight is my last assigned blog for English class, but it is not the last time I will post on this subject. Today I will inform everyone on how the Romans traditionally said their good-byes to a loved one.

     When a loved one passed, they would be laid out on a couch and dressed in their finest clothing. If they had received any awards  in their life time, they were pinned or placed on them as well. Then a coin was put underneath their tongue or on their eyes so they could pay Charon to sail them to the land of the dead in the underworld. They would then lay out for eight days until they are buried.


     Before the burial, they would hold a funeral procession. At the head of the procession are designators holding lictors followed by musicians and mourning women. Then other performers might follow. In front of the corpse, representatives of passed ancestors wearing wax masks would perform, and then the rest of the procession would follow. If the body was being cremated, it would be put on a funeral pyre, and when the fire burned out and the ashes were smothered in wine, the ashes were gathered and put in an urn. the funeral burial was always to be held outside because it was considered a bacteria reducing practice.

Italy and Latin

   

Herculaneum

     This week I am going to continue explaining my trip to Italy and the Latin scripts I encountered while I was there. On the third day, after I went to Pompeii, I went to Herculaneum. The modern day Herculaneum was surprisingly build on top of the Herculaneum that was buried by Mt. Vesuvius. While I was there, I was able to see both of them! As I walked around the ancient excavated ruins, I saw many door frames with the traditional Latin names carved above. Three hours after I left Herculaneum, I arrived in Rome. For the next two days, I was exploring Rome.

Romulus and Remus Bronze Statue

Roman Forum

    Rome really surprised me. I wasn't expecting it to be similar to New York City, New York. My first impression of Rome was not very good because there was a lot of litter everywhere and 

graffiti.When I finally opened my eyes to really see what was there, I was able to see the beauty in the city. In Rome, I visited the classic tourist sights like the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Capitoline Museum, and the Ancient Roman Forum. I was even able to see the famous Romulus and Remus statue.

Pantheon

 

    On my final day in Italy, I went to the Vatican City, believed to be the holiest of all cities. There I took a tour of the Vatican Museum and saw more 

St. Peter's Basilica

beautiful works of art, and then I went to see the St. Peter's Basilica, where the Pope lives. In the basilica, I was able to see Michelangelo's Pietà and the Pope. I saw him walking in during a procession. To my surprise, the basilica's roof was outlined with a gold strip of Latin, going all the way around. I was sad to leave, but when I got on that plane to come home, I knew that I would eventually come back and visit again.