The Rome that was: Caesar and son

If you happen to be there before end-October, don't miss two thrilling shows that bring alive Caesar and Augustus's legacy

To cross over from Augustus’s forum in Rome to the one built by his father, Julius Caesar, you only have to cross the Via Sacra — the wide road that leads to the Colosseum — at one of the marked spots for crossing.

But these days (April-October 2016), one can cross this road from underground — a path opened for the very first time to the public — as part of two dramatic sound and light shows that bring alive Rome as it may have been in 46 BC.

The two productions — Foro Di Caesar and Foro Di Augustus — curated, executed and narrated by Piero Angela and Paco Lanciano use light, images, film and animation to visualise and reconstruct the glory of the days gone by. At several points during both the shows, the ruins — broken and scattered marble blocks and columns — are replaced by vivid and colourful images on the walls that reconstruct and give you a glimpse of what the magnificent forums looked like in their heydays.

Grand forums were constructed by emperors, rulers and important statesman of the time as a symbol of their wealth and power. In the absence of mass media as we know it today,  it was the way for rulers to do propaganda and establish their supremacy. The forums typically acted as places where justice would be sought and delivered, Senate policies of the time would be finalised and the inhabitants of the area would meet to gather the news and gossip of the day. Important announcements concerning the time and decisions of the emperors would also be conveyed at their forums.

The Forum of Caesar (Fore Di Caesar) allows one to walk through the Forum  and the standing columns of the Temple of Venus Genetrix (the construction of which was begun by Caesar and completed by his senators post his assassination) , while stopping and listening to the fascinating story of its construction, the Rome that Caesar envisaged and built, his dominance, growth and conquests as a ruler of Rome and his eventual treacherous death at the hands of his own men. All this as you walk through the maze of corridors — now below the Via Sacra.

Majestic colonades and the imposing Temple of Venus Genetrix — full of marble statues including one of Caesar himself — are created through the images. Anecdotes and little nuggets of information interspersed cleverly with historic and scientific information with clear and expressive narration and music hold the attention of the old and young.  The narration requires you to be alert to absorb the volume of information and images in a short 40-minute programme.

The second show — Foro Di Augustus — takes off from where Caesar’s story is left, with the story of the reign of the first emperor of the Roman empire, Augustus (Caesar’s adopted son), his hold over Rome and the construction of the Temple of Mars Ultor (built to avenge Caesar’s death), commissioned by him in the memory of his father. In its time, the temple stood nine storeys high and towered over the forum of Augustus. Seating for the show overlooks where the Temple of Mars Ultor  stood and the tale — again told with lots of visuals and animation — brings to life the times of Augustus whose giant statue towered over the area next to the temple. Little is left of these grand statutes  and the remains of those that survived are housed in various museums in Rome today.

The lights and illumination require the shows to happen only at night (a blessing, with Rome being at its hottest during the day this time of the year). One can listen to the audio in eight languages through high quality headsets as you absorb the images. There’s a concession if you watch both, with prices further reduced for children.

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