In I segreti di Roma, as we said, Corrado Augias notes that “Rome among all the greatest cities of the ancient world – Nineveh, Babylon, Alexandria, Tyre, Athens, Carthage, Antiochia – is the only one that has continued to exist without any interruption, never reduced to a semi-abandoned village…”.
This ancientness of Rome is revealed by many aspects that go back to pre-Christian (or so-called Pagan) times, in spite of the fact that the city is the centre of Catholicism.
What can happen here is that the columns of a Christian church come from a temple of Venus, or that the porch of a palace built in 1909 is sustained by a buttress from Nero’s circus (Augias).
The character of the true Romans (romani di 7 generazioni, namely seven-gererations Romans, as we say) is often crass, easy-going, cynic, wise and witty: all at the same time. Great Roman actor Aldo Fabrizi (see picture below) was a pretty good specimen. This mixture smells of centuries and of moral values going well beyond the civilization of Christ.
This Christian/pre-Christian mix is palpable. Federico Fellini’s movies depict it in ways caricatural sometimes though very eloquent (Roma, above all, but not only). Following is Roma poster and afterwards you can watch the famous Catholic Church Fashion Show movie sequence from that same movie. It may appear a grotesque scene, even excessive, but it is hard to deny that it is intensely revealing.
In his novel Rome (Augias p. 11) the French writer Emile Zola wondered if Raffaello’s ideal figures didn’t after all flash the divine and desirable flesh of Venus under the chaste veil of the Virgin; or those mighty Michelangelo’s frescos didn’t reveal the nature of the Olympian Gods rather than that of the Hebrews’ God . “Was indeed Rome ever Christian – asks Zola – after the primitive age of the catacombs?”.
Also the pre-Christian role of government of peoples still survives. Imperial Rome is resurrected into Catholic Rome, governess not of the nations any more but of the minds and spirits of men.
I’m not familiar with the Roman names of the pre-christian Gods and Goddesses but I think Venus is Aphrodite. I’m more familiar with their Greek names.
Legend says Rome was founded by two brothers – Romulus and Remus who were nursed by a wolf. I think thats the first picture you’ve got there right?
If we sit to write down all the events and people that have sprouted from Italy, a thousand page book would not suffice! Something folks say about my country too… lol! 
Dear Ashish, first of all my compliments for your blog. Witty and such fun! The older generation needs fresh spirit from youth or we get like mummies (I loved that post on “Interestin’ thing’s goin’ on!” and some links, like that about USA needing help: really made me laugh!).
Yes, Venus corresponds more or less to Aphrodite, and we usually talk about Greek-Roman civilization, although the Romans were at first barbarians compared to the Greeks, their Italian neighbours (Greeks actually had founded towns in Italy too, like Cuma and beloved Naples – Napoli -, so close to Rome).
The Romans though had the strength and the endurance of the farmer-soldier, plus, among other qualities, this talent of learning fast from all the folks they met. They internalised cultural elements from many peoples (especially from the Greeks) and spread this mainly Greek-Roman mix all over the place thus shaping the West thru their empire. The Greeks were better philosophers artists scientists, but if it weren’t for the solid Roman character, their sense of duty, lack of individualism, organization, Greek civilization would have vanished like “orange flowers swept by the cold north wind” (quoted by a wonderful movie I have to talk about some day).
As far as the book thickness, well, who knows, maybe a thousand page book would not suffice for Italy lol, but what about India? A 2 or even 2.5 thousand page book, would it suffice? Vedic civilization started in 1700 BC, right? The Indus Valley civilization(s) even earlier? I have to brush up all this, having been too busy with networking. But I know that Rome was founded in 753 BC according to legend, and archaeology more or less confirms this. Ok, Greeks and Etruscans being our close relatives were older, but nonetheless this age difference remains. So probably we were barbarians also compared to you.
Nonetheless it is not incorrect to say that we (Indians and Italians) are ancient peoples vis-à-vis for example Anglo-Saxons, which I though admire because they have been very successful and they seem to have some of the *Roman* qualities (either by chance or by Roman rule on them for 400 years, a period longer than the British empire).
In the West people are so silly to forget all this about the far East. We are so ignorant about other civilisations, while we should be more humble and open. Of course I am Italian and Roman and I am here to talk about what we Italians are, from a *Roman* point of view.
But what strikes me most is how so many people in Europe and America are surprised about this sudden success of India and China. You guys in the Far East, after all, were at the top of the world in science, philosophy, technology and richness for….1000 years? 1500 years? More? I have to check that better. Ok, you went down for 200 (250?) years due to British industrial revolution who helped Anglo-Saxons (and the nations they created) to take the lead. But what are 200-250 years? Only 8-10 generations, if we consider 1 generation = 25 years. Very little time indeed.
The sad truth is that people in here are busier checking how fat Britney Spears is getting. We ALL in here, Europeans and Americans, need help. A LOT of help.
Haha, Thankyou. It’s been quite a long while since somebody replied to my comment with a much longer one, something I like. lol.
I was always a history buff but leaning towards medieval history and the rise of the British Empire. When I played Age of Empires, it got me interested in the Mediterranean. You tell me about the Vedic Age, then there were the Maurya’s and then the Gupta’s and so on, but our government seems only to think of the last 100 years or so. Perhaps I’m the only odd one out.
But what strikes me most is how so many people in Europe and America are surprised about this sudden success of India and China.
The problem is, we who live outside, look at only the thin upper crust. In India, I think Europeans live a happy life and such and there you think the same. Sad reality is, the above is only true in cities. Still we are progressing, problem is that the governments fail to notice that Rural india does almost the same amount of production as the cities but most of the packages are for the cities. People in the villages get frustrated due to the low pay and such and go overseas… a talent drain. Population doesn’t help us either.
Thing is we have the potential.. heck everyone does, just that we cannot unleash it because of some few power hungry people. These are thoughts from the real “Bukha Nanga People!” to borrow a quote from one of our movies. [Starving and naked people]When they say success of India, people look to Mumbai [where I've lived 6 years and I've been born there], the capital Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. What happened to the expanse between? Regional politics play a very huge part here. We have the power, but we’re locked behind bars and rather than combine together, we squabble among ourselves.
Ah, Good ole Britney, blame it on the media. There its Britney, its Bipasha or someone else here. Everyone needs a LOT of help… just in different sections!
[...] Braudel was talking about? I mean, aren’t we dealing here with the remnants of a different, pre-Christian, way of living one’s sexuality? Isn’t this what is so seductive, though felt as sinful and [...]
[...] Sex and the city (of Rome). A Conclusion Gods are Watching with an Envious Eye Knowing Thyself Pre-Christian Rome lives Man of [...]
[...] related posts: Experiencing All Pre-Christian Rome lives Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Experiencing AllSlurring Your Way Through [...]