A day trip to Mérida, Spain is one for the books. In 25 B.C., Mérida was the Roman capital of the Iberian Peninsula. The invasion on the Cartagines by the Romans in the 2nd century B.C., brought architecture, industry, technology and culture to the peninsula.
As I walked into the ruins of the coliseum, theater and the chariot racing track, I felt the weight of history come over me. Standing in the center of the coliseum where people fought to the death 2000 years prior. Gladiators, owned as slaves, fought amongst themselves, animals and military for the entertainment of the Roman citizens. Right away, the theater caught my attention having a large backstage with all original pillars, but two. The original green room, as I say, consisted of a large, luscious garden behind backstage. Here, performers could relax, have refreshments and use the bathroom as they fought off nerves before performing.
Lastly, el circo romano, or the Roman circus, is another stadium constructed by the Romans. Thirty thousand citizens, from nobles to slaves, could watch and gamble on chariot races. As I took my steps into this stadium, I couldn’t help myself but run around it as the horses did thousands of years prior.
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For me, is very interesting to look for parrellels between societies today and societies throughout history. What makes us different? What makes us similar?