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Flag of Italy.

Flag of Rome.

Rome's Coat of Arms.

         ROME, Italy.

     Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (Fiumicino – Aeroporto Internazionale Leonardo da Vinci) lies in a flat area, 21.7 miles southwest of Rome’s center, at an elevation of 13 feet MSL, wedged neatly between the Tyrrhenian Sea’s beach and the banks of the River Tiber. It possessed three runways – two of which were parallel and 12,000 feet in length.  I found it a relatively easy airport to fly in or out of.

     The sole problem I encountered was on the ground.  Since the 1985 Arab terrorists’ massacre, armed security guards were everywhere.  Even at the crew carousel – restricted exclusively for aircrew to pick up their bags – which made miniscule sense to me as we weren’t terrorists.

     On this one occasion, when my crew was claiming their luggage, we happened upon an armed security guard standing on the inside of the carousel.  He wore a blue blazer and slacks, had a submachine gun haphazardly slung from a shoulder on a strap, plus a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, with his coat opened allowing ash to dribble down his blue tie. In addition to his slovenly appearance, what really disturbed me was the fact his left hand was shoved into a trousers’ pocket, while his right held the weapon’s pistol grip with index finger on the trigger!  As this idiot swayed unsteadily on his feet - pointing his submachine gun at each of our delicate, beautiful flight attendants – I realized he was obviously drunk!

Rome Security Guard with Submachine Gun.

Why would one point a submachine at my Flight Attendants?

     Please explain to me how this was supposed to make me feel safer in the event of a terrorist attack.  Welcome to Rome, dear reader.

     The other thing that disturbed me regarding Rome was the street gypsies.  One gorgeous afternoon, I was leisurely strolling across the street from the Altare della Patria ("Altar of the Fatherland").  A magnificently grand structure 443 feet wide and 230 feet high, with white stairways, Corinthian columns, fountains, an equestrian sculpture of Victor Emmanuel and two statues of the goddess Victoria.  Needless to say it held my full attention; causing me to disregard the approach of a swarthy, obese woman surrounded by six ragged, dirty children.  

     Abruptly the woman blocked my face with a torn piece of cardboard, while unclean, little hands went through all my pockets.  And let me tell you, friends and neighbors, were they ever quick; melting away with the scenery in a flash.

My Gypsy-Pickpocket Gang.

Street Gypsies at work - hang onto your wallet, dear reader!

     This is why, dear reader, when visiting any foreign city all items of importance (passport, wallet, credit cards, cash, flying licenses, etc.) are always safely lock away in the hotel’s safe or safety deposit box.  In the case of the gypsies, all they got out of my pockets was air.  I was carrying approximately one hundred US Dollars in Italian Lira - zipped up in a hidden compartment on the inside of my belt – completely safe from exploring, unclean, Lilliputian hands.

     Alright, dear reader, so that’s the negative side of Rome.  Let’s examine the positive side.

     Unbelievably, I hooked up with a couple of the dancers from Madrid!  Who were currently dancing in a TV variety show at Rome – they had already lived here for several months - and proved to be most excellent tour guides.  The girls checking me out on some of the best restaurants, and extraordinary sights Rome has to offer.  Such as the Vatican, with its museums and gardens, Hadrian’s Mausoleum, the Spanish Steps, the Mouth of Truth (where I nearly lost my hand; have to quit lying to those dancers), plus The Forum, the Triumphal Arches of Constantine and Titus, and of course The Pantheon.

The Vatican.

Hadrian’s Mausoleum.

The Spanish Steps with Hepburn and Peck in “Roman Holiday.”

The Mouth of Truth – Audrey Hepburn about to test it.

The Forum.

The Arch of Constantine.

Fountain of Trevi.

     Because it’s mostly intact, despite the fact it was finished in 126 AD, The Pantheon absolutely blew me away. The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky.  Almost two thousand years after it was built, The Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest, unreinforced concrete dome.  

The height to the oculus and the diameter of its interior circle are the same: 142 feet.

     Gomer Pyle, USMC, would have been proud of me, for like any rube I stood in the center, looking up at that amazing oculus with my mouth totally agape.  While one word popped up in my grey matter: Gomer’s, “GOOOOLLY!”

     Last, but far from least, the girls guided me round the Colosseum (Amphitheatrum Flavium).  Built of concrete and sand, it’s the greatest amphitheater ever constructed, and is situated east of the Roman Forum.  Construction began under Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD, and was completed in 80 AD by his successor and heir Titus.  Further modifications were made in the reign of Domitian, Titus brother, and therefore these three emperors are known as the Flavian Dynasty.  Thus the amphitheater was named in Latin for its association with their family name: Flavius.  It’s estimated this incredible structure could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators.

     However, due to my perverse sense of humor, I’ve always referred to this amphitheater as the “Jewish Colosseum.”

     Have I lost my mind, dear reader?  Not quite.  May I explain?

     Let’s flashback to 30 AD: We’re standing on the Mount of Olives, outside Jerusalem, beside a carpenter from Nazareth named Jesus.  From our vantage point we can observe the magnificent structure of the 2^nd Jewish Temple, built at a corner of the city’s walls.  One of Jesus’ followers remarks at what a grand building the temple is.  In reply, the carpenter, according to the King James Bible, states the following: And Jesus said unto them, “See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.”  Matthew 24:2

The carpenter’s view of the 2nd Temple at the corner of the walled city.

     All those within earshot of this prophecy concerning the temple, were mystified.  Why would anyone in their right mind attempt to dismantle those gigantic stone blocks?

     Now let’s flash-forward to 66 AD - when the Jews of Judea rebelled against Roman rule – activating Roman General Titus (Emperor Vespasian’s son) to besieged Jerusalem in 70 AD.  The city fell that year, and during the slaughter and looting that followed, somehow the 2^nd Temple caught fire.  After the fire went out, the Roman soldiers commenced to disassemble the temple; massive stone by stone. 

     What on earth would possess them to do that, dear reader?  Heat stroke?  No...greed.

     Since the Jews had been using the 2^nd Temple for centuries as a treasury to store their wealth – feeling it was the safest bank in the ancient world – filling its vaults with coins and artifacts of gold and silver.  In the intense heat of the fire most of these items melted; flowing within the cracks and crevices between the stone blocks.  Causing the Roman Legionaries to mine those seams of melted gold and silver by tearing apart the stone blocks; thereby not leaving: “...one stone upon another...” 

Romans sacking the 2nd Jewish Temple.           

     Subsequently, dear reader, if the King James Bible can be believed, the carpenter’s prediction decades earlier was spot on; pretty spooky stuff.

     And so, dear ones, what happened to all this temple loot? 

     Titus transported it back to Rome, along with 97,000 Jewish prisoners that survived the slaughter at Jerusalem. 

     To this day, ancient Romans can be seen carrying Jewish Temple spoils on their backs – delivering them to Rome - carved on the Arch of Titus at the Via Sacra.

The Arch of Titus.

The sacking of the 2nd Jewish Temple.

     Titus then used this ill-gotten Jewish wealth to finance the construction of the Colosseum, and the Jewish prisoners to actually build it.

     Ergo, in all honesty, as Jewish money and labor was used in its construction, shouldn’t this colossal, bloody-butcher shop of man and beast be named the “Jewish Colosseum”?

     I rest my case, dear reader.

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