Bryce & Damon in Europe
by Pertinax Carrus
Chapter 25: Rome Again, Part III
The Palatine and Circus Maximus
Over lunch, Bryce and Damon discussed their next move. They decided they had definitely had enough churches for the day, so Bryce suggested returning to the center of ancient Rome. They had done the forum and the Colosseum, but there was much more. This having been agreed upon, after lunch they made their way by the most direct route back to the Colosseum, and then the short distance down the Via di San Gregorio to the Arch of Constantine. This work, which dominates the space between the forum and the Colosseum, was erected by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine’s victory over his rival, Maxentius, in the Battle of the Mulvian Bridge in 312. It was begun immediately after the battle, and dedicated in time for Constantine’s celebration of his tenth anniversary on the throne, counting from his acclamation by his father’s troops in 306.
“It was after this battle that Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, right?” Damon said.
Bryce gave him a disgusted look. “I’m sure Professor Dickinson never said that,” he admonished his boyfriend. “In fact, Constantine may have been moving towards conversion at that time under the influence of his mother, but there is no way he could have made Christianity the official religion of the Empire in 312 or 313, when the Edict of Milan was issued. For one thing, he ruled only the western half of the Empire. His famous Edict was issued jointly with his colleague from the East, Licinius, who was quite definitely not Christian. It is an edict of toleration. It was a recognition that persecution did not work, and was, in fact, counter-productive. It made Christianity equal to the other accepted religions in the Empire, and extended to the Christians the same privileges enjoyed by the pagan cults. For example, Christian priests and property did not have to pay taxes, and the Church as a corporation could own property. Also included was the right of sanctuary. If someone accused of a crime fled to a Christian church, he could not be arrested as long as he remained in the church. These are all privileges enjoyed by the pagan cults, not special favors shown Christianity. Just think, Constantine ruled the western half of the Roman Empire, which was considerably less Christianized than the eastern half. Most authors I have read estimate that only about ten percent of the population of the West were Christian in 313, most of them in Italy and North Africa. In fact, Constantine never made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. That came much later under Theodosius. To say the least, that story is a gross exaggeration of the reality.”
“Okay, okay! Don’t jump down my throat,” Damon protested.
“I know it’s a common mistake,” Bryce backed off, “but it’s been used time and again to slander both Christianity and Constantine. I guess I’m super-sensitive on that point.” He made up by kissing his boyfriend.
As they viewed the arch, Damon remarked, “Some of these panels look different than others. I guess they were works of different sculptors.”
“Good eye,” Bryce congratulated him. “You’re becoming quite an art critic. In fact, the arch was put up so quickly that they purloined bits and pieces from older monuments. If I recall correctly, bits from the monuments of Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius are incorporated, along with original work. Generally, the original work is less refined, more blocky and simplistic, than the older stuff. The ancient world was in decline by the early fourth century, no doubt about that. Just think, can you name any major poet, philosopher, or historian from that period or later, until Procopius in the sixth century? No, the ancient world would have fallen regardless of the efforts of Diocletian and Constantine. They just delayed the inevitable.”
“Diocletian? I though he was one of those persecuting emperors you didn’t like,” Damon said.
“He is. But I can still recognize that he put the skids on the decline. That was before he began the persecutions, anyway. Without Diocletian, the Empire might have collapsed at the end of the third century, instead in the fifth,” Bryce conceded.
From the Arch of Constantine, they made their way down the Via di San Gregorio to the entrance to the Palatine. The Palatine is one of the original seven hills of Rome, and in some ways is the original hill. According to ancient Roman sources, it was here, in a cave called the Lupercal, that the twins Romulus and Remus were suckled by a wolf until taken in by a shepherd, and here that Romulus founded the original city named for him in 753 B.C. by joining three previously existing settlements. Archaeology confirms that there were settlements on the Palatine from about a thousand B.C. onward. In 2007 the Roman archaeologist Irene Iacopi discovered what she believes to be the Lupercal, buried deep beneath the later accretions, and highly decorated, probably at the time of Nero.
In the later Roman Republic, the Palatine was the choice residence of wealthy and influential citizens. Q. Lutatius Catulus, author of gay poetry, consul in 102 B.C. with Marius, and victor with him over the invading Cimbri, lived here. M. Livius Drusus, tribune of the people in 91 B.C., who distributed land to the plebians, and wanted to grant full citizenship to the Latin allies, lived here until his assassination. Drusus was an ancestor of Brutus, who assassinated Caesar, and his adopted son was the father-in-law of Caesar Augustus. L. Licinius Crassus, the orator, consul in 95 B.C., had his richly appointed home on the Palatine, a home later purchased by the best known of all Roman orators, his pupil M. Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.). Publius Clodius, notorious demagogue and tribune, slain by Milo on the Appian Way in 58 B.C., was another resident. Another orator, Q. Hortensius Hortalus, son-in-law of Lutatius Catulus and rival of Cicero, had a richly appointed home, which was later purchased by Caesar Augustus, who lived there throughout his time as ruler of Rome.
During the imperial period, various emperors expanded the relatively simple home of Augustus into a vast complex which spread out to encompass the entire summit of the Palatine. Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero among the Julians, as well as their successors the Flavian emperors all added to the continuous expansion. One of the greatest builders was Domitian, who took advantage of the fact that vast spaces were still not rebuilt after the Great Fire of 64 A.D. Trajan and Hadrian made their contributions. The last significant imperial structures were those of Septimius Severus at the beginning of the third century. Long before this, the imperial complex covered the entire summit of the Palatine, stretching from the forum to the Circus Maximus. The word ‘palace’ and its relatives derive from the Palatine.
From the entrance on the Via di San Gregorio, Bryce and Damon turned right, and first visited the area near the forum. This is the area which was acquired about 1550 by Alessandro Cardinal Farnese, nephew of Pope Paul III, who had laid out there the so-called Farnese Gardens overlooking the forum. This delightful area is still one of the most pleasant places on the Palatine. The first excavations were carried out under the direction of the Farnese family. Unfortunately, as at Pompeii, excavations during those centuries were more like treasure hunts than scientific expeditions. Serious work began towards the end of the eighteenth century. But, rather than being concerned with archaeology, Bryce and Damon simply enjoyed the gardens and being able to look down through some of the excavations into the bowels of the hill. One of the more interesting sites was that called the House of Livia, wife of Caesar Augustus. The cypress and pine trees on the Palatine gave it a special ambiance which made it distinct from many other places they had visited.
After spending quite some time wandering through the delightful imperial ruins on the Palatine, Bryce and Damon came to a modern structure, which proved to be a museum of objects discovered in the excavations. This, too, took quite a while to digest. Peering through upper floor windows, they discovered that they had reached the limits of the Palatine. Beyond was the valley covered by the Circus Maximus. The imperial complex ended with boxes which gave the emperors and their retinue prime seats for the events in that arena.
The Circus Maximus (literally ‘biggest circle,’ although it wasn’t a circle) was a chariot racing venue, also used for other mass entertainments, and capable of seating 150,000 spectators. Bryce reminded Damon of the movie ‘Ben Hur,’ which they had both enjoyed, part of which was set during chariot races in the Circus Maximus. It lay in the valley between the Palatine and the Aventine hills. One such entertainment in 169 B.C. involved 63 leopards, 40 bears, and an unspecified number of elephants. By the last years of the Republic, 57 days of the year were given over to such games. This increased to 135 days under the Empire. This was part of the policy of pane et circensis (bread and circuses) begun by Gaius Gracchus in the second century B.C., employed by the ruling classes and later the emperors to keep the lower classes quiet and docile. During the Republic, the sponsor of the games, called the editor, sat on a special platform with images of the gods and ruled the festivities. Under the Empire, this role was assigned the emperors. The last known beast hunt in the Circus Maximus took place in 523 A.D., and the last known chariot race in 549. In 2006 the celebration of the Italian World Cup victory, the first in 24 years, was held in the Circus Maximus.
As Bryce and Damon looked out on the Circus Maximus, they were surprised to see a variety of military vehicles – jeeps, tanks, trucks – massed in the Circus Maximus. Descending to street level, they got closer, and noticed from the flags and insignia that it was the Italian army which was carrying out some kind of manoeuvers there. They walked half way around the circus, passing the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin at the squared off end of the facility, and found a platform about half way down the Aventine side, where a booth offered ice cream and other snacks. They sat, snacked, and observed the goings-on in the Circus Maximus.
“What do you suppose the Italian army is doing there?” Bryce wondered.
“It’s obvious,” Damon replied. “They’re carrying out manoeuvers, preparing to defend the city from the wave of new barbarians, called tourists.”
Bryce laughed. “As good an explanation as any, I guess.”
The Gay Village Again
By the time they had completed their investigations of the Palatine and the Circus Maximus, the guys decided it was time to take a break from religious and archaeological pursuits. They determined to revisit the Gay Village, and this time have their evening meal there. There was a subway stop called Circo Massimo at the southeast end of the Circus Maximus, and there Bryce abandoned the leadership to Damon, whose expertise with such matters far exceeded his. Damon succeeded in getting them out to the Gay Village without mishap.
They first spent some time listening to music and dancing. This was always one of the favored pastimes of both of them. But before long, they also felt the craving for something to eat. It was too loud where they were, so they left, seeking some place where they could eat and still carry on a decent conversation without yelling. The Gay Village offered many dining facilities, so that was no problem.
As they sat, Bryce chuckled. “I can just imagine what my father will make of these charges on my credit cards. ‘Gay Village,’ ‘Coming out.’ And that’s just the last few days here in Rome.”
“Have you had any negative feedback?” Damon asked, concerned for his partner.
“No, thank goodness. When I check the e-mail each day, there is never anything from Dad, but Mom and Nan are very positive. In fact, I think they’re envious. Of course, they’ve been here too, but as part of family trips. Nan, especially, is talking about taking a trip with her boyfriend, Brian Maguire. I’m very much afraid we’re going to witness some real miscegenation before long,” Bryce chuckled.
“Miscegenation? What are you talking about,” a confused but alert Damon asked.
“Well, Nan is getting really serious about this guy, and he’s Irish. I didn’t think the Irish ever married anyone who wasn’t also Irish,” Bryce stated, tongue firmly in cheek.
“You know, Boyfriend, you really are weird,” Damon reiterated.
“Seems I’ve heard that somewhere,” Bryce grinned.
As the place was getting crowded, it came as no surprise when two other young men asked to share the table. Of course, Bryce and Damon welcomed them and introduced themselves. The others were named Raimondo and Antonio. When they found that Bryce and Damon were Americans, they switched to English, and asked to be called Ray and Tony. As they consumed their dinners, the four talked convivially. Ray was from Naples, and so they discussed the recent trip to that area by Bryce and Damon. Ray lamented that they had not seen anything of the true nature of Naples, as he saw it, by visiting only the tourist attractions. Bryce mentioned the Donna Adelina near the train station, which caused Ray to throw up his hands in frustration. “You see only the tourist attractions and the worst part of the city!” he dramatically proclaimed.
Damon mentioned that Bryce had sung a Neapolitan song about the funicula on their way up to the city of Capri.
“Oh? Which one is that?” Ray enquired.
Damon would not let up until Bryce sang his version of the funicula song. Ray laughed, and then sang it in the Italian, and with considerably greater vocal artistry than Bryce. He then sang ‘O sole mio,’ another Neapolitan song from the same era. Ray obviously had a great voice, and enjoyed exercising it. But his companion, Tony, called a halt at that point, saying Ray would sing all night if they let him. “And what’s wrong with that?” Ray demanded, and Tony kissed him. That made it pretty clear that they were not just casual acquaintances.
Over their main course, Tony asked what the Americans had seen in Rome, as he was a Roman. Between them, Bryce and Damon managed to mention most of the sites they had visited.
“You are visiting the seven pilgrimage churches?” Tony asked. “You are believers, then?”
“Well,” Damon replied, “I’m more of an enquirer. Bryce is the believer.”
“But, you are also gay, are you not? Why else would you be here at the Gay Village,” Tony pursued the enquiry.
“Yes,” Bryce declared, “I am gay, and so is Damon. We’re partners – boyfriends,” he added when the word ‘partners’ seemed to leave Tony confused.
“How can you be gay and be a believer? The Pope and the bishops are so very hostile to gays,” Tony said.
“I know, and that distresses me a great deal. But I think they are wrong on this matter, but right on so much more. As I see it, the Church, and the Faith, are not the same as the Pope and the bishops. They are only part of what it means to be Catholic, and a part I can ignore in my daily life. I love Damon, and will not give him up, but I love the Church, too, and will not give that up, either. And I will not allow a bunch of Vatican bureaucrats to take that away from me!” Bryce was getting excited, so Damon lay a hand on his arm to calm him down.
But Ray immediately exclaimed, “Yes, yes! That is right! I have been trying for a long time to tell this to my boyfriend here, but he is so stubborn. What il Papa says has nothing to do with what happens between me and il Cristo when I attend the divine Missa.”
“You see what you have done,” Tony grinned. “Ray has forgotten his English.”
That evoked laughter from all of them, including, after a moment’s hesitation, Ray as well.
But it certainly did not end the conversation. Another carafe of wine was ordered, and they continued, with Bryce attempting to present a logical argument, and Ray being quite emotional. Tony obviously enjoyed prodding at sore spots, and before long Bryce recognized what he was doing, and called him on it. He reciprocated by hitting some of the weak points in Tony’s position. They were obviously enjoying themselves.
Damon remained quiet, for the most part. He enjoyed seeing his boyfriend engaged in battle like this, but he was also listening to the arguments back and forth. They were on their third carafe when Damon made his first significant contribution to the conversation. He reminded Bryce of their earlier talk about believing and not believing being based more on personal experience than on rational argument. Ray and Tony both wanted to hear how that went, so Damon attempted to explain, but eventually yielded to Bryce.
“I think Bryce is correct,” Ray said. “I am not the scholar my friend is, but I know in my heart that what I experience when I attend Mass is real. It is not just a reaction to something else. I can go when I am happy, or when I am sad, and My Lord is always there. It can be Sunday, or a great feast, or just when I feel the need, and I am comforted. And if mi amico says one more time that it is all psychological, I think I will kill him, even if I do love him.”
Tony grinned. He loved setting his boyfriend off like this. “And I love you, too, Rai, coro mio,” he said, and kissed his partner.
Bryce could not resist telling the others about Damon’s reaction to Caravaggio’s ‘Saint John the Baptist,’ and, in retaliation for making him sing, coaxed Damon to bring the postcard version out of his pocket. “This has really captured Damon’s fancy, but don’t forget, Caravaggio was also a believer, and so also was Michelangelo.”
“Are you telling me Michelangelo was gay, too?” Damon asked in surprise.
“Almost certainly,” Bryce responded. “Now, let’s see that Caravaggio.”
Damon was embarrassed to have his fixation on Caravaggio thus exposed, so Bryce then kissed him to make up. Tony had seen the painting before, but was unacquainted with the life of the painter, while this was something new for Ray, who accused Tony of keeping a secret stash of jerk off places to visit. It took a while for that to die down.
“You will be at Mass tomorrow, right?” Ray asked.
“Yes. We went to St. Peter’s last Sunday, but we did not have time to see everything there, so I thought we would return tomorrow and complete the tour. At least, the upper portions. We have tickets for the scavi on Monday,” Bryce answered.
“Does your Damon act like a donkey, and bray loudly about what a fool you are when you attend the Mass,” Ray asked, giving Tony a disgruntled look.
“Not at all. Damon has been most patient and accommodating. He attends with me, and always receives the blessing of the priest, but he says nothing about what he thinks of the ceremony, unless, of course, the priest is a total homophobe,” Bryce said, poking Damon, who just grinned.
“I surrender,” Tony capitulated. “Ray has been nagging me for months to attend Mass with him. So, now I am surrounded by Americans who attend the Mass, even those who do not believe,” he gave Damon a disgusted look, as though he had been betrayed. “I will go to Mass in the morning, but only at St. Peter’s with our new friends, so I will not be the only nonbeliever there.”
Ray kissed Tony, and this time it was not just a casual kiss, but something really passionate.
After a while, Bryce said, “Um, fellows, don’t you think you ought to save that for when you get home tonight?”
Tony and Ray broke their kiss, but they did not seem in the least apologetic. On the contrary, they seemed extremely pleased with themselves, and perhaps with some agreement reached between them, not in words.
Having reached a place of contentment, they did not pursue their various arguments, but concentrated on enjoying the remainder of the evening. There were many venues, with a variety of music, so the four went from one place to another, dancing, laughing, and simply having a good time. It felt great to be in a group which accepted them as they were.
Just as last week, Bryce and Damon stayed until past midnight, and then had to find their way back to the Hotel Cicerone without the aid of their car. Damon eventually directed them to the subway stop Lepanto, after which they made their way down the Via Marcantonio Colonna, which became the Via Cicerone after crossing the Piazza Cola di Rienzi. Given the fact that they were scheduled to meet Tony and Ray, they had no choice about which Mass they attended in the morning, so Bryce set his alarm clock, and they fell into an exhausted but satisfied sleep.