THE COLOSSEUM’S WILDEST SPECTACLE Rome’s Awesome Aquatic Battles
included seals and hippos. So, why did Romans go to such lengths? More than entertainment, naumachiae was a statement of imperial power. Such Roman spectacles entertained the masses while reinforcing the empire’s might. THE CHALLENGE OF ARENA BATTLES Of course, flooding the Colosseum was not easy. It’s believed the same aqueducts used to supply the city with water were also used to fill up the arena, and special flat-bottomed ships capable of navigating shallow waters made the events possible. The discovery of an ancient drainage system also provided new insights into how Roman engineers may have efficiently removed water from the arena to prepare it for other events. WHY IT’S MORE THAN JUST A WEIRD STORY The logistical challenges of flooding an arena to a depth sufficient for floating ships eventually led them to abandon the naumachiae after only a handful of events. Yet, these extravagant displays reveal much about Roman culture. They highlight the empire’s unmatched ability to combine practicality and imagination to create spectacles that continue to captivate and inspire us centuries later.
The Roman Colosseum is famous for its gladiator combat, but did you know it was once flooded with water for full-scale naval battles? While this might sound like Hollywood fiction, it actually took place and is one of the more epic tales from Roman history. Known as naumachiae , a Greek term that translates to “naval combat,” these battles were a feat of ancient engineering and showcased Rome’s appetite for over-the-top entertainment. For a society captivated by lions and gladiators, transforming the iconic Colosseum into an aquatic battlefield was the ultimate flex — a bizarre yet undeniably brilliant display of Roman ingenuity and excess. THE SPECTACLE OF NAUMACHIAE Imagine thousands of spectators cheering as tiny warships clashed in a flooded arena. Dating back to the third century B.C., these mock sea battles weren’t small staged skirmishes; they were elaborate naval reenactments complete
with ships, soldiers, and condemned criminals and prisoners of war forced to play the role of combatants. In some cases, these spectacles recreated historical battles or mythological scenes. One naumachiae held by Nero in 57 A.D. even
OUR FAMILY SAYS GOODBYE TO COACH
We Lost Our Beloved Shetland Sheepdog
If you have ever had the unfortunate task of putting your dog down, you know it’s extremely hard. In past issues, I have talked about our two dogs, Bosworth and Coach. Both are Shetland sheepdogs and great dogs that have been terrific for our family. We have a great connection with our “guys.” However, a few months ago, Coach started having issues. One of his eyes began to get cloudy and off-color. We took him to a vet and then a specialist vet for surgery on his eye. After spending a lot of time and money on eye surgery, we thought we were in the clear with Coach. Then, a couple of months after the surgery, we started noticing one of his nostrils filling up with some kind of crud that was blocking the airway in the nostril. We took Coach to the vet again, and during the exam, the vet found a huge tumor around Coach’s stomach. The vet felt it was all related, and the outlook for Coach was not good. We took Coach home and gave him some pain meds that the vet gave us. Coach seemed to be doing much better for a couple of weeks,
pulling through and handling things great. Then, suddenly, Coach stopped eating and was having trouble getting up or standing from a sitting position. We knew it was time. We talked to the vet and scheduled the day for Coach to be put down. Another very hard thing to do — time the death of your dog. The day before Coach was to be put down, we had a little dinner party for Coach. My kids came over and said their last goodbyes to Coach, even the grandkids. Coach was still not eating much but ate some steak and all the ice cream we gave him. That night, Coach slept with Gina and me in our bed, and the next morning, we dragged ourselves to the vet with Coach debating the entire time if this was something that we REALLY needed to do. We agreed, sadly, that it was time. I have talked before in my newsletters about how I think dogs KNOW they are going to the vet, and this morning was no exception. Gina held him in her lap as we drove silently to the vet. I will stop here, knowing that you obviously know what came next. We stayed during the procedure and even
for a while afterward, talking to Coach and telling him what a great dog he was.
Our family will miss Coach, and so will his brother Bosworth. We all have great memories of a terrific dog that loved his family.
–Darin
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