Ambassador of Rome

Ambassador of Rome

This reenactor stands close to the Colosseum. If you give him some money, you can stand next to him, and someone will take a photo of you, the Colosseum, and an ancient Roman. And what a beautiful Roman he is! His helmet crooked, his leather cuirass too short, his belt somewhere near his ribs, his legs covered with tights.

The reason why I asked my travel companion to take this photo, is that I was surprised that he was allowed to stand over there, where thousands of visitors gather every day. Being next to the Colosseum makes you some kind of ambassador of Rome. If I were the city’s mayor, I would create a license system and make sure that the people over there are perfectly dressed. The reenactors of XXX Ulpia would certainly love to offer advice. Right now, this man represents Rome. This is the way the city wants to be seen.

2 Responses to Ambassador of Rome

  1. he probably takes turns with someone smaller 😛

  2. Bill Thayer says:

    Hard to see exactly what the cloth part of that costume is, but it looks like one of those medieval get-ups worn in those hundreds of little palii, giostre, quintane that the smaller Italian towns are so fond of; our guy may work those too and make do with one basic get-up for all of them. But even if a Roman soldier, what do they have to do with gladiators? It’s as if we were to put our television weather announcers in camouflage battle dress.

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