A Nice Relaxing Bath...In Blood...

Today's less than beloved Roman emperor is one Lucius Septimius Bassianus, now better known as Caracalla.  Ruler from 198-217AD, Caracalla was known for four things: killing his co-ruler brother Geta, massacres and persecutions, eventually being assassinated while taking a leak on the side of the road, and the elaborate baths he had built that lasted until the 6th Century when they were destroyed by the more body image conscious* Ostrogoths.  The nickname of Caracalla referred to the style of Gallic cloak that he favored and would NOT have been a name you'd ever call this guy in person.

(*pure speculation on my part...)

The Crossroads of Palmyra...

With all the political strife in Syria, I chose the restored tetrapylon from Palmyra as our final set of Roman ruins.  Palmyra became part of the Roman Empire during the reign of Tiberius, but over time went back and forth between the Romans, the Sassanids, and as it's own independent nation.  Much later, the city was fell into sharp decline as part of the Ottoman Empire, and after being rediscovered by Western travelers in the 17th century, the city has been under off an on excavation by archaeologists since the 19th century.  Tetrapylons (like the one featured above...well, three out of four ain't bad...not half bad...cuz it's one more than two) were four part cubic monuments with four gates that were usually built at crossroads.

The Entrance to Ancient Gerasa...

My Second set of ruins comes from an image of the Arch of Hadrian that was the entrance to the Greco-Roman city Gerasa (not to be confused with the Arch of Hadrian in Athens...which if you ever seen it, is not easily confused with this arch) now Jerash in modern Jordan. The Romans conquered the city in 63 BC after which the city flourished for many years until the Persians took over the territory in 614 AD and a major earthquake destroyed much of it in 749 AD.  Today, it is considered one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Near East and continues to be excavated and explored.  The arch was built to commemorate a visit from the Emperor Hadrian around 129-130 AD.

The Foot of the Capitoline Hill

So the other aspect of drawing that I'd been neglecting was architecture.  I admire good architecture, but I'll admit to not being all that geared up to draw it.  So, to tie it into things I have been interested in lately, I decided to draw Roman/Roman era ruins.  We kick off the week with the remains of the Temple of Saturn in Rome proper.  Traditionally believed to have been built around 497 BC in the early days of Rome, the temple was destroyed and rebuilt twice.  As Saturn was associated with wealth, for many years, the Temple held Rome's gold and silver reserves.  The front portico, as picture above, is all that remains standing today.