BY DOUGH
One of the trips we took as part of our cultural
exposure while we were in Spain was to a city called Merida. What makes
Merida different from other Spanish cities is the preponderance of Roman ruins;
ruins that are considered some of the best preserved in the world. Merida
or as it was known during Roman times, Emerita Augusta, was founded around the
year 25 BC by discharged veterans from Caesar Augustus’s Army. These
ruins are so well preserved partly because of the quality of the materials originally
used to build the city.
The first site we came across were the ruins of the Roman
aqueduct, this aqueduct had originally transported water from a lake which was
over 5 kilometers away. What is left is
only a couple thousand feet in length but it is still extremely impressive.
Next we traveled to the site of the fort which
had guarded the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge).
This bridge was so well built that I observed a police car drive across
it. I think what amazed me the most about this was the fact that it had been
built over 1000 years ago and was still able to handle such a load.
We also were able to tour the fort and
see how it had changed over the centuries as different conquering armies had
altered it to suit their needs. From
there we traveled to the site of the ruins of the Theater and
Amphitheater.
As a history major I am obviously biased in my interests,
however for me this was the highlight of my trip. Seeing these ruins in such a great state of
preservation was awe inspiring. When you
add to that our ability to walk through and touch them; it just brought history
alive in a way that nothing else can. I
mean here I was walking across the same bridges that the Roman Legionaries who conquered
the known world did, I stood in in the
same amphitheater where gladiators fought and the people were entertained with
both violence and horror. Even if I enjoyed no other part of the trip
(but I did) this would have made it all worthwhile for me.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario