Indeed a marvel of the world, that I had the fortune to visit many times in my trips to the Ethernal City. The oculus also serves as a cooling and ventilation method.Īllegedly, the oculus would not allow rain to come in by virtue of its thermal current. Throughout the day, the light from the oculus moves around this space in a reverse sundial effect. The opening on the top of the dome, the oculus, is the main natural source of light. The Pantheon is a very peculiar landmark: according to an interpretation, the interior of the dome was intended to symbolize the arched “vault of the skies”. Pantheon in Greek means “All the gods”, so we can infer that the temple was actually dedicated to all gods, although, according to Cassius Dio, a Roman senator who wrote about the building, “Pantheon” was in fact a name associated with the many statues decorating the structure. Perhaps counterintuitively, the Ceasar salad has little to do with the great emperor, as it turns out it was created many centuries later in Mexico by an Italian immigrant named Cesare.Īfter the Battle of Actium, one of the most famous Roman temples, today still perfectly preserved, was built in the capital city of what was to become the Roman empire during Octavianus’s rule: the Pantheon. The title of Augustus was then assigned to all Roman emperors and, in many languages, Caesar became the very word for Emperor, as Kaiser in German and Czar in Russian. In 8 BC, the month Sextilis (the sixth after March, that was considered the first month in light of the Spring equinox, like in the Persian and other Asian cultures) was renamed August in honor of Augustus.Ĭalling himself as Imperator Caesar divi filius, “Commander Caesar son of the deified one”, according to many he has to be considered the first Roman emperor.Ĭonsolidating and expanding Gaius Julius Ceasar’s conquests, Augustus gave prosperity and stability to an empire that, through many highs and lows, lasted almost 1500 years, until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. In 27 BC the Senate gave Octavianus the new title of Augustus. With the Battle of Actium and the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra, Octavianus became the sole ruler of Rome. After a quick rise to power, he shared command of the Roman republic with Mark Antony and Pompeus, but the game did not last long. After Ceasar’s assassination in 44 BC, Octavius was named in Caesar’s will as adopted son and heir, after which he was known as Octavianus.Īt his arrival in Rome on 6 May 44 BC, Octavianus found consul Mark Antony, Caesar’s former associate, in a tense cease-fire with the assassins of his uncle. That is how I ended up receiving a 2000-year old leadership lesson.īorn Gaius Octavius Thurinus (September 23, 63 BC), his maternal great-uncle was that Julius Ceasar. Suddenly my eye was caught by the Latin inscription on the façade of the temple.Ī question that could not remain unanswered crossed my mind. 1/6 – The things you see after a drink in RomeĪfter a hot summer day in Rome, an aperitivo in the square where the Pantheon is located seemed a sufficient reason to celebrate a deal with clients.
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