The Roman Colosseum

   

 I've been watching the mini-series "The Colosseum". The last show was depicting the time around 400 AD. Watching it made me feel like I was watching the daily news. The similarities were eye opening. Of course, there are vast differences between the eras, but they did speak of a pandemic, rising inflation, food supplies and the thing that got me the most was the pulling down of statues. 

The historians believe that this time was when the Roman Empire started its downward spiral and it 

 can't only be me who wonders if we are on our last legs. Everything seems to be falling apart as it was then. People talk about the end times believing it to be the end of the world. More than likely, it is the end of our times as it was the time for the Romans.

 The photos I've included are ones I took while in Rome. What you see is the round arena and the rooms underneath when they kept Gladiators, wild animals and the elevators that would lift them up to the arena. The second photo is the rooms where the Gladiators were housed, crammed in.

     

Lie Down With Lions by Ken Follett

 This a love triangle with a background of the Afghan war, further complicated wit the men on opposing sides. It is well written with exceptional work on the lives of women in an Afghan village where our main character uses her wiles to survive. I did get tired with the continual emphasis on breast feeding. This was the least of my problems, when half-way thru the book I thought it had changed to a porn novel. I found this section an unnecessary addition to the book. The story seemed to have lost its purpose. After that wasted section the book was back on track with a great ending.