Those About to Die

The TV series Those About to Die, recalls year 79 AD Roman times, during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. His sons, Titus and Domitian, are personally affected by many intrigues connected to the construction of the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus. A distinctive aspect of the series is its explicit depiction of the sexual dynamics of the time, with particular attention to homosexual and sapphic relationships.

One of these is witnessed by the relationship between Domitian and his slave Hermes. Power and dependence from the highest person in status rank are basic conditions in any sexual relationship during the Roman Empire… but this may seem a modern simplification of a fairly complex society, where sexuality was expressed more freely than today.

In Ancient Rome, sexuality was fluid and shaped by social hierarchy rather than identity. Male homosexual relationships were accepted if the free man took the active role, while the passive partner was often a slave or freedman. Masculinity remained intact as long as a man avoided the passive role, which was seen as degrading. Cicero and Juvenal satirized adult men who defied this norm.

Female homosexual relationships, though less documented, were acknowledged by poets like Martial, often in erotic or satirical contexts. Without a rigid dominance structure, sapphic relationships were less visible but existed with some freedom, though occasionally stigmatized. Roman sexual morality prioritized social status and roles over gender, making it more pragmatic and less categorized than in later eras.

What is the tour about:

One of our gay/gay-friendly guides will escort you in a historical journey in Rome.

You visit the Domitian Stadium, under Navona Square:

Emperor Domitian (51–96 AD, ruled from 81 AD) governed Rome for 15 years before being assassinated by senators he had marginalized. Passionate about public entertainment, he completed the Colosseum, rebuilt the Circus Maximus, and constructed his namesake Stadium, now Piazza Navona. Built in 85–86 AD in the Campus Martius, it was Rome’s first and only masonry stadium, inspired by Greek athletics, though Romans found such games unmanly. The structure, 275m long and 106m wide, held 30,000 spectators. Over time, "agone" (games) evolved into "Navona," giving the piazza its name.

Then you will move to Domus Augustana, in the Colosseum and Palatine Fora Area:

Octavian was born on the Palatine Hill in 63 BC and chose it as his residence, establishing its role as the imperial palace until the empire's fall. His house featured lavish mosaics and refined frescoes, including the "Room of the Masks" and the "Room of Pine Garlands." The public area, overlooking a porticoed peristyle, preserves some of the finest examples of late Second Style Roman painting

The tour is 4 hrs long and includes public transportation.