It’s thought only around a tenth of ancient Rome still exists today.
But a new interactive tool transports you back to the city’s glory days.
The online aerial tour, created by researchers in Indiana, soars over the entire metropolis as it appeared in the fourth century AD during its historical heyday.
It takes in 61 stops, including the famous Colosseum where thousands of bloody gladiator battles were hosted as a form of public spectacle.
Viewers can also see the Pantheon, the Baths of Caracalla and the Mausoleum of Augustus, the largest circular tomb in the world.
The online aerial tour, created by researchers in Indiana , soars over the entire metropolis as it appeared in the fourth century AD during its historical heyday. Pictured is famous Colosseum with the Temple of Claudius on the Caelian Hill to its left
The flyover – which lasts one hour and 52 minutes – was made by Indiana company Flyover Zone, led by digital archaeologist Professor Bernard Frischer.
‘With the virtual tour we hope to make it easy and fun for the public to learn about ancient Rome and its cultural heritage,’ he said.
‘Teachers can use this and other tours to take their students on virtual trips to the cultures they are studying.
‘History enthusiasts can explore major historical sites without leaving their homes, tourists can prepare for their trip to Rome, deepening their knowledge of the places they will visit and keep their memories alive once they return home.
‘Our goal is not to replace real tourism but to enhance it.’
The flyover focuses on the reconstruction of the ancient city as it might have looked at the height of its development in the year AD 320.
It depicts 7,000 buildings spread over 5.2 square miles (13.6 square kilometers) at a time when there were around 1 million inhabitants.
‘This was the moment when the city reached its height in terms of population and the number of buildings and monuments,’ Flyover Zone said in a statement.
Colosseum, which was constructed under the Roman emperor Vespasian between the years AD 70 and 72
There’s also the Pantheon, a former Roman temple notable for its eight large granite Corinthian columns at the front
The Baths of Caracalla – the city’s second largest Roman public baths, or thermae, after the Baths of Diocletian
Pride of place is the Colosseum, which was constructed under the Roman emperor Vespasian between the years AD 70 and 72.
Famously the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, it was used for gladiator battles and other public spectacles including animal hunts and executions.
Today, about a third of the Colosseum remains as it was substantially ruined by earthquakes and stone robbers over the centuries.
Right next to it is a square building, the Temple of Claudius on the Caelian Hill, which housed the Imperial cult of the Emperor Claudius.
Today, the Temple of Claudius no longer stands, although parts of the temple are still visible.
There’s also the Pantheon, a former Roman temple notable for its eight large granite Corinthian columns at the front.
It’s the only ancient Roman building that has remained intact through the centuries and still draws millions of tourists per year.
Pictured in its heyday is the Mausoleum of Augustus, the largest circular tomb in the world
Pictured, temples on the Capitoline Hill (one of the Seven Hills of Rome that form the geographical heart of the city)
The Circus Maximus, the an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue. The site is now a public park
Meanwhile, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the largest circular tomb in the world with a diameter of 285 feet (87 metres), was built by Roman Augustus in 28 BC.
Since 1996, Professor Frischer has brought together experts in Roman archaeology, computer graphics, and virtual reality design to provide what is ‘the most accurate and scientifically reliable reproduction’ of the city.
The tour, which includes commentary from Professor Frischer, is available for free on Yorescape, a streaming and audio platfirm for desktop and mobile.
Yorescape provides various virtual tours of historical sites around the globe, including Athens in Greece and Giza, Egypt.
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
