海角大神

Rome has given the centurions a deadline to clear out. The solders in question aren't from the ranks of an ancient legion, but are modern-day performers who pose for tourist聽photos at the Colosseum.

Men and women decked out in chest plates and helmets eke out a聽tax-free living at Rome鈥檚 most popular attraction, posing for photos with foreign聽visitors for 5 or 10 euros. Disoriented, jet lagged, or simply scared,聽tourists have been known to pay up to 50 euros ($67). Some have been roughed聽up when they refuse.

Arrests were made last summer in an undercover operation with police聽in tunics and sandals handcuffing centurions and gladiators for聽ripping off tourists. A recent Italian media report cited a policeman聽as saying the centurions are all ex-convicts, 鈥渆very last one of聽them.鈥�

Now the city government says 鈥�basta!鈥� and wants them to pack up their聽swords, shields, and ensigns and clear out by April 6.

鈥淭his will end badly. We鈥檒l wage a revolution. We鈥檒l burn down the聽Coliseum rather than move from here,鈥� a 21st-century centurion聽recently told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

Along with the fake ancient Roman soldiers, the city aims to rid聽itself of the vast illegal industry of food and souvenir vendors that聽feeds off the 6 million people who every year visit the site where聽Russell Crowe avenged his family鈥檚 murder in the 2000 sword-and-sandal blockbuster "Gladiator."

City and national officials say they are defending聽Rome-the-living-museum from an image akin to theme parks where聽visitors feast on fast food and ham it up for the camera with聽fairytale characters.

But the Italian economy is in recession and its prisons overcrowded so government bureaucrats should be vigilant for unrest聽in the legionary ranks. They might want to reconsider a plan that puts聽ex-cons out of work.