Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-07-10
Correspondence n the Free Press.
Letters From Europe.
NO. XXTIL
The Runs of Rome.


Imagination and the lights Of history, to restore
them, think nevertheless fail to come up to en-
lightened expectations, and to those who know not
what to expect or what the ancents were, the dis
appointment must be still greater-and still it is
not quite certain but the lack Of knowledge may
tend to increase the interest," for the reason tn at
the Imagination has less limits and wider range,
as in the Of the Etruscan antquities-stonc
henge, and other Cyclopean or Druidica ruins, or
those of Paenque and Copan and the other ruined
cities Of Central America-which in Imagination
we may restore by unknown rules, and people by
unknown races and invest with every variety of
purpose as our musings may take one direction or
another led of by all possible association.
From any good elevated position it is quite easy
to distinguish the seven hills on which ancient
Rome was but-and there are numerous other
hills-some thirty in all-within the walls. Still
they hardly deserve the of hills, as they are
but the large knobs Of an undulatng surface
Many of them are doubtless heaps ofruins covered
by modern houses, and if excavated would disclose
choice treasures ofancient art Much of the site
Of ancient Rome, two.thirds within the walls, is
now desert marked only by the scattered and in
themselves unintcrcsting ruins, which antiquares
have been able to name with reasonable certainty
In the heart of the modern city which is built as
compact any city,are found some of the best pre-
served and most interesting ruins of the Romans
Many stand shattered and decayed and half buried
in the earth, while the church has appropriated
others to her sacred purposes only changing the
name. To many this seems almost profanity
They shudder almost at the thought of taking a
statue Of heather God and calling it the statue
of the highest Saint in the calendar-and bowling
down to it and kissing its foot. believe it is not
doubted that an ancient statue Of Jupiter was by
modern faith converted into the statue Of the
Jew Peter st. Peter } which has had its toes
almost kissed off, in st. Peters. But is there any
thing wrong in it, Do we object to modern priests
preaching the Gospel in the Colosseum-in ancient
times the Favian amphitheatre-are at all
shocked that the gloriou, Pantheon is now a
temple to tho true God Antiquaries are in
doubt whether that interesting church st. stephen
rotundo, was a temple to Faunus or to Bacchus
or a market or arsenal does it make
any difference which , and the Pinakotheca
of the baths OF Diocletian constitutes one
of the most beautiful portions of the celebrated
church Of st Mary of tho angels and on in
numerous other instances. 1t would natura lily be
so when the early christians adopted the policy
! (if that is the proper word) Of com
mending the new religion by pointing out and
enforcing its analoges to the ancient supersttions
Paul was never all things to all men more thar
when at Athens he insisted that their altar t
the unknown God " was really an altar to tn,
God whom he preached, and that they although
II. l.,
the same living and true God.
Tn ru n Of Forums, when they are distinguls III
able. like those OF tie honau forum aud Tfajlu'
:oruu are exceedingly Interestingly Of Ten
pies OF the ancient idolatry, which in city an
among people like the Roman, exceeding
supcrsttious, could not but be abundant and i
every variety-so Of the Palaces of the great an
the rich in city opulcnt and luxurious a
Rome-so Of the Theatres and palaces Of amuse
ment of people so addicted to spectacles an
ranrasentations. nf oil thasa .hara a sr.oastiv
remains which no one would expect to fin
enumerated in a travellers letter. The Coliseum
Of which all have seen pictures and non
except those who have looked at it hav
any proper idea could seat 30 900 spectators, eac
one of whom had a clear view of the arena, an
!
with wild beasts When it was dedicated 500
wild beasts were victimized in savage sport.
covers six acres and is l57 feet high. We plucke,
few plants among the stupepdcus ruins, but tn
whole number found there is ESQ species of plant.
For 200 years its mighty walls were the quargie
which supplied the building stone for the palace
Of the city. and yet it remains in its grandeur -
The Circus Maximus now buried and obiterated
would seat 200 900 persons and its arena Of nca
half mile in length gave noble scope for chario
races Once round the circuit Of the seats was
walk Of only few feet less than mile l hay
thus noticed these large places Of amusement onl
to give sort of idea of that ancient people in thi
respect Smaller theatres and and amphitheatrc
abounded also The smallest, the theatre of Ba
bus would seat II 800 The palaces must not a
be judged by the Palace of the Caesars, but tn
voluptuousness of the people may be we'll infcrre
from it, for it east even the temple Of Solomo
into the shade. Its afluence Of precious maj
bles and ivory and gold and diamond
were beyond all parallel-all that art and weat
and lux ury could do Nero caused to be done, as b
said, that he might have place where he coul
live like a man. The number of its chambers an
halls was almost uncounted and one Of them dds
closed by digging hundred years and more ago
1873 feet by 81. There was portico Of 900 fee
long and with three rows of columns what
colonnade and its vestibule was not less re
markabls, while before it stood statue in bronz
of Nero himself, by the first artist of his day.
was colossus Of 100 feet high The wealth
these old Romans was nconceiyabe. Seneca th
modest moralist was worth Il millions Of dollar.
Iiberius was worth l2O millions Mark Anthony
house was sold for two millions. Ohio spent mi
lions in finishing wing of Nero's palace-one ,
Caligula's dinners cost $50 600 dollars-Heli,
gabalus' breakfast for few friends cost 300
900. The villa Of Scaurus was burned up. Ii
loss was {, millions ofdollars He was not insured
but believe the loss did not affect his pecuniar
credit. because he was known to be well able I