The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-04
AN Anr prsCovERY AT nOmE.
srArur on HBnou1Bs BxnuNED.

"A
A correspondent Of the London Atheneam
writes from Rome, September %, as follows;-
'Righetti, a wealthy commoner Of this city,
has lately purchased an old palace for an old
song, being in one of the dirtiest parts Of Rome,
called the Bscone it is close to the Plaza Campo
del Fiori and not far from the Farnese Palace.
Extensive repairs were indispensable, for the
building was in a most rickety state, and, on set
ting people to work to dig for foundation, they
| came upon pavement composed Of large slabs oil
that marble called 'Porta SANTA which is a dull,
yCinCd MARBLE Of u reddish hue, whlCh comes
from the island of Iasus, in the ArohlpeaBo, anu
| is properly called MarmOr Jnsseuse " ls' now
ever, better known by It's modern name, whlch II
derives from its forming the iambs OF ihe Jubilee
| door al St Peters. This pavement was found
thirty fect below the present level OF this part OF
Rcmo and here, likewise, they came upon mas
| ave wall near which they touud piece OF build
inv some hat res emhling NOlhs ark without the
boat. the sidcs were Of brick, and the roof was
formed of blocks Of uuvcrtiuc resting upon these
was, and uniting with bcvellcd edges ut the top
Crigging, as they call II In Scotand) There were
Two gabie-tnds, each formed of one huge block Of
trayertiuo several ofthe bocksare seen, large
aud well cut, thC letters f. G. s., which, yet, the
aiChW0logsts here cannot explain. Great diff
Guilty was encountered In consequence Of the hole
continually filling with water, and preventing the
work going on but steam engine was procured
to work the pumps, which ate now Piled night
all day On opening the ark, J was IOunu 10
contain mapuihcent gilt bronze statue Of Il
youthful Hercules, fourteen feet high, but lying
ON his back, or as the Romans graphically
described it, pansa per ayia.'
"ln art, this statue equals the finest that ever
Greece produced, and he careful manner in which
It has been hidden, and the meaus taken to pro-
teCt il, argue that its value was known aud ap-
preciated. | suspect 10 must have been hidden in
the fourth century TO prevent its being carried oil
to BY zautium by tue son Of Constantine, who
made off with everything he could lay his hands
on in the shape of works Of arr, to enrich and
RdOrn the city which thCncctOrWard was to bear
their imperial name II is interesting to know
that the coins found in and about the statue were
those of Domitiau, DCCius, and MaXiminius,
commonly styled the 'Herculean.' There were,
Likewise, coins Of the Lower Empire.
cover the gliding, which is very thick and
bright (and the pata Of which is still perfect, is
rough CacaTCOus incrustatiOn, which must be
carefully removed before the beauty of the statue
can be thoroughly enjoyed. 1t was found i'm
beddGd in MAJ blt-chips, such as form the sweep
ings of a sculptors studio, and also wedged in by
masses of architectural fragments. Inside the
figure was found very pretty little female head
sCuptured i'll Pafian marble. The back hair IS
gathered up in net much in the style as worn
by ladies in the present day, and which fashion
prevailed from the time of Heiiogabalus down TO
Constantine, as VIC see by referring to other
statues and busts. The period of Art to which
this little bust UelOngs is that Of Constantine, and
therefore Inferior. Other relics may yet be found
in the statue, which is far from empty.
ARTISTIC SrECULATIONS.
"On the first indications of this discovery, much
speculation arose rs to whether It were equestrian
or nor, and whether it might not prove to be
portrait statue Of POmpey the Great, since the
place where they are eXcavating is on the site
of Pompey's Theatre, which was the first ever
made of stone in ROme and that its size was
considerable is known from the fact that it
accommodated twenty thousand spectators. These
speCulatiOns as to what 1t is are now pretty well
at rest as the statue speaks for Itself; at the same
time as there is deal of that incrustation above
mentioned adheriug TO the features, there are some
who insist that it is portrait OF Domitian repre-
| sented as Hercules. Ii has been raised TO within
ten feet of the surface and men are busy eXplor-
ing in the hope of finding one of the feet, which
is missing The club has come up in three pieces,
| and the lions skin, which has hung over the
| shoulder (smlar to that OF the Iheban Hercules
| in the Vatican), and which has evidently been
cast sc elarately, is especially interesting TO us
| modeTns, as showing the mode IN which the
| anCienis executed their work OF casting.
"Hercules being the tuteary deity of Pompey
| the Great it was natural that his image should be
| chosen TO adorn the buildings he erected. As q
work Of art this statue is far superior to that found
! in The Forum Boarium, which is also gilt bronze
| and is now in the Capitol. 1t has evidently beer
executed by artists in the time of the Empire, ant
| stood in the temple of Hercules in the Forum
The beautiful marble statue of Hercules bearing
Tecphus which adorns the 'Pio CIementn0 n
the Vatican, was found in the Campo del FLOR
and placed where it now stands by julius th
Second"