Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-12-21
From the Plattsburgh Sentinel
Notes of Foreign Travel. Rome
The Coliseum.
BY REV. SELAH W. BROWN.

!,
within and from without, from below
and from above, from near and from
far; and its majestic walls seemed
more and more imposing every time
| visited them. Built in the days of
Rome'S pride and glory, it is the most
interesting and magnificent of all the
ruins of the ancient city.
AS we approached the entrance, a
French soldier, pacing his beat as a
sentinel, saluted US with ''votre per-
mis- monsieur" (your permit, sir. }
Showing him the special permission
we had obtained from headquarters,
he allowed as to enter.
The Coliseum was commenced by
Vespasian, in A. D. 70, and dedicated
by Titus in A. D. so, two years before
the upper stories were completed
1t required the labor of $4,000 men
for ten years, and among them were
thousands Of captive Jews. At the
dedication, which lasted one hundred
days, 5000 wild beasts were forced
to destroy each other as a grand dis
play,
This Amphitheater is one Of the
largest structures ever raised by man.
Il is elliptical in form, 615 feet long,
$40 feet broad, and, where perfect,
1854 feet high. The external circum-
ference of the wall is over seventeen
hundred feet, enclosing an area Of six
acres Of ground. The outside wall
rises in four stories, each one being
of different architecture. The lower
story is OF the Doric order, the second
of the Ionic, the third Corinthian, the
fourth Composite, and above all is a
broad cornice.
On one side the walls retain for
considerable distance their original
elevation, but even here walls have
been built in modern times TO prevent
the ruins from falling to pieces. For
many generations the Coliseum was
plundered for material out of which
to build the palaces and public works
but since 1850, when the building
was consecrated to the memory Of
the Christian martyrs who had suffer
ed death in it, the popes have put an
end to these ravages.
Tho oPo" space i'll the center of the
GO lIse nm, which was, calle d
the Arena is also elliptical, htiug 900
/ feet i'll length and $50 in breadth
This arena was surrounded by mar
bic wall Is feet high to prevent the
wild beasts used in the sports from
escaping.
Sweeping entirely around the Am
phitheater, and reaching from the ar
ena to the top OF the outer wall were
tiers upon tiers of marble seats, each
one in full view of the arena below.
On these seats once sat 10000 Rn-
mans, gazing with delight on the
Striies and agOnieS of man and beast,
as they fought and died.
''Butchered to make a Roman holiday
The Coliseum had no roof, but
when there was rain, or burning
sun, awnings were unfurled which
formed a covering.
In the arena wild beasts fought
with each other, and with men, and
even men with men, for the amuse-
ment Of the people. Under the seats
, are the dens where lions, tigers, and
other ferociouS beasts were kept, halt
= starved, that they might tear each
vther to pieces on some great holi-
, day. The people watched with say.
age delight the various modes of at
, tack and defence. If the animals
were cOwed or Sullen, the keepers
, would try in various ways to work
up their rage, until the work o.
: slaughter was fairly commenced
Then the roars and howls of the no
: BILE creatures would mingle with the
shouts Of the vast assembly of spec
!, tators, until at last one wild beast
stronger and more ferocious than the
: rest, would prowl around the aren;
upon the carcases of the slain vic
: tins. To overcome the scent of tn,
slaughter below, the Romans woul(
:, fill the building with the perfume 0
spices.
l. But for beasts to fight with beast
was not enough-men must fight wit
wild animals. Il Cor. XV-32. J.
These men were armed, and Tough
hard, generally coming off victorious
l. But even this did not satisfy the pee
ple-they thirsted for sight Of hu
t. man blood, and condemned criminals
or captives taken in war. were throw
= unarmed among the hungry lion
and tigers,
< Ia that arena, too, for 400 year
the Gladiators fought. They wer
S, swordsmen trained to fight to tn
death for the entertainment of th
people. When a gladiator fell, hi
Is adversary would look up to the on
o. hundred thousand spectators who's
d shouts filled the air, to know whethe
he should take his life or spare i
If the people held up their thumb
the wounded man was left to recove
if he could; if they turned them dow
he must receive the death blow.
In the Capitol at Rome, [ saw thi
world-renowned statue, the "Dyin
Gladiator. There he is carved
marble, the dropping form reclinin
upon one arm-the fatal cash in tt
breast from which great heavy drol
are gradually sinking, his lii
ebbing away, bringing to mind tt
words of Byron:
81 see before me the gladiator lie,
He leans upon his hand-his manly brow
Consents to death, but conquers agony.
And his dropped head sinks gradually low,
And through his side the last drops, ebbi