Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-02-06


THE COLISEUM. -a- sH %
1t is but a stones throw froth the ar
chcs of Nero's house to the Coliseum, the
most wonderful, imposing and historic ru-
in of Ancient Rome, which was erected
when the Empire was in the hight of its
greatness. 1t was begun in the year 72
by Vespasian, dedicated by Titus in the
year so, but not fully completed till Eve
or six years later, during the reign Of
Domitian. -'
The Sacred Way" so called because
it was the street of numerous temples,
joins the Appian Way on the west side
of the ruin, where also may be seen the
remains of the fountain where the gladi-
tators washed themselves after the COM
bats of the arena. Walk around the
building, lock up to its dark gray arches,
pass through them and take note of the
immcnsity, the solidity and the might.
ness of Tie structure. eaIsgHi
The great ampithcatre rises before us,
in unsreakable grandeur, with rank grass
and scarlet flowers, shrubs of oak and the
ever green ivy blooming in its moldering
arches. 1t will not avail to give feet and
inches Of length, breadth and hight, to
give you an idea Of It's 7astness or capaci
ty Remember that it covers nearly six
acres of ground, that its outer wall rises
one hundred and fifty seven fctt--higher
than the spires Of most soantry churches
higher than all the trees of New Eng
land except the pine. 1t is in the form
of an elipse-58+ feet in lcugth, 46S in
width--built of dark gray rock from the
Albion mountains, and bricks which were
made from the clay of the Campagna.
The centre wall consists of four stories
the first of the Dolic order Of architecture,
the second Ionic, the thild and fourth
Corinthian. The inner wall, or that in
closing the arena. was of richly wrought
marble, fifteen feet high, to guard the
Emperor and mobiles from the infurated
beasts. From this wall the marble seats
rose tier upon teir to tho outer wall. with
accommodations for eighty or ninety thou
sand spectators. W t
Entering the arena, We behold the En-
perors seat and thoseof the uobles those
of the vestal virgins, These were the
most honorable On the tier above these
were those of the people The Jewish
captives--tcn thousand of them it is said
were employed in the erection of this
structure We can imagine the despised
race at their dreary work, compelled tc
build an edifcc which was witness of their
humiliation as people--some digging
the clay and moulding the bricks in the
Campagpa. Others quarrying the marble
in yonder blue mountains; and Others
turning the windlass by which the hugs
blocks were raised aloft
Law your hand upon the solid masonry
of burnt clay and lime and try to compre
hend the fact that seventeen hundred and
ninety-six years ago it was laid by Jew
ish captive, who, with every stroke Of hi;
trowel. sighed for his home on the Monn
of Olives or in the vale Of Sloan. The
mortar of this masonry was mixed with
tears. There is agony in the keystone O.
every arch---the agony Of a humiliatcd
suhjugated people. s & .o
We enter the arena. The sun has gone
down-the light of day has faded from
the west, and the moon, nearly at its full
shines through the arches, throwing fan
tastic shadows across the arena. Th,
sights and sounds of the day are gone ant
it is a fit hour to cali from their nameles
graves the multitudes who gathered her,
to witness the spectacles when Rome Wa,
mistress Of the world. ms has sf,
On the western sidei the scat Of th,
Emperors Titus, Domitian, Trajan anc
Hadrian,. clad in royal purple They ap
pear on the Imperial dais Above anC
around in every scat, in oil the passag
ways, walking along the corridors anC
beneath the arches, we see the mighty as
sembly Of rich and poor, patricians anC
plebeians, civilized barbarians, gathered
to enjoy the spectacle of brute courage
strength, endurance, valor and death
!. They love blood. ALL what a gloriu
moment it will be when the iron bars ar
drawn which con6ne the African lions il
yonder arch 10 see the ferocious tige
leap into the arena To see the gladita
tor with drawn sword step forth to battl
with the king Of beasts |! What joy T
behold the hated Christians tossed to th