The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-12-22
Ro1rAN sHLICs.
Recent archaeological Discoveries by Err
cGUatiOI-THe WGTIsOf Se1.riits TuIIus

Recent archaeological DfScBrertes by Err
cacatioH-The WGEsof Sey.riits T,sIttts.
\ Rome correspondent of the New
York Evening Post writes Among the
treasures recently discovered on the
Esquiline was little gold bell, of a
graceful shape, with some mystic words
engraved on its four sides. This was
secreted by the workman who found it,
by whom it was afnrward sold to an
antiquarian for very triAing sum. A
few copies were made, and one was pre-
sented by one of the ladies Of the court
to the Princess Margherita, who wore it
as an ornament. This was the signal for
the starting of new fashion, and now
innumerable copies of this little bell, in
silver and gold, called the "Campanello
Prlncipessa Marghenta," are constantly
exposed for sale in all the jewelers.
stores in the city. The mysterious words
have been explained by archaoIogists tn
mean; 81 have been made as a pre-
ventive against the Evil Eye" aud it is
supposed that, in accordance with the
well-known superstition of the ancient
Romans, bells of this sort were hung by
mothers round the necks of their chill
dren to keep them from harm.
To the left Of the railway station stood
a mount, called popularity the hill of
Justice" Lately, however, the city
having given orders to demolish it, the
workmen came upon large part of the
old wall Of Servius Tullius, of which
remnants exist in various parts of the
city. This wall is frequently mentioned
by the ancients, among them Cicero,
Strabo, Livy and Pliny; it is generally
attributed to Tullius, though Pliny
thinks that it was built by Tarquinius,
in imitation OF thestyle of the Etruscans.
Dionysius of Haliearnassue, who came to
Rome about thirty years before the
christian era for the special purpose of
devOting himself TO the study of its an
tiquities, says, however, with confidence,
that Tarquinius was merely the restorer,
the original wall having been built many
years bafare. famous wall, which
was in the beginning about seven stadia,
or little over six miles in length, and
more than fifty feet in breadth, is built
of para.lelopipedons, and presents mani
fest differences of time and material, 50
that modern archeologists fully coincide
with the opinion Of Dyonysius. If the
discovery and study of antiquities is at
all times absorbing, how much more so
is it when we know that the very OBJ
jects which we behold were the theme
and admiration of the ancients centuries
ago. How, for instance, does our in
terest increase when we think that the
group of LAGOON and his sons, which
now forms the principal attraction at the
vatican, was spoken Of by Virgil as one
of the masterpieces of antiquity, and we
can imagine the joy of lovers OF art when
this work, so long known by reputation,
was brought to light while digging in
one of the villas of Rome
The superintendent of excavations has
decided to proceed very soon to digging
in many points of the villa of Livia, wife
of Augustus, at Prima P stta, six miles
beyond the Ponte Molie, on the Via
FIaminia. These excavations will have
for their object to determine more ex-
actly the topography ef this historical |
villa, besides the hope of finding one or
more colossal statues of the empress
Livia herself Fifteen years ago was
found in this place magnificent statue
of Augustus, with the symbolical dol
phin, now preserved in the vatican mu-
scum, and there is reason to hope that
the number of objects of art found here
will richly repay the expenses incurred
in the work