Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1877-06-21
Nero and His Golden Home.

Nero 8 lie as an emperor was one long
series of stage effects OF which the leading
feature was a feverish extravaganza His
return from the art-tour in Greece outdid all
the triumphal professions OF the past. Thous-
ands of carriages were needed for his baggage.
his sumpter mules were shod with silver, and
all the towns he passed upon his way received
him through breach made in their walls,
for such be heard was the ''sign of honor
with which the citizens were wont to well
come the Olympian victOrs OF the Olden days.
The public works he designed were more to
feed his pride than to serve the public. tie
wanted. like another Xerxes, to cut q canal
through the Corinthian Isthmus; thought OF
making vast lakes to be supplied from the hot
springs of Bloine, and schemed great works
bv which the sea might be brought almost to
the walls of Rome But it was only by his
buildings that he left enduring traces, and to
this the great disaster Of his time gave an un-
looked tor impulse.
Some little shops in the low grounds near
the circus took fire by chance. The flames
spread fast through the narrow streets and
crowded alleys OF the quarter, and soon BE-
gan to climb up the higher ground to the
statelier houses of the wealthy. Almost
week the fire was burning, and of the four
teen wards of the city only foar escaped un-
harmed. Nero was at Antium when the start
ling news arrived, aud he reached Rome too
late to save his palace. He threw his gar
dens open to the homeless poor, lowered at
once the price of corn, and had booths raised
in haste to shelter them. He did not lack
sympathy for the masses of the city, whose
tastes he shared and catered for. And yet
the story spread that the horrors OF the blaz-
ing city caught his excited fancy, that he saw
in it scene worthy of an emperor to act In,
and sung the story of the fall of Troy among
| the crashing ruins and the fury of the flames.
Even wilder fancies spread among the peo-
ple: men whispered that his servants had
been seen with lighted torches in their hands
as they were hurrying to and fro to spread
| the fire.
Nero had been heard to wish that the old
Rome of crooked streets and crowded lanes
might now be swept clean away, that he
might rebuild it on a scale of royal grandeur.
Certainly he claimed for himself the Ions
share of the space that the flames had cleared.
The palace to which the Palatine Hill had
given a name now took a wider range and
spread to the Esquiline, including in its vast
circuit long lines of porticoes, lakes, woods
and parks, while the buildings were so lavish
" adorned with every art as to deserve the
name of the s'Golden House. which the peO-
ple's fancy gave them. In it's vestibule stood
the colossal figure of the emperor, one hum
dred and twenty feet in height, which after
ward gave its name to the Colosseum. From
it stretched porticoes mile IN length, sup
ported on triple ranges of marble pillars, lead
ing to the lake round which was built
mimic town opening out into parks stocked
with wild animals of every sort.
The halls were lined with gold and precious
stones, the banquet-rooms were fitted with
revolving roofs of ivory, perforated to scat
ter flowers and perfumes on the guests, While
shifting tables seemed to vanish for themsel-
yes and 1eappear charged with choicest viands.
| There were baths too, to suit all tastes; some
supplied from the waters of the sea and some
| fitted with sulphurous streams that bad their
sources miles away. Thousands OF the chol-
| cest works of art of Greece and Asia had been
destroyed, but their place was taken by the
| paintings and statues brought from every
quarter of the Empire. Nero sent special
agents to ransack the cities for art treasures
and many a town among the isles OF Greece
mourned in after days the visit that had de-
spoiled it of some priceless treasure. When
all was done and the emperor surveyed the
work, even he was satisfied and he cried,
'.Now at least feel that am lodged as
| man should be- 1t was in halls like these
that the privileged few gathered round their
| lord when he returned from the grave busl-
ness of the circus and stage, to indulge IN the
Measures of the table,