The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-30
Journalism Twenty Centuries Ago.


journalism Twenty Centuries Ago.
The first Roman Journal, published
over two thousand years ago, appeared
only once year. This paper, intended
to be read by the public, was known by
the title Annales Marimi. The editor of
this paper was the "Pontifex Maximus,"
whose duty it was to chronicle all the i'm
portant events of the year. The news
was written on white wooden tablets and
attached to the residences of citizens. 1t
must have been curious sight to see the
old Romans crowding around these tab
lets to get look at the latest news. But
the thirst after knowledge and the curl
osity of the people grew rapidly, and in
such measure that the government, the
only issuer Of journal, found itself
obliged to issue daily. 1t is interesting
to know that some of these journals,
having reached the age of 2,044 years,
are still in existence. The name of the
first daily journal was Acta Popult Ro-
mani Diurni; it appeared daily either as
ALBUM" i. e., the tablet hung out in
public, or the contents were written with
red chalk on the walls of the houses.
The contents of the journal comprised
what would be classed as daily news in
our modern papers. From the want of
the necessary material, political articles
were not to be had. Nevertheless, ac
cording to the views of the Roman gov
ernment, it was a true journal, and in
tended as reading matter for the public.
Doubtless it will interest some of our
readers to peruse verbal translation
from the oldest journal extant, issued 1853
years before the birth of Christ: "Con-
sui Sicnius was the acting judge to-day.
There was heavy thunderstorm, and the
lightning split an oak at the foot Of the
hills of Veil. In hostelry at the foot
of the hills of James there was fight,
in which the landlord was badly wound
ed. Titinius punished some butchers
on account of their selling meat which
had not been inspected the money thus
paid was used to erect a chapel to the
Goddess Laverea. The broker Ausidius
fed from town to-day, taking money with
him belonging to other people. He was
caught, and had to refund the money.
The brigand Demip hon, who was cap
tured by Officer Nerva, has been crucitied
to-day. The flotilla from Asia arrived
to-day"
We see from this that it was in olden
times pretty much the same as in our
days; we only wish that our officials
would attend to the butchers as well as
Titinius did. 1t must be of interest to
journalism to know that Julius Caesar,
the greatest of all Romans, paid especial
attention to journalism. He saw the ne
cessity of jnstruc,ing the people in every
thing occurring in the State, and We find
this quotation in Suetonius:
"Julius Caesar, as soon as he had en-
tered his public Office, caused not only to
be written, but also spread among the
people, the proceedings of the Senate"
This was the first political paper, and
as it contained news about buildings,
births, deaths, executions and anecdotes,
it can be likened very much to our mod
ern papers. 1t seems incredible, but it
can be proved that already in the olden
times there were stenOgraphers who took
down the speeches made in the Senate or
in public. They were called "NOtarii,"
and we find place in Suetonius where
Augustus is angry because the stenogra-
pliers reported the speech of Caesar for
Metullus in very imperfect manner.
There must have been reporters, judging
from q letter of Cicero to CGlius; also
private reporters, who gathered the news,
and sent them by the "cursus publicus,"
an institute similar to our mail, through
out the provinces.-Potter's american
Monthly