The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-08-15
BELLEVUE, La. THURSDAY AUGUST 15 1873

the character of the business and some
times the names of the proprietors.
Pompeii was defended by a double wall,
twenty to thirty feet in height, which
enclosed platform large enough to be
run over at certain points by three
chariots abreast. Most of the gates
have three entrances-one to the right
for ingress and to the left for egress,
while the large center gate was for ye-
hicles.
In some houses, as in that of Sallust,
the apartment for. the women was in a
separate part Of the habitation, in the
manner of harem. The entrances to
these apartments were guarded by
slaves, who inhabited small rooms con-
tiguous. The smallness of even the
largest of these houses is a matter of
surprise. They do not generally cover
lot more than twenty to thirty feet
front by sixty to eighty feet deep, and
then more space was given to the in
terror court than to the rooms for habi-
tation.
1t is from the character and size of
the public buildings of Pompeii that the
Importance of the city cam be judged,
rather than from what is left of its
dwelling-houses. These were nearly as
large, and bear evidence of being
almost as grand as were those of Rome
The ruins of the Basilica, the Amphi-
theater, the Temple of Venus, the Tenn
pie of Isis, the Temple of Mercury, OF
Jove, of Fortuna, OF Hercules, the Pan
theon, the Courts or Hall of Consul, the
two Forums, the Bourse, the Stabian
Baths, the Tragedy Theater and the
Comedy Theater are all vast in their
proportions. The Amphitheater was
capable of seating an audience of 20, 900,
and both the theaters were larger than
Ford's Opera House and the Academy
of Music combined. The two forums
were very large, the Civil Forum and
adjuncts occupying as much space as
two squares at Eutaw Place; while the
Bourse, or Stock Board, was twice as
large as the hall occupied by the Stock
Board of Baltimore. In fact, here are
all the evidences of great and import
ant city of unbounded wealth, and aim
ing to rival Rome. The Forum was
ornamented on three sides by broad
colonade of Grecian- -Doric architecture.
The Senate Chamber and sBasilica was
220 feet long and 80 broa1. In vault
under its stairway used for prisoners
awaiting trial were found two skeletons
with their ankles manacled. The Pan
theon had also been a most elegant
structure, having been used as a resi-
dence for the Augustuses, as well as for
ysaliniof1G Tho rs bp
house of Venus and Mars are distin-
guished for a well of pure water, said to
possess medical qualities, not at all
affected by the changes it has under
gone. In the Temple of Isis there is
also a well about twelve feet deep, down
which can be seen rapidly rushing
stream of water. It is the coolest and
best water we have tasted in Italy.
The wine shops seem to have been
very numerous, with marble counters,
in which were built up large earthen-
ware jars, each capable Of holding a
halt barrel of wine. The counters are
generally square, with an opening in
the center where the vender stood and
dipped out the wine as called for. There
are two undoubted restaurants or cook
shops, where articles were cooked and
sold across the counter. There is also
butcher-shop, with a marble block; a
barber-shop, with stone block in the
center, on which the Pompeians sat to
be shaved. Signs on the walls indicate
that other shops were those of marble
workers or mosaic artists. A goat on
the wall indicates milk-shop or dairy
two men carrying large jug indicated
a wine-shop two men fighting indicat-
ed gladiatorial school; man whip
ping boy, hoisted on another's back,
indicated Il schoolmaster, and checkers
denoted the door-post of the publican
The ruins of drinking saloon have nu.
merous small apartments in the rear
which served as drinking-rooms. One
of the walls contained announcements
of the public festivals of the day The
shop itself contained furnace, steps
for displaying the glasses and marble
counter, which still exhibits stains O.
the liquor or marks of the glasses. The
figure of Mercury was painted on yari
walls are covered with proper names
scratched by the customers upon the
plastering.
The house of the surgeon was found
well supplied with surgical instrument,
of forty different varieties. The public
bake-house has four stone mills in it
The oven stands in a perfect condition
being precisely in the style OF the oven
of the present day, and was full Of loave
of bread when opened, some of whicl
are in the museum at Naples and som,
of them in the museum at the gate.
has four stone mills in it for grinding
grain.
The house of Sallust was the mos
magnificent of the private residence