Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-06-05
POMPEfL

Pompeii was nothing but small
provincial town, mimicking the luxu.
iies and vices OF the capital "a retreat
for banishcd voluptuaries, pensoncd
officers and moralizing poets. Itwould
be ridiculous to expect to find within
its walls any traces of the ancient
grandeur OF antique Rome. Taste in
ornamentatlon, skill in design, we look
tor and Finland in the City Of the
Dead we discover as we might expect
to do, more traces Of the Titans the
buildings of Pompcii and Herculaneum,
though mere Lighthouses in comparison,
appear 10 be the work OF men nearly
our own rank in creation. We find
still standing at Pompeii what at Rome
are mere ruins--wc mean the theatres,
Basilica and Forum. Pompeii might
be city from which the inhabitants
had but just fled 1t wants only roofs
TO the houses and the sound of life
within the chambers TO realize the
Odes Of Horace or the Satires Of Juve.
nal. The traveller can scarcely believe
that eighteen centuries have passed
since the red rain Of Vesuvius fell on
these roofs and drove out their inhab.
itants. The following condensation Of
the last survey Of Pompeii will be in
tcresting to our readers. The cdifces
of the town are built in the Greek
style, modified by Roman customs =
They are generally small, but nothing
is forgotten TO render them convenient.
The decoration is in so uniform tasto,
that Mazos was at first inclined TO
think that IL was the work Of the same
artists, directed by one and the same
man. Marbles are found rarely, except
in the temples and theatres the chief
decorations being mural paintings,
either mosaic or stucco arabcsqucs.
The most striking feature of the city
is the profusion OF ornamental detail
even in the moancst house. Tho walls
are painted in frcsco, black red, yel-
low, blue, or green. The arabesques
are painted on dry ground, and are
not encaustic. Mosaic pavements were
universal in this city OF artists and art
lovers. The simplest are white, with
black borders others are labyrintbs Of
white and black cubes, and few are
richly colored. The houses arc flimsy,
built of lava, brick and petrifed con.
crete. The wooden planks have all
perished and iron was often used by
the Pompeians where tho richer Ro-
mans would have bronze. The streets
were narrow In order to keep out the
sun, and this was no Inconvenience, as
the chariots were few and small, and
horses and mules were used as beasts
Of burden. The paving is OF brick,
asphaltc and even marble and mosaic.
The roads were paved with huge poly.
gons, of lava, clamped with iron, and
filed up with loose granite, marble
and flinis. In the rainy season of De-
ccmber and January, tho streets must
have become mere torrents. High
stepping stones arc still found to ena-
bic passengers 10 cross. Before the
shop doors are frequently found blocks
of stone, pierced with holes, which
wore used TO fhsten horses. At the
angle OF most Of the streets arc found
fountains these are ornamonted with
rclicfs and carved masks. The house.
walls facing tho streets nre covered
with innumerable inscriptions, votive OF
secular, with advertisements Of shows
and fghts, lampoons and caricatures.