Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-17
Correspondence of the st. Louis Post.
Sllent tfy.
HOW THE ROMANS LIVED TWO THOUSAND
YEARS AGO

are enjoying the balmy breezes of the
Mediterranean, and the season has been
one round OF gayety. All the tourists
"do" Pompeii. as the saying is. This
city has been rendered familiar to Amer
leans by the late novelist, Lord Lytton, in
that Incompatible work, The Last Days
of Pompeii." Eighteen hundred years
ago the city was full of life. Nearly
10000 people promenaded IFS streets, and
it was scene of Roman luxury ,and vo-
luptuousness. Its situation on the sea
made it most fashionable place of resort
for the wealthy Romans. and the Emper-
or Claudius had his pleasure house there
and the great orator Cicero residence.
Is was likewise 4 commercial seaport and
a lively traffic was carried on by its own
merchants. But in August, A. ID. 80,
NesuviuS, belched forth mass of burn
ing lava, ashes, cinders, hot water and
mud, and the town was totally buried.
Since that period other eruptions have
heaped up more volcanic matter on the
site of the city, and for nearly IL centur-
Pomp oil remained dead to the world.
About 100 years ago the entombed city
was discovered and immediate action was
| taken to eNcavatc rs much OF the ruins as
possible.
The work has been going steadily on,
| but not more than one halt of the city has
| vet been exhumed. Still many acres
| have been dug over and miles of streets
have been brought to the light of day.
The buried portion is still covered with
tons upon tons of stones. ashes, cinders
and hardened mud to depth of from 10
| TO 20 feet above the tops of the houses.
fxup f.aat Of Oh,
is exceedingly productive and covered
with trees. The exhumed portion OF the
city lies open to the bright sun, and is
somewhat slightly elevated above the
level of the surrounding country. This
city is now a perfect picture Of a Roman
city 1000 years ago. The streets, pave
ments, temples, images, theatres, dwell
ings, columns, household gods. baths,
arches, fountains, forums, shops of various
trades, musical instruments, weapons of
var. implements of labor, marble and
bronze statues, mosaics. frescOe and
drawings, dining-rooms. bedrooms and
kitchens, with their appropriate furniture;
food for the hungry and medicine for the
sick; glassware, vases and pottery gems,
medals and coins and fruits. flowers and
shrubs, are all seen as they We're on the
terrible night when the city was doomed
TO 4 sudden destruction.
The streets are narrow, some not being
more than eight feet across. but they are
straight and regular. The pavement is
composed of large fiat stones or blocks of
lava, and the deep ruts cut in them by
the Roman chariots are clearly percepli-
bic. At the crossings are large stepping
stones for the use of pedestrians so as 10
keep their feet from the mud. Everything
in the streets was silent and death-like /;
there were no human beings in the houses,
no promenaders in the streets; all were
deserted. The dwellings houses are gem
orally small and One-storied; they are
built of stone and brick, plastered on the |
outside with mortar. An open court is in |
the centre, and the different rooms are ar |
ranged around in the oriental STYLE Most |
OF the roofs are destroyed, having been |
crushed down by the weight of the asics |
In the dining-roomS the tables are of |
stone, and many are covered with petri- |
fed food. Beds and couches are in the |
sleeping rooms.
In one of the kitchens was found a fowl I
put in the skillet, and stew pan contain
ing small pig for roasting. all prepared
$500 years ago. Many beautiful mosaics
were found on the floors and elegant fres-
Goes on the walls, and .hey look rs bright
and fresh rs if they had only been finish
ed few years. The frescoes, pictures.
mosaics and sculptures and even iewelrv
discovered in some of the houses show a
terrible depravity in morals. Many are
so indecent that the public are not allow
ed 10 look at them. In the blouse ofthe
Nestals' upon the door sill is the word
'Salve'-welcome. a mosaic with the
of fierce dog, with the
inscription Gave Canem"-beware of
the dog-is near the threshold of the
House of the Tragic Poet"
In the streets are many shops which
still have the signs over the doorways. In
one there is some marble partly sculptur-
ed, with the artists tools lying around;
in another, medicines and surgical instr,I-
ments: in third, marble counter with
stone liquor jars behind it, and the stains
made by the wet glasses on the counter
prove that this was a drinking saloon.
Then there is an eating house. Meats
and delicacies are on he counter; fire
places to keep the soups and messes warm
are still in the room. The same building
contains grist mill and bakery. In
the bakers shop batch of loaves was
found which had been in the oven since
the 24th of August A. ID. 20. The mill
was turned by horse power.
The various temples that have been ex-
humed contain idols made of marble. sill
yer and gold. The temple of Isis is 81
feet long and 15 feet broad The ashes
OF victims were found on lis affairs. The
skeleton Of priest, sitting at table, on
which was spread a meal, is here, while
near the door was another priest, holding
in his skeleton hand a hatchet, with which
he had tried TO cut his way out of the
temple. Three hundred skeletons were
discovered in the temple of Juno, all
crowded together and buried beneath the
ashes. AT the very hour of their destruc-
iion the priestess was offering sacrifice to
-he queen of the gods. The forum occu-
pies the central portion OF The city. On
each side are rows OF columns and long
porticos, which show the outline of this
spot. Pedestals, on which formerly stood
famous statues, are dotted here and there
The public meetings were held in the TO-
rum, and notice of such meeting call
ed for the very night when the city was
DESTROYED.
The amphitheatre, which is about half
n mile from the present excavations, is in
a splendid state Of preservation. II is
built OF stone, is in the form of the Colos-
scum at Rome, and was used for the
gladiatorial shows. 1t is i3O feet long by
}35 feet wide. The stone steps seat l5,-
300 spectators. Placards with the an
OF theatrical performances
are still to be seen on the walls. The
,.il1 |
Ior the wild animals are as perfect as they
were 1000 years ago.
The villa OF Diomcdc.' so called be-
cause a tomb bearing that name was
found near by, and Tor this reason il was
to have belonged TO a Diomedc,
is the one that has been rendered famous
by Bulwer's description OF it. 1t stands
just outside the "Hcrculaneum gate" and
the supposed owner was discovered in his
garden, with bunch of KEYS and purse
well filled with gold and silver coin in his
hands In the cellcr oi Diomedc's house,
huddled together in corner, were found
* skeletons, mostly females, supposed to
have been members of the family. All
were encascd in hardened mud and ashes.
One was an infant, whose form still clung
10 the bony bosom of its mother. Some
Of the victims had rings and bracelets en-
circling their skeleton fingers and wrists
and gold ornaments on their necks. Over
SOC human skeletons have already been
but fortunately most of the in
habitants managed 10 escape, having
needed the warning OF the burning noun
tain. Only the bones remain of the vic
iims, the flesh having mostly pcrished,
but now and then a little TUT OF mouldy
hair has been found clnging to the skull
The positions of the bones in every possi-
BILE form OF contOrlion all indicate vio-
lent death, one of agony and suffering. A
man was found grasping bag of gold in
his bony hand.
In one room family group embracing
each other in death, in another the bones
Of dancing girls mingled with the broken
music, can be seen. In
another place the skeleton OF a cook at
= al. tln q l. II, l