The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-15
MAGNIFICENCE OF ANCIENT
ROME.

If anything more were wanted to give us
an idea of Roman magnifcenee, we would
turn our eyes from public monuments, de-
noralizing games and grand professions;
we would forget the statues in brass and
marble which outnunbered the living in
habitants, so numerous that one hundred
thousand have been recovered and still en-
bellish Italy, and would descend into the
lower sphere of material ife--to those
things which attest luxury and taste of or
naInents, dresses, sumptuous living and
rich furniture. The art Of working metals
and cutting precious stones surpassed any
thing known at the present day. In the
decoration of houses, in social entertain
nents, in crockery, the Romans were re-
narkable. The mosaics, signet rings,
canoes, bracelets, bronzes, chains, vases,
couchss, banquetting- tables, chariots, COL
ored glass, gliding, mirrors, mattresses
cosmetics, perfumes, hair dyes silk robes,
all attest greet elegance and beauty. The
table of Thuga root and Delian bronze were
as expensive as side-boards of Spanish wal
nut, 80 much admired in recent great ex-
hibitions. Wood and ivory were carved as
exquisitoly as in Japan or China. Mirrors
were made of polished silver. Glass cut
ters could initiate the colors of precious
stones SO well, that the Portland vase from
the tomb of Alexander Severus, was long
considered genuine sardonyx. Brass
could be hardened so as TO cut stone and
jewels. The palace of Nero glittered with
gold and jewels. His beds were of silver,
and his tables of gold. Tiberius gave q
million of sesterees for picture for his
dining-room. A banquet dish of Drusillus
weighed five hundred pounds of silver
The cup of Drusus was of gold. TUNES
were embroidered with the figures of vari-
GUS animals. Sandles were garnished with
precious stones. Paulina wore Jewels when
she paid visits, valued at eight hundred
thousand dollars. Drinking cups were
engraved with scenes from the poets. Lii
braries were adorned with busts and pres ses
of rare woods. Sofas were inlaid with tor
toise shell, and covc-'1 with gorgeous
purple. The Roman grandees rode in gilded
chariots bathed in marble baths, dined
from crystal cups slept on beds of down,
reclined on luxurious couches, wore EN-
broidered robes, and were adorned with
precious jewels They ransacked the earth
and the seas for rare dishes for their ban-
quets. and ornamented their houses with
carpets from Babylon. ornyx cups from
Bythnia, marble from Numidia, bronzes
from Corinth, statues from Athens-.what-
ever, in short was precious or rare OF curi-
Gus in the most. distant countries The
iuxuries of the bath almost surpassed be-
lief; and on the walls were magnificent
frescoes and paintings, exhibiting an mex
haustible productiveness in landscape and
NEUROLOGICAL scenes, executed in lively
colors.
But these were not all The most amaz-
ing wealth and the loftiest taste went hand
in hand There were citizen pobles who
owned whole provinces; even Paula could
call whole city her own. Rich senators,
in some cases, were proprietors of two hun
dred Thousand slaves, Their incomes were
five thousand dollars per day when gold and
silver were worth four times as much as
they are now.