American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-06-07
An Old Roman House.

The ancient Roman house lately dis
covered in making the excavations on
the banks of the Tiber in the gardens of
Palazzo Farnesina is even more inter-
esting than was at first supposed.
had arranged to visit the excavations
with the Encouragement of hydraulic
works of Italy, but an unexpected rise
in the Tiber having covered the mosaic
pavements, and the rare paintings on
the walls having already been removed,
l am obliged to accept the description
Of another.
The frescoes on the walls have been
taken to the magazine OF the Arch@o-
logical commission in the convent of
Saint Francesca Romano, but they will
soon be placed in the Museo Kircher-
iano in the Roman College. Those per-
sons who have not seen them in their
original position will there be able to
examine them at their leisure.
Prof. Lanciani in his lecture in the
University of Rome, last Wednesday
morning, discoursed on the an
tiquities in the bed and on
the banks of the Tiber, and
said he believed this house was formerly
dedicated to the sale OF wine. All es-
adjustments of similar kind were an
GENTLY in the same quarter of the city,
and it may be that this was one of
many houses in that part of the city where
the delights of Bacchus were enjoyed
by the Romans. The psychologists say
that no discovery of equal importance
has been made for centuries in Rome.
The walls, first covered with thick
coating of powdered marble, are orna-
mented with exquisite paintings in per-
feet state of preservation. They were
evidently made in that period of Rome
at the end of the republic, or the begin
ming of the empire, when the art of
painting was in the greatest perfection.
One of these pictures is an exquisite
representation of Bacchus as a child.
Near This are two limitations of the an
Gent style, and there are also two musi-
clans playing the cithara. This is an
instrument resembling the modern
guitar in form as well as in name. An
antique bas-relief in the hospital of San
Giovanni in Laterano also represents
this ancient instrument with cords and
frets like the guitar. The cords, how
ever, are longer and the space for the
frets smaller, while the player held the
thick part of the instrument in the curve
OF his arm. The Egyptians also used
this instrument, and a picture of a man
playing upon it is seen in the tomb of
Thebes.
But this new representation of the
cithara has a value which none of those
discovered previously possess. Over
each cord of the instrument are, seen
certain letters or signs which are believ-
ed to be notes, and if the learned men
Of the city succeed in reading them
we may be able to hear melody COM
posed 1000 years ago and sung by
the merry followers of Bacchus on the
shores of the Tiber. 1t is very proba-
BILE that in continuing the excavations |
other rooms will be discovered. Those
already found indicate the usual form of |
III ancient Roman house, which consisted |
Of an interior court, called peristyle,
" hich was open to the sky, surrounded
oy columns, and to which the rooms in
labited by the family had access. The
bases of three columns are seen here,
md beyond these is a corridor 100 feet
ong and Is wide. The room where the
paintings were found is on the right of
his passage.-Ronae Letter TO New York
svening Post.