The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-12
AN OLD ROMAN HOUSE.
Interesting Excavations on the Banks OF
the Tiber.

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 interest
ing than was at first supposed. 1 had
arranged to visit the excavations with
the director general of hydraulic works
at Italy, but an unexpected rise in the
Tiber having covered the mosaic pave
ments, and the rare paintings on the
walls having already been removed, I am
obliged to accept the description of an
other.
The frescoes on the walls have been
taken TO the magazine of the Archeolgi-
cal Commission in the convent of Saint
francesca Romano, but they will soon be
placed in the Museo Kircheriano in the
Roman college. Those persons who have
not seen them in their original position
will there be able to examine them at
their leisure.
Professor Lanciani, in his lecture in
the University of Rome, last Wednesday
morning, discoursed on the antiquities
in the bed and on the banks of the Tt
ber, and said he believed this house was
formerly dedicated to the sale of winU.
All establishments of similar kind were
anciently 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 archeologists say that no
discovery of equal importance has been
| 1a for napt,,rioo in Ronoa
The walls, first covered with thick
coating of powdered marble. are orna-
mented with exquisite paintings in q
perfect 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 rep
resentation of Bacchus as child. Near
this are two limitations of the ancient
style, and there are also two musicians
playing the cithara. This is an instru.
ment resembling the modern guitar in
form as we'll as in name. An antique
bas. relief in the hospital of San Giovan'
nj, in Laterano, also represents this an
clent instrument Will cOTQS anu lIels
like the guitar. The cords, however, are
longer and the space for the frets smaller
while the player held the thick part o.
the instrument in the curve of his arm
The Egyptians also used this instrument
and the picture of a man playing upon il
is seen in the tomb of Thebes.
But this new representation of the
cithara has value which none of those
discovered previously possess. Over eact
chord or the instrument are seen certain
letters of signs, which are believed to be
notes, and if the learned men of the cit,
succeed in reading them we may be ablc
to hear q melody composed 1000 year:
ago, and sung by the merry followers o.
Bacchus on the shores of the Tiber. 1t il
very probable that in continuing the ex
cavations other rooms will be discovered
Those already found indicate the usua
form of an ancient Roman house, whicl
consisted of an interior court, called
peristyle, which was open to the sky, sur
rounded by columns, and to which th'
rooms inhabited by the family hat
access. The bases of three columns ar
seen here, and beyond these is corridor
100 feet long and IS wide. The room
where the paintings were found is ol
the right Of this passage.-M Y Erc'i
ing Post.