The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-09-04
IN FOREIGN LANDS.
Correspondence of the Antclligencer.

"AnQ This is ltO1ne tIlaI Sat o'i hoi 'e'~
hills
And from her throne of beauty ruled the
world"
He who writes of Rome, assumes task
which requires volumes instead Of
columns, and years instead of hours IN
its completion but in spite of this, VIC
hope to be able even in the brief limits
offs letter, to give our readers some idea
of the Eternal City.
Rome has had wonderous history
From the time when the first fortress was
built on the Palatine Hill by Romulus,
more than two thousand six hundred
years ago, on through the regions of the
kings, the stern rule of the republic, the
glory of the Empire when its population
was numbered by millions, its decline
and fall, the centuries ofruin until during
the wars of the Guelphs and Gbibellines
the number of its inhabitants was
reduced to only about 10000, as we'll as
during the later regeneration of the city,
it presents q history without a parallel
among the nations. The Rome of to-day
has a population of about 100000 and
occupies about one half 1.-THE Northern
portion) of the space enclosed by the
Aurelian walls. AS the capital of united
Italy, however, it is a prosperous city and
promises good things for the future. The
river Tiber, a muddy, sluggish stream,
winds through the city 10 Southerly
direction, dividing it in two unequal
parts, by far the larger portion, including
the Palatine, the Capitoline, the Esqui-
line, the Coelian, the Aventine, and the
Quirinal hills being on the Eastern side,
with the palace of the Vatican, St.
Peters, the castle of St Angelo and the
Janiculum hill on the Western bank.
The principal street of modern Rome is
the Corso, which extends from the Porta
del Popolo on the North, in Southerly
direction through the heart of the city
to the foot of the Capitoline Hill. 1t is
we'll built street, lined with shops,
hotels, etc., and on fine afternoons is gay
with its exhibition of modern Roman
life and fashion.
The great central point of interest in
the city is the Roman Forum, located
between the Capitoine Hill on the North
and the Palatine Hill on the South
and nearly in the centre of the ancient
city. Its buildings were destroyed by
Guiscard in the eleventh century and for
four hundred years it was waste aid a
receptacle for the rubbish of the city,
until the entire space was filled to the
depth of "a feet and all knowledge of the
location and names of the ancient build.
iugs was lost. Since the fifteenth century.
however, excavations have been carried
on at intervals, until the entire Forum as
we'll as many of the adjoining buildings
have been uncovered. This little paral-
telegram, less than a thousand feet in
length and about four hundred feet wide
possesses more of interest than any SINH
lar spot in Europe. At the Northwest.
ern end where on the slope of the Capt..
toline H;ll now stands the palace of the
Senator, the Tabularium or Hall of
Records was formerly located. In front
rise three white marble columns, marking
the site Of the temple of Vespasian. A
little farther on, to the right, eight granite
columns standing on base sixteen feet
high are all that remain of the magnifi-
cent temple of Saturn, built long before
the Christian era On the left is the mas
sive arch of Septimius Severus, its fine
proportion and imposing solidity almost
frowning on the ruin around. Between
the arch aud the Tabularium stood the
Temple of Concord and Senatorial Hail,
where Cicero convened the Senate and
with his terrible eloqueDce denounced the
conspiracy of Cataline. Farther on the
foundations of the Bascilica Julia are
seen, with the column of Phocas in front,
the "nameless column with buried
base," mentioned by Byron. Beyond the
basilica, thr marble columns of the
temple of Castor and Pollux are still
standing and directly opposite are the
ruins of the temple of Julius Cesar Del
fed, built upon thes pot where Antony
delivered his memorable oration and
where Cesar''s body was burned. At diff.
ferent points through the forum the pave
ment of the Via Sacra, which descended
from the Capitoline Hill and passed on
beneath the arch of Titus to the Southern
gaze of the city, still remain. Over the
massive blocks of lava which form this
"Sacred Way" have thundered the
chariots of the Roman generals as their
legions poured forth to conquer the world.
Returning along this route marched the
victors in triumph, leading their captires
in chains and bearing the rich spoils of
their yanquished foes. ALI around are
ruined temples and palaces, the relics of
the ancient glories of this mighty city
Standing by the side of the excavation
aod looking out over the shattered frag-
ments of the past, it seems the open
grave of a buried nation.
The Palatine Hill, which adjoins the
Forum on the South, was from the earli-
est history of the city, the home Of the
aristocracy. Here the Gracchi, Marius,
Cicero, Marc Antony and many others
had their residences and here were the
palaces of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula,
Nero, Vespasian and septimius Severus.
In the later years of the empire, the
entire hill became covered with the pal
aces of the Cesars, and the ruins, which
have been uncovered within the past
forty years, give unmistakable evidence
of the magnifcence of the original struc.
ture. a short distance Southeast Of the
Forum, the arch of Titus spans the Via
Sacra, bearing on its inside walls the
famous bas retiefs representing Titus in a
triumphal procession with the Jewish
captiyes bearing the rich spoils of the
temple at Jerusalem, among which may
be seen the golden candlesticks, the silver
trumpets and the golden table. A little
farther on rise the majestic ruins of the
Coliseum. This wonderful structure,
built by Vespasian and Titus early in the
Christian era WAS the largest building of
its kind ever erected and would accom-.
modate nearly one hundred thousand
spectators. The seats rose in receding
tiers, so as to afford all good view of the
vast arena, in which men as we'll as
beasts were "butchered to make Roman