The Irish standard., 1886-12-11
LATE DISCOVERIES AT ROME.
An Interesting Letter from the Pen
Of P. L. Oonnellan in the
Boston Pilot.
ON THE SHAFT: OF A COLUMN

Which Was Recently Found an Inscription
Records the Inundation of the
Tiber on January 26, ll80.
It is almost impossible to record the
numerous discoveries that are occurring
day by day in Rome. The remains OF
the old city, villas, gardens, baths, cham
bers aud tombs, that have been hidden
for centuries and their very sites for
gotten, are now being brought to light
in great numbers. A few are recorded
here out of many.
In the demolition of house near the
Chiesa Nuova, for the prolongation OF
the Via Nazionale, the shaft of a col
umn bearing an interesting inscription
in Latin was recently discovered. The
inscription records an inundation of the
Tiber on January 26, 11s0, and the col
umn was found in the foundation of
house three centuries old. Heretofore
the Oldest inundation recorded in an in
scripti0n was that of 1880.
The cylindrical-shaped altar found
lately at the Villa Spithoever, ancient
ly the Gardens of Sallust, the historian
of the Catiline and Jugurthan Wars, is
very interesting. Around it's sides are
sculptured four charming little Cupids.
separated from each other by a beauti-
full candelabra-like relief from which
well-worked draperies hang. These Gu
pids represent The four seasons. Spring
holds a basket of flowers and a mantle
in one hand, and in the other garland
of flowers held by ribbon. Summer
holds a reaping hook in one hand and a
large poppy in the other. Autumn has
a goats skin OIL the shoulders and a
knotted stick, abusive to the vintage,
and basket of ripe grapes. Winter,
unlike the others, is dressed in single
garment, and with one hand holds a
wine-vace and with the other what
seems duck or something similar, for
the marble is broken at this part. The
monument is exceedingly pretty and the
carving of mastery style. Each figure
is winged.
Where the ruins of the ancient Baths
of the Emperor Titus stand numerous
fragments of statues and architectural
decorations were found. The style of
workmanship denotes period of deca-
dence, the end of the Roman Empire
rather than the time of Titus. Upon
bases Of statues also found there the
names Of the sculptors are inscribed in
Greek letters. The learned arch@olo-
gist, Visconti, considers that the sta
tues were made in Rome about the mid
die Of the fourth century.
Tombs continue to be discovered in
considerable abundance on the Via Sal
aria. They generally belong to the
early centuries of the Christian Era.
Several skeletons in a fine state of pres
eryation have been found in them.
Near one group of tombs the workmen
came upon circular well formed of
peperino blocks, and nearly seventy
feet in depth. At a depth of 80 feet a
chamber opened from the side of the
well. but this has not yet been ex-
plOred.
The archaeological and historical i'm
portance of the excavations outside the
Salarian Gate may be appreciated from
the fact that more than 800 inscrip-
tions, some of great interest to the stu
dent of Roman history, have already
been discovered.
A curious discovery has been made
outside the Porta San Lorenzo while
demolishing part Of the city wall. It
was seen that good part of this wall
on the inner side was formed of the
wall of an ancient nymphaeum which
was incorporated in the city wall. Here
several inches are seen which originally
held statues, one of them being found
in it's original position in October, 1884.
High on the wall there is still visible a
part of the ancient vault in leaden slabs.
This ancient wall Of the Nymphaeum
while being incorporated IN the city
walls built by the Emperor Aurelian,
about A. D. 27O, was respected, and be-
tween the two walls there is an inter-
stice filled with earth.
In this edifce several statues were
found. mostly Bacchic in subject, and
small, of mediocre artistic style. "A
group of two SaYrs, much broken was
found. One of the Satyrs has fallen to
the ground and is enfolded in the coils
of IA large serpent, his posture, strange
to say, being exactly similar to that Of
the wall-knoWn DYING Gladiator in the