Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-05-31
THE ROME OF CICERO.
How the Eternal City Looked In tho Last
Day. of tho Republic.

Day. of tho Republic.
As for the theatcr on which these
men played their famous par,s-tho
visible Rome of the last days of tho
rcpublic--wo fancy that we know
something of its general aspect 1t
was still the ''city Of brick" that
Augustus found. and had by no means
assumed that air Of regal magniii-
cence. never cqualcd before or since.
that far-shining splcndor of sculptured
facade and cleaning column. doomed
to dazzle the eyes and turn the brain
Of the inv aiding barbarian. The streets
were not vet widcned aud Strengthened
by the strong hand Of imperial I'M
provement. Many even of those which
divcrgcd from tho Forum were narrow
and tortuous; bo,raying by their
devious and inconvcnient course tho
haste and hcedlessncss If effect with
which Rome had been rebuilt after
its destruction by the Gauls three hun
drcd years before. Tho houses Of tho
poor were wrctchcd-tall. toppling.
rooted with wood, tho prey of fire.
qucnt fires But tho Forum and the
Capitol were already nobly adorned.
There were long lines Of imposing
colonades and statues. in the Greek
STYLE. in every circus. theater and
optimates. Catulus. had received
some years before. aud was executing
with enthusiasm. the commission
his enemies called IL tho Job"
of cnlarging and bcautifying the
supreme temple of Capitolinc Jovc.
He was now in process of OVERLAPPING
its roof with plates of gold; but opin-
ions were divided about the effect oi
this innovation. and it was thought in
very bad taste. rs the elder Piiny tells
us. by some If tho older folk. The
slopes of tho Palatine were occupied
by sumptuous private dwellings. with
| porticos and perrons of richly-tinted
foreign marbles. one of tho finest on
the side toward tho Forum being that
which Cicero himself bought, Mt about
this time. of the future triumvir.
| NJ. Crassus. On tho other sido of the
| city. in the quarter which en-
| braced the Pincian. or 'hill of gar.
dcns." Lucullus and Sallustius were
| building on n yet moro lavish scale
| and here. there aud every where,
within the circuit Of tho walls. there
were large open spaces reserved fol
lawns and groves. On ono of the es-
| tatcs on the Palatinc. the property ol
| an elder Crassus. there were six mag
nary an age and size that they wcr,
held 10 represent half the value Of tn,
place. Tho Rome of that day mus
certainly have had n touch of homo
lier ploasantncss about it than tn
more gorgeous Rome evoked by tn,
great Transformation machinery of th'
Empcrors. Outside the city lay q smil
ing campagna. well wooded still in
many parts. and bright with tho crop
of continuous aud highly cultivated
farms down to the very border of thu
sea. The sweeping curves Of th'
Tiber ard the Anio did not lack tn,
green shadows cast by abundant leaf
age; the mountains on the southern
horizon were fair rs we see then
to-day. and fairer they could not be
the great highways. now flankcd by
miles of half-obliteratcd ruin. wer,
teeming with multifarious life; tn,
arches of tho great Marcian aqueduc
already marched away to tho hills II
unbroken procession. stepping witt
| all the yioor of youth. Atlantic