The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
uouSES OF THE ROMANS.
.uoustus Found n Capital OF Brick and
Left One of Marble.


Left One of Marble.
IN the early ages of Rome. the houses
we're merely matched cottages. After
.be city was burned by the Gauls, they
we're built in a more spacious and con-.
yeniet style, and of more substantial
materials; but so great was the haste to
have them erected, that no attention
was paid to the regularity of the streets.
Every one set down his habitation ac-
cording to his own taste or fancy.
The success of the Roman arms in
Greece served to introduce an immense
Improvement in the Roman architect
ure. and toward the Augustan era,
Rome might we'll boast of the magnifi-
cence of her buildings. During the
reign of Augustus, the Improvements
seem to have been conducted on a very
extensive scale, and to have justified
the Emperor in exclaiming, that he had
found Rome of brick and had left it of
marble. Still, however. the streets con-
tinued narrow and crooked, and the
houses were for the most part of wood,
generally of three stories, and very in
convenient. A dreadful confagration
in the reign of Nero reduced the greater
mart OF Rome to ashes, but it was soon
after rebuilt with increased splendor.
The streets were made of greater width.
and laid out with more regularity, and
the height of the houses was restricted
70 a certain standard. Every house
was ordered to be isolated, and to be
built of stone, so as to be less subject
TO destruction by fire. This also con-
tributed to the health and magnificence
OF Rome, though there were many at
the time who censured the improve
ments, and pretended that the narrow
streets and lofty houses produced an
agreeable shade in the heat of summer,
and rendered the city both pleasant and
salubriOuS.
The vestibule of the golden palace of
Nero was so extensive that it had three
porticoes. each a mile in length, and
which inclosed large basin of water,
surrounded by so many buildings that
they presented the appearance of a
town.
The door was made in general of diff
ierent kinds of wood, such as cedar,
cypress, elm and oak, but sometimes Of
iron or of brass. The doors of the
temples were often inlaid with ivory
and gold. They were, in general,
elevated above the street by fight Of
steps; at leas., this was the case in the
temples, and, in all probability, also. in
the houses of Rome, though the doors
of the houses of Pompeii are found
on a level with the footpaths.
The door opened inward, like
those used by US; but among
the Greeks, and in order to confer honor
on meritorious citizens among the
Romans it was made to open outward.
Hence arose the custom, when a person
intended going out of house, of knock
ing on the door, to warn those who were
passing by to get out of the way-a cir
cumstance which serves to explain some
passages of the dramatic authors of that
period.
When the door was shutit was secured
by bolts and locks; sometimes two bolts
were used, one above and the other be-
low. The lock seems to have been NOV
able, like our paddock. Knockers or
bells appear to have been generally
used.
The gate served as an entrance to the
hall, three sides of which were support
ed on pillars. The side opposite to the
entrance was fitted up as a library.
where the family archives were kept
The hall was the principal bed-cham-
Der. and the spot whore domestic manu-
features were carried ON. In ancient
times it served as the kitchen and the
place where the family supped. 1t was
also the room where the noble families
kept the statues of their ancestors and
received company. 1t was ornamented
with pain tings. statues and valuable
furniture, and was divided by curtains.
IN. Y. Ledger.