The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-02-20
4 ROMAN VALENTINE.
And the Part it Bore in the Destiny Of
Young Prince.
BY FRED NYRoN COLBY.

Many years ago there were two little
olive-skinned Italian boys living in a
great palace on the Palatine Hill in
Rome. The elder lad was a short,
thick-set, sturdy little fellow, with light
blue eyes and curling golden hair that
fell on his neck like girls. This was
Nero. The other was slender, deli
cate, dark-faced lad, who wore his hair
down upon his shoulders. TOO, but in
stead of being light-colored it was as
dark as ebony. His name was Brita-
nicus.
The latter was three Years younger
than his playmate, being bat fourteen,
while Nero was seventeen. Both of
these boys were princes, bat Britanicus
had the better right To the imperial
throne. He was the own son OF The
Old Emperor Claudius, but his beauti-
ful young mother had died when he
was a child, and his father had mar
ried the ambitions Agrippina, Nero's
mother by a former marriage. She
was stately, haughty-lOoking woman,
with dark, shining hair and fierce
black eyes, which seemed 10 look right
through any one. Secretly Britanicus
did not like his stepmo;her, and stood
little in fear Of her sharp eyes and
her scowling brows.
Possibly he knew that she was plot
ting against him in secret, for Agrip-
pima was ambitious for her own son,
and was always pushing Nero forward
as though he were the heir rather
than Britanicus. Finally the old En-
peror died suddenly, not without sus-
picion of having been hurried off by
Agrippina, and Britanicus found his
worst fears realized, for, through his
mothers Vaccinations, Nero was hail
ed as sole lord and master of the Ro-
man world.
BritanicGs was still permitted to live
in the palace, however, but he had a
sorry time of il, a you may imagine.
Nero was kind to him bat Agrippina
was still jealous of him, for, though
her own son was emperor, she knew
that the throne belonged to Britanicus.
The boys of those days did not have
50 many sports and games as boys have
now, and those that they did enjoy
were very different. In the first place,
the Young Romans could not slide
downhill, for there was no more snow
in Rome than there is in Mobile. They
did not have gunpowder and fireworks
with which to celebrate national and
other anniversaries, for those danger
ous playthings had not yet been in
vented. And as for flying kites or
playing ball, these games were con-
sidered altogether 70 frivolous 10 suit
the highbred Roman children.
Children's plays are generally taken
from what is most familiar TO them. In
most countries they are formed upon
trifling subjects, but the young Romans
acted trials in The coIrts OF justice, the
command of armies, triumphal pro-
cessions and the state of emperors.
They also had Il very dignified game
called the play of Troy, which was a
sort oftournament, celebrated by COM
panies of boys, who used arms suitable
to their strength.
Some of you may think, perhaps that
a Roman boy did not have a very joy
o1s time of it, but You will see yoIr
error when you learn how many holi-
days he had. First, there were all the
military and imperial shows, occupy
ing weeks sometimes, and character
lied by chariot-racas and gladitOrial
combats, in which the Romans 80 much
delighted. Then came the religious
festivals, in which there were magnifi-
cent PROFESSIONS 10 the temples and
costly sacrifices made TO their gods.
One of these festival days occurred on
the fourteenth day of February. We
are accustomed to designate the day as
81. aithtiuC : lay puN thS eit ~
mans called it the day Of the Luperci.
The festival itself WAS called the Lu-
percalia, and was distinguished by ali
kin l. of amusements and indulgences.
Among the ceremonies was one of
placing the names of girls and young
women in box, from which they were
taken. as chance directed. This in
volved the necessity Of bestOwing gift
upon the owner of the name that each
one drew, and if the fair one recipro-
Gated by another one, or by a written
message, he was to consider himself
her valentine" as modern usage terms
il.
This custom, through various changes
has descended to our own times, and
when you receive your valentine you
will remember that the Roman boys