The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-10
GOLDEN PATERA OF RENNES."
Treasure, Made I'm the Reign of Geta,
Dug Up ON March 26, 1774.

New York Times.
The people of Rennes appear to be a stolid,
self-contained. Unconditional people, mpas-
sive beyond the popular idea of Germans
and little resembling the excitable PariSians,
who stand. in the American fancy, for the
whole French people: But although even
there was one occasion when the people OF
Rennes were thrown into great excitement
by something which occurred within the
limits of their town.
On March 26, IVA, masons were demoliSh-
ing one of the chapter houses of the cathe-
dral, when they found, five feet below the
surface a golden treasure of strange design,
evidently very valuable. They took 1t to the
able, who submitted it to the proper gov
eminent officials 1t was round plate OF
gold, ornamented with figures in relief, and
several Roman gold coins. while attached to
1t were three chains of gold and ninety-four
pieces Of Roman money.
1t had seen exciting times, when an empire
was being torn asunder, and finally. to save
it from destruction it had been buried in
the wilds of Brittany; and there 1t had lain
for nearly sixteen centuries.
The Golden Patera of Rennes," as it Is
now known, was first made, in all probable
toninus. about the year 21O A. D., during the
reign OF Geta. The coins upon 1t are Of Ha-
drian, Antoninus Plus. Faustina, Marcus
Septimus, Severus Julia Donna, Caracalla
and Geta- The main design represents Her
cules and Bacchus in drinking contest, In
This patera was made in the stormy times
following the attempt Of Geta and Caracalla
to reign together. 1t remained in some
ing which the Christian religion gradually
rose to supremacy I'm the Roman empire.
Then, in 39l A. D., Theodosius decreed the
or dedicated to pagan deities. There was a
general rush to save what could be saved,
and archaeologists agree that the golden
patera was hurriedly rescued from it's
doomed dwelling and hastily buried in the
Breton sands. Whoever buried II, trusting
to come back and get 1t when the Christian
heresy should have died away and the old
religion come to it's own again, was disap-
pointed There it lay for a millennium and
a half, and the Christian religion waxed
stronger; and some centuries after its burial
a Christian cathedral rose within two feet
of its burial place, and remained there until
1t was itself pointed out to strangers as Of
great antiquity.
When the patera at last saw the light
again there was fierce contest for its pos
session. Although 1t was not within the
cid the government, while the workmen who
had found 1t also set up claim. Rennes
HSaon it for ner own and and the Sut little
for some time. 1t ended In graceful sur
render by the church to the King, for Of
course these had been the only contestants
patera of Rennes went to Louis XIV, who
deposited It in the Cabinet of Medals and
Antiques at Paris.
history. 1t had been the cause of covetous
warfare among men in Rome, in Rennes
and was to become so even in its secure
resting place in Paris. 1t remained in the
cabinet for nearly seventy years, during
which a kingdom fell and was succeeded by
an empire. which fell in it's turn. Then. on
the night Of Nov. 6, 1881, the cabinet Of med
ais and antiques was entered by a daring
gang of burglars and the treasure was car
ried away. After its long and venerable ca
reer the Golden Patera of Rennes was
about to meet the vulgar fate of being
melted down like any other stolen piece OF
gold and sold to some Partisan fence"
But the excitement occasioned by the rob-
berry proved the undoing of the robbers A
continual hue and cry was kept up for eight
months, during which the burglars were so
closely hunted that they had no chance to
dispose of their booty. AT last, one night
in July, 1884, detectives burst into their last
retreat, captured the gang, and found EVIL
dence which led them to dredge the Seine
under the bridge of Tournelle. In this way
the patera was recovered. The robbers
three In number, were sentenced, one to
forty, one to twenty and one to ten years
Imprisonment.
The Golden Patera Of Rennes has re-
NAMED In the cabinet ever since, a subject
of wonder and admiration for its richness
Of design and delicacy of execution and a
testimony to the luxury of the ancients and
to the costliness and magnificence of their
appointments. But 1t seems marked for
adventure, and may yet pass through cpl
sodes as exciting as that in which it has
already figured before 1t meets its end ia
some future century.