The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01


sec that at the end Of tho fourteenth century,
scarcely anything Of ancient Rome remained
beyond the fragments that exist at the present
day.
II is only through a letter Of Poggio that we
are able to determine Just what monuments wero
extant in Rome in the early part OF the fifteenth
century. Let us note some Of the me-
MORALS which Poggio saw and mentioned. We
observe hrst that the Pantheon was then
entirely surrounded by buildings A great
part Of the Temple OF Minerva then existed
by the side Of the Dominican Convent, but, under
Poggio's eyes, II was destroyed TO make lime
A temple with eight columns on the Capitol SUI,
fercd the same fate. OF tho Temple Of Saturn. he
beheld only three columns which he believed to be
remains Of the Bridge Of Caligula From the
Tabularium. or lower story Of tho Senate House
tat that time the salt mag azine). Poggio can
scarcely have seen more than we sec to-day. From
tho porticos on the Fish Market and in Its neigh
borhood. he beheld other remains, and named
them the Temple Of Mercury and Zeus Gardens
were there at the time. The remains Of portco
which have now persisted then existed beside the
Quirnal
We pass to theatres and amphitheatrca Tho
Theatre OF Marcellus was already only fragment:
the ruins OF the Theatre OF Pompey had houses
built above it; tho Amphithcatrum Castrenso was
already enclosed in the city wallis OF the Colosseum
we arc told that "the Romans in their foolishness
had, in great part. destroyed 1t to make lime" In
the fourteenth century, the Colosseum was sur.
rounded with houses and churches, all of which
were built from the materials IL provided There
is reason to believe that tho outer walls on the
eastern side had already fallen. perhaps during
the earthquake OF 1349. The stones were carried
away rs building material and many blocks Of ira
vertne from tho parts which still existed were sold
for the same purpose. Influential mobiles obtained
without difficulty permission TO make use OF the an.
Gent monuments Poggios lament over the
wilful destruction Of the Colosseum is undoubt
cdly justified. or the circuses he mentions tho
Maximus, Of which. covered as IL was by swampe
SCARCELY fragment remained. Tho two obelisks
which ii had contained were hidden by rubbish
In the Circus Of Maxentius on the Appian Way
which he calls tho Hippodrome. Poggo saw ODE
lisks lying in four pieces on the ground or
great obelisks. only that Of the Vatican remained
standing: there were disc, however smaller
obelisks on the piazza OF the Capitol, and in
the quarter known as the Regio Pinea In Poggio's
time, the several Fora were scarcely recognizable;
the Forum Romanum itself was covered with
rubbish and vegetation A row OF houses stood
between the arches OF Titus and Severus two hun
dred OF which Paul ILL., caused ~ be pulled down
for the entry OF Charles V; the roed thus opened
still leads across the Forum VIII oh. in the early
part OF the fifteenth century, oAdn and pigs pas
tured OF the Comtium Poggio afflrms that lie
saw a wall remaining with sculpture OF the
Thermn, huge remains existed and still exist Ut
as Poggio lamcnts, they were entirely devoid of
ornaments. OF the baths OF Constantine a froR-
ment remained; of those Of Alexander Severus no
behed considerable ruins OF the many aquc-
ducts which Rome had once required the Aqua
al, Al.
Poggio speaks the triumphal arches of Septimius
Severus of Titus and Of Constantine as still stand
ing intact He mentions the arch beside S. Lau.
renzo in Lucina, and the so called Arch Of Caudus
on the Plaza Sciaua: fragment of
that Of Nerva and Trajanus, and also
tho Arch OF Lentulus on the Aventine The col
umns Of Trajan and Antoninus were undestroyed
The pyramid in the Borgo. known as the Meta
Romuli. still remained not yet entirely robbed OF
its marble ornaments The mausoleum of Angus
tus planted with vines When Poggio be-
held that OF Cecilia Metella 1t had been in great
part destroyed for the purpose OF obtaining lime
As for bridge traffic. It was limited in Poggio's
time to the Ponte st Angelo. the two iron bridges
and the Bridge of tho Senators Tho Janiculum
Bridge (Pontc Sisto) was broken, and tho Tri-
umphal the Vatican and the Sublician bridges
had vanished. In the walls OF Rome, "a frail
patchwork OF bits OF marble stone, postcards and
bricks" Poggio found not trace OF antiquity
He walked around them and discovered that, in
GLIDING the Leonine City. they were about ten
miles in circumference. lie counted $40 towers.
Thirteen gates were in Use. as they arc TO day.
We note. lastly. that all the hills Of Rome were
deserted and fever-stricken. Solitary converts
and churches then stood on the Campagna In
spite Of the Senate house. which survived, the
Capitol was a mass OF ruins, covered with refuse
and vineyards: the PaIatine was such a wilder.
ness that 1T no longer presented any shape"