The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-22

q base such as one would expect the
column to have had. This is the paveme nj
which Caesar trod. Here is the very spot
where once his body rested. Here An
thony aroused the deepest emotions Of the
pIebs, and here from the phoenix ashes OF
dead republic rose the young empire.
Only the core of the base is left. and the
marble that originally covered it has dis
appeared-ssolen, no doubt, in the six
teenth century by one or other OF the az
chitects who used the Forum as a quarry.
This core is noteworthy. for it is made OF
fragments of gallo antico and gray Car
rara Qunese) mixed with Dozz2lana-these
chips being, most probably, those made by
the workers on the column; for gallo an
tico was not a common marble, ana
lunese was rare in those days. Pliuy says
that VI. Lepidus, q consul in CSC A. L. C.
was the first TO introduce the gallo.
while Mamurra, one Of Caesars officers.
first used lunese in large pieces.
To many persons the so-called Tomb of
Romulus will be Of quite as much interest
as the site of Caesars funeral pyre. The
ancient authors give US but scanty infor-
ma ton about the tomb What the. Sav,
though slight, is perfectly clear. Festus.
under the words nigar lapis. writes that
there was a BLACK stone in the Comitium
which showed where there was grave"
Some thought this had been intended To-
Romulus: he OF course, was never buried
and after his disappearance. the grave
was used for Faustulus and GuinctiIus.
These statements are borne out by the
scholiasts on a verse of one of the Epodes
OF Horace Cxvi. 49,, who say that Varro
wrote that the Tomb OF Romulus was be-
fore the Rostra, where, also. two lions
stood. One OF the scholissts quo.es
Varro as saying not before but behind
the Rostra. For various tooogra ohical
reasons this must be a mistake A few
days ago this black stone" was found
Signor Boni had for some days been ex-
ploring the late branch of the Sacred Way
that ran from the Arch of Severus to the
Temple Of Faustina. In the neighborhood
OF the arch there was an opportunity 10
enlarge the extent Of the explorations. and
very soon a well-laid travertine pavement
of the Republican epoch was found. II
Is in close proximity to the spot on which
the buildings Of the Comitium stood, and
this pavement is part of that of the Conf
tium. Hardly had it been discovered when
the workmen came upon a travertine curb.
Further digging. showed that this curb
protected a black stone. This has now
been entirely uncovered. and turns out to
be a small pavement. about twelve feet
square, of black marble blocks 09-25 en-.
thick. protected on all four sides by the
travertine curb. the latter, however. not
entirely preserved. This is sufficiently
strange, but what proves the sanctity Of
the site is that when (probably in the
fifth century A. D. the road was built
that now runs from the Arch OF Severus
over the spot, large marble s,abs were
raised like a solid fence all about the
black stones to protect them. The blocks
of the pavement, which are not absolutely
regular in form. are of the black marble
streaked with white that comes from
Taenarum-what the modern scapelli call
marmo nero di Grecia. For the present
they have been partially covered up, as
the attacks of relic hunters began Instant
ly after the announcement of the dis
covery, and the authorities do not desire
fresh confirmation of Horace's words:
"quaeque carent vents tie solibus ossa
Quirini, nefas videre.
dissioabit insolens."
Not only is this niger lapis OF great in
terest in itself, but we now know more
accurately than ever before the anSroxi-
mate position OF many Of the most sacred
monuments of Rome. for close TO the Tomb
of Romulus was the statue of the w-!f
suckling the two brothers. and the Nae
Wan fig tree planted by Tarquinius Priscus
over the spot where he had buried the
stone which Naevius cut in two with 4
razor. How sp,endidly dead history is
awakening into life.
Since the discovery OF the metope of the
Baslilca Aemila. several other objects OF a
similar nature have been found. One.
smost interesting because OF the first OF
its kind known, is piece Of one of the
windows OF the second story of the Basi-
lea Julia. This had been discarded by the
previous excavators as Of little interest.
Considering that they thought so little OF
the mstope Of the Basilica AemiHa as to
build II into the retaining wall OF A road
ii Is not surprising that they did not
realize the value of a piece OF window
frame. There are no doubt, no terms OF
work that has been done before this war
in the Forum, and that which is still be-
ing done in other parts Of Italy. Were Il
worth while, proofs Of such mismanaRe-
ment. carelessness and self-seeking could
be given. that those hearing them might
think they were listening 10 the tales OF
Turizex.
The discovery Of such pieces as the me-
tCpe suggests two things that il IS greatly
to be hoped Minister Bacceli will success
fully accomplish. One OF these has a.
ready zen undertaken. It is the taking
over from the church Of the Temple OF
Romulus. which, freed from late additions
and put in its original shape. so far as
may be, will then serve as a museum for
ali objects found in the Forum. and
others. such as photographs or engrayings
or casts, that are connected with II. Here
ought to be put the statues Of the Vestals
found in the Autrium Vesta and row IN
the Museo della Terme. Where they now
stand they are lifeless objects-dead ar
cha Biological facts. material statistics. IN
the Forum near where they were originally
placed they would acquire some faint i'm
pulse Of life. and render the Forum and
Roman history more truly intelIigifse
than It now is even 70 those few who are
blessed with the power Of imagination.
The other suggestion given by the pres
ent work Is that the minister arrange for
the excavation OF the northern side % the
Forum, which is entirely disussd except
for loop in the electric iram-a loop
which. with TO difficulty whatever. could
Be run along the road beside s Adriano.
This undertaking would - worthy OF him.
To what has been 81 FAR done required
no intelligence; the resuIts have al been