The Washington times., 1901-12-22

The first cast brought 10 this country
of the remarkable stele, or tablet, found
recently in the old Roman Comitium and
believed by many authorities to date back
to the time OF Romulua ard therefore al
most to the very foundation OF Rome it
self, is now on exhibition in one o. the
larger lecture rooms OF the classical de-
partment OF Harvard University. The
cast. which was purchased for the use OF
students OF opigraphy. or writings upon
stone. attracts the more interest in that
the original viii probably never be al
lowed to leave Italy.
Something less Than two years ago, il
will be remembered, this original was
discovered in The course CT excavations in
Rome then being made by the Commonda-
tore Boni. director Of excavations for the
Italian Government: The excavations
had been undertaken with the pur ,ose Of
reaching the bedrock Of Roman anliqui-
ties and the greatest interest was natu-
rally aroused by discover that seemed
actually TO have accomplished this cb-
ject
City Built Upon City.
The city of Rome, like many of the other
cities of the ancient world. has been SO
built upon its own past that the greater
part of what has already been recovered
places natural barrier between modern
investigation and the possible treasures OF
still older periods. TO reach which often
means the destruction of SO much that is
beautiful and interesting.
When the space between the temple Of
Julius Caesar and OF Castor and Pollux, TO
take a single instance, was cleared away
in 1882. the work of excavation stopped at
a level of street pavements of the sixth
or seventh century, and only about nine
inches. as was shown by explorations sew
eral years later, above the remains OF the
triumrhal arch Of Augustus.
In other words, the ruins OF the impe-
rial city represent not one but several
strata-the prehistoric, the monarehical.
The republican, the Byzantine, and the
medieval. series of cities. roughly
speaking has grown up each on the ruins
of its predecessor, and il was Signor
Bcni's purpose TO penetrate 20 the carii-
est of these strata. choosing such places
rs 1t should be possible to investigate
without detriment to the magnificent
ruins. already uncovered, OF The later pc
riods.
Heroon of RomGlus.
This work discovered in June. 1899, a
piece OF pavement unique among all the
ruins that have been anywhere investi-
gated, and leading later to the finding Of
the possible Heroon OF Romulus. This
Heroon-the hero place" in other words
was not, as has been sometimes stated.
necessarily the grave OF Ron.ulus, but
rather the spot officially c2u5ecrated to
The worship which carly Roml accorded to
its dead heroes.
When the union OF the several peoples
lrom whom the Roman poDulace descend
ed made the beginning OF Rome possible,
the first places to come into existence
were probably the Comitium, or neutral
assembly ground, where all might mingie
on equal terms. and the Forum. or mar
ket place where the people met for bar
ter. Between these places there ran later
q medieval road, the ruins OF which have
also been more OF less investigated.
The important excavation of 1859 took
place on shis border land between Forum
ami Comitium and discovered. under the
old road, an enclosure twelve by nine
feet paved with slabs OF black Taenarian
marble, and standing opposite the Senate
House built by the Emperor Diocletian
when he remade this portion OF Rome
after the widely destructive FIRE of s2S
A. ID.
The Black Stones.
This bit of pavement. now commonly
known as the black stones" was there
fore attributable to Diocletian, the use of
Taenarisn marble having ended after his
reign; but its unique character was eyi-
dence that it perpetuated something of
unusual Importance.
Early Roman historians anteGating this
period had made many references TO an
apparently similar pavement al about The
same situation, all agreeing that il
marked a sacred spot. but dissgreeiDg as
20 its exact purpose Many early writer's.
however. among them Verrius Fiaccus. 4
famous scholar OF the time Of Augustus.
and Narro once called the most learned
OF the Romans" agreed that it was in
tended 10 poipL cut the Heroon OF Rom
ulus.
A tunnel was driven under this unique
pavement by slgnor Boni. disclosing an
unoccupied grave. surmounted by a sacri-
iicial stone guarded by two pedestals that
very likely may have once supported
stone lions. and hanked by the remains OF
a monumental pillar and the steie from
which the Harvard cast is taken. with its
archaic inscription cut by some Etruscun
stone-cutter al least i've and. perhaps.