The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-05
TRAJAN WAS A POP.


| Trajaa. who lived about 3e) years after
Christ. IS the most satisfactory Of all
the Roman emperOrs- He seemed TO nave
been always sure OF himself and 70 have
| known what he was doing. He did not
shrink from responsibility or dread the
consequences OF h5eraiity among his sub
jects- He exercised authority without
cruelty or harshness. He was a good
soldier as Well as 3 great statesman, ard
showed an earnest desire for the wei
fare OF his people Ira ian n one re
| spect was a Popuiist- lie invented the
plan, recently so popular in that party in
1 Kansas ana Nebraska, OF loaning money
from the public treasury 70 assist farmers
/ IN the Improvement OF their lands. They
paid interest at the rate Of per cent
/ a year and the proceeds We're devoted 70
! 4 special fund 70 assist orphans and
other poor children ia making a start IN
life.
We went over 10 the Dioeletian Museum
the other morning and heard a group Of
! the students OF the American School o.
! Archaeology. under Professor Abbott OF
the University Of Chicago. decipher the
I hieroglyp hics upon tablet erected IN
honor OF Trajan. on which an account
/ OF his beneficence in that direction Is re-
| corded. The inscription gives the
amounts Of money loaned. the rate OF
/ interest charged ana other details and
]
populism.
There is more of Trajans record pre-
! served in monuments and inscTi ptions
than OF any other emperor except Angus
/ tus. Time has dealt gently with him. as
! he deserved On some of the coins thai
We're issued during his reign YOU can see
! representations Of boys and girls appeal
/ ing 10 him for protection and assistance
| lie seems 20 have been the friend Of the
/ friendless. lie originated the idea OF
I educating boys FOR the military service
and giving them special training in the
arts and the sciences Of war. He started
the first military academy, and many OF
| his graduates served him well, becoming
! soldiers of skin and distinction. They
assisted Trajan to restore the glory OF
the Roman arms and order TO the Roman
world He followed the most depraved.
the most cruel and murdsrous, the most
/ extravagant and corrupt of the emperors.
and IN the nineteen years that he re-
NAMED upon the throne did much 20 re-
ieve the oppression they had imposed uD-
on the people, 10 correct the evils they
had wrought and 10 restore the rights
and privileges 10 which Romans were
entitled. 1t is therefore only just and
right that his monuments should con-
tnue to stand and be admired by the
generations that have answered to the
roll call OF time century after century
since his reign, while the monuments
which other emperors erected in their
own honor have crumbled or have been
carried away for building material.
a lofty marble column erected IN honor
of Tralan and carved with Il series OF pic
lures running around it from the bottom
10 the top gives US a better idea of Ro-
man life and civilization in his day than
any descriptions we can find In books.
a high authority on art speaks OF the
detailed, absolutely correct and author
lied scenes on Trajans column which
celebrate the excellence and bravery of
the Roman army in all its marches. la
bors, battles, naneuvers and Successes
This column stands in the center OF the
business section of Rome. in a rectan-
gular basin 30 yards in width and about
400 In length. which is known as the
Forum OF Trajan, and which. at one
time consisted of a roof supported by
forest of marble columns. Many Of
them, although broken, still stand in
their proper place. others lie where they
fell, and prove what the archae0lOgias
have often told US, that this forum was
the finest OF the many magnificent archi-
tectural triumphs in Rome. 1t was used
as market, for public meetings, and
for other purposes. and beneath the roof
several thousand people could assemble.
On the north side Trajans column rises,
q SA1-l H. AtNl HlEl, II 4ttL IN diameter
az the bottom and 10 feet At the top II
is made of eighteen sections, and IS hol-
low, with a spiral staircase OF lS4 steps.
which enables people to so to the top
Beneath this monument Trajan was bu-
ried IN the year III, aad his statue orig
inally stood upon the crest. but IL 1857
Pope Sixtus Y. took il down and re-
placed II by one Of st. Peter. The spiral
band of has relief which runs around the
= md
besides animals, machines, etc. $500 hu-
man nsureS. 1t represents the triumphs
OF Tralan liz war, ard has always been
considered one of the masterpieces OF
Roman architecture and one OF the mar
vels OF the golden age Of he world The
forum, which IS in hollow between two
of the hills. was allowed 10 fiji up with
soil and debris until it was entirely bu-
ried. and even the gigantic column was
concealed by the accumulation Of cen
turtles untn the French uncovered it in
1872. 1t IS believed that much else OF
interest IS stii buried ui.der rhe neigh
boring streets and houses. AID people
have often proposed TO make excaya-
IONS there.
But this column and forum are not the
only visible witnesses to Trajans great
ness. for aqueducts. bridges. Notifications
and other useful structures testify 70 his /
forethought and his ceaseless zeal for (
the welfare Of his empire and even more /
interesting IS a collection OF his core ;
spOndence with the governors of distant
provinces. They consulted him freely
concerning official matters and asked his
instructions regarding the merest details I
Of administration. Among other things
they inquired what they should do 70 4
suppress Christianity, and he told them
10 let II alone He did not believe IN +
Christ himself. but was il favor OF free
dom Of worship.
For this, and because he was the best 4
of the emperors. Pope Gregory the I
Great. In the Seventh century. made il 4
his business to have masses sung Tor
the benefit Of this noble pagan. aud IN
his biography we are told that ne sue /
ceeded. by his prayers. IN obtaining the +
release Of Trajau's soui from rurgaiory
John OF Salisbury. writing on this SUBJ 4
ject says that pope Gregory prayed long
and earnestly for the salvation OF The
heather emperor, and then had q vision
in which he was told THAI u the soul 81
Trajan was 10 be saved be must hiul-
SELF undergo the t0rme-ts ~ purgat6ry
for three days CT suffer pain and sick
ness Tor the rest Of his earthly life. III.
chose The latter alternative. and was
never free from pain again Dante tells
the story IL the teeth canto Of his Tar
zatoFio.
Pope Gregory might have Included sn
bis prayers the great Constantine also. !
because the latter. although a CHRIS
tan. did Lot hesitate - steal Che balus-
trades and cGlnices. the gTcITs ~ bronze
and marble. the giided images n var
riors and horses which emeeiflsned fhe
lrisTnphl arch erected nF ne senate in
honor ~ TEagzn. and add them a. one
which Re erected IN E4s e7n honor.
sas blrh4rsas aa4 insTcusaDle act