Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-02-13

full structures testify to his fore
thought and his ceaseless zeal for
the welfare of his empire, and even
his correspondence with the govern
ors of distant provinces. They con
suited him freely concerning official
matters and asked his instructions
regarding the merest details of ad-
ministration. Among other things
they required what they should do to
suppress Christianity, and he told
them to let it alone. He
not believe in Christ himself but was
in favor of freedom of worship.
For this, and because he was the
best of the emperors, Pope Gregory
the Great. in the seventh century.
made it his business to have masses
sung for the benefit of this noble
pagan, and in his biography we are
told that he succeeded, by his pray
ers. in obtaining the release of Ira
jams soul from purgatory. John of
Salisbury, writing on this subject,
says that Pope Gregory prayed long
and earnestly for the salvation of
the heather emperor. and then had
vision in which he was told that II
the soul of Trajan was to be saved
he must himself undergo the tor
ments of purgatory for three days or
suffer pain and sickness for the rest
of his earthly life. He chose the
latter alternative, and was never free
from pain again. Dante tells the
story IN the tenth canto of his
'Purgatorio."
Speaking of Pope Gregory he
might have included in his prayers
the great Constantine also, because
the latter, although a Christian, did
not hesitate to steal the balustrades
and cornices, the groups of bronze
and marble. the gilded images of war
riors and horses which embellished
the triumbhal arch erected by the
senate in honor of TraJan. and add
them to one which he erected in his
own honor 1t was barbarous and
inexcusable act OF vandalism, as well
as petty qualification of vanity Oh
the part of the first Christian emper-
or, although perhaps if he had not
done it these beautiful objects would
liOl nav Z pcC IL fcu oluuent5
oil Roman archaeology usually find
that the churches. as well as the pal
aces of the Christian era
bellished with ornaments originally
intended for the honor of theFheath-
en- gods. The Roman Forum, the
Palaces of the Caesars the Coliseum,
the baths of Diocletian and Caracalla,
and other great structures of the i'm
perial ages, have been used as quar-
ries for centuries. and the beautiful
marbles of which they were CON
structed have not only been adapted
to modern architecture, but some of
the finest materials have been brok-
Zen up and buned for lime.
Trajan was a Spaniard. He came
from little village in the suburbs
of Seville. and the house in which he
was born is still pointed out to ira
elers. Cortez, the conqueror
Mexico, was native of the same
place and was born only a few doors
away.
There is a striking contrast in ap-
pearance as well as in character be-
tween Trajan and Nero. The one
looks like an emperor, power, intel
lect and nobility being engraven
upon his face, while the other is
pei sonification of depravity, every
feature expressing cruelty, coarse
ness and sensual passion. Nero left
us innumerable busts and statues of
himself. so that we are In no doubt
as to his appearance. He was a
mixture of fool, brute and madman.
His face is weaker than that of Cali
gula, although both are bad enough.
In Nero's younger days. when he was
under the influence oil Agrippina. his
mother, Seneca, the Philosopher, was