Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1902-03-29
PALACES OF CAESARS
BY W. T.. CURTIS. In Chicago Times Herald.

many years before. ana during his
exile in England they were the only
property ne retained in Rome The
Farncso family flied up the walls OF
the rooilcss palaces with earth and
made n garden on them. IN the midst
of which they built beautiful villa.
and there spent the hot weeks of the
summer After It passcc out OF their
possession while Napoleon owned it.
tn, soil that covered the palaces OF the
Caesars became a truck garden and
produced carrots and cabbagcs for the
people uf Rome The only modern
buildings now standing there are the
cottages of the gardeners convent OF
the Sisters of the Visitation and a mo.
mastery Of monks. both of which will
be pulled down and removed within "A
few years Then the excavations which
were begun in 1861 and have been
going on s6asmodical since. under
the direction Of the govcrnm, Mt arch
oulogists will Doe continued and the re-.
maindCr of the palace of the Caesars
will bo disclosed
We can see now the stately arches
and stuponduus walls. six, eight and
ten feet thick. inClosing spacious
chambers and halls which were once
lined with purple and marble and en-
hollishcd with ivory and gliding. and
witnessed the incredible atrocities
which occurred during the century be.
tor, and the century after the coming
of Christ The imperial palace was
enormous, covering several square
miles. and IL IS scarcely possible To be.
licyc the statements that are given Us
hy the psychologists concerning the
splendor of the golden house of Nero,
whose Colonnados extended for miles
and were filed with the most splendid
works of art that the taste and tho
genius of man has ever produced. The
earth itself was exhausted To adorn
this gigantic monument To the vanity
of an ahOminahlc monster Greece was
stripped of statues. bronles ana mar
hles The gilded walls were so lofty
that the colossal statue which erected
i'm his own honor l2o feet high was
not out of proportion. PortiCocs mile
in length. like the colonnadcs of ST
Peters. led 10 this glorious hall sup
ported 10y columns of marble of deli
cate tints. and even of alahaster from
chambers lined with gold, jewels and
mother of pearl. with ceilings OF ivory
carved and perforated SO that per
fumes and flowers could be scattered
upon lllt uN'lIldlttct anu tliiih@ nuns
with movable floors. that could be low
cred at the will of the master like mag.
ic to reappear laden with sumptuous
banorets The bathrooms were filed
with alaoaster tubs and supplied with
salt water pumped in pipes twelve
miles from The sea and all this for the
most infamous lunatic that ever con
troiied the lives and happiness of men.
Here NcrC witnessed the massacre
of his victims; here the gladiators
fought for his amusement. ana come
dams acted farCes: here his hanquets
and orgies with pronigate companions
were held. ana hundreds of dopraYod
artists minstered TO the vices OF n
thick-necked degenerate. short, fat and
nabhy. with small greenish eyes, ir
regular features and n hidcous express
sion,
Upon the site of a pagan temple Al
7 eXandeT SeVercs, who WAS emperor
of Rome. from 222 to 235 4. n, erected
a chapel called the Laiarium II
which n statue of Christ among the
4 images of the pagan gods and the
defled Caesars. On one side of il
was a statue of Abraham, upon the
other a figure of Orpheus. Historians
say that he offered sacrifices to the
three every morning, the God of Mn
/ sic. the Father of Israel and the Re
dcomer of Mankind. and that h'
caused to be inscribed in golden let
/ tiers over the entrance to the palace
/ of Caesars the words OF Jesus. th'
/ golden rule of Christianity DO "
unto others as ye would have then
do unto you"
What hideous revels. what treach
cry. vice, folly and crime were com
mtted amidst this glory and splen
/ dor. where now are stables for mules
lofts for hay, cabbage gardens AM
a home for nuns Nothing so strong
~ impresses the visitor TO Rome a
the contrasts, and perhaps we SHOULD
admit at once that everything nigh
occur in n city that would allow tn
tomb of Augustus Caesar to be use'
for a circus. For a score OF years n
was the only and absolute sovereign
of the civilized world. He conquere'
all nations and drove the barbarian
back into the wilderness. He pre-
claimed universal peace and close
the temples of Janus. Before his bun
iaI casket a statue of solid gold WI
carried. and his tomb cost million
of dollars. He did more for Rom
than any other OF its rulers, and pei
haps advanced civilization more raj
idly than any other man who eve
/ lived-and to think that the tempt
which he built TO shelter his remain
should be degraded To the loves
form of public amusement known I
a depraved people. Clowns In far
tastic clothing and with faces painte
white. their lips red and their cheek
blue now caper around nightly scream
ing their vulgar jokes where the ashe
of the greatest of Roman emperor
once reposed.
Did you ever see the CHASTITY stats
istics Of the palaces upon the ran
tine? OF the fortythrec emperors WIN
occupied them. thirty-two died wit
their boots on. No Caesar died with"i
either crime or suspicion OF
crime. and even Livia, the wife or A
gustus. who lived To be 80 years oil
and TO realize the fullness OF her amt
tiou IN "A greater extent than any Otht