The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-02-23

the palace of the Caesars viii be DIS
We can see now the Ststely arches
and stupendous walls. six, eight ana ten
and halls. which were once lined with
purple and marble and embeliished with
ivory and gliding. and witnessed the
Incredible atrocities which occurred dur
ing the century before and the century
after the coming of Christ. The Impe-
rial Palace was enormous, covering sew
eral square miles, and 1t Is scarcely pos
given US by the archaeologists concern
Ing the splendor Of the golden house
Of Nero, whose colonades extended for
miles, and were filled with the most
the genius Of man has ever produced.
The earth Itself was exhausted to adorn
the gigantic monument to the vanity
Of an abominable monster. Greece was
bles. The gilded walls were SO lofty
that the colossal statue Of Nero. erected
IN his own honor. 12o feet high. was not
out of proportion.
colonnades of st. Peters led to this glo-
rious hall, supported by columns Of mar
BILE Of delicate tints. and even OF ala
baster. from chambers lined with gold.
Of ivorv carved and perforated so that
perfumes and flowers could be scattered
upon the occupants, and dining hall with
movable floors that could be lowered at
the will Of the master like magic to re-
appear laden with sumptuous banquets.
The bath rooms were filled with ala
baster tubs and supplied with salt water
pumped twelve miles from the sea. and
that ever. controlled the lives and the
happiness Of men.
Here Nero witnessed the massacre of
his victims; here the .gladiators fought
for his amusement. and comedians acted
farces; here his banquets and orgies with
profiigate companions were held. ana
hundreds of depraved artists ministered
ate. short, fat and fiaIbby. with small.
greenish eyes. irregular features and a
hideous expression.
Upon the site of a Papan temple Alex.
Rome from ~ to s "a De- erected
chapel called the Lararium, in which
he placed statue of Christ among the
images OF the pagan gods and the dethed
Of Abraham. upon the other a figure Of
Orpheus. Historians say that he Of
fered sacrifices to the three every morn
ing. the God of Music. the Father of
that he caused to be inscribed in golden
letters over the entrance to the palace
of the Caesars the words of Jesus, the
golden rule of Christianity, do we unto
others as ye would have them do unto
YOU" .., -..
What hideous reveis. what treachery.
vice. folly and crime. were committed
now are stables for mules. lofts for hay
cabbage gardens and a home for nuns.
Nothing so strongly impresses the Wis
itor to Rome as the contrasts, and per-
thing might occur in a city that would
allow the tomb of Augustus Caesar to
be used for a circus.
For a score of years he was the only
and absolute sovereign of the civilized
world. He conquered all nations and
drove the barbarians back into the will
dern SIS. He proclaimed universal peace
and closed the temple of Janus. Before
his burial casket statue Of solid gold
was carried and his tomb cost millions
OF dollars. He did more for Rome than
any other Of Its rulers. and perhaps ad-
vanced civilization more rapidly than any
other man who ever lived-and to think
that the temple which he built to shelter
his remains should be degraded to the
lowest form Of public amusement known
to a depraved people. Clowns in fam
white. their lips red and their ears blue.
now caper around nightly. screaming
their vulgar jokes where the ashes Of
the greatest Of the Roman Emperors
once reposed.
Did you ever see the CHASTITY statistics
Of the palaces upon the Palatine? OF
the forty-three Emperors who occupied
them. thirty-two died with their boots
on. No Caesar died without other a
crime or the suspicion Of crime, and
even Iivia. the wife Of Augustus. who
lived to be IS years old and to realize
to the fullness of her ambition to
greater extent than any other woman
before or since. Is accused of Fastening
her husbands death, in order to crafty
her son. the monster Tiberius. The
daughter and granddaughter of augustus
died in exile Tiberius was Lmothered;
hts son, grandson and granddaughter
were murdered by Caligula. who BUTCH
cred his own daughter when 3 years old.
gave his brother a cup of poison at the
family table. murdered his own mother
and his own wife. OF the .ixteen en-
presses, wives of the Caesars. six died
violent deaths, Seven were divorced and
banished and only three were permitted
to die in peace in their apartments at
the palaces upon the Palatine.