Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-05-03

Imperial Rome, the city Of the Cae-
sars, as it appeared at the height OF
It's magni1cence, has been restored
on paper-through the ingenuity Of G..
Gattnecht, a German artist, who has
based his plausible reconstructions
upon the results Of Signor Boni's exca-
vations in the neighborhood Of the For
UNI. In these pictures Of Herr Gait
necht a satisfying vision Of ancient
Rome may be obtained.
1t is the topography Of the great cap
ital, however, that is presented, being
an architects rendering from plans
fragments and measurements. The life
Of the Imperial City u.s. of course, lack
ing. Yet, while the restored Stadium
of the Palatine pictures that great
track as deserted, it is conceivable that
such a place was, even in the palmiest
days Of Rome, solitary, peaceful and
devoid Of life.
In the reconstructed Forum and on
Palatine Hill evidence Of living Rome
Is marked. Artifcially, perhaps, but
still in keeping with the accepted idea
Of Roman life In the picture showing
the Forum in its heyday, the great
building in the background is the Basil
lea Aemilla, and to the right Of it is
the Temple of the Deifed Julius, which
was built by Augustus. Below it is the
ROStrum Julia, on which were placed
the beaks Of the ships taken at Actium.
On the left is the Rostrum proper,
where orators addressed the Curies.
A City Not Finished.
AS the artist includes the column Of
Phocas, which is the first one toward
the spectator, the view of the Forum
must represent it at a comparatively
late day. At that time-A. D. 6OS-the
glory Of Imperial Rome really had de-
parted. The city had been sacked 81
years before, but the barbarfans had
carried away only portable loot The
ruin Of the magnificent buildings, some
of which have been found under 80
feet Of rubbish and earth, occurred
later.
Not only is it a truism to say that
Rome was not built in day." but it
might be added that it is a city which
never was finished. Recent excavations
| by SignOr Boni have carried the archae-
| ologists spade and pick deeper than
| ever they were employed before, and as
a result it has been brought to light
that before the time Of Romulus, it's
reputed founder, the city was old. In
| of Celtic occupancy, probably while
| that people were in transit to their
| final home in the west Of Europe.
Rome's architectural glories, how
ever, were at their height in the time
Of the empire, when the world, as the
countries bordering on the Mediterra-
mean collectively were known in Eu-
rope, was ruled from "the seven hills"
on the Tiber. Even in the days of it's
triumphs the real city was confined to
| the valleys between these hills. The
streets and alleys were narrow; those
which led over the hills appear to have
| been intended only for foot passengers,
and to have consisted of immense
! flights of stairs. The one street. which
wound an irregular course between the
Palatine and the Capitoline, which ex-
| cavations have uncovered, was so near
| ly like modern thoroughfare that it
became known as Via Triumphalis and
| Via Sacra. 1t was fairly broad. COM
| paratiyely straight, and was COM
mon avenue for men, horses and We
hicles. The gorgeous professions, the
triumphal entries Of the Caesars, had
this street for their scene. At the Col
osseum, Via Appia led out from the
city, a road still familiar to the tour
list as the Appian way.
Majesty of the Forum.
Each emperor strove to leave last
ing memorial Of his reign by erecting a
building, a column or an arch. At
times the ambitious ruler did not care
to import costly marbles for master
pieces, and proceeded to tear down an
other structure for its material.
Excepting for certain costly palaces
which were reared on the Palatine and
Capitoline, much of this memorial
building was carried on in the Forum,
when, lnQee0, is the center OF interest
in ancient Rome. The Forum was an
open space, about 600 feet wide by 1000
feet long. During the early republic,
and even in the times of the emperors,
it was appropriated to the civic bust
ness Of the Roman people. It was early
decorated with statues of illustrious cit
liens, some Of wood and some Of stone.
The Comitiun, shown to the left OF
the Basilica and in front Of the Curia,