The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-19
NEW HAVEN MORNING JOURNAL AND COURIER MONDAY AUGUST N 1907

tubas and buceinas were used in tri-
umphal professions conformity.
In the cultivation of vocal music
the Romans were far inferior to the
4reeks and this was more the case in
choruses than in solos. Though Lat
in music was closely connected with
poetry, as that of Greece, it lacked
the inspiration necessary to it's highest
development. The manner of the
dignified drama which arrested the
Hellenic choral song, was an insuper-
lie barrier to the successful develop
.ment of Roman vocal music. With
SO peculiarly an ambitious people as
the Romans there was no room for
slave culture. The state that was
charged with administering the gov
eminent of the whole world could not
be supposed to occupy itself with the
individual or with individual culture
limitations of the Greek tragedy of
very diluted character were prepared
for the rich only, the people being
content with enjoying the coarse ex-
hibitions of gladiatorial skill. With
such degenerate tastes it was impossi-
bic for the drama ever to reach the
sublime heights attained by the Hell
lenic tragedy.
AS to their ceremonies and national
festivals, the feast of Liber (Liberalia)
must herein be mentioned, The
participators who were only youths
and maidens under the age of twenty,
fell to such a low level of shameless
ness that the Roman consul in the
year 1856 B. c., published a special
edict forbidding any further bacchan-
allan performances.
The decline of the dance may be
dated from the decadence of Rome. 1t
was thus that love for the beautiful
began to give place to the craving for
the sensual so that even the dance
of the Graces" is represented in Pom
peian Illustrations degenerated into
lvoluptuous movements and poses.
The whole artistic life of Rome was
reduced to the vainest subjectivity
The sentimental hypocrisy Of the
tyrannical Nero, OF whom mention
has already been made, is not the
only instance in the history of Roman
s civilization of despotic emperor af-
fecting love for art 1t Is told Of
Caligula, the successor of Nero, that
in the dead of the night he summon
ed to his palace some of his courtt-
ers. In obedience to the royal COM
mand,, they presented themselves in
fear and trembling, expecting instant
execution. After having noticed the
terror stricken condition of his de-
pendents, he informed them that he
had merely summoned them into his
presence that they might witness his
representation of dramatic scene,
accompanied by song and flute,
Heliogabalus with similar affecta-
ton, appeared before his court as
singer, dancer, tuba player and ac-
tor.
The decay Of the tonal art of Rome
was so complete, its practice falling
into the hands of Adventures, strang-
ers and women who enticed by their
charms, that by the direction of the
state it was expunged from the cur
riculum of Roman education, the state
arguing that an art practiced by
slaves and the despised classes of So
ciety was not BETTING the education
Of youthful patricians, Thus all toe
soon, were fulfilled the prophetic
words Of Aristotle that the art having
for it's object the mere display OF
digital skill and sensuous attraction
was unbecoming to the dignity of ner
and fit only for slaves"
MORRIS STTINERT.