Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-06

the seating capacity Of El-Djem was al
most three times as large. The circumfer-
ence of the amphitheater here is only 200
feet less than that Of the Colosseum and its
width and breadth each measure as much
within 100 feet. The Colosseum, it ex-
lists today, is a little higher than El-Djem.
but with the story which was torn away
added they would be of about the same
height.
The Romans had an old saying which
''While stands the Colosseum, Rome shall
When falls the Colosseum. Rome shall fall,
And when Rome falls. with it shall fall the
world
I doubt not the citizens of northern Africa
thought the same of El-Djem. But who
can now tell US anything OF the people who
sat In this mighty playhouse? We know
only that there was a great town here in
the time of imperial Rome 1t was called
Thysdrus, and it must have been Of enor-
nous size to have required theater ike
this. During the third century 1t was one
of the richest cities Of northern Africa, and
the tapital Of a thickly populated country.
There were other great cities nearby; about
eight miles away was one which had also
a theater. and which still shows the re-
mains Of vast cisterns built for its water
supply. ... .t..-
Thysdrus remained great up to about the
time Of the Arab invasion, but the people
about were then governed by Berber
queen known as Kahena. The country
was so rich that it was attacked again and
again, and Kahena, thinking the matter
over, came to the conclusion that the
wealth of her people was the cause OF the
numerous invasions, and that II they de-
stroyed their cities her country would be
let alone. She thereupon called her noun
tain tribes together and ordered them TO
cut down the orchards and level the towns.
This was done all over the country, vast
territories being reduced from riches to
poverty. 1t had however, the reverse erect
of what she intended. The people who had
lost their property sided with the invaders;
! and Kahena was defeated. Her last stand
| was made in the amphitheater Of El-DJem,
and its battered walls still show the effects
! of that siege.
Since then it has been robbed by the
generations which followed. 1t has been a
| quarry for both Arabs and Christians, and
| of late the French have uncovered its
| mosaics and carried them of to their mu-
| protect what is left. l found parts of the
| ruins shut off by doors and wire fences.
| and masons were at work here and there
! repairing the damages Of the vandals.
Ruins Of North Africa.
! The day will come when northern Africa
| will be thronged with tourists and others
| studying the historic remains of its past;
| The most of the ruins here have. until
| now, been allowed to remain as they were,
| while those of Italy, Greece and Egypt
| have been carted off to fill the museums of
| the world. There are acres of mosaics to
| be seen in the museums of Iunlsia which
| will compare in beauty with any in Italy.
, The arena of this great amphitheater was
| one solid mosaic 1t is now part of the
| wonderful collection in the bey's palace. In
! the city of Tunis. There are other moSaicS
| almost as wonderful in the museum of
| Sousse, and others of great value in the
| Carthage museum. ... ....
| Sousse has recently excavated a ceme-
| terry which dates back to the. time of the
| Carthaginians. In it are tombs which were
built when Hannibal was alive. and ]
| fingered the bone dust of some of these
| ancient heroes as l looked at the urns
which contained their remains.
! Even more wonderful are the catacombs
of Sousse, now for the first time being
exposed to the light OF modern times.