Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-05-14

Imperial Rome. the city of the Gaze
sars, as it appeared az the height of
Its magnficence, has been restored
on paper-through the ingenuity Of G..
Gattnecht, a German artist, who has
based his plausible demonstrations
upon the results Of Signor Boni's exca-
vations in the neighborhood Of the For.
um. In these pictunes Of Herr Gait.
necht 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 is. of course. lack
ing. Yet, while the restored Stadium
OF the Palatine pictures that great
track as deserted. 1t is conceivable that
such 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. Artificlally, 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 II is
the Temple Of the Deified julius, which
was built by Augustus Below ii is the
Rostrum Julia. on which were placed
the beaks Of the ships taken at Actium.
Ol Tho left lie tho
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 1t at comparatively
late day. At that time-A. ID. 6OS-the
glory Of Imperial Rome really had de-
parted The city had been sacked 60
years before, but the barbarians had
carried away only portable loot. The
ruin of the magnificent buildings. some
OF which have been found under 30
feet of rubbish and earth, occurred
later.
Not only Is it a trusm to say that
Rome was not built In day." but 1t
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 We're employed before, and as
result it has been brought to light
that before the time of Romulus, its
reputed founder, the city was old. In
fact, there have been uncovered traces
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 Mt 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 1.-THE seven hills"
on the Fiber Even in the days of its
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
Palatire and the Capltolne, which ex-
cavations have uncovered, was so near
~ like modern thoroughfare that 1t
became known as Via Triumphaiis and
Via Sacra. 1t was fairly broad, COM
paratively stra ght. and was COM
mon avenue for men, horses and We
hlcles. The gorgeous professions, the
triumphal entries OF the Caesars, had
this street for their scene At the Col
osseum. Via Appla led out from the
city, road still FAMILIAR to the tour
list as the Appian way.
Majesty II the Forum.
Each emperor strove to leave last
Ing memorial of his reign by erecting a
building, 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 aud
Capitoline, much OF this memorial
building was carried on in the Forum,
which. indeed, is the center of interest
IN ancient Rome. The Forum was an
open space. about 600 feet wide by loo
feet long. During the early republic
ana even in the times of the emperors.
IL was appropriated TO the civic husl-
ness OF the Roman people. 1t was early
decorated with statues OF il,ustrious cit
liens, some OF wood and some OF stone.
The Comitiu-n, shown to the left OF
the BaSillca and in front of the Curia
In the restoration. was an open, raised
platform where the patricians held
their meetings, the curia being kind
OF town hall. Opposite TO II stood
the rostrum. or pulpit. from which the
orators addressed the meetings
Julius Cesar is credited with the
first considerable plans for the res
toration and adornment OF the old city
for even in his day. remote as We view
IL. Rome was regarded as very an
Client city. His architectural plans
although they were not completed BY
him. served to direct the policy OF his
SUCCESSORS. For the next few centuries
the rebuilding and embellishius o,
Rome became national taste, and "a
carry out the Ideas money was spent
without stint Augustus. In addition
TO turning his attention to restoration
generally. added few temples Of hi:
own. The most important OF these wers
that 10 Mars Ultor. In the center OF the
Forum, which he added 10 the Julian
and OF Apollo on the Palatine. He alsS
built the portico OF Octayis. the Thea
tire OF Marcellus and the mausoleum In