Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-10
RUINS OF OLD ROME
Interesting Discoveries Made While Digging
for Drains for Modern City.
SEPULcHRES ARE MOST OFTEN FOUND
Fragments Of Bpitaphs Net with in All
Sorts Of Plaosa
OLD ROADS UNDER STREETS NOW USED
Homes Of Great Men of Empire Found By
Marks.
cAMPAGNA FILLED WITH ANTIQUITIES
N2h 90 II
o ROADS UNDER STREETS NOW USED
cAMPAGNA FILLED WITH ANTIQUITIES
Slight Removal of Earth from Grass
Covered Land Brings Forth signs
of Vigorous Life of
People.

ROME, March ESPECIAL THE Roman
forum used TO be spoken OF as the battle
field Of time and the charnel house OF the
nations and a camp Of ruins and an an
tique stoneyard. All OF these titles are
justified by what the forum presents to-
day; but there are many other sites, both
in Rome and the land around 1t. to which
similar descriptions may well be ap-
piled.
The workmen digging for a drain or sewer
in the Via Ludovica Muratori a short time
ago brought to light two great blocks of
marble columns-one of that dusky-hued
| marble known as "Africano' and the other
OF that Phrygian marble known as 'pavo-
| nazetto." with the hue of clotted blood on
dark brownish ground. These evidently
belonged to some rich Roman residence Of
the days of the republic.
Fragments of epitaphs and of honorary
inscriptions are numerous and met with in
all sorts Of places In the area between
| the Via Venti Settembro and the Via
| Goito there were found some remains Of
constructions in squared masses Of tufo
belonging in all probability to sepulchral
| monuments which bordered the highway
that left Rome by the Porta Collina. These
are nameless monuments. but their bulk
and style proclaim that the persons for
whom they were built were OF importance
| in their day.
A better fortune has accompanied that
member of an ancient Roman family whose
| funeral inscription engraved on stone and
found in the Piazza del Pianto makes It
evident that he belonged to the noble fam
| lily of the AelH Lamiae.
Old Roads Discovered.
The ever-enduring character Of Roman
roads may be deduced from the condition
OF portion of an ancient street discovered
| to considerable depth below the present
! level Of the Via Monte Brianzo. This road,
untrodden for centuries and constructed in
all probability prior to the Christian era,
ran close to the Tiber bank, and it was
| in making an excavation near the embanlS-
ment OF the river that this long-lost road
was brought to light. A portion. Of another
ancient street was discovered In the Via
Galvani and beneath it portion of the
leaden pipes that ran under the street.
These are frequently found in the ruins
OF villas and ancient dwellings, and az
j they bear names on them they frequently
| locate the residences Of the great ones OF
/ the empire.
Thus 1t is mostly the ruins of tombs or
material belonging to graves that are re-
vealed by the spade of the workmen. Rem
nants of streets are naturally more rare.
Monuments of a religious characte--gener-
ally deduced from the inscriptions found on
them-are occasionally found. An interest
| ing specimen of this class of inscription
was found on a marble architrave nicely
carved. The votive inscription was to the
demigod Hercules and it was offered by a
certain p. Elius Hero, freedman OF the
| time of the Antoine emperors-the second
century-who filled the offices Of Chamber
lain, introducing the guests and the Wis
itors into the imperial palace. This inter-
estinE record of dignihed court official
of eighteen centuries ago was found at
| the farm of Tor Mancina, seventeen miles
! from Rome on the Via Salaria, amongst a
series of walls and ruins that at one time
evidently formed rich suburban residence.
This conjecture. founded on the character
and extent of the walls, is confined by the
discovery there of the floor of an apart
ment formed Of mosaic.
On the CampaEna.
When one goes out from the city Of Rome
! into the campagna or country which sur
rounds the city and looks upon the grass
covered hills or the barren tufa wastes II
requires an effort OF the imagination to
picture houses and temples standing here.
And yet you have but to remove the earth
little and then you see signs of a once
vigorous life lying before your eyes
The pope has Just received the Roman
committees which are organizing the festl-
walls in connection with the jubilee Of his
priesthood which occurs in 1908. The CON-
mtttee is composed of 100 prominent person.
ages comprising the clerical aristocracy
and distinguished ecclesiastics from all ma
tions residing here also an international
committee of twenty women. The pope de-
Iivered a short speech, saying that the
church viii stand all persecution and rec
commended the committee not to indulge in
great festivals for his Jubilee, but to en-
ploy the funds collected for new churches
in Rome. Those present were disappointed
as the pope did not speak about the situa-
ton in France, as they expected, especially
after the popes rejection OF NJ. BRAND s
recent circular.
| In the course of his estimate for the De-
partment OF Agriculture. Industry and
! Commerce for the current year Signor Cas-
ciani. against undoubted progress under
each Of these three headings, sets the re-
Rrettable increase In emigration, which he
says has now assumed such proportions as
20 claim the urgent attention OF the gov
! ernment.
He points out that the increase in pop
ulation is lower than In any country except
France.