Bisbee daily review., 1908-04-23
THE BsBEE DAILY REVIEW BsBE ARIZONA

There were originally dozens of such buildings as those above described, but at different times in the past two thousand years the Forum has been plundered for building material, and for the most part, only walls, floors and few solid columns remain intact. Many of the great churches now in Rome have been repaired or in part built of the fine marble found in these old heather temples and houses of justice. During the great building period in Rome after the Saracen in- vasion much of the rock in the build ings of the Forum was burned to make lime and the granite was used for real constructive work. So Rome of today with all her palatial buildings is only the Rome which was taken from the native quarries hundreds of years be- fore Christ. Near the Forum to the north stands the greatest building of the kind ever made in the world, the ancient. Coliseum. It was built in com pletion 72 A D., and about one third of it yet stands in original heighth. The architect of the Coliseum is unknown, yet tradition says it was designed by Gaudentius, christian martyr. who afterwards was put to death in it's arena. The emperor, vespacian, raised to the third structure this story which had been started by the Emperor Flav jus. When Titus returned from the siege and capture of Jerusalem with 12,00O Jews and Christians as captive slaves he set them to the work of com pletion and the last and fourth story was added. The dedication of the Col iseum afforded Titus an opportunity to display his well earned and bloody glory.
 Gladiators, some of whom were wom en, fought all day long in the arena,
 then the dead bodies were cleared away and the vast arena was flooded with water from the Fiber and a sea battle was pulled off in sight of the multitude When all was over Titus was seen weeping. Being asked what was aiL ing him, he replied that he had on the spot received a presentiment of his coming death; and sure enough he soon passed into eternity. But in the years soon to follow many others more noble met death in his historic arena. was Ignati1s, the disciple of Saint John. the divine. When brought into the arena he knelt down saying: "Ro- mans. you well know that I have done no wrong, but for the love of God I have been made a prisoner here and am to be ground to pieces by the teeth of lions" Then the lions were loosed and he was crushed and eaten, except ing some of the large bones which his friends gathered up for burial during the night Shortly after this 115 peo- pie were shot to death with arrows in this arena. In 253 two rich mel chants and some noble families of Rome, Christians, were exposed to two lions and two bears and for some reas. on the animals refused to devour them and the command was given for the gladiators to do the bloody job with spears. Thus hundreds perished in the arena. How did it end? It ended 403 A. D. by TeIemachus. Christian from Asia, crossing the sea and one day rushed into the arena, exhorting the gladiators to leave their bloody work They killed him instead, but for some reason after that day Rome got a disgust for the business of blood and after that year there was never another show. The nearest thing to it now is a public duel in Europe or a bull fight in Spain or Mexico.
 The Coliseum is great sight, but as mournful as majestic. Never in it's bloodiest days was it so impressive as it now is in ruins-heaven be thank ed for the ruins. The silence, like that of a babling tongue. is golden and pleasing.