Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-23
ROME BUM TOWN
SAYS HISTORIAN
FERRARo ALSO uPsETs TRADl
TON THAT NERO FlDDLED
DURING THE FIRE

Chicago, Jan. 21-Ancient Rome,
which has always been portrayed by
historians and dreamed of by poets as
a city of great splendor and riches and
luxury, was relegated last night to the
ranks of the small town, with the sim
pie life by Guglielmo Ferrero, the ltal-
ian who has startled modern histor-
ians by his views on Roman history.
Professor Ferrero was a guest last
evening at the home of Harold F. Nc
Cormick, So Bellevue place, and in
short after-dinner speech declared
that ancient Rome. the great metrop-
oils in which Caesar and Nero We're
supposed to have reigned in such
magnificance and splendor, was really
much poorer than Chicago and many
other cities of today.
Rome was a small and simple town
compared with Chicago, New York,
Paris or London" reclared the Italian
professor. 1.-THE luxury of the ancient
Roman Empire, concerning which
hundreds Of volumes have been writ
ten, has been greatly exaggerated. 1t
was much less than most people of to-
day imagine"
Roman Feats BeIttIed.
Professor Ferrero then proceeded to
belittle the splendor and display which
have always been attached to the his
torical conceptions of the banquets
and feasts of the ancients. why,
the feasts of ancient times We're not
to be compared with the spreads
which are prepared in the great cities
of this age continued the professor.
Il dare say that right here in Chicago
tonight there are being given num-
Der of banquets, any one of which
would put to shame the most elaborate
feast ever conceived by Nero.
"Romes greatness was not in her
luxury and splendor, but in her in
| tellectual and moral development. 1t
was along the latter lines that she did
a great deal for posterity. The Romans
created many fundamental ideas in
art and literature which have been
handed down through the centuries.
America is a wonderful nation, and
l hope she will be great not only ma
terially. but orally and Intellectually
as we'll
| In an address on Nero before a
large audience in Mandel Hall at the
University of Chicago in the after
noon, Professor Ferrero upset several
other historical traditions which up
to the present time have been general
ly accepted as facts by historians.
According to his version of Nero,
that great tyrant was not in reality
nearly as bad as depicted. Although
he described Nero as being preco-
radically vain. sullen, cynical and lazy,
he gave him credit for several things
which the ancient writer's appear to
have overlooked in their character
sketches.
II believe that there is a great deal
of exaggeratio1 in the hideous stories
of debauchery handed down to US by
the ancient writer's said Professor
Ferrero. 1T is certain, however, that
Neros personality played too import
ant part in his administrative revo-
lutions."
Exonerates Nero of Arson.
The lecturer then startled his audi
ence by stating the belief that Nero
did not burn Rome, and was not re-
sponsible for it.
THE accusation that Nero ordered
the city to be burned in order to en-
joy unique sight and get an idea OF
tn, fire of Troy seems to me absurd
J declared Ferrero. Nero was a Grim
} inal. but he was not foolish to the
point of provoking the wrath of the
, whole people for SO light motive
Tacitus himself, in spite of his hatred
does not dare state his belief in the
truth of the story, sufficient proof thai
he considers it absurd and unlikely"
} The next starter for his nearer:
: came when he declared that Christian.
ity owes much to Nero. for it's growth
and development In Europe In tn
early times.
"One could hardly classify Ner,
among the gr at enemies of Christ
, ianity," said the speaker. "On tn
, contrary, with his repeated efforts t
spread orlentalism in Rome and chief
ly by his tast~ for art, he was uncon
scously powerful collaboration o
future Christian propaganda. TIL
masses in the empire, only becam
Christians because they had first beel
imbued with Oriental spirit.
Nero and sNint Paul-the man VIII
wished to enjoy all and the man VIII
! suffered all-are in their time tw
extreme antitheses, but little by littl
u with the passing of centuries they be
4 come two collaborators.
4 "OAly through the alliance of Par
a and Nero could the church dominat
a the disorder of the middle ages, an
81 from antiquity to the modern worl
4 carry through the formidable storr
n the essential principles from whic
a our civilization originated"
~ Bow Cleared of CHARGE