The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-10-27

various doings of the imperial house,
the approaching acknowledgements, the
progresses, the funerals; not, how
ever, the likelihood OF the emperor's
death. as it was only the unwise as
trologer who would care to draw such
a bow at q venture. The Emperor
Commodus. so Lampridius assures US
mot that his knowledge was above
suspicion) was Unfortunately proud OF
his achievements In the arena. No
matter whether he we're last In the
race. 1t was to him that the palm was
awarded. or rather, he awarded the
palm to himself and then quite mag
nificently shouted "Commodus Caesar,
victor in the race, gives his crown to
the people of Rome"
Then there were the falt divers, all
the bits of Information in the city.
Pliny cites the newspaper accounts of
the funeral of the celebrated jockey,
Felix. The erection. fall and restor-
alton of public buildings were record
ed; SO were the births. marriages and
divorces in illustrious families; like
wise prodigies and curiosities. The
same Pliny sneers effusively about the
iGNol vi q INV vi liiCb anu OCSodSO
in another place an old priest swore
that he had seen the arrival of the
first Phoenix In Rome.
Petronius gives US an admirable
parody of what the Roman got in his
daily papers. 1t was during feast
at the house of that ostentatious pluto
crat. Trimalchion, who, so far forgot
his imperfect veneer of aristocratic
good manners when in his cups as to
describe the origin of his wife, much
to that lady's discomfort, for she was
still climbing assiduously and did not
appreciate being thus given away In
public When Trimalchion was sober he
could think of little else save how best
to impress the world with his magni-
ficence, and, In consequence, used to
send for his actuary, who read to
the company sort OF process verbal
ttanquam urbis acta), of which the
following Is translation:
wi. Cal JUL There were born on
the Domain at Cumae, which belongs
to Trimalchion, 30 boys and 40 girls;
100000 bushels of wheat were trans
ported from the fields to the granar-
les; 500 oxen were used for the trans
port. On the same day the slave Mi
thradates was crucified for blasphem-
ing the tutelary deity of Gaius, our
master. The same day 10000, 900 ses-
terces were taken to the bank, because
1t was impossible to find use for
this money. The same day there was
fire In the gardens at Pompeii, which
originated In the residence of the
farmer Nesto" etc
The last mention of this Roman
news sheet is in the late days of the
empire. Vopiscus, in his Life of the
Emperor Probus," knew of its exis-
tence, after which time M. Humbert
thinks 1t disappeared along with such
other literature as Constantine and
his new advisers found incoi - enient.
Nothing similar appeared until that
officious busybody Gutenberg began
to flood the world with a literature
that has been the outward expression
OF great renaissance.
For all that, the world, still curl
Gus. eyes favorably the work of Gaze
sar. the Magnificent, work with
which he instructed and delighted
mankind, now well over 1000 years
ago. and which. by statistical inquiry
seems to have grown rather than de-
creased under ecclesiastical opposi-
ton.