Evening journal., 1916-05-16
RAVENNA IS FAMOUS
OLD italian TOWN
Its Beginning Attributed to
TheSSalianS Before the
Christian Era
AUSTRIANS SHELL
THE ANCIENT PORT

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
WASHINGTON. d. c.. May Ira
yenna, the scene Of a recent lombard
ment by Austrian aircraft. is the SUBJ
ject of today's war geography. hulle-
tin, issued by the National Geographic
Society from its Washington head
quarters. which says:
Forty miles east OF Bologna, sew
enty miles south Of Venice, and a
hundred miles southwest of the Aus
trian naval base of Pola, lies the
ancient Italian city OF Ravonna, which,
with the possible exception of Rome,
possesses more magnificent examples
of ecclesiastical architecture OF the
byzantine period than any other city
in the world
"In art. in literature and in historic
significance Ravenna is a treasure
trove for student and traveller. It's be-
ginning is attributed to the Thessa-
onians. but there is more tradition
han fact in the accounts of the reg
on over which it held sway until II
anne under the jurisdiction of Rome
nearly 200 years before the Christian
Era. II was here that julius Caesar
was accustomed to come for his con-
ferences with friends and political ad-
visers from Rome DUNG his ten
ears campaign in Gaul.
THE importance of the port which
strongly resembles Venice in its early
lays. but which is now six miles from
he Adraiatic. dates from the time
when Augustus Caesar designated 1t
as the naval base Of the upper sea-
ts harbor being able To- accommodate
$50 ships at "A time. Al that period
he marshy plain which now sur
rounds the town at the confluence OF
he Bontone and Romeo Rivers, was
little more than a vast silt bed. The
houses were built on piles. and al high
ide the sea formed numerous lagoons'
he salt water so effectively removing
he danger of malaria that the city
soon acquired a reputation as health
.esort. to which the gladiators of
Rome were sent for training
"Ravenna's golden age came not
with the Augustan era however, but
while the great Roman empires doom
vas being sealed Honorius and his
-emarkablo sister. Gala Placidia. be-
coming alarmed at the steady advance
II the barbarian forces from the
north. transferred their court from
The Eternal City to the Adriatic port
which remained the seat of govern
ment for Italy not only during the few
remaining years Of the Western en-
pire. but throughout the ascendancy
Of the Greek emperors Here the
Byzantine yiceroys or EXarchs for the
peninsula made their headquarters
until the advent of the Lombards in
the eighth century.
MANY Of the most fascinating
episodes Of history are associated
with the name Of Ravenna. such. fog
example. as the tragic story OF
Odoacer. who wrested the realm of
Italy from Orestes in 476 and then
waged bitter war against TheodoriC
the Ostrogoth for many years. finally
being shut up in Ravenna. where he
withstood a siege OF three years AZ
length Odoacer capitulated with the
understanding that he and Theodore
should divide the kingdom equally
between them. To celebrate the cOm-
pact a magnificent banquet was
spread i'm a famous laurel grove. and
here. while the two rulers feasted the
Ostrogoth, with his own hand, slew
his royal rival
During the famous battle Of Ra-
VIENNA. in 1912. the picturesque Gas
ton de Folk completely routed the