Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-05
Politics IN Old Pombe;;;

z Oi3C7CS III VIA FOWDSU
D OLITICS is no more tense in Atlanta to-
day than it was in Pompeii some two
thousand years ago. Excavations in
the long-buried Graeco-Roman city, though
they have been going on at intervals, since
it's discovery in 174S, still reward the arch
aeologist with precious finds. Among the
most recent are certain election appeals in
scribed in bold red letters on walls, cor
responding to the electric signboards at Five
Points, in which the candidates promise their
fellow citizens an abundance of gladiatorial
games and all manner CT free shows at
the theater. Particularly we'll preserved, ac-
cording to the story and Photographic repro
auctions in the Illustrated London News, is
the advertisement of one Cneius Helvius
Sabinus, who was running for the office Of
aedile. If he were in a present-day Ameri-
can municipal campaign his promises would
take the direction of schools parks, public
health, and administrative efficiency, all of
which, we may modestly acknowledge, mark
a higher popular standard than prevailed in
ancient Pompeii.
In matters of art, however, we yield the
palm Wonderful wall paintings have been
brought to light by the latest digging, and
admirable stuccoes. Here we see figured
with mastery skill in round relief the COM
bat between Hector and Achilles in the pres
ence of the anxious Greek and Trojan war
riors, and Priam with Hecuba watching the
conflict with terror from the Scaean tower -
Thanks to an improved system of excavation,
it is possible to bring forth intact, or to re-
store, all parts of buildings which have es-
capped destruction. Thus as much as a quar-
ter of mile of Pompeiian street, with its
houses on both sides, has lately been uncov-
OT0d n11n Of 1n ir,c0 init ans al
was the home and studio of certain Cerialis,
IAN engraver and merchant OF precious
stones" Jewels Of his own carving, to-
gether with his tools, were found. Further:
"On the walls of it's rooms are to be seen
some pictures relating to the myth Of Iphi-
genia and the legend of Orestes and Pylades."
Of another house we are told that it car be
presented "as a veritable marvel in the art
of archaeological digging and restoration"
Here the description grows peculiarly in
terestDg: 'tThe rooms Of its upper floor
have been kept upright by accurate works of
consolidation, and the ceilings themselves
patiently reconstructed by putting together
and fixing in place thousands of pieces. In
one of them crytsal lamp is still fixed in
the wall; the wick only is wanting! The tri-
clinium contains the benches and the dining
table, still provided with the vessels for daily
use; and hole in. the pavement shows that
the dishes were brought up from the kitchen
by a lift. Pompeiian people did not lack
comfort "New shops and bars or therma-7
polia were discovered lin great numbers, with
curious fresco-paintings, both in their in
teriors and also at their entrances, generally
alluding to hte articles and goods sold by
the proprietors or to their industries, but
sometimes also of different kind, decora-
tive or categorical, such as the fine picture
of a marine Venus in a boat, drawn by ele-
plants, or that of Romulus bearing trophy
Of war"
Since the Earl of Arundel, in the time of
James the First, began collecting antiques in
Italy and Asia Minor wondrous, ever-wid-
ening stream of revelation has flowed from
the glorious Hellenic past. Systematic
though circumscribed travel in Greece for
purposes of art discovery were undertaken
by Spon and Wheeler in the last quarter of the
seventeenth century. In 1748 the disclosure
Of Pompeii marked a shining eI och in knowl
edge of the past. But it was not until the
nineteenth century that Greek art began to
speak most directly, most porently TO Europe
and the modern mind. Then ii was that the
Elgin marbles, the sculpturai decoration of
the Parthenon and other Athenian buildings
of the Great Age were brought to the British
Museum and that marveIously fruitful
series Of explorations in Greece, the Aegean
islands, Asia Minor and other seats of HELEN
ic and Hellenistic culture began. Not until
our own generation was the HerEles of PraYi-
tiles, which connoisseurs consider QUE of the
few if not, indeed, the only certain original
masterpiece of Greek sculpture now known
and extant, discovered; and to the last three
or four decades belong the finding Of the
Milo Venus and the Winged Victory. The
latest excavations at, Pompeii are typical,
alike in their scientific thoroughness and in
their rich Weddings of wide field cf arch
geological work which is teaching us more
and more of that vast yesterday from which
our little present has emerged