The New York herald., 1922-04-23

The most magnificent work Is that In the
half dome of the apse. 1t shows woman
clad in long garment which floats out be
hind her in the wind as she leaps down
from the rocks into the sea. In one hand
she holds the seven stringed Tyre.
winged Eros assists her, and in the sea a
figure holds a scarf as il to break her fall.
A scaly tailed Triton rises from the water.
At the left an Apollo with bow stands on
a cliff and behind him sits veiled figure
in an attitude of lamentation. The scene
is believed to represent the poetess Sappho
leaping from the Leucadian cliff to escape
her love for the boatman Phaon.
Seen in the mysterious light entering
through the antechamber the reliefs have
q fairy like quality. They possess not only
motion but rhythm. and are done in spirit
of delicate fantasy.
There evidently was an altar or throne
before the apse, and under the floor be-
meath were found the bones of a pig and
dog. Bones of other animals were discov-
it is evident that sacrifice of animals was
a frequent ceremony. Since the decoration
is purely Greek in style and shows no trace
of Oriental or early Christian influence it
is thought that the cult was that of the
Neo-Pythagoreans, a Greco-Italian sect
Belief in Immortality is suggested by some
of the frescoes, which represent spirits
carrying off the soul to another life.
1t is not of course authentically proved
that the victim of Agrippina built this tenn
pie that he might practice his rites with
out being discovered But little doubt re-
mains. Taurus might have sealed up the
entrance to the temple as soon as he felt
Agrippinas envious eye on his gardens.
In any case nearly 1000 years OF wars have
been waged on the plains above without
any intrusion into the ancient solitude Of
this mystic retreat
This discovery has recalled to the minds
or archeologists throughout the world any
number of vague traditions Of the exist
ence of similar hidden villas and temples
in the vicinity of the old capital Of the
ten of a temple building OF Nero himself,
wherein he worshiped in secret a strange
deity. All record of the characteristics
and the influences OF this unknown god
have been lost, and yet Tacitus records
that this deity was the patron of a large
cult made up principally of Nero's most
favored courtiers
In another ancient writing there is
description of a weird ceremony practiced
throughout the first century in Rome, to
which, the author says, many of the most
powerful mobiles gave recognition. From
the hardly understandable description OF
this ceremony some modern historians have
concluded that it was the prototype Of the
obnoxious Black Mass. attention to which
was called in France. by the escapades Of
Nine. de Maintenon.
Some place in this Rome Of the first cen.
tury there was temple dedicated to this
peculiar ceremony. All trace of this won
pie has been lost, however, and Il is won
dered If some day 1t will not be discovered,
much the same as has this temple sup
posed to have been built by Taurus.
AS said above, every hole in Rome may
be regarded with awe. No laborer or other
pedestrian stumbling into an opening in
the ground knows but that, upon scram-
bling to his feet. he may not see around
him some hitherto unknown record in mar
BILE of the magnihcence Of a Nero or