Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1925-12-25

gala day for the rural people and a
giving to the needs Of the poor.
As time passed it became the day
of a great feast for the rich, show
day for the magnifcence and pow
er OF the Empire. The one day was
increased TO five and at least to sew
en-. Next it was changed to a day
/ OF sports and games in the vast am
! pitheatre that seated $1,000 people.
/ Every year tried to excel the prev
ious year. Every emperor. project,
pretor and priest tried to surpass
everything that had gone before in
rioting, drunkenness, licientious de-
bauchery and all manner of excuses.
Here is the picture, the streets are
thronged for the people have come
from very part of the broad empire
in gayest eolors and with the one
desire to spend money and enjoy the
revelry to the utmost. The people
Of Rome were about 100000 senat-
ors and knights who controlled the
whole empire from Spain to India
There were 6O,0O0,OO0 slaves white,
brown, yellow and black and an IN
known number of pebians, common
people who had no more rights than
the slaves and were less well cared
for except when some leader wanted
to enroll them as soldiers Then
they were placed in the front ranks, |
all that were able to thrust with
short sword, throw a javelin or hurl +
a stone with a sling. It cost little /
to equip and maintain them and |
they could do the mental work of /
the camp and be killed for the glory
of Rome which meant the senators
and knights. To all these the mixed
gathering from a hundred provinces
or so many of them a scould find
some way oget to Rome, the Sat-
urnalia was the event of their lives.
All thought of the Imperial City is
fixed on the Circus Maximus with its
immense stadium and $1,000 seats.
No thought OF the Temple of Saturn
now. From midnight an duntil al
most midday they have been gather
Ing. There are the seats with the
awnings for the emperor. his coun-
5elors and favorites and to the right,
left and above seats for the less inn
Dortant and what we now call the
Dleachers for the rest. The trumpet
calls for the first of the sports, the
loot races. The young men have
'ome from all parts and have trained
or years and the one who wins will
receive only a crown of leaves there
tut in some cases he was supported
he rest OF his life by the city from
which he had come so great was the :
lonor he had brought back with +;
~ Inn han l,o I'll. ]
hink our like sports are brutal as {.
hey are, but these gauntlets are of :
aw hide soaked in water and dried Z
ntil they are hardr that hickory ::
wood and tn yhave Jumps and pieces
4 lead bound into them so 1t is !!
ossible to kill an opponent with :
ingle blow as was often if not 4
sually the case in the later events !
t the festival Then followed the &
hariot races. How our hearts have !
hrilled as we have read the story f I
he chariot race In Ben Hur But =
MS is too tame for such a company !:
hey want to see and smell blood. (
he lions and leopards, tigers and !.
anthers have not been fed for three I.
avs and now they are let loose :
4 the men armed with swords and :
4 the horror of it, sometimes on +
en- and women whose only fault =
as that were Christians. 1t is now :
lie last day Of the Saturnalia and i
e real show the triumph of it all, Z
lie browning pleasure, no the vilest !.
fanny is to come. The gladiators :
first one or two matches and then Z
ore until there were scores at once +
trained men fighting TO a bloody 4
til. At first they were armed with !.
lids and the armor of soldiers but {
this prevented some of the maid :.