Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-22
LIFE AND ART IN ANCIENT ROME.

"HIS is a street In ancient Rome.
How bright and warm 1t isl
Here is a sunny land. where
Il life can be lived in the open
air, and simple toga is dress
enough, and the business of an empire
can be carried on under the sky. The
street is narrow. but 1t is we'll paved,
better far than the streets of London
or Paris will be until the nineteenth
century. Over the Tiber strong bridges
rise. carrying these streets by spacious
highways down to Sicily, and across
the Apennines to Brindisi. and north
over the Alps to the Danube and the
Seine. This Is the center of the world.
all roads lead to Rome.
Houses stand III close array along the
street but they hardly hold the eye:
these people are careless of beauty, and
enamored of utility. But let us enter
this simple gateway, and see how the
Roman lives. Shut in from the mad
ding crowd and the noises of the street
is charming court. partly rooted to
ward off the sun, but for the most part
open to the sky. In the center is a
pool perhaps large enough for bathing
and swimming, and fed with fresh
water from the now highly developed
water system of Rome. Roundabout
are marble seats and tables and stately
colonnades. flower beds and splashing
fountains and statues sparkling IN the
sun. The rooms of the house face upon
this court. and are lighted solely
through the doors that open out upon
it: there are few windows or none at
all: for in this hot climate it is shade
that one needs almost as much as light.
Sometimes an opening is left in the
ceiling of the room. giving illumination
with
water will fall into a pool dug in the
center of the floor. When the brief
Winter comes. hot air will be sent
through tile pipes running along the
wall Here and there are lovely tapes
tries marvellous mosaics. paintings and
statuary, mostly stolen from the Greeks.
It Is no longer the Rome Of the stern.
censorious Cato: it is the Rome OF the
Emperors.
But where are the children? They
are PLAYING in the court: or perhaps
they have gone for walk with their
teacher. who gives them much Of their
education as they roam the fields:
educare meant to lead out for walk.
The mother is within at work; but she
is no longer occupied with motherhood
and the household chores 'as in the
simpler days; slayes abound to help
her and often she is free to deck her
self with jewelry and costly garments,
and to ride in her carriage to some
public festival or private feast. Cato
may pass laws against these Injuries.
but laws cannot stop luxury when gold
flows in from every corner OF the world.
DelicacieS adorn the tables. and men
and women. reclining comfortably as
a
can, and then, IL they are graduate
Epicureans, 90 out TO the vomitorflm
and free themselves for more. Petron-
itis. professional voluptuary. arbiter ele-
gantiarum. formulates the latest FASH
ions in vice. and gives learned instrus-
ton in reconcile sins. The old Stoicism
of Cornelia, glad to have many sons
and to toll for them. is gone: abortion
Is now a developed art. and the repopu-
lation OF the empire is left TO German
immigrants and captive slaves.
The men like this. and like II not:
they remind themselves occasionally
of the patria potestas. the supreme
power, even of life and death. OF the
Roman father over his wife and chill
dren. But as luxury grows the power
of women increases ii is they who deck
themselves with new clothes and brill
liant gems. making themselves fmperi-
ouslv beautiful, and bringing the once
wariike husbands TO their feet 1t is.
this Augustan age. an age OF peace:
and In time OF peace the man loses 'fis
ferocity. and woman fiourishes.
The male takes refuge In the market
place. the Forum. the Law courts and
the theater Perhaps he Is merchant:
he goes down TO the port and loses
himself in the details OF trade. Per-
haps he is a tax gatherer. or ''publi-
can" to whom the state has sold for
large sum the right TO collect the
taxes which 1t has apportioned among