WILD BOAR,
Uffizi Gallery,
Florence, Italy.
THE GRINDER, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.—This magnificent statue was found in Rome in the sixteenth century. It has never been exactly ascertained what it represents, but it is supposed to be a Scythian whetting his knife to flay Marsyas.
APPIAN WAY and TOMB OF CÆCILIA METELLA, Italy.—This military road, paved with stone blocks, and extending from Brindisi to Rome, was constructed by Appius Claudius Cæcus, 312 B.C. Even at the present time its proud ancient title is that of the "Queen of Roads," and it is remembered as being the way on which St. Paul came to Rome. The tomb of Cæcilia Metella, which forms an interesting and conspicuous object, is a circular structure sixty-five feet in diameter, erected in honor of the daughter of Metellus Creticus, wife of the younger Crassus, son of the triumvir.
PYRAMID OF CESTIUS AND ST. PAUL GATE, Rome, Italy.—The pyramid enclosed by Aurelian within the city and wall is the tomb of Caius Cestius, who died in the year 12 B. C. The Egyptian pyramidical form was not unfrequently adopted by the Romans in their tombs. That of Cestius is built of brick and covered with marble blocks. Immediately to the right of the pyramid is the gate of St. Paul, leading on to the church of St. Paul beyond. Midway between the gate and church, legend says, St. Peter and St. Paul took leave of each other on their last journey.
ROMAN FORUM, Rome, Italy.—After the Sabine tribes were amalgamated into a single state, they chose the Forum as its centre; and it was there that some of the most noted events in the history of the Roman Empire transpired. After the Samnite War, which resulted in the extension of Rome's supremacy over all Italy, the Forum became too small for its multifarious business; and therefore underwent many changes. After its destruction, during the Dark Ages, its remains were gradually buried beneath the rubbish and debris of some former centuries, but have recently been excavated.
FORUM OF TRAJAN, Rome, Italy.—This forum, which adjoined that of Augustus, contained a collection of magnificent edifices, and is said to have been designed by Apollodorus of Damascus. Trajan's forum must have measured two hundred and twenty yards in width, and was probably of still greater length; it was considered the most magnificent in Rome. On the north side of the Basilica rises Trajan's Column, one hundred and forty-seven feet high, constructed entirely of marble. Around the column runs a spiral band, covered with admirable reliefs from Trajan's War with the Dacians. Beneath this monument Trajan was interred; on the summit stood his statue, now replaced by St Peter's.
BATHS OF CARACALLA, Rome, Italy.—These ancient baths were begun in 212 by Caracalla, and completed by Alex. Severus, and they could accommodate 1600 bathers at one time. The magnificence of these baths was unparalleled; numerous statues, including the Farnese Bull, Hercules and Flora at Naples, have been found here; and the uncovered walls still bear testimony to the technical perfection of the structure. The establishment was quadrangular in form, and surrounded by a wall.
COLOSSEUM, Rome, Italy.—The Colosseum, originally called the Amphitheatrum Flavium and completed by Titus in 80 A.D., was the largest theatre and one of the most imposing structures in the world. It was inaugurated by 100 days' gladiatorial combats, in which 5000 wild animals were killed. It contained seats for 87,000 spectators. Only one-third of the gigantic structure now remains, yet the ruins are still stupendously impressive. The Colosseum has ever been a symbol of the greatness of Rome, and gave rise in the eighth century to a prophetic saying of the pilgrims: "While stands the Colosseum, Rome shall stand; when falls the Colosseum, Rome shall fall; and when Rome falls, with it shall fall the world!"
INTERIOR OF COLOSSEUM, Rome, Italy.—The arches of the first tier are marked by Roman numbers, as they formed so many entrances, through which, by means of internal stairways, the upper balconies were reached. The Arena had two openings enclosed by railings of bronze, through which the gladiators and wild beasts entered. Above was the Podium, a place intended for the Emperors and their families, for the magistrates, the senators, the priests and the vestals. Thousands of Christians in this place suffered martyrdom, by becoming the prey of wild beasts. The picture presents the imposing spectacle of the interior of this monument at the present day.
PANTHEON, Rome, Italy.—This is the only ancient edifice at Rome which is still in perfect preservation, as regards the walls and vaulting. The original statues and architectural decorations have long since been replaced by modern and inferior works, but the huge circular structure with its vast colonnade still presents a strikingly imposing appearance. The walls are twenty feet in thickness and were originally covered with marble and stucco. The height and diameter of the dome are each one hundred and forty feet. The opening of the dome at the top is thirty feet in diameter, and through this aperture the ancients supposed the gods to descend. The building is supposed to have been constructed in the first century B. C.