On the Plan, the dark lines show the remains of Nero's Palace, which was nearly destroyed by the Flavian emperors. The remains left were used by Hadrian for the underground part of his thermæ; and by building walls over the courts and gardens he formed a large platform. The light lines show his work. The circular wall in front supported the seats for the stadium attached to the baths above. Remains of some of the large halls of the baths can be seen in the vineyards above the House of Nero. Some remains of these baths exist under the Church of S. Martino. These baths are generally ascribed to Titus; but the construction, opus reticulatum, within bands of brick, shows that they are of the time of Hadrian.
Turn to the left on coming out. A short way up the road, on the right, is the entrance to the
CHURCH OF S. CLEMENT,
belonging to the Irish Dominicans, of which the late Father Mullooly was prior, to whose instrumentality we are indebted for the discovery of the ancient church, and the Temple of Mithras beneath it, under the present edifice. On some occasions (November 23rd, February 2nd, and the second Monday in Lent) they are illuminated. Father Mullooly has written a book on his discoveries; it can be purchased of the sacristan, and will be found very interesting.
The excavations have been carried out by voluntary subscriptions, and visitors are expected to make a donation in furtherance of this object. A book for the names and amounts will be found in the sacristy.
UPPER CHURCH.
The usual entrance from the street is by a side door, but the proper entrance is by a gate with a Gothic canopy of the thirteenth century, which originally formed part of the earlier basilica, thence through the atrium and quadriporticus, the only perfect ones of Rome. The aisles are formed by sixteen ancient pillars of different materials and orders. In the middle of the nave is the choir (514–22) from the earlier basilica; on each side are the ambones. The walls are adorned with Christian emblems, and a monogram of Agios—Holy. The nave is separated from the high altar by an ancient marble screen. Behind is the presbytery, which contains an ancient episcopal chair, with the name of Anastasius, who was titular cardinal of the church in 1108, engraved upon it. Upon the vault is a mosaic of 1297, representing Christ on the Cross, from the foot of which issue the four rivers of Paradise, with shepherds and their flocks, and peacocks. On the face of the arch is a mosaic of the time of Paschal II.—our Saviour; on either side two angels, and the emblems of the four evangelists; below are S. Peter, S. Clement, Jeremiah, S. Paul, S. Lawrence, and Isaiah; at the bottom, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, with the mystic lamb and sheep. In the chapel, on the right, the statue of S. John is by Simone; on the left, the picture of the Virgin is by Conca. The monument composed of two half-columns, with basket-work capitals and foliage reliefs, is to Cardinal Venerio, who died in 1479. To the left on entering, in the Chapel of the Passion, are the interesting frescoes by Masaccio (much spoilt by restoration), representing the Crucifixion, &c., and events from the lives of SS. Clement and Catherine. Outside the arch, the Annunciation, and S. Christopher carrying the infant Christ over a stream; within, S. Catherine forced to Idolatry, Instruction of the King's Daughter in Prison, Dispute with the Doctors, Miracle of her Deliverance, Martyrdom. Opposite is the history of S. Clement. Proceeding into the sacristy, which is adorned with paintings of various interesting parts of the more ancient buildings, a wide stair conducts to the
LOWER CHURCH,
founded on the site of S. Clement's house, it is supposed, in the time of Constantine. S. Jerome says: "The church built to S. Clement keeps the memory of his name to this day." So that it must have been erected before A.D. 400.
An inscription found in the excavations, bearing the name of Pope Nicholas II., shows that this basilica was perfect in 1061, when Nicholas died, so that it could not have been destroyed, as some think, by the earthquake of 896; but it was ruined in 1084, when Robert Guiscard burned all the public buildings from the Lateran to the Capitol, when he came to the rescue of Pope Gregory VII.