Book of antiquities; destruction of ancient rome

Page 1


EX

LIBRIS

JAMES KELSEY McCONICA

s.




J^antibooJiS of (^rrfi:>eologg

attti

antiquities

THE DESTRUCTION OF

ANCIENT ROME


'cTw^ ^^


Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2011 with funding from University of Toronto

http://www.archive.org/details/destructionofanOOIanc


KEY TO BALTHASAR JENICHEN'S PANORAMIC VIEW OF ROME The frontispiece Museum, No.

is

W^*

reproduced from the original eograving in the British This engraving, purchased by the Museum on June 12, Jenichen lived at Nuremberg; most of bis works

1S71, is exceedingly rare.

bear dales between 1560 and 1577.

A.

Enngelburg

B.

Babstpallast

C.

S.

_

.

.

.

I

Anthonini Seul

I

Maria Rotunda

'

Adriani Seul

E. F. _,

.

Petterskirch

( '

I

.

Diocleciani Bjeder

I.

S. Six.

K.

Capotolium S. Bartholomei Insel S. lohauis Lateran

M. N.

Bruckben

Wassergenng

St. Peter's

Church.

.

Column

.

Pantheon

Marcus Aurelius. Maria ad Martyves).

.

.

.

Flavian Amphitheatre. Baths of Diocletian. The Ponte Sisto.

.

Capitoliae Hill.

.

Island of S. Bartolomeo.

.

.

Q. R.

u Vespasiani Bogen S. Sussanna S. Maria de Populo Sanct. Laurentius

S.

Sanct. Sebastian

T.

S. Vitalis

V. X. Y.

Ochseukopff Omnia Terra Janiculus

.

Z.

Palatinus

.

O. P.

Titi

.

(S.

.

.

.

.

of

Column of Trajan. Arch of Septimius Severus. Temple of Peace {Basilica of Coustantine)

.

Septimi Bogen Tempel des Frids Der Gross CoUossus

H.

L,

The Castle of S. Angelo. The Pope's Vatican Palace.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

St. John Lateran. Aqueduct (Arcus Caelimontani). Arch of TituB on the Sacra Via. Church of S. Susanna. Church of S. Maria del Popolo. Church of iS. Lorenzo outside the Walls. Church of S. Sebastian on the Via Appia, Church of 8. Vitalis in Vico Longo. Tomb of Caecilia Metella (Capo di Bove).

Mausoleum

of Augustus. Sign misplaced. Sign misplaced.

Panoramic View of Rome, by Baltha


?p<-G-K

Tn'' (jh^^^c^^cJ

THE DESTRUCTION OF

ANCIENT ROME A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE MONUMENTS

BY

RODOLFO LANCIANI D.C.L. Oxford, LL.D.

Harvard

PROFESSOR OF ANCIENT TOPOGRAPHY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ROME

ILontion

MACMILLAN AND

CO.,

Limited

NEW YORK THE MACMILLAN COMPANY :

1901


Copyright,

By

Set

1899,

the macmillan company.

up and electrotyped December,

1899.

Reprinted June,

1901.

Korfajooti J. S.

^rfgg

CushiMK & Co. - Berwick & Smith

Norwood Mase. U.S.A.


PREFATORY NOTE Pkofessoe, Rodolfo Lanciani needs no introduction to English readers.

This book sums up briefly the results of researches, extending over

many

years, in regard to the fate of the

buildings and masterpieces of art in ancient his

work upon

this

and upon

subject

his

Rome. large

In

map

Professor Lanciani has searched hundreds of volumes of

municipal and ecclesiastical records, besides examining

documents

several thousand separate

;

and he has ran-

sacked the principal libraries of Europe for prints and

drawings showing the remains of ancient ent periods.

Much

will appear in fuller

of the

form

new

in

Rome

at differ-

material thus collected

an extensive work, compris-

ing several volumes, which will be published in Italian

under the

volume

is

title

Storia degli Scavi di

Roma.

The present

a forerunner of the larger work.

Thanks are due lin College, for

to Professor

Walter Dennison of Ober-

kind assistance in reading the proofs, and

for the compilation of the Indexes. F.

November

1,

1899.

W. K.



CONTENTS CHAPTER I.

II.

The Destroyers of Ancient Rome

..........

V. VI. VII. VIII.

IX.

X. XI.

28

The Aspect of the City at the Beginning of the Fifth Century

47

The Sack of the Goths

56

........ in 410,

and

The Sack of Rome by the Vandals The City

in

Consequences

its

in 455

...

74 77

Burial Places within and without the Walls

.

89

The Devastation and Desertion of the Campagna

.

101

The Monuments

.

106

in

the Seventh Century

The Incursion of the Saracens

in 846,

The Flood of

.

.

,

and the Exten.

.

.

866

126

139

XIII.

The Rome op the Einsiedlen Itinerary

XIV.

The Usurpers of the Holy See and the Sack of

XV.

.

the Sixth Century

sion OF the Fortifications of the City XII.

10

The Use of Earlier Materials, particularly Marbles, IN the Building Operations of the Later Empire .

IV.

3

The Transformation of Republican Rome by the Emperors

III.

.....

PAGE

.

Rome at the End of the Twelfth Century Itinerary op Benedict vii

.

.

142

1084

154

— The 174


CONTENTS

viii

CHAPTER

XVI.

PAGE

Marble-cutters and Lime-burners of Mediaeval and Renaissance Rome

XVIL XVIII.

XIX.

XX.

....

198

The Sacking of Rome by the Army of Charles of Bourbon in 1527

214

The Monuments in the Latter Part of the teenth Century

227

The Beginnings of the Modern City

The Modernisation of Mediaeval Buildings Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries

XXI.

II.

:

Index of Subjects

Six-

in .

the .

253

....

258

........

2G7

Modern Use of Ancient Materials

INDEXES I.

180

Index of Passages and Inscriptions

....

278


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Panoramic view

of

Rome by

Balthasar Jenichen

.

.

Frontispiece

FIGURE

PAGE

..........

1.

Substructions of the palace of Septimius Severus.

2.

Torre dei

3.

Section of steps of

4.

Fragment

photograph

Scliiavi.

showing

earlier

From

a photograph

tlie

round temple

and

later construction

Forum Boarium, .

.

.11

.

from the temple

From Tav. xiii. of the

Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

of

Bullettino

12

6.

from an early temple on the Esquiline. From Tav. xiii. of the Bullettino Comunale, 1896 Section of excavations in the Via di S. Gregorio, showing

7.

Fragment

8.

Excavation of the Via Nazionale on the Quirinal, showing remains of buildings of different periods. From a photograph Part of the upper story of the Coliseum, repaired with mateFrom a photograph rials from earlier buildings.

5.

tile

.

changes of level

9.

of the

tomb

11.

12. 13.

14.

Another view

From a photograph

.

.

.

upper story of the Coliseum, showing repairs made with architectural fragments from various sources. From a photograph A statue, broken into fragments, in process of reconstruction. From a photograph The monument of Stilicho in the Forum. From a photograph The raising of level at the Porta Ostiensis, a.d. 402 Bronze heads found in 1880 under the English Church, Via del Babuino. After Tav. i. of the Bullettino Comunale, 1881 Section of the channel of the Aqua Marcia, at Monte Arcese, showing deposits on the bottom and sides The remains of the Claudian aqueduct at the Porta Furba. From a photograph

...

.

16.

21

25

29

of the

.

15.

13

19 of Celer.

.

10.

2 6

of the

of painted terra cotta antefix

Comunale, 1890 Fragment of painted

From a

ix

.

.

30 44 51

54

67

.81 86


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

17.

Tomb

of P. Vibius Marianus, so-called

"Tomb

18.

Columbarium on the Via Severiana, near

19.

The Sepolcro

20.

View

1868.

From a

21.

22. 23.

93

opened

Ostia,

in

94

showing the hole made by plun-

Campagna, remains

the distance.

a print

print

degli Stucchi,

derers in the vaulted ceiling. of the

Nero," on

of

From

the Via Clodia, 4^ miles north of Rome,

From

From

a print

97

of the Claudian

aqueduct

in

a photograph

100

From

a photograph The column of Phocas in the Forum. The Pronaos of the Pantheon. From a photograph The tomb of St. Paul and the canopy of Arnolfo di Lapo in

107

113

.

Paolo fuori 24.

Tower

le

Mura, after the

of the wall of

fire

From

of 1823.

a print

S. .

25.

From a photograph The Forum flooded by the

26.

The Ponte

27.

View of the Caelian hill, looking southeast. From a photograph View of the Forum in 1821, partly excavated, showing the difference between the ancient and the modern level. From

134

' .

Tiber, 1808.

From

a photograph

.

Salario,

;

...........

an engraving 29.

The

30.

The lower end

31.

A

32.

The

.

.

.

.

•

From a

sketch by Fontana

of the obelisk of the

'

it

Campus

lay after

Martins.

it

had

From

35.

36.

37.

171

a

sketch by Bandini

34.

149 163

167

.

.....

obelisk of the gardens of Sallust as

fallen.

33.

140

two miles north of Rome blown up to prevent the advance of Garibaldi in 1867. From a photo-

graph 28.

132

Leo IV., now used as an observatory.

172

Roman house of the twelfth fragments. From a photograph

typical

century, built with odd

179

....

pulpit in the cathedral of S. Matt^o at Salerno, built with

marbles from Rome. From a photograph Fragments of cornice from the temple of Vulcan at Ostia. From a photograph House and tower of the Margani. From a photograph A lane of Mediaeval Rome Via della Lungarina, demolished From a photograph in 1877. The Porta del Popolo of the time of Sixtus IV. From a sketch by M. Heemskerk (1536) Reliefs from the tomb of Calpurnianus, the charioteer. From a photograph .

—

185

195

200 202

209 210


'

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

xi PAGE

FIGURE 38.

The

hill of S.

From

his headquarters. 39.

One

40.

Bas-reliefs

4L

The

of the Sale

43.

The Loggia

44.

The Ponte Rotto,

of

From an

45.

Marcus Aurelius, now a photograph

in the

hill,

Squarcialupi,

229

restored

233

a sketch by Ciampini

Pietro

223

Con-

a photograph

From of

215

Madonna"

della

....

the Lateran buildings before their destruction

Sixtus V.

From

"Vita

and Pollux on the Capitoline

statues of Castor

View

of

From

servatori Palace.

From

of the

From a photograph

from the arch

42.

a photograph

Borgia — that

— in the Vatican.

in 1584.

.... .... ....

Onofrio, where Charles of Bourbon established

Palazzo

del

by 243

Senatore.

old print

248

half carried

away by

the inundation of 1557.

a photograph

249

The Cesi chapel

in the church of S. Maria della Pace, built with Pentelic marble from the temple of Jupiter Optimus

Maximus.

From

a photograph

260



SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY HISTORICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL WORKS Adinolfi, Pasquale

Roma

:

Armellini, Mariano

:

Le

nelF eta di mezzo.

Roma

chiese di

Rome, 1891. Corpus Ins crip tionum Latiuarum 2d

2 vols.

Rome,

dal Secolo IV. al

1881.

XIX.

edit.,

:

Vols. VI., 1876

and XIV.,

sq.,

1887.

De Rossi, Giovanni

Battista

:

saeculo septimo antiquiores.

pars

Rome, Vol.

1,

Sotterranea Cristiana. Sotterranea

Translated by

;

New ed.,

I.,

Some Account

or,

;

Vol.

II.,

:

of the

W.

Pontificalis

commentaire par I'abbe L. Duchesne.

Thomas H.

1864.

Roman

Catacombs.

R. Brownlow.

London,

1879.

Le Liber

:

Vol.

Northcote and

J. S.

Duchesne, Louis Dyer,

1861

I.,

1888.

Roma Roma 1869.

Romae

Inscriptiones Christianae Urbis

A

— Texte, 2 vols.

introduction et Paris, 1886-1892.

History of the City of Rome,

and Monuments. London, 1865. Gibbon, Edward History of the Decline and Fall :

its

Structures

of the

Roman

Empire. Gilbert, O.

thum.

:

Geschichte und Topographie der Stadt

Rom im

Alter-

Leipzig, 3 parts, 1883, 1885, 1890.

Gregorovius, Ferdinand 8 vols., 4th ed.

:

Geschichte der Stadt

Rom im

Mittelalter.

Stuttgart, 1886-1896.

Rome

Middle Ages.

Translated

from the Fourth German edition by Annie Hamilton.

Vols I.-VI.

History of the City of

in the

London, 1894-1899. Grisar,

Hartman,

telalter.

S. L.

:

Geschichte

Freiburg, Vol.

I.,

1898. xiii

Roms und

der Papste

im Mit-


SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

XIV

Wolfgang

Helbig,

Guide to the Public Collections of Classical

:

Antiquities in Rome.

Translation by

J. F.

and F. Muirhead.

Leipzig, 1895-1896.

2 vols. Jaff^, Phil.

Regesta Pontificum romanorum ab condita ecclesia ad

:

2d

ann. 1198.

ed.,

revised by Kaltenbrunner, etc.

2 vols.

Leip-

1885-1888.

zig,

Jordan, H. Vol.

Topographie der Stadt

:

part

I.,

1878, part

i.,

Kraus, Franz Xavier

ii.,

Rom im

Alterthum.

Berlin,

1885; Vol. IL, 1871.

Geschichte der christlichen Kunst.

:

Vol.

1.

Freiburg, 1896.

Lanciani, Rodolfo

Ancient

Rome

Pagan and Christian Rome.

:

The Ruins and Excavations

of Ancient

L' Itinerario di Einsiedlen e

Rome, I

1'

Rome.

Boston, 1888.

Boston, 1897.

ordine di Benedetto Canonico.

1891.

Commentarii

Rome,

Boston, 1893.

in the Light of Recent Discoveries.

di Frontino intorno le acque e gli acquedotti.

1880.

Forma Urbis Romae. Marangoni, Giovanni

sheets.)

Delle cose gentilesche e profane, trasportate

:

ad uso ed ornamento delle chiese.

Mommsen, Theodore

(XLVI

Milan, 1893 sq.

Rome,

1744.

Monumenta Germaniae historica Gesta pontificum Romanorum. Vol. I. Berlin, 1898. Miintz, Eugene Les Arts a la cour des Papes. 3 vols. (To Sixtus :

:

:

VX.)

Paris, 1878-1882.

Les Arts a

la

(Innocent Vlll.-Pius

cour des Papes.

III.)

Paris,

1898.

Muratori, Ludovico Nichols, F. City.

M.

An

:

:

Rerum

The Marvels

Italicarum Scriptores. of

Rome

;

or,

A

Picture of the Golden

English version of the Mediaeval Guidebook.

London,

1889.

Richter, Otto

:

Topographie der Stadt Rom.

Tommasini, Oreste pill

:

di Storia Patria, Vol. :

Roma e dei Society Romana

Delia storia medievale della Cittk di

recenti raccontatori di essa

Urlichs, C. L.

Noerdlingen, 1889.

I.,

:

in Archivio della

1877.

Codex urbis Romae topographicus.

Wiirzburg, 1871.


SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

XV

PERIODICALS

BuUettino della

Romana

Rome, from 1877. Commissione archeologica comunale di Roma, from

Archivio della Societa

di Storia Patria.

1873.

BuUettino di Archeologia cristiana, edited by Giovamii Battista de Rossi, Vols.

L-XIU.

Nuovo BuUettino

Rome, 1863-1895.

di Archeologia cristiana, edited

Rome, from

E. Stevenson, O. Marucchi.

by G. B. de Rossi,

1895.

Mittheilungen des Kaiserlich Deutschen Archaeologischen Instituts,

Roemische Abtheilung; from 1886, following the Annali and BuUettino, 1829-1885.

La

Civilta Cattolica.

Interesting contributions

also Grisar's Analecta

Melanges de

by H.

Grisar.

Romana, Vol. I. Naples, 1899. de Rome. Rome, from 1881.

I'ficole fran9aise

See

Interest-

ing contributions by L. Duchesne. Notizie degli Scavi di Antichitk.

Roemische Quartalschrift

fiir

Rome, from

1876.

Christliche Altertumskunde.

from 1887. Studii e

Documenti di Storia e

Diritto.

Rome, from

1880.

Rome,



v


Fig.

1.

— Substructions of the palace of Septimius Severus.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME CHAPTER

I

THE DESTROYERS OF ANCIENT ROME I

WAS

sitting not long

the Palatine

hill,

ago at the southern extremity of

where the remains of the palace of Sep-

timius Severus tower a hundred and sixty feet above the level of the

modern

streets,

the abyss which lay open at

and

I

was trying

my feet,

and

to

fathom

to reconstruct in

By meas-

imagination the former aspect of the place.

urements on the spot, compared with descriptions and

drawings

left

by those who saw the Palatine

state of preservation, I

in a better

have been able to ascertain that a

palace 490 feet long, 390 wide, and 160 high has so completely disappeared that only a few pieces of crumbling

wall are left here and there against the

Who

tale.

mountain

Was

it

of

broke up and removed,

masonry

?

Who

age, the elements, the

cliff

bit

overthrew

hand

to tell the

by

bit,

the

that

giant

of barbarians, or

?

some

other irresistible force the action of which has escaped

observation ? 3


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

To answer these meaning

when

questions

we must

first

try to grasp the

words "destruction" and "disappearance"

of the

applied to the

monuments

of ancient

We

Rome.

are told, for instance, that 485,000 spectators could find

room up

in the Circus

Maximus, and

to the people his

own

that,

when Trajan gave

imperial balcony, the available

space was increased by 5000 seats.

exaggeration in these figures

Perhaps there

is

an

in fact, the capacity of the

;

Circus has been limited by Huelsen to 150,000 specta-

But even with

tors.^

here

this reduction,

150,000 persons sat on

we may suppose

that

stone or marble benches

which were made accessible by an elaborate system stairways

if

;

we

allow

to

space of twenty inches,

Circus

each

there

Maximus more than

stone and marble benches.

down to the way

and we are

us,

in

spectator

of

an average

must have been

in the

running feet of

250,000

Not a fragment has come

left in

complete ignorance as to

which so great a mass of

solid material has

disappeared.

Near the Pantheon

of Agrippa,

on the border of the

pond or stagnum where Nero and Tigellinus used feast in a floating hall, there

the

name

of

was a colonnade known by

Eventus Bonus.

topographers until May, 1891, size

was discovered

church of

S.

Andrea

Its site

when

was unknown

to

a capital of great

in the Vicolo del Melone, near the

della Valle

that mass of marble that 1

to

:

so great, indeed,

we were obliged

Bulltttino Cojnunale, 1894, p. 322.

to

was

abandon

it


THE DESTROYERS OF ANCIENT ROME where

it

on account of the danger of undermining

lay,

the neighbouring houses

Whence came

it.

5

if

we should attempt

the great block

?

I

to

remove

found a clew to

the answer in Flaminio Vacca's account of the excava-

"In laying

tions in the time of Pius IV. (1559-1566).

the foundations of the Palazzo della Valle," says Vacca, " columns, fragments of entablatures,

and other marbles

were found, among them a capital of enormous

which the coat

of

was

chiselled."

1

size,

out

of

arms of the Pope on the Porta Pia

A

second capital was discovered under

the Ugolini house, in the Vicolo del Melone, in 1862

and a

third,

under the Palazzo Capranica della Valle in

These three capitals and the one found in 1891

1876.

were lying on a

two outermost

;

line

they

measuring 300

columns of which were 47

The

between the

belonged to a colonnade, the

all

selves being 6 feet high

feet

feet high, the capitals

and 14

them-

feet in circumference.

significance of these dimensions will best be appreci-

ated by architects.

Ancient documents further mention a stadium (where

now

is

tators,

the Piazza Navona) with seats for 30,088 spec-

an odeum (now the Monte Giordano) with 11,600

seats, the theatre of

with 11,510

seats,

Balbus (now the Monte de' Cenci)

and the theatre of Pompey (near the

Memorie

di varie antichita trovate in [diversi luoghi scritte da Flaminio Vacca nel 1594, in Eea's Miscellanea, Vol. I. p. 25. Latest and best edition by Richter in Berichte der Sachs. Gesellschaft der 1

Wissenchaften, 1881, p. 43.

.

.

.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

6

Campo

di Fieri) with 17,580 seats.

Of

and stone buildings, no traces are

left

Examples the

area

of this

all

these marble

above ground.

kind are by no means confined to

within the

city

walls.

In

the

Emperor Gordianus the younger, chap.

Life

of

the

32, a description

^H I^^^^H^^^^^H

Fig.

is

2.

— Torredei

Schiavi.

given of his villa on the Via Praenestina, two and a

half miles outside the gate of that name.

among

other

columns, marble,

fifty

fifty

buildings, of of

a

colonnade

of

It contained,

two hundred

which were

of cipollino or Carystian

portasanta,

fifty

of

pavonazzetto

or


!

THE DESTROYERS OF ANCIENT ROME Phrygian marble, and

hundred

an imperial palace, and baths which, in cence, rivalled the thermae of state of this Villa

One

have disappeared.

is

feet long,

and magnifi-

size

The present

itself.

shown

;

in our illustra-

basilicas, palace, baths,

all

bit of ruin stands alone in the

landmark

wilderness, a

Rome

Gordianorum

Colonnade,

tion (Fig. 2).

Numidian

fifty of giallo antico or

there were also three basilicas, each a

7

miles around,

for

meet

dei Schiavi, a favourite

of

— the

Torre

the foxhounds in the

Campagna.

We may

grant that natural agencies have contributed

their share to the demolition of ancient buildings, floods, earthquakes,

of disintegration

perature

and the slow but

due to

rain, frost,

of

outset

;

contain

all

we may

— as

fall of

explanations,

the

of tem-

Roman Empire which are

of

all

elements of truth.

But

at

the

discard the current view that the dis-

Roman monuments was due

appearance of barians

and variations

man.

proposed several

plausible

resistless processes

been accomplished only by the

Writers on the decline and

have

fires,

but such prodigious changes, such wholesale

;

destruction, could have

hand

if

these,

in

their meteoric

to the bar-

inroads, could

have amused themselves by pulverizing the 250,000 feet of stone

and marble

seats

in

the Circus, for example,

or the massive structure of the villa of the

The purpose

of

the barbarians was to

articles of value as

Gordiani

carry off such

could easily be removed, and

Rome


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

8

long remained rich enough to satisfy their greed.

when

mine had become exhausted, and the houses

this

were stripped of

of the living

may have

the

of

mausoleums of the

As we

all

their valuables, they

attacked the abodes of the dead, the humble

catacombs

and

Later,

well

as

faithful

as

the

imperial

but the stanch buildings of the Republic

;

Empire were not

essentially

damaged.

shall see in the course of our narrative, in June,

455 A.D., the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline

hill

and the palace

of the Caesars could

be successfull}^ plundered of movable objects.

still

In

536 the garrison of the mole of Hadrian, which had long ago been converted into a fortress (now the Castle of

S.

Angelo), was able to check an assault

of

the

Goths by throwing down upon their heads the masterpieces of

A

Greek

art

which

still

adorned the mausoleum.

quarter of a century later the historian Procopius

states that

many

statues

by Phidias and Lysippus could

yet be seen in Rome.

In 630 Pope Honorius

I.,

with the consent of the

Emperor Heraclius, removed the the

roof of the

adornment fore,

was

temple

Venus and Rome,

of

of the roof of St. Peter's

still

intact.

In 663, when

time, and to her misfortune,

—a

Christian emperor too,

to plunder.

gilt-bronze tiles from

was

—a

;

for the

the temple, there-

Rome

visited

for the last

by an emperor,

great deal was

still left

In the brief period of twelve days which

Constans spent in the city he removed many bronze


THE DESTROYERS OF ANCIENT ROME and

statues,

of

laid his

hands also upon the bronze

Pantheon, although

the

this

9 tiles

had long since been

converted into a Christian church.

The

barbarians, therefore, can be left in peace, their

part in the destruction of

Rome

being hardly worth con-

when compared with the guilt " others " I mean the Romans themselves,

sidering

of others.

By

of the Imperial,

Byzantine, Mediaeval, and Renaissance periods.


CHAPTER

II

THE TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME BY THE EMPERORS

The growth

public and private, to the needs of a popu-

its edifices,

living under

lation

we may

sense of

Rome

readjustment of

the

of a city involves

new

conditions

and

;

in

a

certain

say that the history of the destruction

with

begins

the

reign

Augustus,

of

who

undertook to transform the capital of the Empire from In widening

a city of bricks into a city of marble.

and draining in

fares,

opening new thorough-

.the old streets, in

building the

new

quarters,

and

in

carrying

out a general scheme for the sanitation and embellish-

ment were the

of

metropolis,

To

sacrificed.

theatre

Pietas of

the

was destroyed,

monuments

historical

clear the space for the erection of

Marcellus,

of

many for

example, the

so dear to the

the legend of the faithful

shrine

of

Romans on account

daughter who, with the

milk of her breast, kept alive the father sentenced to death by starvation in the old Decemviral

jail.^

many houses and temples were demake room for this structure that many

Cassius adds that

molished to

Dion

;

1

Pliny, Hist. Nat. VII. 36, 121.

10


TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME

11

statues of the gods, of ancient workmanship, carved in

wood and

stone, shared the fate

builders

the

that

having

away

the

of

appropriated

The example

set

gold

the

the vaults

in

theatre

(^favissae)

temples

the

of

were

and

and

;

suspected

valuables

of

stored

of the sacred edifices.^

by Augustus was followed by

his

wealthy friends, Marcius Philippus, Lucius Cornificius, Cornelius

J<^oJle

FiG.

3.

\

•

Balbus, and Statilius

but Agrippa.

— Section of steps of the round temple of the Forum Boarium, showing

surpassed

them

buildings. 2

men with

that

all

and

in

later construction.

of

number and splendour

the

We may

seventeenth century, ian

;

SO

earlier

his

Taurus

the

compare the work popes

Dion

these

of

cardinals

of

the

who modernised our Constantin-

and mediaeval churches 1

and

of

Cassius, XLIII. 49.

;

but there 2

is

this

differ-

Suetonius, Octav. 29.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

12

while

that

ence,

century was

the

without

type,

for

of

seventeenth

the

had

redeeming

no

his friends did, at

substi-

least,

Greco-Roman construction,

tute masterpieces of

purest

and

excuse

Augustus and

feature,

renovation

the

structures

earlier

of

of

the

brick

or

rough stone.

may

This change

best

be

studied,

perhaps,

temple of the Mater Matuta in

so-called

Boarium,

afterwards

the

church of

S.

Carozze,

in

Forum

the

Stefano

now

the

delle

Maria

S.

del Sole, in the Piazza

Bocca della Verita. Here we see the stone steps

leading

to

the

stone cella of the time of

Camillus,

covered, but

not entirely concealed,

by

the

marble

and the marble the

steps cella of

time of Augustus

(Fig. 3).

In excavat-

ing strata of rubbish of the time of Augustus, T.

Fig.

.

4.

— Fragment of painted terra cotta r?

^

t

•

.

14.

*^

antefix from the temple of Jupiter Optiraus

of such as the platform ^ the Gardens of Maecenas, or that of the Capi-

tolium,

w^e

have actually picked up fragments from

temples of the time of the Kings,

dumped

there with


TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME

13

other materials to raise the level of the ground.

Such

are the antefixes of painted terra cotta from the temple

and

Conservatori,!

de'

roof-tiles

on

Museo Municipale In

the

Rome built

Palazzo

the

sacred of

al Celio.^

edifices

and

wood,

were

panels, cornices,

polychrome

with

A

decoration.

of

discovered

of

orna-

tiles of terra cotta

structure

the

in

centuries

early

mented with and

the

in

from another shrine Esquiline,

the

now

Maximus,

Optimus

Jupiter

of

this

on

kind was

the

site

of

—

Fig. 5. Fragment of painted tile from an early temple on the Esquiline.

Falerii, Civita Castellana, in

1886

the remains

;

of

it

are

exhibited

in one of the

outside

the Porta del

halls of the Villa di Giulio III.,

Popolo.^

In tracing the history of the destruction of the

Kings and

of the

of the Republic at the

Emperors, three facts become prominent plete

1

covering over, for hygienic

Bull Com., 1896,

2 Ibid., ^

:

Rome

hands of the (1) the com-

reasons,

and conse-

p. 187, PI. xii.-xiii. (see Fig. 4).

1896, p. 28 (see Fig. 5).

Monumenti

Vol. IV., 1895.

antichi publicati per cura della reale Accad. dei Lincei,


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

14

quent elevation, of large tracts of land

(2) the re-

;

more quar-

building, on a totally different plan, of one or ters of the City, after a destructive

large

clearing

of

thermae,

— those

Nero,

The

and elevation of a large area

was occupied

A

at that time

where the bodies nals

wlio

thrown into common carcasses

of

the

covering over

part of the Esquiline

by a

''

crimi-

of

punishment

capital

animals

death,"

of

field

and beasts

were

with the

pits (^puticuli)^ together

domestic

of

Caracalla,

and beggars and

of slaves

undergone

liad

great

for hygienic reasons dates

from the time of Augustus. hill

the

for

Trajan,

Titus,

we have

record that

first

and (3) the

;

and Constantine.

Decii, Diocletian,

tlie

make room

areas to of

fire

burden.

of

In the excavations made in laying out the Via Napoleone

III.,

in

1887,

about

seventy-five

these

of

pits

were discovered.

In some of them the animal remains

had been reduced

to a

matter tliat

uniform mass of black, unctuous

in others tlie bones so far retained their shape

;

could

they

served also as a

be

The

identified.

dumping

field

death

of

place for the daily refuse of

the city.^

This hotbed of infection was suppressed by

Augustus

at

the

The

Maecenas.

suggestion

district

depth of 24

to

the

a

mile

ground. 1

in

extent,

The

feet,

was

results

of

his

prime

minister

was buried under fresh earth and a public park, a laid

out

on

the

fifth

of

newly made

proved of so great benefit to the

Ancient Borne in the Light of Becent Discoveries^

p. 64.


!

TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME health

the

of

City

that

worthy to be sung in

by no means 8 et seq.)

:

literal,

Horace

verse.

thought

In

the

15

work

the

quaint,

translation of Francis (^Sat.

though I.

vin.

In coffins vile the herd of slaves

Were

hither brought to crowd their graves;

And once in this A common tomb

detested ground

the vulgar found;

Buffoons and spendthrifts, vile and base,

Together rotted here in peace.

A

thousand feet the front extends,

Three hundred deep in rear

it

bends,

And yonder column plainly shows No more unto its heirs it goes. But now we breathe a purer air. And walk the sunny terrace fair, Where once the ground with bones was With human bones, a ghastly sight

white,

In process of time recourse was had to the same expedient in the case of other cemeteries within or near the

The twenty-four

walls of

Aurelian.

of earth

and rock, removed by Trajan from the west

slope of the Quirinal to

make room

million cubic feet

for his

Forum, were

spread over the cemetery between the Via Salaria Vetus (Pinciana) and the Via Salaria Nova.^

Gardens

—a

Esquiline,

The

Licinian

portion of the great imperial park on the

formerly owned

by the

were laid out, likewise, on the 1

Licinian

site

Pagan and Christian Bome^

of

p. 284.

the

family

cemetery


DESTRUCTION OP ANCIENT ROME

16

between the Via CoUatina

same

fate

befell

the

and Via

beautiful

The

Labicana.

burial-grounds

the

of

Via Aurelia, now occupied by the Villa Corsini-Pamfili,

No

near the Casino dei Quattro Venti.^

injury was

done to the tombs when the earth was heaped upon

them

and the cinerary urns, the

lege,

more or left

in

them from

their sacred character protected

;

less

inscriptions,

The excavation

modern times has proved

and the

sepulchres were

valuable furniture of the

undisturbed.

sacri-

these cemeteries

of

to be exceptionally rich in

finds.

The

vast conflagrations which from time to time swept

over the city were in reality a means of improvement,

both from the aesthetic and from the hygienic point of

Such was the

view.

by

described

fire

Livy

the

in

twenty-seventh chapter of Book XXVI., by which

all

the shops and houses around the Forum, the residence of the high priest, the fish-market,

the

region

district

was

of

Lautumiae

the

rebuilt on a better

were

of

the

in

213 B.C.

;

last

mentioned 1

in

Pagan and

I

the

Piazza Montanara,

and again

April,

The

47), by

Forum Boarium, from

same quarter was burned over. fires

(XXIV.

fire

foot of the Aventine to the present

was devastated

destroyed.

in

and more sanitary plan.

This historian describes another

which the region

and the buildings

in

saw

1886,

192 B.C. the traces of the

when

Christian Borne, p. 269.

the

main


;

TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME sewer on the

bank

left

of

17

the Tiber was built at

a

There

great depth across the piazza Bocca della Verita.

were remains of early Republican structures nine feet

below the level of the piazza, and upon them was a

The buildings

bed of ashes and charred materials.

of

a later period, above the bed of ashes, had a different orientation.

When

the

Emperor Nero conceived the idea

newing and rebuilding the streets

crowded with

were

temples which his plans of

religious

and small

altars,

superstition

re-

Empire, the

capital of the shrines,

of

made

inviolable

improvement were opposed by the

priests

and by private owners of property, and any attempt to carry less

them out was

lawsuits, appraisals,

and disputes among

So he seems to have solved the

perts.

having the city

was

clearly destined to lead to end-

at

set

on

Antium when B.C.

The

fire

burning of

started

Circus Maximus, at the place it

difficulty

64 a.d.

ex-

by

Nero

the conflagration began, on June

18, the anniversary of the

in 390

in the year

fire,

the

at

Rome by

the

now

east

called

the Gauls

end of the

La Moletta

;

spread in a northeasterly direction and swept over

three out of the fourteen regions of the city, partially

destroying seven others. tory

We

information in regard to

do not possess all

satisfac-

the historic

monu-

ments that perished in the flames, but we know that

among them were tion of

the temple of the Moon, the founda-

which was ascribed to Servius Tullius, the Ara


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

18

Maxima, dedicated Arcadian

der, the

of Vesta,

and

by Evan-

to Hercules, tradition said

and the temples of Jupiter Stator,

;

of the Penates, together with the Regia.

As these monuments encircled the Palatine hill, we may assume that the imperial residence on its summit was

also gutted, but evidence

ing.

Countless masterpieces

on this point

Greek

of

want-

is

and man}^

art

ancient relics disappeared, the loss of which the older citizens

never ceased to lament, even amidst the splen-

dour of the new city which rose from the ashes.

The charge

that Nero had wilfully caused the

it

had once been arrested,

is

whom we

neither accepted nor rejected by Tacitus, from learn that, after

fire

burst out

it

again in the Praedia Aemiliana, the gardens of Nero's

minion,

Dyer suggests

Tigellinus.

the

tliat

merely improved the occasion to have the started spread

the

city,

more widely and

which he wished

to

efface

fire

certain

rebuild.

emperor already parts

of

But whether

the emperor was wholly or partially responsible for the conflagration, the opportunity thus afforded for rebuild-

ing was at once improved

drawn

in

;

new

plans were immediately

accordance with the

architectural practice of the time.

narrow and tortuous

streets

of the time of Septimius Severus,

Museum, one may

By

and lanes

glancing at the

in the

now

marble plan

in the Capitoline

see that Nero's projects can hardly

been fully carried out

;

and

engineering

best

they must have

left

have

untouched

the lower and more congested quarters of the city.


TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME May, 1877,

111

showed

land which

myself saw a strip of

the

being

and the

Constantine

arch of

was

Coliseum

site

(10,16)

A\ocle7Yi.

|li|iU |l||l il|[IH|l|i

|

fcveX

Circus

the

of

V"l ^LOL oil

of houses,

paved

(2I,S2)

G-rcwiori,^

S

the

between

sides of a street, neatly

and shrines on both

(21,87)

l|

and

built

Maximus, the workmen came across remains shops,

While

conHagration.

fearful

this

sewer which drains the Esquiline

region about the

of

traces

the main

I

19

|IHITI I lil|f

v°;77)

irkrifWiTTTfufilfn^iTTiiTTrtiTTiTniMgjtiTTiinliwluitiiM'rn^'nlT^lTitrrHm

All", hv«<ic.i

Fig.

ctbove

G.

i'ewe.Y o\ Uvc,

Secv")

— Section

t>,rriAv

of excavations in the

o\ ^i- JCuv^os.

Via

di S. Gregorio,

showing changes

of level.

with flagstones and lined by sidewalks, thirty-five feet

below the present level of the ground.

The

street

had apparently descended from the south-

east corner of the Palatine berini,

where now

is

the

toward the foot of the Clivus Scauri, now the

Piazza di S. Gregorio.

From

this place, at

debris of Nero's fire were not, as

any

Ann. XV.

iitique naves,

rerent.

4.S:

JRmleri

aceipienclo

rate, the

might have been

ferred from the statement of Tacitus,^ carted ^

Vigna Bar-

Ostienses

away

palndefi

in-

to the

dpstinahat,

quae frumentum Tiberi suhvectassent, onustae rudere decur-


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

20

marshes of Ostia, but were spread on the spot

way

;

in this

the level of the valley was raised at once by ten or

The

fifteen feet.

which

made

I

sectional plan presented above (Fig. 6),

at the time of these excavations,

shows the

superposition of streets and buildings before and after the hre

the altitudes are given in metres.

;

For the names of Nero's chief advisers and archi-

we

the rebuilding of the city, Severus and Celer,

in

tects

who

indebted to Tacitus,

are

says

them

of

that

they were clever and daring enough to undertake, by

works

means,

artificial

which

accomplishment of

the

nature would have denied.

A

fragment of the marble mausoleum the garden

in

exists

Nomentana

the Via

dignity 1

full of

CELERI

:

of

Agnese

S.

(Fig. 7)

.

of Celer

The epitaph was

NERONIS

The importance stood the

if

AVGVSTI

L[iberto]

A[rcliitect]0

of S.

Forum from

it

into a

Agnese.

may

easily be

under-

changes caused by this means in

the time of Nero to that of Diocletian. this period the centre of

Fabretti, Inscriptiones domesticae, p.

VI. 14,047.

tomb

the

of fires for the architectural history

recall the

Four times during 1

columns

in the imperial period

we

brief but

capital for one of the

Rome

Mura, on

fuori le

The block containing it was removed from by Pope Symmachus (498-514), who turned

of

still

721,

no. 431

;

Rome and cf.

C.

T.

L.


TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME of the as

it

Roman

is

world, the

celebekkimvs

called in an inscription,

four times

came the

it

fire

^

was rebuilt on a

^^*:§^;i-

Fig.

7.

.-

H

•.:

different

*-

-^

locvs,

;

plan.

then the

;

First fire

of

m

— Fragment of the tomb of Celer.

the reign of Titus, in 80 A.D., the

were repaired by Domitian. before the death of 1

vkbis

was swept by flames

of Nero, just alluded to

'^

21

The

Commodus,

Ephemeris Epigraphica, Vol.

damages

of

which

third occurred shortly

in 191 A.D.

;

the build-

III., 1876, p. 287.


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

22

ings were restored by

Domna, and

Julia

his

Septimius Severus, his empress son

who

Caracalla,

by

shifted

thirty-three degrees the orientation of the edifices bor-

dering

on

the

Clivus

Sacer.

We

have

no

detailed

account of the conflagration in the reign of Carinus,

283 A.D., but to judge from the repairs made by Diocletian

and Maxentius, affecting the Basilica

Senate-house, the

Forum Julium, and

Venus and Rome,

it

the

Julia, the

temple

of

must have swept from one end

of

the Sacra Via to the other.

The

third and last of the

more important

factors in

and destruction of Home under the

the transformation

The

E^mpire was the building of the great public baths.

thermae of Caracalla cover an area of 118,255 square metres, those of Diocletian 130,000 square metres

;

and

the areas of both these great structures were occupied, before 212 and 305/6 a.d. respectively, by rich and populous quarters, with houses

colonnades, and gardens.

and

insulae, temples, slirines,

The

buildings which stood on

a higher level than that adopted for one of these bath-

ing establishments were destroyed to the foundations the materials

of

construction

taken

from them were

saved and were made use of again in the new structure.

But the buildings placed on

a lower level

were

left

standing to a height corresponding with that of

the

foundation

of

the

thermae,

This practice explains the reason

and

simply

why we

buried.

find in

some


TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME

23

places structures of two, three, and even four different

periods lying in archaeological

strata

above

one

the

other.

The palace

on the remains of

rests

Republic

the

of

Flavian emperors on the Palatine

of the

;

these,

made

Trajan

of

House

are

on

built

end

in

1721,

are

The thermae remains of

the

of Titus

Golden

Nero, and this last was extended over the

of

remains of houses built before the three

the

of

accessible

wrongly termed Baths of Livia.

and

houses

private

fire

of 64 a.d.

strata can be easily recognised at

;

the

the north en-

trance to the cryptoporticus of the Golden House.

The Baths

of Caracalla

were composed of a central

building surrounded by a garden, with an outer enclosure lined with halls and rooms for bathing. is

Nothing

found under the built portion, because the foundathe massive

tions

of

down

to the level of

walls

were of

the virgin soil

;

necessity

carried

but in the open

depth of only a few inches below the sur-

spaces, at a

found remains of extensive houses and other

face, are

buildings which Caracalla purchased and covered up.^

When

the Via Nazionale, the

modern Rome, was cut Quirinal, pigliosi

remains 1

A part

shown

— then

gardens, the

of of

main thoroughfare

in 1877 across the ridge of

of

the

occupied by the Aldobrandini and Ros-

— the

workmen

thermae

of

first

brought to light

Constantine

;

underneath

one of these houses, excavated in 1860-1867 by Guidi,

in Iiid7is

and Excavations,

Fig. 39.

is


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

24

these were remains

the house

of

of

Claudius Claudi-

anus and of another once belonging to Avidius Quietus;

and

on a lower

lastly,

work (Fig.

were walls of early reticulate

level,

8).

Subsequent excavations on the

site of

the same baths

have given us the means of reconstructing the map of this part of the Quirinal prior to the time of Constan-

and

tine,

obtaining a

of

possibly complete, of the

list,

public and private buildings purchased and demolished

by

this

prises

Emperor

in or about

the palaces of

T.

315 a.d.

The

Flavins Claudius Claudianus

and of T. Avidius Quietus already mentioned and

ace

gardens

of

of a Claudia Vera, of

a

C.

was made

Constantine's architect

out, one

a

by one,

number, so

be taken

off

the pal-

Germanianus,

and

;

of

a

marble

made use

sacred edifice, tiles.

These

the tiles

of in laying the foun-

Caldarium, from which we

the

dations of

Art(orius ?)

;

a Lucius Naevius Clemens, of a

Marcus Postumius Festus roof of which

com-

list

dug them

They were all marked with making repairs, the roof could

in 1879.

that,

in

and put together again without

by observing the sequence

of

the figures.

difficulty

In another

we found many fragments and sculptured marbles built, as common

part of the same foundations of

statues

materials, into the rubble work.

A

similar statement

this

for

the

Baths

The excavations made within the limits immense structure since 1870 in connexion

of Diocletian.

of

would hold good


o a,

^ ^ bH

X3

o

c3

o

>

'J5



TRANSFORMATION OF REPUBLICAN ROME with

work

on

the

railway

the

station,

27

Piazza

dei

Cinquecento, the Grand Hotel, and the Massimi palace, as

well

of

new

several of a

as

the

cutting of streets and the laying out

gardens, have brought to light the remains of preexisting edifices,

Collegium Fortunae

foundations of concrete

;

— among

Felicls,

them the

and a temple

offices

built

on

a colonnade or shrine rebuilt

by Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus

;

pavements of

walls of private houses, and a reservoir. of all these buildings, brick

The

streets,

materials

and marble, were used over

again in the foundations of the baths.


CHAPTER

III

THE USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS, PARTICULARLY MARBLES, IN THE BUILDING OPERATIONS OF THE LATER EMPIRE

The

practice

of

building

with

walls

architectural

marbles, blocks containing inscriptions, statues, and other fine

from previous structures, goes

materials

as far

back

as

tlie

reign

The propylaea

211 A.D.).

were restored by Idm, fragments fire

of

from

edifices

damaged

least

Severus (193Octaviae

Porticus

the

of

in the year 203,

The upper

Titus.

Septimius

of

at

with sculptured ruined

or

story of the

by the

Coliseum was

likewise restored by Severus Alexander in 223, and by

Traianus Decius in 250, with a patchwork of stones of every description,

entablatures,

lintels

amphitheatre

itself,

— trunks and

of columns, fragments of

from

the

which had been damaged by

fire,

doorposts

or brought from other buildings

ments

can

be

trations (Figs.

recognised 9,

in

;

the

taken

the

frag-

accompanying

illus-

several of

10).

Another instance

of certain date

is

that of a private

bathing establishment discovered January 30, 1873, at the junction of the Via Ariosto with the Piazza Dante 28


USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS on the Esquiline. elating

It

was a graceful

29

little

building,

from the time of Diocletian and Constantine, as

proved by hundreds of

brick

stamps of

found in the walls above ground.

Fig,

9.

The

that

period

walls below the

— Part of the upper story of the Coliseum, repaired with materials from earlier buildings.

surface

were built

ments of marble. figures

of

of

statues

There were

Minerva,

of

the

Aesculapius, besides several

and miscellaneous fraglife-size

Indian torsos

or semi-colossal

Bacchus

and

of

and other fragments


^

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

30

of considerable value fasces, Avith capital

tain in pure

A

Greek

more familiar

;

a

column shaped

and base

;

like the lictor's

and the basin

of a foun-

style.

illustration

is

the triumphal arch of

Constantine, erected by the Meta Sudans in 315 a.d.

This monument, so compact and perfect to the eye,

Fig.

10.

— Another

is

view of the upper story of the Coliseum, showing repairs architectural fragments from various sources.

made with really

a

structures

striking

were

example pillaged

of

to

erect

climb to the chamber above the ^

Bull Com., 1875,

Public no. 601.

Cfjllections

p.

79,

way new

the

Tav. XI. Fi?.

arcli

1,

2;

in

which old

ones.

ftliere

IIelbi<if,

If

a

is

we nar-

Gnidf^ to the

of Classical Antiquities in Bome^ Vol.

I.

p.

444,


USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS

row see

31

we

staircase in the side facing the Palatine),

why

Milizia gave

the nickname of Cornacchia di

it

We

Esopo, ''Aesop's crow." the

of

reliefs

the

attic,

shall

shall find that the bas-

statues

Dacian kings,

the

of

the eight medallions above the side passages, the eight

columns of giallo antico, and the greater part of the

removed from a triumphal arch

were

entablature

Traiani which spanned

Trajan, probably the aj-cus divi the

Via Appia (or the Via Nova)

Capena.

The

near

inside of the structure also

Fabii and of

scriptions of

Under the

A rr until,

the

built with

is

tombs of

which are rule

still

earlier buildings for the sake

a

common

practice

;

the

of their materials

this statement, startling as

has read Ciampini's

stantino cose

magno

chiese,"^ or

Old

St.

After

the

e

profane

Grimaldi's

Peter's."

"De

constructis,"

gentilesche

in-

dismantling of

appear, will not be considered extravagant

who

and

perfect.

Constantine,

of

carvings

the

Porta

the

a great variety of materials taken from the

the

of

sacris

or

^

it

a

of

the

Con-

" Delle

Marangoni's ad

may

by any one

aedificiis

trasportate

"Diary

became

uso

delle

Destruction of

3

defeat

of

Maxentius,

in

the

year

312,

Constantine "erected a basilica over the tomb of the blessed Peter."*

This was built hurriedly, and in

2

Romae, per I. Jacobum Komarck, 1693, in fol. 3 Cod. Barberin, XXXIV. Romae, 1744, in 4°.

4

Liher Fontijicalis, Sylvester, XVI.

1

p. 176.

50.

its


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

32 construction

part of the adjoining circus

of all a

first

and Nero was

of Caligula

The

utilised.

the sacred edifice was carried

wing

left

over the three northern

walls of the circus, which had supported the

the

columns for the

basilica

one

In

quarters.

quality, size, colour,

hundred and

note-books

and other

not

represented

find

two

Nearly the

in

or

capitals

blocks

bore

to

inscriptions

with

the

basilica,

except

apse

the

says

differed

some

the

names and

and

the

to

that

he

He

from one

that

others.

not

alike.

and

Titus, Trajan, Gallienus, and

of

collection,

two bases

frieze

another,

the ancient

all

Grimaldi

adds that the architrave and intercolumniation

da

details in regard to one

thirty-six shafts.

were

Antonio

of

all

found a memorandum of the

I

speak of styles and periods. could

The

were brought together from

the

of

Sangallo the younger,^

quarries

seats of

on the side of the Via Cornelia.

spectators

of

The

of

the

praises

walls of

arches,

were

On

each

side of the first entrance, at the foot of the steps,

were

patched with fragments of

tiles

and

two granite columns, with composite

of stone.

capitals

showing the

bust of the Emperor Hadrian framed in acanthus leaves.

In the construction of the fourth century

we may

a similar indebtedness to edifices,

as

the

the Christian buildings of

all

well believe that there was

pagan sources.

church of

S.

Some

of

tl:itese

Agnese and the adjoin-

ing mausoleum of Constantia on the Via Nomentana, 1

These note-books are now

in the Uffizi, Florence.


USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS the church of

Lawrence on the Via Tiburtina, and

St.

the church of S. Clemente, are

accounts

the

Salvatoris

road

in

standing within or

may

proof

found

be

by those who saw the Basilica

left

Laterano,

Ostia, before

to

still

Additional

without the walls. in

33

and that of

Paul on the

St.

some

In

modernisation.

their

instances the location and use of blocks of marble have

been

A

changed three or four times.

statue erected in the year 193 in the

pedestal

town

hall of

of

a

some

municipality in the vicinity of Rome, was utilised in the restoration of

the Baths of

Volusianus, prefect of

Caracalla in

honour of Valentinian

Rufius

City in 365, removed the

the

block from the Baths and turned in

285.

It

I.

it

into a

seems

monument

finally

to

have

disappeared about 1548 in a lime-kiln of Pope Paul III.^

The great department "Department

of

of imperial administration called

Marbles"

(^statio

marmorum), apparently

suspended operations before the middle of the fourth century

;

at

any rate we have been unable to find any

structure built after the time of terials

fresh

from the quarry.

Constantine with ma-

This

is

the

more

re-

markable in view of the fact that on the banks of the Tiber at the marble wharves (La Marmorata) and on those of Trajan's channel (Canale di Fiumicino), where the marbles belonging to the porters were landed, there of

unused blocks.

Emperor

still

or to private im-

remained a vast number

These two sources 1

C.

/.

L.

VL

1173.

of

supply have


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

34

been drawn upon by means of excavations almost uninterruptedly since the time of

breccias

Romans

of

hardly

seems

to

have

monuments

rob the splendid of their

and

yet

The

diminished.

fourth century, however, emperors as

the

well as private citizens, thought

Empire

Cosmatis,

and columns of the rarest kinds

their wealth in blocks of

the

troublesome to

less

it

the Republic and early

of

ornaments already carved, and to trans-

own clumsy structures, than to work materials stored at La Marmorata. Abundant on this point may be gained, not merely from

fer these to their

anew the evidence

ecclesiastical,

but also from secular structures, as the

Forum Boarium,

four-faced arch of the

the temple of

Saturn on the Clivus Capitolinus, the bridges of Cestius

Bartolomeo) and of Valentinian (Ponte Sisto), the

(S.

Grain Exchange at medin, the Portions

arena

Maximae

church of

the

and

podium

Maria in Cos-

S.

Coliseum, the

the

of

monumental columns

of Gratian, the

on the Sacra Via, the market-hall of the Caelian (S. Stefano Rotondo), the market-place of the Esquiline near S. Vito, the

shops at the east of the

and a hundred other buildings

of

Forum Romanum,

the

There are on record several edicts

Decadence.

of Constantius II.

(350-361) having to do with the compulsory closing of

heathen temples.

According

made

a present of a temple,

away

a

tion

of

dog or a horse

;

to

Libanius he often

just as

one might give

and Ammianus makes men-

some courtiers who had received

gifts

of this


USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS But the

kind.i

works

was sealed

of art

away with

did

pagan

fate of

all

the

and

their precious

in the year 383,

when Gratian

edifices

privileges

Eight years later

Valentinian and Theodosius prohibited if

strictly

temples and

the

of

and confiscated their revenues.

priests,

35

even

sacrifices,

domestic and private.

These decisive measures led to open rebellion on the

who

those

part

of

but

after

defeat

the

clung to the ancient

still

the

of

rebel

leader

beliefs,

Eugenius,

which took place early in September, 394, the temples Strange to say, this prohibition

were closed forever.

pagan worship contributed

the

of

the forums,

where

the

august

seats,

of

the

time being

embellishment of certain parts of the City, such

to the

as

for

statues

were

This

art. 2

and the courts

the baths,

set

is

the

of

gods,

expelled

of

from their

up and exhibited simply

referred

to

in

tlie

justice,

as

words

works wdiich

Prudentius puts into the mouth of Theodosius, Avhen addressing (^Contra

Sym.

I.

Marmora

O

Senate

the

the

after

501-505):

defeat

of

Eugenius

—

tabenti respergine tincta lavate,

proceres, liceat statuas consistere puras

magnorum opera

Artificum

haec pulcherrima iiostrae

:

Orn amenta fuant patriae nee decolor usus In vitium versae

monumenta

coinquinet

artis.

1

See Dyer, History of the City of Borne, ed. of 1805,

2

Interesting information

Vol. VI. Part

I.

;

see also

cristiana, 1865, p. 5,

on

this

p. 308.

subject will be found in C.

I.

L.

de Rossi's papers in Bull, di archeologia

and Bull. Com., 1874,

p. 174.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

36

The

practice

worship to

removing statuary from

of

edifices

civil

places

of

however, older by half a

is,

century than the decree of 394.

As

early as the year

331 Anicius Paulinus, prefect of the City, transferred statues to the ((7. /.

thermae of the Decii on the Aventine Fabius Titianus lined the Sacra

L. VI. 1651);

Via with other examples 341

in the

;

the sculptor's art in 339-

of

same way Fabius Felix

Passifilus Paulinus

embellished the Baths of Titus in 355, Clodius Hermo-

The

genianus the Baths of Trajan in 368-370. Julia

was likewise ornamented with borrowed statues

by Gabinius Vettius Probianus pedestals on which five

formula,

terpieces were of Praxiteles,

the

parts

;

hasilicae Juliae

adiecit.

esset,

Greek origin

others

377

the

of

to

and contain inscriptions with

statuam quae

reparatae o7'namento

in

them stood have come

of

light ((7. I. L. VI. 1658),

the

Basilica

to

;

Some

a

of

se noviter

these

mas-

one was attributed to

Polyclitus,

Timarchus, and

Bryaxis.

From

inscriptions

we

learn also that in later times

statues were overthrown by

and by the

cursions, tal

tlie

barbarians in their in-

citizens in civil strifes.

A

pedes-

discovered in the fifteenth century near S. Maria

Nuova, at the top of the Clivus Sacer, bore the scription

:

Castalius Innocentms

praef{ectus) urbis tuit

(C

/.

....

Audax

in-

v(ir) cQarissimus)

harharica incursione sublata resti-

L. VI. 1663).

Another, discovered during

the pontificate of Julius III.

(1550-1555), speaks of a


USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS statue

37

Minerva that had been thrown down

of

time of

a

caused

fire

by a

riot,

and

up again

set

by Anicius Acilius Aginatius, apparently

at the

in

483 a.d.

(C. /. L. VI. 1664).

To what

use the temples were put immediately after

the expulsion of their gods,

we do not know; but

turned into places of Christian worship.

was only to take place two centuries

God

the

year

609,

Emperor Phocas

later,

when

ever blessed."

it

Two

in the converting of

the true

had been overcome.

Pope

the

which was called Pan-

Mary

into a church of periods, then,

pagan

"asked

IV.

Boniface

for the temple

theon, and turned

tian

This change

about the propriety of worshipping the

in heathen temples

In

is

were not occupied by Christians, nor

certain that they

scruples

it

may

the Virgin

be distinguished

edifices into places of Chris-

worship, one anterior to the year 609, the other

following alone

that

date.

During the

first,

were transformed, partially or

churches

;

civil

edifices

completely,

into

such were the Record Office, which became

the church of SS.

Cosmas and Damian, and the round

market on the Caelian

Hill,

now

S.

Stefano Rotondo.

After 609 almost every available building, whether secular or sacred,

was made into a church

the places of worship seemed to

or chapel, until

outnumber the houses.

We

must not imagine, however, that the good-will

of the

emperors and the guardianship of the prefects of

the City saved

all

statues from destruction.

Far from


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

38 it

Public protection was extended only to the works

!

which adorned the

of art

streets, squares, baths, parks,

and public buildings, few

private

upon thousands that belonged

thousands

with the

A

owners.

ues "

;

but

the

office

appointed

long

not

Avas

Keeper of Stat-

''

King

kept up.

Theoderic and his adviser Cassiodorius revived the year

500,

hands of three

lime-burners,

bodies

dorius

order to save

in

of

the

abandoned

the

other

himself

deric

the

to

Domus

from

buildings tlie

caused

the

Pinciana

and masons, the

The Curator Statuarum

13).

control

to

in

mentioned by Cassio-

then had the help of two assessors, the

it

from the

statues

stone-cutters,

marble-hunters

VII.

(^Variar.

to

branch of public administration,

Curator Statuarum^

of

title

magistrate was

special

to take charge of this

under the

number when compared

in

— one

columns

protect

plundering,

illegal

lime-kilns

be

to

and yet Theo-

;

and

marbles

of

removed from Rome

to

Ravenna.^

The

destruction

illustrated

of

by the

simulacra, " most

marble

fate

of

statuary

the

hundred to

The number in the time of

two hundred 1

be

deorum

precious images of the gods," placed

the main thoroughfares

10-7 B.C.

well

pretiosisshna

by Augustus in the compital shrines of

may

and

of

of

the

these

Augustus sixty-five

Cassiod. Variar. III. 10, ed.

City,

in

shrines

— had in

73

crossings

the

at

the

years

— about

two

been increased A.D.,

and

to

Mommsen.

I


^

USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS hundred and twenty-four

three

They

the fourth century.

offered an almost

Greek

chronological series of works of appreciation

the

become

of

all

consider that

only one

incomparable

that

" most

these

to

has

we

If

?

and four pedestals^

have come

series

art

What

precious images "

plinth

of

complete

plastic

Rome.

the citizens of

of

beginning

the

at

39

down

to

of

we

us,

cannot doubt that the three hundred and twenty-four ''most precious images" of Greek workmanship belong-

ing to the compital shrines shared the

— they

those from the temples,

and the pieces thrown into the the walls of

new

buildings, as

same

were broken

as

fate

to

pieces,

lime-kilns, or built into

if

they were the cheapest

rubble.

Foundation walls built up in part of statues and busts

liave

been

by the

found

a few examples from the "

score.

Memoirs

I

add

" of Flaminio

here

Vacca

(1594) and of Pietro Sante Bartoli (about 1675).

"A St.

foundation wall which runs under the hospital of

John Lateran," Vacca

reports, "is built entirely of

fragments of excellent statuary.

1

The

plinth

Mater Matuta

was discovered (S.

in

Maria del Sole)

I

saw there knees and

1896, near the so-called temple in the piazza

Bocca

della Verita.

of It

belonged to a celebrated work of Scopas the younger, being inscribed

opvs scopAE MiNORis,

—a

statuc of Hercules,

surnamed Olivarius from

the location of the shrine near the Olive Market.

Boario," in Dissert. Accad. archeol. Serie described the four pedestals in 2

Edited by Fea in Vol.

I.

of

II.

See Huelsen, "

Vol. VI.

p. 261.

Pagan and Christian Borne, the Miscellanea^ Rome, 1790.

II

Foro

I

have

pp. 34, 35.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

40

elbows modelled in the style of the Laocoon of the Belve-

dere" (^Mem.

"In the walls and foun-

Further,

p. 13).

dations of an old house, which stood near S.

Mura, and was pulled down to make room for

fuori le

a square

front of that church, eighteen or twenty

in

removed

them were

And

14).

Farnese

the

to

Gallery "

again, '^A great block of

the

to

levelled

Most

emperors were discovered.

of

portrait-busts

p.

Lorenzo

ground

(^6^c?.

masonry was

vineyard of Hannibal

the

in

of

Caro, outside the Porta San Giovanni, for the improve-

ment

the

of

twelve

the

Caesars,

sarcophagus

marble

A

plantation.

complete set of busts of

well

as

of

as

bearing

other emperors,

bas-reliefs

of

the

a

twelve

labours of Hercules, and other fine marbles were found

embedded

masonry.

in the

have forgotten what be-

I

the front of the sarcophagus, how-

came

of the busts

ever,

was cut away and sent

Monsignor Cibid.

"

Visconti,"

on

to

the

Nuvolara, a

left

bank

of

villa

the

of

Fo

48).

p.

When

the Via Graziosa was opened in 1684," says

"along the north slope

Bartoli, S.

;

of the Cespian, opposite

Lorenzo in Panisperna, remains of ancient houses

were found,

Venus

^

and fragments

built into

restored

by

Ercole

Sweden" QMem. cellar

of

a house 1

a wall.

See

p.

of

The

Ferrata 17).

an exquisite statue of statue

was afterwards

Queen

for

Finally,

Christine

of

"In exploring the

on the Corso, the famous architect,

Bums and Excavations,

p. 393, Fig. 149.


USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS Lorenzo pieces

seven

discovered

Bernini,

and built into a

The

wall.

41

statues

broken

in

statues were restored

almost perfectly, so few were the fragments missing (ibid,

42).

p.

Francesco de' Ficoroni saw, in the year 1693,

number

great ues,

of fragments of the

which had served

as

''

a very

most beautiful

stat-

building materials " for the

foundations of the Torre di Nona, near the bridge of S.

Angelo

(if/em, p. 2).

of

blocks

of

last

alabaster

The same discovered,

archaeologist speaks in

tower of the City walls on the

Monte

Tiber, by the alabastro

fiorito

One

Testaccio.

was cut

into

slabs

1705, under the left

Laocoon

known

is

of the

of the blocks of

and used

decoration of the front of the altar of the Sasso in the Pantheon (ibid. p. 105).

bank

A

the

in

Madonna

del

replica of the

to be buried in the substructures of

the church of S. Pudentiana, and a fine statue of colossal size

under

Were

I

Marcello.

S.

to relate

my

personal experience in the

of similar finds, the entire for

the narrative.

In

all

volume would hardly

and without the walls of the City, fragments strata

as

of

well as in

three instances

Toward

statuary

the

used

those

must answer end

of the

as of

have come across

rubble,

in

periods.

the

older

Two

or

all.

second or the beginning of

the third century, a colony of

Rome from

I

later

for

suffice

places, both within

of

sorts

way

Greek sculptors came

to

Aphrodisias, in Caria, and set up a studio


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

42

on the Esquiline gardens

the

indeed, and

of

came

They were

Maecenas.

active

artists

worked harmoniously under the mastership

whom

of a leader,

One day

between the Baths of Titus and

hill,

their

to grief

;

they called

workshop and whether by

by violence

building, or

spring of 1886,

apxi^^pev^

when

of

their

fire,

or

men,

I

(high priest).

rooms

exhibition

by the cannot

of the

fall

In the

tell.

the Via Buonarroti was being cut

through in the direction of the Baths of Titus, a wall

was discovered entirely There

studio.

built with the contents of the

statues

Avere

Jupiter,

of

Juno, Pluto,

Aesculapius, Cybele, Minerva Parthenos, Hercules chic

mouths

fountains,

vases,

bers

all

of

the works were signed

this

The

all.

;

of the

and

mem-

from Aphrodisias

brotherhood

artistic

seventeen signatures in portions of

by one

bac-

candelabras,

wells,

and other carvings

figures of animals, bas-reliefs,

nearly

of

;

—

no essential

fact that

each work were missing shows that they

were brought entire

to

the

scene

of

destruction,

and

then broken up and thrown into a foundation wall.

Two

years

and a half

in

later,

made on

discovery of the same kind was the

temple of

angelo, the

Via

Isis,

now

Galileo,

November, 1888, a

crossed

the

site

by the Via

of

Michel-

Via Leopardi, and other

streets.

Another wall was found containing three or four hundred fragments statues,

or

of

sculpture,

important

reconstructed.

They

out

portions

represent

of

of

which

statues,

Jupiter,

fourteen

have been

Serapis,

Isis


USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS crowned with poppies and ears

43

and the same

of grain,

goddess veiled, with a crescent on her forehead are also three replicas of the

same type, and a female

Egyptian head-dress, probably a

figure wearing the

These marbles

trait-statue.

there

;

from the great temple

beyond doubt,

are,

close by,

})or-

spoils

hammered and broken

and

utilised as building materials, after the

the

temple

closing of

Apparently the sanctuary supplied

itself.

marbles and stone to the whole neighbourhood for cen-

At

turies.

the foot of the platform on which

it

stood

another wall was found in December, 1888, built with blocks of amethyst breccia (hreecia ametistina)^ amount-

ing in

twenty or twenty-five cubic

all to

feet.

In 1884, while collecting specimens of rare marbles, to

be

exhibited

Botanico,

the

in

Museo Urbano

was shown a beautiful piece

I

of

granite, with oval spots resembling in shape

those of a leopard's

skin,'

which had

just

the

in

Orto

purplish

and colour

been discov-

ered under the Hickson Field palace, on the Via Merulana.

As

the

was not entirely shapeless, but

block

bore marks of the chisel on one side,

me with

the

pieces of the

stipulation

that

if,

in

it

was given to

tlie

future, other

same object should be found, the donation

Two

should be cancelled.

years later,

when

the

con-

vent of the Cluny Sisters was being built, at a distance of six

hundred

be brought

to

feet

from the Field palace, what should

light

very work of art

!

but the missing portions of that It

was a beautiful and nearly per-


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

44

feet repliea of the sacred cow, Hatlior, Isis,

— seemingly

— the

symbol

of

copied from the original, discovered in

1884 among the ruins of the temple of

Isis in

the

Campus

Martins.

After such instances of the destruction and

dispersion

of

Fig.

11.

statuary,

— A statue,

can

we wonder

broken into fragments,

at

the

fate

of

in process of reconstruction.

the Farnese Hercules, the torso of which was found in the

Baths of Caracalla, the head at the bottom cf a

well in

the

miles from

Trastevere, and the legs at

Rome

?

Bovillae,

ten


USE OF EARLIER MATERIALS In the accompanying illustration process

in

11)

we

see

reconstruction a statue of Victory that

of

It

was discovered

Aurelius Avianius

Symmachus on

had been broken into 151 the house of

in

(Fig.

45

L.

pieces.

the Caelian.i

My

Rome

experience in the excavations at

has sug-

gested the following observation in regard to the condition of marble statues in loose earth,

among

when

discovered

:

Those found

the ruins of the edifices to which

they belonged, generally lack head and arms

;

but those

that have been used as building material in foundation

walls can often be reconstructed in their entirety, head

and arms being not These

away.

show that before the

facts

Rome, many

far

of the statues

burial of

Ancient

had been injured by knock-

ing off their most prominent and easily broken parts.

The

head and arms

of

loss

may

in

some cases have

resulted from the overthrowing of the statue, the

remaining where

Most

it fell,

body

the head rolling off to one side.

the loose heads are rounded and smooth as

of

street-idlers of hocceP'

had used them

Some

of

to play

the popular

if

game

them have a hook or ring on the

crown, and must have been used as weights for large 1

and Excavations,

liuins

p. 347.

game played with six larger balls and one Each of the two players rolls three balls, and those that stop nearest the mark gain a point. The temptation to use loose heads of statues when wooden balls were not available must 2

This

is

a purely Italian

smaller one, which

have been

strons;.

is

used as a mark.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

46

The

scales.

my

time were

The

five all,

or six liundred heads

discovered in

except a dozen or two, without noses.

fact that heads

and arms

of statues

used as build-

ing materials are rarely missing, shows that the break-

ing up of statuary became early of

period of the

art

Roman

common

decadence,

ornamenting palaces and

suffered but little injury.

at

a comparatively

when

gardens

the works

had

as

yet


CHAPTER IV THE ASPECT OF THE CITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH CENTURY

Although Rome had recover,

from

not recovered, and could not

removal

the

the

of

imperial

court

to

Byzantium, accomplished in 330, yet at the beginning great buildings

of the fifth century the

substantially to the list of

existing

impressiveness of effect that

who

the

Palatine

a

visited

in

it

357,

had ceased

A

government.

XVI., from which "

Forum

may

The

architectural

be measured by the

I

years

be

of

the

seat

after

imperial is

in the tenth chapter of

given

Book

quote but one passage referring to

Trajan

of

to

twenty-seven

graphic account of the visit

by Ammianus Marcellinus

the

few additions were made

monuments. City

the

remained

produced upon the mind of Constantius

it

II.,

and

intact,

still

:

—

Having now entered the Forum Trajanum, the most

marvellous

creation

of

human

genius,

he was struck

with wonder, and looked around in amazement at the great structures, which no pen can describe, and which

mankind can

create

of

.

centuries.

.

.

and behold but once

Then he turned 47

in the course

his attention to


"

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROxME

48

the equestrian statue in the centre of the Forum, and said

attendants he would have one like

his

to

Constantinople

prince attached to the court, replied,

provide your horse with a stable like

'

You must

The other

Rome.

him

especially astonished

edifices

Capitoline,

the

Baths,

the

the

Pantheon, the

temple

of

visit

also a

is

the

:

Thothmes

Jupiter on

Flavian Amphitheatre,

Venus and

Rome, the

Pompey, the Odeum, and the Stadium.

theatre of

There

great-

mentioned as having

are the temple of

the

first

this.'

Constantius was indeed overwhelmed by the ness of

in

which Hormisdas, a young Persian

to

:

it

monumental record

highest obelisk III.

the

of

of

this imperial

world,

before the great temple

at

erected

by

Thebes, re-

moved by Constantius to Rome, and set up in the Circus Maximus. It now stands in the piazza of the Lateran. Constantius is said to have taken away the superb statue of Victory, presented by Augustus, from the Senate-house injury, for

place It

;

but

it

must have been saved from

Julian the Apostate (361-363) was able to

it

again on

its

is

difficult

for

pedestal.

us to

form a conception of

magnificence of Rome, even in

its

decline.

According

to the regionary catalogue compiled in the time of stantine,^ the City then 1

There are two editions of

name

of Notitia

Con-

"contained 2 circuses, 2 amphithis catalogue.

The

first,

known by

the

dates from a.d. .334 the secXIV., must have been regionum Bomae

Regionum Urbis Romae,

ond, called Curiosum urbis

the

;


BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH CENTURY

3 theatres, 10 basilicas, 11 thermae, 36 arches

theatres,

2 commemorative

marble,

of

49

columns,

(im-

6 obelisks

ported from Egypt), 423 temples, 1790 domus

— that

is,

extensive private residences, or palaces, of the wealthy

— besides

which there were reckoned 46,602 tenements

(insulae).

The open

places were adorned with 2 colossi

(probably

those

Nero and

horses

'

of

— presumably

counting

Augustus), not

22

merely

the

equestrian statues, as that of Marcus Aurelius, the

square

of

the

Capitol,

'great large

now

in

but also groups of which

horses formed a part, as those of the Dioscuri on the

Capitoline and of the Horse- tamers on the Quirinal

to

;

which are added 80 gilded and 77 ivory statues of the mention being made of the countless lesser

gods, no

In the number of obelisks, at

statues on every side."

any

rate, the

catalogue

falls far

short of the truth

such as these, impressive though they

statistics

are after all of no real assistance in trying to

idea

of

the aspect of the City unless

we

reconstruct, in imagination, the buildings art so concisely

The year 403

may

be,

form an to

and works

of

summarised.

is

memorable

tury had elapsed since the issued in or after 357, because

for the

celebration of a

Maximus.

it

A

cen-

Romans had beheld such

a

mentions the obelisk raised in that year

For a bibliography on these two invaluable

documents see Btiins and Excavations^ E

and

able

are

triumph, the last ever seen in Ancient Rome.

in the Circus

;

p. vii.


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

50 sight

— Diocletian's

triumph

in

303

;

nay, in that space

time they had only thrice seen the face of an em-

of

peror.

The pretext

tion of

the

for this pageant

Numidian

was the subjuga-

Count Gildo.

rebel,

This event

is

commemorated by

is

a pedestal of an equestrian group, discovered in the

Forum

several existing

near the arch

1549 and 1565 learn that

it

;

Septimius

of

One

monuments.

between

Sever us

we Roman

bears an inscription, from which

it

was erected by the Senate and the

people as a testimonial of their rejoicing at the crush-

ing of the rebellion and the recovery of Africa. the same

place

was found the pedestal

of

In

a statue

erected in honour of Stilicho, the inscription of which distinctly attributes

directly

A

tliird

the

the

in

the

of

face

historical

of

Africa,

evidence.^

commemorating the repairing

inscription,

of

Claudian and Marcian aqueducts, in the plain of

Arsoli,

with

preserved

is

him the reconquest

to

money

the in

the

confiscated

palace

from the

Prince

of

rebels,

Massimi

at

Arsoli.

Another

historic

monument

relating

to

the

Gothic

wars stands on the edge of the Forum opposite the Senate-house. the

army

The

inscription praises the gallantry of

of Arcadius, Honorius,

and Theodosius

in de-

feating Rhadagaisus at the battle of Florence in 405

the 1

victory

being

attributed

to

Stilicho,

— post

con-

See Huelsen, " 7Z monumPMto della guerra Gildonica sul Foro Ro-

mano,'" in MUtheiL, 1895,

p. 52

;

C.

I.

L. VI. 1187, 1730.


BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH CENTURY fectum Gothieum helium

.

.

consiliis

et

51

fortitudine

Flavii StilicJionis.^

Fig. 12.

— The monument of Stilicho in the Forum.

This memorial, shown in our illustration (Fig. 12), set

up ''by decree 1

of the Senate

and the Roman people,

Notizie degli Scavi, 1880, p. 53.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

52

under the care of Pisidius City,"

the

of

the meanest and poorest in the whole Forum.

is

presents

It

Romulus, prefect

and resources

pride, taste,

century.

evidence

indisputable

made

It is

which forms the

and one

decline

beginning of the

at the

two blocks, one

of

base,

the

of

of

fifth

of travertine,

The

of marble above.

marble block had previously been used as a pedestal

an equestrian

for

knocked

end, the cracks in

it

statue

was

up awkwardly on

one

bronze

of

pedestal

the

off,

statue

set

the

;

being brought together with iron

clamps; then the old inscription was carefully obliterated,

and the new one cut over

405,

a

perors

triumphal

— with

arch

spoils

of

had swept from the face

Four years

Goths."

In the same year,

it.

was raised

to

other edifices

the

—

''

three

Em-

because they

of the earth the nation of the

the

later,

very barbarians

whom

they boasted to have annihilated, stormed and sacked the city.

The arch S.

just

mentioned

stood

by the

near S. Giovanni de' Fiorentini.

Orso,

church

of

Just as in

classical

times, such

honorary monuments were raised

on

Sacra

leading

the

Jupiter

Optimus Maximus,

era, thej^

St.

Via,

the

to so

temple

great

now, in the

of

Christian

were built over the roads converging towards

Peter's,

and especially

which the pilgrims had Apostle's tomb.

at

to

The arch

and Theodosius, erected

the cross

foot

of

the

bridges

on their way to the

of Gratianus, Valentinianus,

in the year 382, stood in the


BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH CENTURY

53

Piazza di Ponte S. Aiigelo, that of Arcadius, Honorius,

and Tlieodosius (405 a.d.)

approach to the Pons

at the

Vaticanus, that of Valentinian and Valens

by the Ponte

(366-367)

Sisto.

The Emperors Arcadius and Honorius,

an

fearing

advance of the Goths under Alaric, undertook the general restoration

of

the City walls under the

of

The work was

Stilicho.

and celebrated by several cut

Porta

on the

finished

January, 402,

inscriptions, three of which,

Porta

Tiburtina,

down

Porta Portuensis, have come not

in

direction

and

Praenestina,

They speak

to us.^

the walls, gates, and

only of " the restoration of

towers of the Eternal City," but also of "the removal of large masses of rubbish."

This allusion to the dispo-

sition of rubbish is of great

importance for our subject,

because

it

gives us the date and the cause of the

first

great rise in the level of the City, at least of the outly-

ing districts.

After the removal of the imperial court to

Byzantium, the municipal regulations requiring the

moval fell

of the City refuse to a safe distance apparently

into abeyance

;

and

sorts

all

of

material seem to

have been heaped up against the walls. neither time nor

means

ful defence

402,

and

;

spreading

therefore,

it

the 1

over

level C.

I.

chances

his

so he contented

of

Stilicho

away the bank

to cart

which certainly diminished

off

re-

of

had

of debris,

a

success-

himself with levelling the

adjoining

imperial

L. VI. 1188-1190.

land.

Rome on

it

In the


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

54

of the walls

line

was raised

at once

by ten or twelve

feet.

The

best evidence of this fact

found

to be

is

at the

Porta Ostiensis, now Porta di

S. Paolo, close to the

mid

The threshold

of

of Cestius (Fig.

402

is

13).

arch

;|

t(L>..r

_

i-evel

13.

of the gate of 272.

Augustus on the Via

of

.ty

Fig.

of the gate

about twelve feet higher than the base of the

pyramid and the threshold the

pyra-

of

v(\

a-D. Aai

Tiburtina,

Gat«-

a.

04^e/n.4^i

1

of

:

•(

il

X>

Gate

aii

is

formed the Tiburtine gate lower than the gate of

shown

at the

of 272,

402.^

which

Honaruu

I

of

AwTtlijvn

— The raising of level at the Porta Ostiensis, a.d. 402. of Cestius

Again,

The Pyramid

left.

is

ten or twelve feet

The same observation

applies to the Porta Flaminia, Porta Praenestina, Porta

Portuensis,

and Porta Septimiana.

The Porta Appia

seems to have been rebuilt with materials taken from the beautiful temple of

any change have

I

of

level.

Mars outside the In

only one part

found traces of a lowering of the 1

walls, without

of soil

See the illustration in JRuins and Excavations^

the

walls

below the

p. 76.


BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH CENTURY level

of

55

This single exception

the classical period.

is

at the northeast corner of the Praetorian camp.

The gates of Honorius have been ruthlessly treated Sixtus IV. dismantled the Porta in modern times. Flaminia in 1478

Alexander VI. destroyed the Porta

;

Septimiana in 1498

;

Pius IV., the Nomentana in 1564

Urban VIII., the Portuensis and the Aurelia

in

Gregory XVI., the

In

Praenestina

Pius IX. dismantled the Porta

make use

of

the stones of

foundations of the of S. in the

*'

in its present

1838.

Tiburtina, in

which

it

was

Colonna del Concilio

Pietro in Montorio.

bombardment

in

of

The Porta

September

form in 1872.

" at the

20, 1870,

;

1869

order to

built

Salaria,

1642

;

in

the

church

damaged

was rebuilt


;

CHAPTER V THE SACK OF THE GOTHS IN CONSEQUENCES

The

repairing of

the

walls

city

410,

by

AND

Arcadius

and

The

suc-

Honorius was accomplished none too soon. cess of Stilicho in checking the at the battle of Florence, in 405,

ITS

advance of the Goths

was only temporary

the barbarian host, two hundred thousand strong, had

overrun the plains of northern

Italy,

and would un-

doubtedly take advantage of a favourable opportunity to attack

Rome

and death

the disgrace in

itself.

Such an opportunity came with of

407 and murdered at

who was banished Ravenna in 408 his name Stilicho,

;

was even erased from the monument erected honour

in the

The Roman before

Forum, described

in

in the previous chapter.

leader had hardly been put out of the

Rome

saw,

for

the

first

his

way

time since the Gallic

invasion of 390 B.C., a host of barbarians surrounding the walls.

This time Alaric was induced to lead his

army away by the payment

of an exorbitant

one of the items of which was of

gold.

five

ransom,

thousand pounds

In order to meet this demand, the Romans 56


THE SACK OF THE GOTHS were

compelled

to

IN 410

57

the

bronze

statues

410,

Alaric

and

strip

of

their

heavy gilding.

Two

years

later,

in

hordes

his

entered the City, on the twenty-fourth day of August,

dead of night by the Porta

in tire

the

to

houses

near

the

imperial mansion in the the

of

doned

citizens

and

set fire

among which was the gardens of Sallust. The lives gate,

were spared, but the City was aban-

two sacred

except as regards the

plunder,

to

Salaria,

At

enclosures of St. Peter and St. Paul.

the end

of

the third day the barbarians withdrew, carrying off an

amount

incredible if

we

of articles of value,

are to believe Procopius

— were

temple at Jerusalem which Titus temple of Peace

may

this point

among which

the spoils of the

had placed

fered

well be doubted.

most

more than

aristocratic all

other regions.

the

I

made

the remains of the

Thermae Decianae and

Trajan

;

in the

the palace of

in the

in the

Annia

1

garden of

130

have wit-

Vigna Torlonia, among of the house

Vigna Maciocchi, among the ruins Cornificia Faustina,

Marcus Aurelius and wife

of

its

quarter of the city, suf-

nessed excavations

of

the

in

but the testimony of Procopius on

;

In these days of terror the Aventine with palaces, the

—

S.

of

younger

of

sister

Ummidius Quadratus

Anselmo, where the palace of the

Zosimus, V. 45, speaks of the actual melting of gold and silver

statues,

and

ble statues.

also of the gold

and

silver

ornaments

of bronze or

mar-


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

58

Pactumeii was discovered in 1892

;

and in the garden

Sabina, once occupied by the houses of Cosmus,

of S.

Minister

of

under Marcus Aurelius, and of

Finance

Marcella and Principia, the friends of

watching these excavations,

Jerome.

St.

was struck by the

I

In fact

that these beautiful palaces must have perished towards

the beginning of the fifth century of our era, and

The

signs

of

traces

of

flames

from the same cause. everywhere

same

the

:

ened the red ground of the roofs

to

fall

ground

the

on the floor

mosaic

are

which black-

aaid

or marble

scattered

coins

;

frescoes,

destruction

all

caused the

pavements

among

the

of

ruins,

belonging, with rare exceptions, to the fourth century statues

that

had been restored over and over again

marbles stolen from pagan buildings, mostly from sepul-

monuments, and

chral

utilised for hurried restorations

and Christian symbols on lamps and domestic These indications historical event,

— the

partiality

wealthy.

The

utensils.

the period and point to the same

fix

capture and pillage of

shown

treasures

Rome by

The Aventine paid

the Goths in August, 410. for the

;

for

it

dearly

by the noble and the

accumulated

in

its

palaces

roused the cupidity of the invaders, and led them to excesses of plunder and destruction such as were spared to

more humble

districts of the City.

Although the imperial casino lust

is

in the

gardens of Sal-

the only structure distinctly mentioned by histo-

rians as having been

consumed by

fire,

we

are constantly


THE SACK OF THE GOTHS

59

IN 410

discovering evidences of a far more widespread loss from this cause

and even among the written records

;

new

eventful days some

come

particulars

from

to light,

time to time, as in the following instance

On

of those

:

—

the Caelian Hill, between S. Stefano Rotondo and

Lateran, there was a palace belonging to the

the

de-

scendants of the Valerii Poplicolae, namely, to Valerius

Rome

Severus, prefect of

year 386, and to his

in the

The

son Pinianus, husband of Melania the younger.

much

palace was so beautiful and contained so that

when Pinianus and Melania, crushed with

on account of the

— ad

fuit.

loss

magnum

tarn

et

mirabile opus accedere

palace was sold for little or nothing

The reason

est.

grief it

up

none willing to purchase

However, seven or eight years

venumdata

put

cf all their children,

404, they found

in

for sale it

wealth,

nemo ausus

later

the same

— domus pro

for such a

nihilo

change has lately

been discovered in a manuscript of the library of Chartres. its

The barbarians had plundered

valuables,

and wrecked

it

by

the palace

of

all

fire.^

Additional evidence regarding the fate of the palaces

on the Aventine 54 and 127.

furnished by St. Jerome, in Epistles

is

One

of these palaces,

as

we have

belonged to Marcella, the founder of monastic

Rome.

This

noble

matron was

left

a

widow

seen, life

in

after

seven months of marriage, and being pressed by the

Consul Cerealis 1

to

marry again, determined

Compare, however, Buins and Excavations,

p. 345.

to

sever


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

60

connection with the world for the rest of her

all

Following the rule of

St.

life.

Athanasius, Bishop of Alex-

andria, she dressed herself in simple garb, gave

use of wine and meat, and divided

up the

her time between

study of the Scriptures, prayers, and pilgrimages

the

tombs

to the

came Marcella's and beauty she

and martyrs.

of apostles

spiritual adviser

be-

such was the serenity

;

of her character, that in one of

his letters

Roman

matrons."

addressed as ^'the pride

is

Jerome

St.

of

However, when Rome became the prey

of

the

Goths,

the barbarians broke into her peaceful retreat and tor-

tured her in an attempt to discover the secret hidingplace

her

of

treasures,

before given up to the needy. safety of Principia,

whom

St.

as a refuge for of

own St.

she threw herself

life,

women and

Paul outside the walls,

been set apart by Alaric

Peter's, liad

her Aventine

Fearing more for the

Gothic chieftain and begged to be

conducted to the church of which, like

long

she had adopted as a spirit-

ual daughter, than for her at the feet of the

had

she

that

treasures

The

children.

home and

the

and pillage brought Marcella's

destruction

shock of the torture

life to

a close

;

she died

before the end of that eventful August.

The barbarians attacked with equal fury buildings

One

of

of

the

Aventine,

especially

these establishments, called

the public

the

thermae.

Thermae Decianae

from the family of the Caecinae Decii, who had built it

in

the

neighbourhood

of

their

palace,

was under-


THE SACK OF THE GOTHS mined by the Goths

so that the

main wall

dai'ium leaned forward, dragging into

made

repairs

haste

in

its

The damages,

the neighbouring halls.

61

IN 410

of the tepi-

own

ruin

all

as well as the

by Caecina Decius Albinus

in

the year 414, are described in an inscription discovered

on the spot in 1725, and now preserved in the Capi-

The temple

Museum.^

toline

Juno

of

Regina,

first

erected by Camillus after the capture of Veii, and rebuilt in imperial times

to have

been seriously injured,

occasion.

if

not destroyed, on this

marbles were made use of by Peter, an

Its

Illyrian priest,

who

Such being the

built the church of S. Sabina in 425.

fate of the Aventine,

ous homes and countless treasures, us

the Genius of

if

has

say)

searchers

Such

the

now and

it

with

luxuri-

its

need not surprise

would

place (as the ancients

then

vouchsafed

antiquities

after

was that made

a find

seems

with great magnificence,

truly

a

to

us

modern

remarkable

in the pontificate

find.

of

Pius

IV. by Matteo da Castello, the Pope's architect, who, while

planting

Prisca,

a

vineyard

bol

of

Pope as

a

the

church

came across two or three receptacles

containing eighteen hundred

image

near

pieces

of the

Empress Helena on one

the

on the other.

cross

of his discovery,

present.

of

C.

of

gold, with

side,

He duly

S.

lead,

the

and the symnotified

the

and received the whole treasure

The gold was valued 1

of

I.

L. VI. 1703.

at

about three


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

62

thousand

Matteo

Flaminio Galgano, a contemporary of

dollars.

da

was

Castello,

equally

quarrying stone at the foot of the

While

fortunate.

near

hill

S. Prisca,

he discovered in the heart of the rock a square room,

with

pavement

the

with

inlaid

pieces

and the walls covered with panels

cornelian,

and

agate

of

of

gilt

copper, in the cornice of which rare medals were set as a motive of

decoration.

The room

paterae and instruments of sacrifice,

many

contained

all

damaged by

fire.

Pietro Sante Bartoli, in his Memoirs (n. 128), gives

following

the

account of another

ciated with the

find,

same barbarian invasion

probably asso'*•

:

When Urban

VIII. built the Bastione del Priorato di Malta, in front of

the church

of

S.

Maria

things were discovered.

cealed a silver table service, place

of

many

Among them was

formed by two walls, inside

place,

worked

of

curious

a hiding-

which was con-

The

in repousse.

concealment was covered and screened from

view by a piece the

Aventina,

Villa

of a

Pamfili.

marble cornice, since removed to

Another

treasure

of

gold

coins,

and other precious objects was found inside an

rings,

earthen jar; the police, acting under the orders of Car-

Antonio Barberini, sought

dinal finder,

days

far

and wide

but they could never lay hands on him.

after,

another

workman from Aquila

for the

A

few

discovered a

leaden box, and, although his pay for several weeks of labour was

still

to his credit, he thought

abscond with the box than to wait for

liis

it

better to

money."


THE SACK OF THE GOTHS Perhaps the most remarkable buried in

Rome

IN 410 of

set

63

silverware ever

for fear of barbarian plundering

is

the

one discovered between June, 1793, and March of the following year, under the convent of the Paolotte, on the Via di S. Lucia in

The

buranus. service

collection,

a lady

of

of

ancient

Selce, the

which belonged

rank,

Clivus Su-

to the toilet-

weighed 1029 ounces, and

comprised a pyxis inscribed with the names of Turcius Asterius Secundus and of his wife Projecta, two candlesticks in the shape of brackets, five plates soup-plates, with niello,

goblets

five

name "Projecta Turci,"

the

in

shape

the

basin in the shape of a shell, spoons,

by Ennio

ewers,

and lamps,

with remains of a

together

sundry other

of

sedan

Pius VI.

Quirino Visconti.^

by

treasure to be disposed of

A

sale.

in gold-

a

wash-

forks,

and

chair

and

catalogue of which

articles, the

and four

is

given

allowed

the

few pieces were

bought by Carlo Gherardi, and resold to Baron von Kevenhuller

;

the

all

The

von Schellersheim. ited in the

British

of

Sir

the

late

rest

were purchased by Baron

finest

objects are

Museum, thanks

Augustus Franks.

evidently hidden in great haste.

to the

The

now

exhib-

generosity

silver set

was

Visconti affirms that

he saw a piece of a linen towel inside the shell-shaped basin,

"a

proof,"

he

sa3^s,

the treasure was buried." 1

"of the hurry with which

The concealment must have

Lettera di Ennio Quirino Visconti intorno ad

d^argento, etc,

2d

ed.

Rome,

1827, xxv. plates.

una antica

supellettile


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

64 taken

place

362

after

Secundus was prefect of his death, because

a

Peregrina,

We of

are not

some

the

far, therefore,

dug out

The

the palace

possibly

ground, and

of

the same the

The barbarian

the

easily

two

or

the

in

lives

bar-

raised

than

persons

who

sack of

410 the

to

off.

invasions had one result which, from is

of even greater sig-

nificance than the burying of treasure

:

I

refer to

tlie

hiding of bronze statues in times of panic in

careful

them from injury

save

to

making a

the

was burnt

Asterii

the archaeological point of view,

order

Why

:

were not

cause,

retreat of

more one

their

of

been his daughter.

access to the hiding-place cut

all

name

and many others concealed

is

the

the secret lost

fact after

from the date of the sack

after

inquiry

Perhaps

answered.

knew

for

and, recovered

barians?

in

naturally suggests itself

same time and

the

have

to

this collection of valuables,

at

and

City,

of the pieces bear the

who seems

The question

410.

when Turcius Asterius

A.D.,

possible

perfect

instances,

state

we

their of

destruction,

thus

rediscovery in modern times in

Of

preservation.

not

are

or

able

to

course,

in

many

determine whether the

concealment took place in 410 rather than in 455 537, or

some other

year.

What we do know

is,

o;

that

bronzes were hidden through fear of an imminent calamity; and the presumption date because the

number

is

in favour of the earlier

of bronze statues in existence

must have been vastly diminished ing of the City.

after the

first

sack-


THE SACK OF THE GOTHS

IN 410

6b

been suggested that fear of the Christians, on

It has

account of the acts of violence occasionally committed

by the populace against the temples and their contents,

may have been

the cause

of images, particularly of

that led

the gods

lence against pagan sanctuaries

concealment

the

to

but deeds of vio-

;

— not

uncommon

in the

East, as in the case of the destruction of the magnifi-

cent Serapeum at Alexandria in 391

combs

The rough painting

Rome.

rare in

of

the Via

Salaria

overthrowing of a statue ^

though

St.

— were

extremely

in one of the cata-

Vetus which represents the is

unique in

its

way

;

and

Augustine 2 speaks of "the overthrowing of

the images in the City of Rome," his words, obviously

all

metaphorical, are contradicted by Claudianus,^ who, writ-

ing in the year 403, mentions vast multitudes of bronze

and marble

statues, lining the streets

and the forums.*

Statues were sometimes concealed by the magistrates

Two

themselves.

inscriptions,

one of which was dis-

covered at Benevento, the other at Capua, describe the reerection of

works

of statuary, reperta

or translata ex ahditis locis.

I

m

ahditis loeis,

have described elsewhere

1

De

2

Augustine, Sermo cv de verbis evang. Luc. X. 13.

2

De

4

Fuller information on this subject will be found in

Rossi, Bull, di arch, crist., 1865, pp. 3, 4.

vi.

consulatu Honorii, 42.

Blant's paper, "

De

quelques statues cach^es par

Compte-rendus de VAcad.. des Inscriptions,

in

Grisar's ^

^

Ipapi

del

Medio Evo,

Buins and Excavations,

ital. edit,

p. 456.

les

1890, p.

of 1897, Vol.

Edmund Le

anciens," published

I,

541

p. 38.

;

and

in


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

66

Hercules Invictus which

the bronze

the discovery of

had been hidden by the charioteers

of the Circus

Maxi-

mus, and of the Hercules Magnus Gustos concealed by those of the Circus Flaminius in

This

last

made

coffin

to light

had been carefully buried in a kind slabs

of

foundations

Nazionale, had not been buried

in

on

the

which was

in

upon a

care.

had been

sitting posture,

a

Via

haste in that heap

had been treated with the utmost

of rubbish, but figure,

March, 1885, in the

in

Drammatico

Teatro

the

of

The bronze

portasanta.

of

gladiator, likewise, discovered

The

came

first

time of Sixtus IV. (1471-148J:), the second in

the

1864. of

the

;

and the

poised

on a stone

trench,

which had been dug under the platform of the

temple filled

of

capital,

Sun

the

as

conceal

to

with finely sifted

earth,

the in

stool,

had been

statue,

order

to

save

the

bronze from any possible injury.

As

a

bronzes

the

rule,

the Renaissance

—

I

discovered

mentary to be of value

thrown into the Tiber,

the death

of

those

been carefully hidden, in times of panic.

was

it

Many in

lost, either

who knew

the great masses of debris had

reach

since

too imperfect and frag-

is

— had

secret of the place of hiding

of

Rome

speak of this later period because

our knowledge of earlier finds

or even

in

the

made

on account

spot, or it

The

because

impossible to

again. of these places of concealment

our days

;

three

of

them deserve

have been found special

mention.


Fig.

14.

— Bronze 1.

3,

heads found in 1880 under the English church, Via del Babuino. 2. Nero. Augustus. name unknown. 4. Portrait head of the first century

—



THE SACK OF THE GOTHS The

69

the treasure-trove unearthed in 1849, a few

first is

weeks

IN 410

the

before

Rome by

storming of

army under General Oudinot, beneath 17, Vicolo delle Pahiie,

now Vicolo

the

French

house at No.

tlie

dell' Atleta.

It con-

sisted of a

marble copy of the bronze Apoxyomenos of

Lysippus

of the bronze horse,

;

Conservatori, described

b}'

now

in the Palazzo dei

Emil Braun

"an unique

as

work, a masterpiece, and a genuine Grecian antique " of a bronze

;

foot with a particularly ornamental caliga,

which may possibly have belonged to the rider of the horse

of a bronze bull,

;

and many other fragments

importance.

less

The second discovery was made September the

at

Gesu was

e

corner

of

the Via

and Via del

Babuino

del

15, 1880,

Maria where the English Church of All Saints

in process of

feet

below the

was a head to

of

represent

of

The bronzes

erection. ^

threshold

more than

of life

the

main door.

size,

which was thought

Augustus, and to have

with the mausoleum of that Emperor

with the

eyes

perforated,

and

known personages of the first The third discovery took

lay nineteen

There

some connexion a

;

several

head of Nero busts of

un-

century. place

about

the

same

time at the corner of the Via Nazionale and Via di S.

Eufemia, while the Marchesa Capranica del Grillo

(Madame city

llistori)

house.

The 1

was laying the foundations of her treasure

consisted

Bull. Com., 1881, p. 30,

pi.

of i.

marbles

and


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

70

The latter rank among the Greco-Roman art, if indeed they

of

There was a

Greek.

a

of

in

the left hand

not

purely

;

mouth

the

fountain in the shape of a lion's head, and the

head of a youth, the most superb piece

These bronzes

have ever seen. I

are

sitting statue of Cybele, holding

diminutive millstone

a

specimens

best

bronzes.

all

work

of bronze

I

soon disappeared, and

have never been able to find out what became of them.

Another consequence

abandonment gists

of

Catacombs.

the

Christian

was the

archaeolo-

have stated that burials in the Catacombs, very

rare between 400 of the

The

of the Gothic invasion

suburbs,

and 410 on account

of the insecurity

were given up altogether after 410.

reason- for this

abandonment

is

The

easily seen.

storming of Alaric marks, thus, the end of a great and glorious era in the history of " underground

Rome

"

;

it

put an end altogether to the work of the fossores. After suffering more damage in the invasion of 457, the

Catacombs

were

irreparably

devastated

in

during the siege of the Goths under Vitiges. distinctly

stated

by the biographer

of

Pope

537, It

is

Silverius

(536-537) that "churches and tombs of martyrs were destroyed by the Goths"; but

understand

were and

and

St.

why

full

it

is

not easy for us to

the Goths, bigoted Christians as they

of respect for the basilicas of

Paul, as

St.

Peter

Procopius declares, should have ran-

sacked the Catacombs and have violated the tombs of martyrs, breaking up their commemorative inscriptions.


THE SACK OF THE GOTHS

IN 410

71

Perhaps they could not read Latin or Greek epitaphs,

and so were

unable

pagan and Christian hunting for hidden

make

to

a

distinction

;

perhaps

cemeteries treasures, or

the

of the

saints.

least

two

Goths in 537 were just over the

Catacombs and around their entrances Catacombs

Salaria, over the

of

of their behav-

iour, it is certainly a significant fact that at

encampments

were

they

relics

Whatever may have been the reason

between

;

one on the Via

of Thrason,

and the other

on the Via Labicana, over those of Peter and Marcellinus.

The

barbarians,

naturally,

could

hardly resist

the temptation to explore those subterranean wonders indeed, they were

mentary rules

combs

obliged to do so by the most ele-

mentioned, a memorial repairs

tablet

made

in

has

been

haste

by

found

Pope

between March, 537, the date of the retreat

and the following November, the date

Vitiges,

of

In each of the two cata-

of precaution.

commemorating the Vigilius

;

the journey of Vigilius to Constantinople.^ this Pope's restorations

catacombs,

especially

of

Traces of

have been found also in other those

in

of

Callixtus

and Hip-

polytus.

His example was followed by private indi-

viduals.

The tomb

Via

of

Crysanthus and Daria, in the

was repaired

Salaria,

barians pauperis

ex

censu^

after the retreat of the bar-

with the modest means of

one of the humbler followers of the Master.

Notwithstanding the feeling of insecurity caused by 1

Cf.

Fagan and

Christian Borne, p. 324.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

72 the

sack of 410, the body of the Emperor Honorius,

who

died at Ravenna, August 15, 423, was not interred

in

Rome and

that city, but was transported to

burial

in

the

imperial

raised

on

the

south

mausoleum

side

of

which

had

been

Church, in

Peter's

St.

given

wretched imitation of the great structures of Augustus This tomb of the decadence was com-

and Hadrian.

posed of two round

halls, joined

Each rotunda contained

by a covered passage.

the imperial sarcophagi were placed.

with

structure

(mausoleum) occurs A.D.), of

who

the

other

of

Stephen

its

daughter

of

mediaeval name of

rotunda was known as the

Andrew, and first

life

supposed

the

derived

it

the

also of

"Our Lady

the

mosileos

(752

II.

sixteenth century, to

make room

new basilica, where Judas now stands the the

;

first

new

Petronilla

chapel

of

Fever."

;

St.

The

quarter of the

for the south transept of

the chapel of Saints

Simon and

other met with a similar fate

during the pontificate of Pius VI., and occupied by the

Peter,

St.

S.

of the

building was destroyed in the

mosileos^

of

of

placed in the western chambers the remains

Petronilla,

whence

in

Mention

denomination

genuine

its

which

six or seven recesses, in

sacristy.

The

so similar to that of the

its

place

was

architecture of the

tomb

of St.

Helena

(the Torre Pignattara) on the Via Labicana, gives us the measure of the decline of tion,

when we compare

it

Roman

art

and

civilisa-

with the imposing mauso-

leums of Augustus and Hadrian.


THE SACK OF THE GOTHS The

robbery

two rotundas by

the

St.

73

which

It

excels,

refinement of barbarous and useless destruction, other

deeds

of

The

occurred.

unscrupulous

the first

second took place

desecration in

1519

;

crown jewels

unique set of

age

in

last,

the

fifth

sent to the mint, or sold or given away.

ception of a bulla inscribed with the rius

and

his

in

which ;

at

in

the

all

from 1458

dates

the of

filled

was accomplished

Peter's

and by various persons.

times

various

graves

imperial

the

of

IN 410

it

the

The

1544.

century was

With

names

the ex-

of

Hono-

empress Maria, daughter of Stilicho and

Serena, and sister of Thermantia and Eucherius, which is

now

every

in

other

identity.

the

hands of

specimen

has

Prince Trivulzio of disappeared

or

Milan,

lost

its


CHAPTER VI THE SACK OF ROME BY THE VANDALS

The

IN 455

exact date of the second capture of Rome, by

Genseric and the Vandals,

not known, but

is

it

was

probably the beginning of June, 455, three days after the

murder

of

who had

Petronius Maximus,

caused the death of Valentinian

III.,

himself

and usurped the

The Vandals, with whom were mixed Bedouins

throne.

and Moors, entered the City by the Porta Portuensis,

and plundered Tlie

days.

ships

at

it

leisure for the space of

booty was carted

which Valentinian stantly occupied

The

III.,

called

palace of

La Mar-

the Caesars,

unlike his predecessors, had con-

and had kept

in repair,

was stripped

The temple of JupiOptimus Maximus, who from the lofty summit of

even of

its

commonest

furniture.

the Capitoline hill had

the

methodically to the

moored alongside the quays, now

morata and Ripa grande.

ter

off

fourteen

presided over the destinies of

Roman Commonwealth

quins,

was

offerings

also

since the time of

put to ransom

were carried

off

to

;

its

statues

the Tar-

and votive

adorn the African

resi-

dence of Genseric, and half the roof was stripped of its

tiles

of gilt

bronze.

It 74

is

also

reported that the


THE SACK OF THE VANDALS trophies

of

of

reliefs

the

Jewish war, represented

These

fell

Roman

plundered from the

the

bas-

by him

into the hands of

spoils, as well

75

in

the arch of Titus and deposited

the temple of Peace, rians.

IN 455

in

the barba-

as the massive gold plate

churches, were discovered at

Carthage, eighty years later, by Belisarius, and carried

back in triumph, not to Rome, but to Constantinople.

We

have a memorial of these eventful days in the

now

Basilica Eudoxiana,

which was built by Eudoxia the younger, widow

coli,

of Valentinian

built with

the

of

and a victim,

III.,

Maximus, and then is

the church of S. Pietro in Vin-

first,

of the

This beautiful church

of Genseric.

columns of Greek marble taken from one

neighbouring

edifices,

perhaps

the

Baths

Titus or of Trajan, or the Porticus Tellurensis

which shows how bers

little

respect was

the imperial families

of

usurper

ancient

the preservation of

to

—a

paid by the

of fact

mem-

the laws concerning

buildings.

The

edict

of

Maiorianus, issued at Ravenna in 458, forbidding once

more the dismantling tion of

new

of ancient structures for the erec-

ones, confirms our

had come to be looked upon I

belief

that the former

as stone quarries.

cannot undertake here to speak with more detail

of the consequences of the sack of the Vandals, as re-

gards the fate of buildings and works of reason cases tain

that

we

are

results

exact

information

is

wanting.

not in a position to followed

this

art, for

invasion,

the

In most

know whether

cer-

those

later

or

of


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

76 date.

the

Nor does

it

my

fall witliin

province to recount

history of the City for the half-century after the

storming of Genseric,

— truly

a

harrowing narrative of

siege, famine, pillage, massacre, fires,

general Ave

may assume

and

pestilence.

In

that the last half of the fifth

century was almost as disastrous a period for the history of

the

Roman monuments

inhabitants.

as

it

was

for

the wretched


CHAPTER

VII

THE CITY IN THE SIXTH CENTURY

At

the opening of the sixth century the prevailing

gloom

contrast,

by

dawn with ened

and thrown into

penetrated,

is

ray of

a

A

light.

the accession of

era

stronger

seemed

gave

itself

no

of

his arrival

Rome Theoderic

in

(in

loco

qui

Palma aurea

made by

this Prince for the

of

the

dicitu?'^,

and

The

pro-

then proceeded to the palace of the Caesars. visions

the

addressed kind

words to the people from the rostra in front Senate-house

little

On

concern for the remains of Rome's greatness.

day

to

Theoderic, whose enlight-

(500-526)

administration

new

even

improvement

of the

City are recorded in the Variae of his secretary, Cassiodorius. tects

He

appointed a body of engineers and archi-

to superintend

the restoration of public

under the direction of as

we have

an

arcJiitectus

The theatre

of

paired with the help of one of the age, Avianius of

Decius

puhlicorum^

already seen he revived the

"keeper of statues."

Symmachus

;

edifices,

of

the

Pompey was great men of

re-

office

the

the Coliseum, with the help

Marius Venantius Basilius, prefect of

City in the year 508.

and

The duty 77

the

of putting the aque-


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

78

ducts in order, and keeping the baths and the foun-

was entrusted

tains well supplied with water

formarum bour of

the care of public sewers to a sani-

urhis;

named Johannes

tary engineer

to a comes

Rome was

the charge of the har-

;

given to a harbour-master Qcomes

partus urhis Romae)^ assisted by a deputy (vicarius)\ the theatres and

were

shows

"supervisor

designed

other buildings

under

placed

Thus thoroughgoing expense of other

superintendence

the

amusements"

of

(trihunus

were

repairs

public

for

of

a

voluptatuTn).

made, not

at

the

in the case of the prede-

edifices, as

cessors of Theoderic, but with brick expressly prepared

the

in

great

They were

all

brickyard

old

stamped

we must acknowledge

— in

— with

called this

case

Portus

Licini.

appropriately,

the inscription

EEGNANTE D N THEODERICO FELIX ROMA •

I

have never made or witnessed an excavation

the site of any of the great buildings of

Rome

without

discovering one or more of Theoderic's bricks. style of

masonry which prevailed

on

The

in his time can best

be examined in the repairs made to the " arcus Caeli-

montani," the branch aqueduct supplying the imperial palace in the Via di S.

Stefano

Rotondo.

The sums

destined for such works were derived from local taxation.

Maximian

of

two hundred pounds

Ravenna

states in his annals that the

of gold set aside for the restoration

of the walls of the City

and of the imperial residence


THE CITY

IN

THE SIXTH CENTURY

— which

were collected from the city tax on wine this

day remains one

The churches

on the Via Aurelia and of

from the time of

S.

of

Martino

at

revenue for

of the chief sources of

the municipal treasury.

79

Pancras

St.

Monti date

ai

this benevolent ruler.

In describing the siege of Vitiges, which lasted from February,

537,

to

March,

538,

and

intrenched

the

camps raised by the Goths around the beleaguered Procopius

refers

to

the cutting

aqueducts

the

(Dg Bello Goth.

following words

the

of

has fourteen aqueducts

high

and

broad

through them." respects

the

:

but eleven,

that

.

.

a

;

horseman

This statement

is

could

easily

ride

erroneous in two

aqueducts were in reality not fourteen

— Appia,

and

water.

and their channels are so

.

Anio Vetus, Marcia, Tepula,

Virgo, Alsietina, Claudia, Anio Novus,

andrina

in

"The down Rome

19):

I.

Goths having thus surrounded the City, broke the aqueducts to cut off the supply of

City,

their channels

''

Julia,

Trajana, Alex-

could not be entered even

by a pygmy riding on a goat or a ram."^ Belisarius

walled up the mouths of

order to prevent the

in

means

the

aqueducts,

enemy from making them

of entering the City.

The consequences

a

of the

cutting were not so serious as to cause a water famine,

because there were enough springs within the walls to

meet the emergency 1

Fabretti,

De

the

of

aquis, p. 145

:

moment, not

ne Pygmaei quidem,

to

speak of

arietis,

dorso insidentis^ quales eos describit Plinius, capaces fuerunt.

capraeve


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

80

the Tiber, the water of which has always been consid-

ered potable and wholesome.

It

observe that, after the removal of

the

to Constantinople, the water supply of

much

Any

of

world-famous

its

of

lost

Roman

waters, at the Ponte degli Arci at

Claudia, which in purity the

made

at

of

the

case

or that

between Tivoli

of

the

and Castel

section of the channel, which

Monte Arcese, May

state

Tivoli,

ranked next to the Marcia,^

Monitola

Colle

The following

Madama.

of the Marcia, the purest

Monte Arcese, near

the foot of

real

Rome had

one can convince himself of the truth of this state-

and best

I

imperial Court

purity and wholesomeness.

ment by examining the channel

near

necessary to

also

is

5,

1881, will indicate the

than

better

any

description

(Fig. 15).

The channel

(spemis)

measured

originally

one -half feet (2.05 metres) in height, that base

the

of

feet (1.01

vaulted ceiling,

and

six

is,

to

the

and three and one-third

metres) in breadth.

As long

as the

aque-

duct was well taken care of by the curatores aquarum

and their of

of

staff

and

channel

the

diminish.

subordinate

There

are,

its

capacity

tion;

The

did

the

dimensions

not

perceptibly

on the sides and the bottom, thin

layers of alabastrine purity

have been formed

officers,

in the

and transparency, which may

golden age of

Roman

but they hardly exceed half an inch deposits, however, 1

Frontinus,

I.

13

:

formed

administra-

in thickness.

at the time of the bar-

quae honitatis proximae

est

Marciae.

1


THE CITY

THE SIXTH CENTURY

IN

81

barian invasions and in consequence of the abandonment of

aqueducts,

the

fourteen inches thick, the free

are

channel being thus reduced from six and a half to a

more

little

than

four

feet

(1.65 metres) in height, and to

width of

a

less

than

a

These deposits are of

foot.

every colour and quality, containing carbonate of lime

spongy

mud,

texture,

and a conglomerate Another curious

of

clay,

of gravel.

instance

of

the neglect of the aqueducts

middle of the fourth

after the

century

is

to be seen in the

Vigna

di S.

lerame,

as

first

Croce in Gerusa-

you enter by the

gate on the left of that

church.

The water dripping

thrOUgh

the

.

Stones, of is built,

.

joints

i*

of

which the channel

was

^^^' ^^-

1

the

^el of the

— Section

of the chan-

Aqua Marcia,

at

Monte

^"^^^^' ÂŤ^^^'^"^s ^^p^'^^' ^" ^^^

bottom and

sides.

so saturated with

deposits of lime that the whole height of the

was covered with

incrustations,

and came

to

arcades

have the

appearance of a great rock honeycombed with cavities.

Although the inhabitants diately

affected

of

Rome were

by a water famine,

the cutting off of the water supply

in

not imme-

otlier

respects

by the barbarians


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

82

proved disastrous to the City as well as to the country

around

In the City

it.

it

the great imperial thermae, which just

tried

shared by the

basins

artificial

ot

King Theoderic had

The same

put into repair.

to

abandonment

led to the

fate

was

stagna or euripi^

called

and by the 1212 public fountains and 247 reservoirs which had adorned and supplied the City

The higher

days.

the

lower

diverted

more

quarters,

for

earlier

quarters suffered the most, because

their water supply, borne

arcades, could be

in

many

miles on stone or brick

easily stopped.

on

the

any great

other

length

The supply

time,

of

was

hand,

of

never

because

the

channels of the Virgo, of the Appia, and of the Anio

which

Vetus,

fed

Campus

the

Martins,

ran

underground and could be repaired without This

the reason

is

why

be inhabited again until

made

life

difficulty.

the more salubrious hills were

abandoned toward the end

in 1587

mostly

of the fifth century, not to

the

time of Sixtus V.,

upon them

possible

who

again with the

building of his Acquedotto Felice.

One

incident of the Gothic siege

with the fate of the aqueducts, pius as follows

Ways

there

:

still

"

is

of

537, connected

described by Proco-

Between the Latin and the Appian exist

two aqueducts (the Claudian

and the Marcian), supported by massive arches. the fiftieth furlong from

Rome

(at the place

now

At

called

the Torre Fiscale), they join and cross each other in

such a way that the one which was on the right

now


THE CITY diverges

the

to

THE SIXTH CENTURY

IN

After

left.

short

a

The space between the two

which were

mud,

so as to

its

crossings

original

there-

is

by aqueducts, the lower arches

fore entirely surrounded of

they

distance

meet and cross again, and each follows course.

83

up by the barbarians with stones and

filled

form a regular

fortification,

within which

they remained encamped, to the number of at least seven thousand, in order to prevent any kind of provisions from entering the City. tions, the

.

.

With

.

Goths occupied themselves with despoiling and

ravaging the Campagna. time, and

De

this as a base of opera-

.

.

.

They remained

were only driven out by the plague."

Rossi has collected important proofs of

racy of

this

Describing

portion of

the

the

sepulchral

narrative

(Roma

Prince Torlonia's farm

sixth

Procopius.

the Via Latina, on

I

"In

located the campus

I

where the Goths intrenched themselves

century, and

accu-

tlie

Vecchia), he says:

very quarter of the suburbs

barharicus,

of

^

found by Fortunati

crypt,

in 1876, at the fifth mile-stone of

this

there a long

in the

suspected that the bodies, which

bore traces of having perished by a violent death, and

which were lying very near the surface quite close to the Torlonia tomb, were those of this warlike horde.

the Torlonia

tomb

of the skeletons, flicted

itself

we

In

found, on the skull of one

evident traces of an oblique cut, in-

by a sword or some similar weapon."

"In 1853," De Rossi 1

De

continues,

Bello Goth.

"by

II. 3.

the side of the


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

84

modern road

Albano, between the fourth and the

to

mile-stone,

fifth

present

at

made with simple marble

tombs,

cophagus.

.

.

cloth, of

ing,

we saw

threads.

.

.

The

.

rich

traces

Then not

.

a

tiles collected at

the loins

looked as

random,

a sar-

of

moment

first

of

in

uncover-

made

coffins

filled

and

of stones

with skeletons of men,

and breasts bound with broad bands, which they had been saturated with blood, and

if

these

we thought

tion.

.

.

and

slabs,

of

far off, just beneath the sur-

of

series

discovery

form of gold and purple

the

in

the

had been enveloped

corpses

which, at the

we saw

face,

was

I

have been soldiers killed in ac-

to

my mind

This discovery recalled to

.

an

episode in the Gothic war (as described by Procopius)

made

which

In the records of Gregory

villas.

of a

*

It is

II.

mention

is

to

this

once to

and

fertile

the

it

is

smiling

aqueducts

that

so far as

stop the flow of the water

we have no

pose that they threw for

damage was part

the

of

traversed

it,

but just to observe that the barbarians

damaged the aqueducts only

simply

corpore

most conspicuous of them

especially to the Claudia, the

Yet

made

"

easy to picture to ourselves what

Campagna, and

all.

neighbouring

the

Massa Camustis iuxta campum harharicum ex

patrirnofiii Appiae.'

done

among

havoc

fearful

the

have been mere

down

pleasure lost

;

was necessary

to

reason to sup-

great arches and pilasters

of

labour.

destruction Tliese

— that

wonderful

would crea-


THE CITY

Roman

tions of

IN

hydraulic

Campagna

crossing the

THE SIXTH CENTURY

85

these triumphal arcades

skill,

and

in every direction

distrib-

uting everywhere fertility and health, were destroyed, as

many

were so

other

themselves, in times

monuments, by the Romans

much

nearer to our

own than

is

ordinarily supposed.

We

have reason to believe that in 1585, when the

construction of the Acquedotto Felice was decreed by

Sixtus v., the series of arcades of the Marcia and of the Claudia (Fig. 20), both seven miles long, were practically intact.

Matteo da Castello,

Domenico Fontana,

resignation,

and hammering those

new aqueduct.

use in the

and, after his

hands on the noble

laid

burning their travertine

structures, splitting

first,

of tufa

blocks

lime,

into

and peperino for

Whatever remains were

left

standing became the prey of local land-owners, especially of the trustees of the hospital of S. Giovanni, in

whose

archives I have found documents concerning the sale at

public auction of the stone arch, over which the Claudia

spanned the Via Latina near the farmhouse of Vecchia

;

and again, the

Bartolomeo so on.i

Vitali, of

sale of four piers of peperino to

two

to the brothers Guidotti,

Three or four hundred

of the

Capannelle in 1887

way Company, which, about

;

by the owner

of the

the Mediterranean Rail-

the same time, built the

line to Segni, is responsible for other 1

and

feet of the channel of

the same aqueduct were destroyed

farm

Roma

damages.

Lanciani, / Comentarii di Frontino, p. 149.

new


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

86

A to

walk from the Porta Furba (on the road

the

to Frascati)

Porta Maggiore, by the Vicolo del Mandrione,

will give the student a melancholy appreciation of the

importance and of the fate of the

Fig. K).

wliicli,

among

Roman

aqueducts,

— The remains of the Claudian aqueduct at the Porta Furba.

after tlie

so

many

centuries

of

spoliation,

are

most impressive remains of ancient

still

Rome

(Fig. 10).

Notwithstanding the ravages of the Vandals and the desperate straits of the people of

Rome

on

many

occa-

i


THE CITY

IN

THE SIXTH CENTURY

87

sions since the first sack of the Goths, Procopius, I

have already quoted so often, speaks of a number of

monuments of

whom

the

standing uninjured toward

as

We

century.

sixth

from him that the

learn

Forum

City in general, and the

middle

the

an

especially, retained

imposing array of bronze and marble statues, the works

and Lysippus

of Phidias

Myron was

Forum

cubits high,

was

faced temple

— the name

;

;

works

of

of

that the bronze statue of Janus, five

preserved in the cella of his four-

still

and that the group

one, probably,

earliest

Cow

that the celebrated

yet to be seen above the fountain in the

Peace

of

;

of

which Pliny

the kind

in

Three Fates

of the classifies

—

Rome

among the

still

gave the

Tria Fata to the north corner of the

Forum

by the Senate-house.

The same

historian describes

camps had been established hippodrome

Greek garrison assailants

mented

the

of

many

how one

in the

Gaianum, a circus or

gardens of Domitia, and

of the

statues which even to that time

this fortified

times, they

the

mausoleum.

"

Of

all

its

had orna-

the people in

Romans

love

monuments the

best.

fallen a prey to barbarian invaders so

many

City

Although

how

mole of Hadrian hurled upon

the world," he concludes (IV. 22), " the their

of the Gothic

and

its

historical

have succeeded in keeping up many of their

great buildings, and preserving relics connected with the origin I

and foundation

of their City.

Among

these last

can mention a large canoe hollowed out of the trunk


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

88

which they preserve

of a tree,

bank

left

of

on the

the arsenal

in

the Tiber, as the one used by Aeneas in

reaching the Latin shore."

In the year 590, which was that of the election of

Pope Gregory the Great (September have

to

reached

extremity

the

of

Rome

3),

misfortune.

inundation of the Tiber, at the end of the year,

had caused the ruin

ments and

of

legend

beautiful

mausoleum

An

previous

some temples and monu-

innumerable private dwellings, and the

of

by famine and pestilence.

flood was, as usual, followed

The

seems

Hadrian in

of

angel

the

of

the

act

above

the

sheathing

his

seen of

sword, Avhile (iregory at the head of the panic-stricken population was proceeding in pilgrimage to St. Peter's (a memorial of the vision figure

on

really the of

Rome.

the first

rounding

Lombards

top of

the

cliange

for the

By Rome

by the walls

I

Avas

Agilulf

remains in the bronze

Castel

mean

of Aurelian

district

of

still

S.

better in

the fortunes

the City itself protected

and Honorius

incessantly

;

for the

devastated

and Ariulf, and

murdered or driven away.

Angelo), marks

its

sur-

by the

inhabitants


CHAPTER

VIII

BURIAL PLACES WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE WALLS

From

a remote period, burial within the city limits

was prohibited by Roman law.

Yet many graves have

been found within the walls, and Nibby has suggested that the

infringement of the early enactment, the

first

interments

first

must

muros^

intra

be regarded

as

a

consequence of the siege of Vitiges. Earlier instances

of

the

lacking.

Tombs dating from

(493-526

A.D.)

have

however, are not

practice,

time

the

found

been

in

of

the

Theoderic Praetorian

camp, in the gardens of Sallust, and in the graveyard of S.

Giacomo

camp were seen by Lupi, last century,

the

of

within the

quadrangle

were seen by

Those

del Colosseo.

De

;

cells

those

the

in

the

gardens

of

Sallust

that part of the

is

now

crossed

by

Via Flavia and the Via Aureliana.

The

exploration of the graveyard by the Coliseum be-

gan in the spring of 1895, and at

quarter of the

line the north side

Rossi, in 1869, in

Vigna Barberini-Spithoever which the

first

which

of

of the Praetorian

length in the Bullettino

its

results are described

Comunale of the same year.

There were two or three layers of tombs, 89

— the

oldest,


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

90

same

at the

with the amphitheatre, dating from

level

the time of Theoderic, the latest dating from the begin-

One

ning of the seventh century. discovered

the

opposite

of the later tombs,

thirty-third

arcade,

exhibited in the

Museo Municipale on

The

gives the

inscription

Lucia and of their

little

with the warning,

"

names

Whoever the

grave

stood

right

thoroughfare, which,

even

wonder

the

:

and

a Fortunatus

of

shall

share

tomb,

the Caelian Hill.

daughter Gemmula, and ends

may he

this

now

is

violate

of

a

must have

days,

those

in

No

middle

the

in

injure

!

Judas "

of

fate

or

been crowded.

The two

removed toward the end

reddish

basalt,

century

from the

di Belvedere of

used for

one of green and one of

precious basins,

Baths of

Caracalla

the Vatican

coffins.

A

the

;

^

Vigna

time each

another,

the

hundred

several

graveyard.

in

We

the

in

them

cannot

In

churches

— came

several

instances

have

1

S.

myself S.

course

the

were

a

local

possess

I

of

there

anywhere

excavate

belonging to the church of

Pantheon); of

many

Baths of Con-

— and to

without coming across one of them. in

Cortile

remains of other baths in

the

Roman of

the

sepulchral vault containing

Grimani (Barberini).^ of

to

last

Museum, had both been

hundred bodies was discovered stantine

the

of

in

Rome

have seen, and

explored,

cemeteries

Maria ad Martyres (the

Marcello, of S. Nicola in Calcarario,

Vacca, Mem. 112.

^

Bartoli,

Mem.

31.

I


BURIAL PLACES Maria

of S. of

The

others.

Maria

largest of

all,

layer

Maria Nuova, and

attached to the hospital of

one half of the Basilica

delle Grazie, occupied

the

Julia,

Campitelli, of S. Sebastiano in Pallara,

de Camilliano, of S.

Ciriaco

S.

S.

in

91

human remains being from

of

six to

eight feet in thickness.

The Catacombs, 410

;

as

we have

seen,

were abandoned in

but what was the fate of the pagan tombs and

mausoleums which lined the highroads beyond the

the City

limits of

?

I

in every direction

wish that

summarise here the information given on

I

could

this subject

by that indefatigable explorer of Roman tombs, Francesco Ficoroni, in his work,

romani^ Part

II.

;

as

^

it

is

La

Bolla d'oro dei fanciulli

I

can only mention a few

points.

The family composed

of a

vaults,

Ficoroni remarks, were generally

room

or enclosed place on a level with

the road, where the funeral banquets and the anniver-

sary gatherings took place, and of a crypt where the ashes were kept in urns, or the bodies laid to rest in richly carved marble sarcophagi.

The

former, standing

above ground, and within easy reach of the passer-by,

must have been stripped

of their valuable contents at

a very early period, perhaps even before the first inroad of Alaric.

the

When

there was nothing else of value

Romans attacked

tombs were 1

built,

the

very walls

of

which

left,

the

the porticoes, colonnades, and roofs,

Diversita dei mausolei romani, loro diroccamento, etc.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

92

for the sake of the marble,

This process

lime-kihis.

sepulchral

monuments

emperors

the

had

which they wanted burning the

of

for lime

to

enact

became

capital

marbles

common

punishment

of

that as

a

In 349, sixty-one years

penalty against the offenders. before

so

for their

Emperor Constans

Alaric's invasion, the

substi-

tuted a heavy fine for capital punishment.^

These imperial provisions may have saved from destruction for a few years longer the mausoleums more

exposed to view

standing back from the

but those

;

highroads, screened by trees

or

by the undulations

the ground, probably disappeared faster than ever.

speak,

of

of

course,

the

general rule, because

the three or four hundred

and

size

A

few

I

among

thousand tombs which en-

some remark-

circled the City, there were, to be sure,

able exceptions.

of

of them, conspicuous for their

for their wealth in

marble and travertine, have

survived to the present day, as the mausoleums of Caecilia

Metella and of Lucilius Paetus, and the tombs of

Vibius Marianus (Fig. 17) and of Vergilius Eurysaces.

The underground rooms,

or

hypogaea, suffered

less

damage.

Search was made, either by the degenerate

Romans

or by the barbarians, for the valuable objects

buried with

the

the

urns, such

cinerary

brooches {fibulae) 1

n,

corpse,

;

or as

placed as

a

memento

ear-rings, finger-rings,

and

but the urns themselves, the beauti-

See his constitution to Limenius in the Codex Theodosianus^ X. de sepulchris violatis.

in

Tit.


BURIAL PLACES ful sarcophagi, the glass

to columbaria,

why

and terra cotta vessels peculiar

and even the bronze lamps and candela-

were often

bras,

93

left

This

undisturbed.

the reason

is

the excavation of our ancient cemeteries

— Tomb

of P. Vibius Mariaiius, so-called

Via

My

first

rich in

can testify from personal observation.

finds, as I

Fig. 17.

is

Cloclia, li miles

"Tomb

of Nero," on the

north of Rome.

experience in the exploration of tombs dates

from 1868, when those lining the Via Severiana, between Ostia and Castel Fusano, were

Visconti (Fig. 18).

first

opened by the elder

They yielded

a great quantity of

glassware and exquisite Arezzo cups, besides a few objects

in

gold and enamel.

tance came

the

exploration

Next of

in

the

date

and impor-

columbaria of the


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

9-4

Statilian family, in that portion of the Esquiline ceme-

tery which extends from the so-called Minerva Medica to the Porta

Maggiore (1875).

In the space of a few

weeks, and within an area of a few thousand square feet,

we recovered 566

Fig. 1H.

— Columbarium on

tlie

objects in terra cotta, silver,

inscriptions,

and many hundred

Via beveriana, near Ostia, opened

glass,

in 1868.

hone, ivory, bronze,

gold,

and precious marbles.

Ficoroni

has

offered

an ingenious suggestion in

re-

gard to the engraved gems or cameos which are found loose of

in

the

earth

in

great numbers witliin

three or four miles from the walls.

that out of ninety-two sepulchral

a

circuit

After stating

chambers, which he


BURIAL PLACES had excavated in

95

Vigna Moroni

tlie

.by

the Porta S.

Sebastiano, between 1705 and 1709, only one before, he

been searched

opened urns, among laces, ear-rings,

and

earth which filled

finger-rings,

up

found in the una

few neck-

and a piece

of jewelry

bones,

workmen, however,

in sifting the

or covered these columbaria,

and

open passages between them, found a great

the

also

" I

:

charred

the

My

with sapphires.

says

had not

many cameos and

in

precious stones, broken

indented around the edge.

These stones are con-

stantly found in the vineyards

and orchards which ex-

tend over the old cemeteries

and

or

intaglios

by means

traces of the hard glue,

fastened

to

their

;

sockets,

it

they

as of

which they were

seems to

me

as a use-

encumbrance by those who were seeking

What

alone.

they

that

must have been taken out and thrown away less

show

still

for gold

possible value could engraved stones rep-

resent in the eyes of the

Romans

of the fifth century,

or of their invaders?"

This general prising cases

if

to

we

rifling of burial crypts is the

recall

conceal

the

the

entrances

occupant had been laid to

last

taken

precautions

rest,

or urns sealed with brass clamps

them.

to

more in

sur-

many

After the

and the sarcophagi

and molten

lead, the

door was walled up with stones or blocks of marble, resembling in colour and shape those with which the rest

of

of

the mausoleum

was covered

;

and every trace

an entrance was then made to disappear.

This

is


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

96 reason

the

why some

crypts, rich

have escaped molestation

tion,

The

recent period.

of Caecilia Metella

in

until

funereal

decora-

comparatively

a

tomb

secret passage leading to the

was discovered by

accident, in the

time of Paul III. (1534-1550), by a stone-cutter en-

gaged

wrenching

in

away

blocks

the

The

from the square foundation.

gus found in the inner chamber the palace

Pope.

that

of

A

is

of

travertine

sarcopha-

beautiful still

similar

to be seen in

discovery, under

Alexander VII. (1655-1667), took place

con-

in

also

nexion with the pyramid of C. Cestius, the entrance to

which was so artfully disguised that

located only by the

which

The

ever, have avoided the difficulty, ten,

Most

its

the

of

how-

grave-robbers, in nine

by boring a hole through the core

ment toward

be

hollow sound of the stones with

had been blocked.

it

could

it

cases out of

of

monu-

the

centre.

sepulchral

chambers discovered in

time had been plundered in this way.

The

my

best in-

stance can be seen in the beautiful crypt at the second

mile-stone

of

the

Yia Latina,

called

" Sepolcro

degli

stucchi," from the well-preserved bas-reliefs in plaster,

representing

nymphs and

which ornament into this

hole

its

nereids driving sea-monsters,

vaulted ceiling.

chamber was found

The door leading

to be undisturbed

;

but a

could be seen in the ceiling, hardly two feet in

diameter, by means of which the plunderers had effected their descent,

and carried away the

spoils (Fig. 19).

The


BURIAL PLACES

97

marble sarcophagi had been carefully searched, some by the removal of the

some by means

Fig.

19.

lids,

found lying in pieces on the

of a hole

made

— The Sepolcro degli Stucchi,

floor,

in the side of the coffin.

showing the hole made by pluuderers

the vaulted ceiling.

in


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

98 I

may

close

this

that from the time

chapter of

by reminding the reader

Boniface VIII.,

who

instituted

the

Giubileo in 1300, to the end of the last century,

the

highroads

to

Rome were

followed

by the pilgrims on the way

repaired every twenty-fifth year, at

expense of the tombs lining the road on either

The information which will

I

have collected on

be published in Vols. III. and IV. of

degli Scavi di

Roma.

the side.

this point

my

Storia


.9

a

biO

73 O)

s cr*

*Jl

r/j

a cS a ^

^

'—'

0)

a

(Tf

U

f5 fcfi

(V

a

-t-i

^

<M r^

c a t/)

a a 0) ^ 0)

^

'tH :/;

a; j3 +-'

c a fl 03 rn

73

a s

73

o a



CHAPTER IX THE DEVASTATION AND DESERTION OF THE CAMPAGNA

The

final

desolation of the

Campagna, with

its

con-

comitant, the plague of malaria, dates from the time of

Gregory the Great (590-604). set fire to, olive orchards

were the

supply of water cut

were

thrift

Apennines

drained, to the sea

off

and

;

the

Villas

and farmhouses

and vineyards uprooted, all

sources of

whole

plain

life

and

from the

was turned into an unhealthful

and dangerous wilderness.

Whenever last years, I

fication

a

Roman

villa

has been excavated in these

have paid special attention to the

of its ruins, as the only

what the cause

of

its

ruins

There

The uppermost

are, as

consists

produced by the disintegration of the

themselves,

bushes, and grass,

pheric agencies.

of finding out

destruction was.

a general rule, three strata. of vegetable soil,

means

strati-

by the decomposition

of

the trees,

and by earth deposited by atmos-

The middle stratum

is

made up

of

building materials, such as brick, blocks of tufa, tufa

prisms for reticulate work, plaster, cement, and frag-

ments

of

marble veneering. 101

The

lowest, lying directly


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

102

over the marble

mosaic

or

floor,

composed almost

is

exclusively of roof tiles and roofing materials.

From

we

villas

parts

relation of

this

perished by the

or

fire,

part to

first

by natural decay and abandonment,

must have

because there

was the

in

fall

which, for that reason, walls

whether the

infer that,

lie

roof, the

remains of

upon the pavements.

fallen decades,

if

The

not centuries, later,

always a thin layer of vegetable

is

soil

between the remains of the roof and those of the walls.

The

walls have generally fallen toward the same point

down by an earthquake and a similar observation has been made in regard to One thing is certain the columns of the peristyles. that when the roofs fell, whether by natural decay or of

the compass, as

throAvn

if

;

:

by

the

violence

adorned the

villa,

colonnades were still

man, the

of

terraces,

its

still

marble

in

sitii,

its

and

fountains,

tlie

the

some cases were

in

lierms

at

portrait-busts

day had

it

the

of

atria,

they would have remained

not been for the lime-burners

the early- Renaissance, and

contractors

the maintenance of the highroads,

who

in

have caused incalculable damage

more works

have been destroyed all

the

remained

the

of

its

garden avenues, the exquisite carved

likewise uninjured, and so to the present

which

nymphaea, and

The

standing on their pedestals.

crossings of

statues

in the

for

last

;

five

for

this respect

of

art

centuries than in

the centuries of barbarian plundering.

For the same reason, the few

villas

which, on account


DESERTION OF THE CAMPAGNA of their secluded

location

and

103

from the

distance

safe

highroads, escaped the mediaeval and Renaissance plun-

mine

derers, prove to be a perfect

some

collected

which

on

me

Let

have

I

point

this

quote two in-

from the Villa Quintiliorum on the Appian

stances, one

Way,

documents

remarkable

published later.

be

will

of statuary.

the other from the Villa

Voconiorum near Marino,

the ancient Castrimoenium.

The

Quintiliorum, the picturesque remains of

Villa

which are now called

S.

and monastery

name, which owned them in past

has been

ages,

of that

Maria Nova, from the church

excavated

at

least

eight

such good results that a section of the farm ally called

Statuario^

"mine

more

precisely,

from April

16,

of

actu-

is

The

of statuary."

search dates from the pontificate

with

times,

oldest

Innocent VIII.,

1485.

It

led

discovery of the body of the so-called Tulliola,

to

the

still re-

taining the rosy colour of the flesh and lifelike appearance.^

Several inscriptions, sarcophagi, and sepulchral

monuments came tomb

of the

to light on the

same occasion.

The

Apusii was found in the following century.

Winckelmann, who was present

at

the

excavations of

1762 made by Cardinal Alessandro Albani, describes the finding of a beautiful marble basin, thirty-five palms in

circumference, with the Labours of Hercules in alto-relievo

;

of a portico, of the areostyle type,

of the Ionic order, 1

and

of a wall covered

See Pagan and Christian Rome,

with columns with frescoes.

p. 295.


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

104

Here

Giovanni Volpato discovered several

also, in 1780,

columns of

and

bigio

breccia

corallina,

thirteen

feet

high; the colossal head of Julia Domna, the Ganymede,

and the "Antiochia," now sides the statue of

by

in the Vatican

Museum;

be-

young Caesar, which was bought

a

Pacetti.

About the same year an Englishman and

Thomas Jenkins and Gavin Hamilton, the section of the same villa called

a Scotchman,

tried their luck in

Roma

They

Vecchia.

found a bust of Lucius Verus, another of Diocletian, a third

and a fourth

with

viri,

birds,

several

tion

of

two Romans, perhaps Decem-

the names engraved

size statue of

with

of

on the plinth

and

scenic

masks

less

.

1792,

tion of

Museum, who

;

a

sarcophagi,

The

and

best porfor

same time ordered

the

at

made

on

his

May

11,

and led to the discovery

of

be

to

own

account.

1789, to

the

May

following

Eleven statuettes belonging to the ornamentaone or more fountains

nine heads and busts agi

two

importance.

These excavations lasted from

:

;

these marbles was purchased by Pius VI.

fresh excavations

items

a life-

Euterpe, two statuettes of youths playing

fragments of

the Vatican

15,

;

mosaic

inscriptions,

;

eight life-size statues

two double herms

pavement

;

several

and other objects

Ionia purchased

;

the grounds

;

columns, pedestals,

of interest. at

two sarcophCarlo Tor-

the beginning

of

the

present century, and undertook other excavations about

1828-1829, the magnificent

results

of

which

are

de-


^

DESERTION OF THE CAMPAGNA Nibby^ and by Visconti

scribed by

Museo

the

The

105

in the catalogue of

Torlonia.

last

search,

made by Giovanni

Guidi,

Battista

about 1855, was also attended with considerable suc-

He found among

cess.

tellum

other interesting things a cas-

aquae^ with its organ-like range of water-pipes,

inscribed with the

names

neighbourhood, and

property in the

who owned

of the patricians

who drew

their

supply of water from this reservoir of the Villa Quintil-

Having myself surveyed the

iorum.

on more than one occasion, that the mine

The tion

Villa

is

by no means exhausted. Luigi

Boccanera

have

remains

beautiful

cultivation.

The

gathered from these excavations ues

fell,

or were

of the villa

debris.

of

thrown from

that

Its

much

area put particular

when

the stat-

their pedestals, the floor

was already covered with over three

The

statues therefore

after the first barbarian invasions.

we may

its

interesting is

sugges-

destroyed,

owner, and

most

my

at

1883-1884.

in

been

since

against our laws, by a local

under

the villa

have persuaded myself

I

Voconiorum was excavated

by Signor

of

site

absolve

the barbarians

were

Once

still

for

feet

standing all,

then,

from the blame of a

useless destruction or mutilation of classic statuary.

.

1

Analisi, Vol. III. p. 726.

2

Gavin Hamilton excavated, in or about 1780, a round temple at the

eighth mile-stone of the Appian

Way, with

as

many

statues as there were

intercolumniations, each lying a few inches only from tion.

See Riccy, Pago Lemonio,

p. 122, n.

1.

its

original loca-


CHAPTER X THE MONUMENTS IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY

The

early years of the seventh century were

by three events of the

umn

of special significance

monuments.

of

These

transferring

the

history

are, the erection of the col-

Phocas, the transformation

into a church,

for

marked

the

of

Pantheon

and the inauguration of the practice of martyrs from the Catacombs to

of

relics

sanctuaries within the walls.

Phocas, the murderer of the Emperor Mauritius, had

portraits

of

this

base

cowardly assassin " and

and

Leontia were received in

his wife

of

^'

The

November, 602.

seized the throne of the East in

Rome

with the

customary honours by the clergy and the Senate assembled in

the

Basilica

ward exhibited Cesario in

Julii

the

to

public

Lateran,

show

of servility

:

after-

church

the

in

and

The Romans went even

Palatio.^

farther in their

the

at

of

a

S.

step

they raised an hon-

orary column, inscribed, Phocae clementissimo principle in the middle of the

from ceal 1

the it.

ruins

This

The remains

is

Forum, which

that the

were last

later

still

to

monument

of this church are described in

p. 169.

106

remained free

and

con-

erected in

that

bury

Bums and

Excavations,


Fig. 21.

— The column of Phocas in the Forum.

At the

right, further back,

the remains of the temple of Saturn.



THE MONUMENTS historical

It

place.

THE SEVENTH CENTURY

IN

marks

period and the beginning of the three

the style of their

erected

to

merits are aptly

their

Of

extant at Rome," the

best

the

to

by

typified

monuments."^

Phocas (discovered February

23,

1813)

was surmounted

by

a

the

pillar

Now

bronze. elled

"

the inscription on the pedestal of the column

From that

ancient

Marcus Aurelius), one

emperors (Trajan and ;

the

of

Middle Ages.

still

"two were

Dyer well remarks,

of

tlie

monumental columns

worst and basest

end

the

109

and

we

statue

learn

m

gilt

such a statue could not have been mod-

cast in

Rome

in

608 A.D. (the column was

dedicated on August 1 of that year).

It

must have

been an old statue, cast centuries before, of which,

am

inclined to believe, not even the head

for

the occasion.

The column

is

was changed

forty-five feet high,

and leans considerably toward the southeast. of the shaft

and

capital

vailing in 608 A.D.

removed bodily from

;

is

I

The

style

certainly better than that pre-

therefore,

either the

column was

a classic edifice, "or else the

Romans

and their exarch Zmaragdus dedicated to Phocas a monu-

ment which, up

to his time,

had borne another name.

It is interesting to note that the

was

at this

Forum

of Trajan also

time free from any accumulation of rubbish.

Venantius Fortunatus, a contemporary of Gregory, speaks of

the

custom of poets reciting in that place as

flourishing in his 1

day (^Carm.

III.

23).

History of the City of Borne, p. 353.

still


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

110

Rome

Boniface IV., elected bishop of

year

which the column of

in

from

obtained

all

of

Agrippa

as

have

I

no

far

shrine,

— only

dedicated

hall of tlie

ple of

Augusteum

to

to S.

St.

The Heroon

;

a

only of the edi-

we now

find

Maria Antiqua, the temSt.

Lawrence, that of

Dionysius, that of Saturn to the Saviour.

Romulus, son of Maxentius, becomes

of

Cosmas and Damia-

the vestibule of the cliurch of SS.

nus

all

Hadrian, the inner

St.

Antoninus and Faustina to

Janus to

thus

but about this time

;

the Sacra Via and the Forum,

Senate-house

the

classic

had

buildings

To speak

such scruples disappeared.

divine

No

deities.

civic

been used for churches

fices lining

the

to

where

places

in

honours had been paid to pagan temple,

Rome, beup

remarked,

the

of

century the Christians had

worshipping

from

abstained

ancient

of

previously

beginning of the seventh

history

the

in

destruction and transformation cause,

Mary and

to the Virgin

moment

important

dedi-

to

concession marks an ex-

This

Christian martyrs.

ceedingly

Phocas was dedicated,

Emperor the permission

that

Pantheon

cate the

the same

in

chapel to

of the temple of

St.

Peter

is

raised

Venus and Rome

;

in the vestibule

another to

S.

Mar-

tina in the Secretarium Senatus; a third to SS. Sergius

and Bacchus, near the steps and a fourth

to

of the temple of

an unknown saint

in

the

Constantine.^ 1

Cf.

Pagan and

Christian Borne,

p. 102.

Concord

Basilica

of


,

THE MONUMENTS It

THE SEVENTH CENTURY

IN

would be interesting

to

know whether

111

Pan-

the

theon was submitted to any alteration in the process transformation

of

into

a

Were

church.

Augustus and Agrippa

portrait statues of

their shrines of

gilt

itself,

ancestral gods

Were

under the dome?

bronze

still

fixed

and the bronze

the

in

pediment of the pronaos

It

?

dome

the

of

ornamenting the

still

difficult

is

portico,

the great rosettes

coffers

bas-reliefs

stand-

still

Julian gens in

the

of

colossal

under the

ing, in the year 608, in their niches

or those of the

the

satisfactory answer to these queries.

to

give

a

incline to the

I

view that when the Pantheon was placed under the protection

of

Queen

the

reduced to the present

which

it

in 663, of

1747.^

in

of temples

Urban VIII.

and

and the abandonment

Constans

of

of Benedict

of

Constans

II.

stole

the

tiles

of the

;

Urban VIII. melted

XIV. destroyed the marble veneering For the

fate

of the

three Caryatides

from

formed a part of the decoration of the

Emil Braun, Bull.

into ;

cannon

and Bene-

of the attic story.

by Diogenes the Athenian,

formerly in the Paganica and Giustiniani palaces,

1881, pp. 265-207;

off

dome probably

410,778 pounds of metal from the trusses of the pronaos

2

XIV.

gilded bronze wliicli covered the

of

and the dome

II.

the gods and

must have been removed or thrown and the rosettes

in

the public baths,

of

of Phocas, the statues

roof of the pronaos

dict

state

between the closing

time

of

was already

it

or rather to the

in 1625,

In the lapse

their pedestals,^

1

state,

was before the spoliations

and the reign heroes

Martyrs,

of

attic,

supposed to have

see Notizie degli scavi,

Inst., 1853, p. 36.


^

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

112

one by one, through the disintegration of

had

fallen,

the

masonry

of

pediment had

when

that

the

the

The

coffers.

perhaps

escaped

Piazza

della

spoliation.

seems

It

Rotonda was

the

of

bas-reliefs

exca-

first

vated and paved by Pope Eugenius IV. (1431-1439), a head, possibly of Agrippa,

the wheel of a chariot,

These fragments may have

at the foot of the steps.

No mention

from the pediment.

fallen

were found

cast in bronze,

all

and

the leg of a horse,

made

is

of

marble statues, except of a head attributed to Cybele, Camillo Fanucci claims to have seen lying on

wliicli

the floor near the high altar in the year 1600.

Another clew

when

as to the state of the Pantheon,

taken possession of by the Church,

given

is

by the

clumsy restorations made by Boniface IV. (610 A.D.),

by Vitalianus

(663),

Gregory

and

III.

with

(735),

materials taken from other edifices, such as the marble

containing

slab

removed

Albinus, I.

((7.

L.

temple of

I.

Isis

honorary

the

from

285),

inscription

Forum

the

beautiful

the

of

frieze

by Visconti

(illustrated

in

of

Lucius

Augustus from

the

Com.

Bull.

Vol. IV., 1876, p. 92), and other such spoils.

Even

more important

spoils

is

the

•belonged to the Pantheon friezes,

that

fact

itself,

of

the

as

these

two beautiful

with festoons and candelabras and sacred im-

plements,

removed from the

sides

and the doorpost taken from one 1

some

Camillo Fanucci, Trattato di

tutte

of

the

great

door,

of the side entrances.

V opere

pie, etc., c. xxxvi.


05

H

2



THE MONUMENTS

THE SEVENTH CENTURY

IN

These three pieces had been

used

the steps leading from the

of

Pantheon

the

to

pronaos

the

in

115

restoration

square in front of the

(Fig.

22),

and were found

between December, 1874, and September, 1875.

The designation

of

Maria ad Martyres, given to

S.

Pantheon by Boniface IV.,

the

According to the Liher

fact.

was given

to the

been removed

this

Pontificalis^

name

newly consecrated church on account

twenty-eight cartloads

of

an interesting

recalls

from

the

bones which had

sacred

of

Catacombs and placed in a

basin of porphyry under the high altar.

This was the

beginning of an important change.

have stated above that burial

I

was given up in 410, the year

Rome by

Alaric,

them

537,

in

country around

in

of

Catacombs

the

storming

the

of

and that great damage was done to

during the

siege

As

Vitiges.

of

Rome became more and more

the

insecure

and unhealthy, and was almost completely abandoned

by

its

inroads,

inhabitants it

at

time

the

was deemed necessary

Langobardic

of

the

to

place

within the

protection of the city walls the bones of the martyrs,

whose tombs, from the time and more

become

translation

of

remains

time of Boniface

the

648

centres

;

the third in 682,

Felicianus of Viatrix,

is

IV.

of Constantine,

the ;

when

one

the

just

The

first

mentioned, of

second took place in

the bodies of Primus and

were removed from Faustinus,

pilgrimage.

of

had more

Nomentum, and those

and Simplicius from the ceme-


"

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

116 tery of

Generosa, at the sixth mile-stone of the Via

Campana,

The

in the

Vigna

Catacombs

last exploiting of the

martyrs was due to Paschal

documents

porary ences of the

speak

One

relics.

of

'^

them,

Contem-

innumerable "

transfer-

— the

20,

for the bones of

(817-824).

I.

of

removed July

relics,

La Magliana.

Ceccarelli, near

official

to

817,

register of

Prassede,

S.

mentions twenty-three hundred bodies deposited under the chapel of S. Zeno, which

memory

his

of

Paschal

Theodora

mother,

mosaic legend of the apse of

St.

had built in

I.

The

Episcopa.

Caecilia speaks

wise of the removal of bodies quae

primum

in

like-

cryptis

pausabant.

These removals of point of view,

— they

logical research

thermae.

rial

from another

relics are interesting

mark

the beginning of archaeo-

among the remains of The relics of martyrs

basins and

bath-tubs

the great impe-

were, as a rule,

marble,

deposited

in

which

tliermae of Caracalla and Diocletian particu-

larly

tlie

under the

rare

in

of Viatrix, Faustinus,

and

mentioned above, were placed by Leo

II.

abounded.

Simplicius,

The bones

of

higli

altar of the

church of

S.

Vibiana " in

a basin of oriental alabaster of oval shape, twenty-five

palms in circumference, with heads of leopards relief."

Stephen V.,

SS. Apostoli of

in

in

high

while rebuilding the church of

816 a.d., likewise

Eugenia and Claudia

(in concha porphyretica).

" in

Two

a

placed

basin

of

the

bodies

porphyry

archaeologists, Giovanni


THE MONUMENTS

THE SEVENTH CENTURY

IN

117

Marangoni and Francesco de Ficoroni, have made a though incomplete,

interesting

list,

Roman

of

spoils

add

should

baths

another

used of

class

in

churches

works

precious

these

of

of

to

;

we

it

similarly

art

employed, the sarcophagi, which occasionally take the place of the bath basins, in spite of

their

reliefs of

a

pagan character.

distinctly

Singular

as

practice

this

Roman

judge of the taste of the

and semi-barbaric days

seems

to

words inscribed on the marble

slabs

our

of

They could hardly

ings and education.

we cannot

clergy in those dark

the light

in

us,

own

feel-

Latin

spell the

which they used in

the pavements, in the walls, and in the altars of their

churches

A

ing.

of

could they understand their mean-

Mater, in

was used

church

less

pedestal covered with symbols of the worship

Magna

the

form,

much

;

of

as

an

its

altar

most crude and of

the

Flavins Agricola from Tibur, with

was discovered August grave of

column

St. Peter, in the

the

of

church of

round

S.

altar,

cense was Paul's

1626,

its

a

the of

epicurean legend,

few

feet

from the

foundations of the left front

Baldacchino.

The high

altar

in

the

Teodoro was supported, until 1703, by a on the rim of which the following words

were inscribed

St.

14,

in

The tombstone

Michele in Borgo.

S.

Crucifix

hateful

:

"

offered

without

On to

this

the

the

marble of the gentiles

in-

The pavement

of

gods."

walls

miscellaneous inscriptions.

was

patched

with

931


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

118

A

worshipper raising his eyes toward the apse of the

church of SS. Cosmas and Damianus, could behold at the same time the

and a group the

wolf,

in

great mosaic figure of the Saviour,

the twin founders of the City sucking

of

opus

In the

sectile.

basilica

Junius

of

Bassus on the Esquiline, Christianised under the name

Andrew

of St.

Manger, he could

at the

the Saviour with the

of

see the

group

Apostle in the Tribune, and,

turning to the side walls, the portraits of Nero, Galba,

and

other emperors, Diana hunting the stag, Hylas

six

stolen

by the Nymphs, Cybele on the chariot drawn by

lions, the

chariot

of

terious Egyptian

pagan

cults.

church of

S.

I

rites,

Emperor

and other representations from

may mention

in

the last instance the

Martina, formerly the Secretarium Senatus,

were adorned with the bas-reliefs

the walls of which

from the

Apollo, initiates performing mys-

arch

Marcus Aurelius, representing

of

sacrificing before the altar of Jupiter

the

Optimus

Maximus.

The

Epitome

of

the

Chronicon

dates from the time of Stephen after the

the

he

was proclaimed in the throne

(in augustali solio et

(752-757), says that

Emperor betook himself

629,

tuB

which

"recovery of the Cross" made by Heraclius

in

diadem

II.

Cassinense,

Emperor, and

room

to

Rome, where

given the imperial

of the palace of the Caesars

Oaesareani Palatii a senatoribus posi-

diademate redimitus, monocrator constitutus

esf).

This passage of the Chronicon shows that the palace,


THE MONUMENTS

Romans

the

could

themselves,

ceremonies in the

By

THE SEVENTH CENTURY

be used for state

still

half of the seventh century.

first

mean the special wing known in classical by the name of " Domitian's house " (olKia

palace

times

I

or

Ao/jLtTLavov^

Romani.

Aedes puhlicae populi

emperors, but simply as a state residence where

the

they held their levees, councils

over

sided

and gave

official

of

delivered their decisions, state,

banquets.

construction.

its

The building had never the enormous solidity

The remains

the coronation of Heraclius took It

seen.

these

1865.

in

two

the

of

in 1724,

Judging from the

occasions, there

is

hall,

finds

but also in

its

two columns

so

the

to ;

decorative details.

of giallo antico

the main

3000 scudi

made on its

this

essen-

such as walls, ceiling, roof, and windows,

parts,

Parma

and again

no doubt that in 629

throne room was well preserved, not only in

of

where

place, are still to be

was excavated by Bianchini

by Rosa

pre-

received foreign envoys,

required repairs, on account of

tial

This

used as a dwelling by

great structure had never been

of

119

the pillages of Totila, of Genseric, and of

spite of

in

IN

door,

Bianchini discovered

which stood on either side

which were sold by the Duke of

stone-cutters

a threshold

made

Perini and Macinocchi for of a block of

Greek marble

large that the high altar of the church of the Ro-

tonda has since been cut out of

it

;

fragments of the

sixteen columns of pavonazzetto supporting the entablature, with capitals

and bases exquisitely cut

in ivory-


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

120

and

marble,

coloured

two out

the

of

statues which stood in the niches.

If so

eight

much remained

of the decoration of the hall in 1724, after

mercy

at the

space

of

had been

it

lime-burners and stone-cutters for the

of

ten

colossal

centuries, the

hall

itself

may

well have

been in almost perfect condition at the time of the coronation of Heraclius.

Another Aving the

the palace, the northeast section of

of

Domus Gaiana^ which overlooks

the

Forum and

the

Sacra Via, seems to have been kept in repair and sometimes occupied by the popes, as a practical evidence of their

power

political

under the

care

About 680 one

in

an

of

officer

these

of

Rome.

This wing was put styled

officers,

a

named

cura

Palatii.

Plato, rebuilt

or repaired the long staircase which ascends from the

His son, having

Clivus Victoriae to the rooms above.

been elected pope in 705 under the name of John VII.,

Domus Gaiana

conceived the plan of making the official

residence

of

the

bishops

the

Rome, above the

of

present church of S. Maria Liberatrice (^super ecclesiam sanctae

Dei

genetricis

quae

antiqua vacatur episcopium

construere voluif).

John VII. did not as

took no interest in

his successors

to the monasteries

and strongholds

in case of necessity. astical

live to see his project carried out it,

they repaired

of the Palatine only

There were four of these

ecclesi-

establishments on the Palatine, the Ecclesia and

Monasterium

S.

Caesarii in Palatio,

first

mentioned in


THE MONUMENTS

THE SEVENTH CENTURY

IN

121

the time of Phocas, 603 a.d., but probably older, where

the images

to the public as a

monastery

the

;

power that they

of the

the

Sebastiano alia

Vigna Barberini, near the

a strongly fortified

hill,

still

Palladium,

called

represented by the church of S.

Polveriera in the of

symbol

Rome

claimed over

now

Byzantine emperors were exhibited

the

of

east corner

place where the

popes

sought refuge and protection in times of popular outbreaks

;

the Turris Cartularia built on the platform of

temple of

the

which

in

many

Jupiter

Stator,

the archives of

centuries

;

and

the

by the arch

of

church

kept for

were

Titus,

lastly the Septizonium, the great-

est

mediaeval stronghold of the Palatine, garrisoned by

the

Frangipanis under the ownership of the abbots of

the

monastery

SS.

Andreae

ad

Gregorii

et

Clivum

Scauri.

The

latest bit of evidence

occupancy of the

nal

regarding the real or nomi-

Palatine

the popes came to light

November

8,

by

1883, during the

excavation of the House of the Vestals. east

residence

episcopal

At

the north-

corner of the peristyle the remains of a modest

mediaeval dwelling were discovered, belonging to a high official

of the court of

who occupied

wise obscure,

This

942 to 946. of

the

pope's

ruins of the that

when

Marinus

official

II.,

this small

Gaiana.

pontiff, other-

the chair of St. Peter from

must have been

rooms which were

Domus

—a

It is

house was

placed

in

charge

among

the

important to notice

built, at the

beginning


^

;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

122

tenth

the

of

Vestae was

Atrium

the

of

covered with a layer of rubbish

already

The columns

thick.

feet

five

pavement

the

century,

the

of

peristyle

had

been removed or knocked down from their bases, the walls

stripped

of

small tesserae

the

from their

setting.

marble

their

Around

Graeca,

George,

St.

and

still

Saba,

S.

of

the

construc-

Theodore, and of

St.

existing, as well as those of S.

Rome

Heraclius to

visit of

629

in

with another event in the history of of the City.

He made

Euplos

roof of the temple of

that

of

St.

tiles

the

This

destruction I.

which covered the

Venus and Rome,

Peter's.

connected

is

Pope Honorius

a present to

(625-640) of the gilt-bronze

to

clustered

Phocas, which have long since disappeared.

S.

The

of

we owe

hill

the Anastasis, of S. Maria in

tion of the churches of

Schola

the Palatine

colony, to which

the Byzantine

even

pavement wrenched

mosaic

the

of

and

veneering,

fact

temple was at that time in a good

removed

to be

proves state

that of

the

repair

while, on the other hand, the stripping off of the tiles

was a sure way ing.

to

promote the downfall

Specimens of these

tiles

of the build-

were seen and described

by Justus Rycq and Giacomo Grimaldi at the time of Paul v., who destroyed, nave of old

St.

For further

1606,

the

roof

and

the

Peter's.

Another famous 1

in

edifice fell at the

same time into the

particulars, see the interesting chapter

on the history

of the Palatine in Grisar's History of the Popes in the Middle Ages.


THE MONUMENTS

THE SEVENTH CENTURY

IN

123

hands of the Pope, the Curia or Senate-house, which he dedicated to St. Hadrian, a saint otherwise unknown.

The

ancient decorations of the hall, the gilt coffers of

the vaulted roof, the marble panelling of the walls, the

and the bronze door did

the pediment,

of

bas-reliefs

not suffer damage or alteration with the " Christianisation " of the building.

partly

1654,

in

Cusano and

hands

the

removed

the church of

to

St.

who

level,

doorway

of the

typical

stars

ancient

metal

of

the

feet,

A

work.

the same

temple

an aperture

filled

ornamented with the

Pope (Chigi), was added third edifice, the

Romulus, son of Maxentius, roof about

and altered the

were smaller than the

a band,

Lateran,

raised the floor

John Lateran by Alex-

ander VII., but as the folds, which about eighteen by eleven

Agostino

The bronze doors were

shape of the building.

classic

partly in 1589,

Cardinal

of

of Alfonso Sotomayor,

church to the modern

the

of

at

They disappeared

bronze

Pope Sergius

time.

from destruction

lost the

I.

to

Hereon

the of

tiles of its

saved the

dome with

by covering the

sheets of lead.^

On

July

5,

663,

Rome had

fortune of an imperial

for the last time the mis-

Constans

visit.

by a guilty conscience on account 1

See

De

Rossi, Bull, di arch,

were afterward

stolen,

up on the bare dome. found roots of

ilexes,

in the cracks of the

crist.,

and vegetation,

When and

the

1867, p. 62.

a

compelled

fratricide

The

to

sheets of lead

of considerable growth,

monument was

fig-trees,

masonry.

of

II.,

restored,

sprung

in 1879, I

four inches in diameter, wedged


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

124

wander from sanctuary

Rome

pilgrimage to

had undertaken a

to sanctuary,

in

spring of

the

that

and

year,

was met by Pope Vitalianus and the few inhabitants the

near the sixth mile-stone of

and

short

friendly

of

visit

The

Appian Way.

emperor

Christian

this

proved most disastrous to the Roman monuments seized

everything of value

sieges of Vandals, Goths,

is

of

Dyer

as

many bronze

in

left

regard to this

" In the twelve days

not exaggerated.

Constans spent at Rome," says this off

repeated

the

after

and Lombards, had been

The statement

to plunder.

robbery

which,

he

;

Avriter,

''

which

he carried

statues as he could lay hands on

and though the Pantheon seemed

;

to possess a double

claim to protection, as having been presented by Phocas to

the

and

Pope,

Christian church, legious

enough

which covered

having been

as

carry

off

the

tiles

of

a

sacri-

bronze

gilt

After perpetrating these

it.

into

mean and

Constans was

yet

to

converted

acts,

which

were, at least, as bad as robberies, and attending mass the

at

tomb

of

St.

booty to Syracuse.

Constans

Peter,

carried

His plunder ultimately

fell

off

his

into the

hands of the Saracens."

A

remarkable discovery has been made in later years

bearing on this visit of Constans to Rome. peror,

between

and

basilicas,

and

ruins.

attendants

The Em-

his acts of doubtful devotion in churches

found time to

These

visits

by scratching

visit the

pagan monuments

were recorded by one of his his

sovereign's

name on

a


;

THE MONUMENTS

THE SEVENTH CENTURY

IN

125

prominent part of every building which the party

honoured to be

with

One

presence.

its

dis-

these graffiti

of

is

found on the four-faced arch, Janus Quadrifrons,

on the right side of the archway facing the church of S.

Giorgio

in

Vehibro,

ancient

the

Forum Boarium

another on the very top of Trajan's column. Possibly more

visit of

"best of

the

every probability that the statue of

was

Princes," on the top of the column of Trajan, ried off

by

column

of

it

The

this visitor.

Marcus Aurelius

fate of the statue

also

is

was hurled down from the top

broken into pieces by the

not

known

of the

When

fall.

curi-

There

scratchings are records of plunder.

osity, these is

than mere records of a

car-

on the perhaps

;

column, and the

Marchese

Ferrajuoli rebuilt the foundations of his palace on the

south side of the Piazza Colonna, in 1868, the finger of

the

left

hand

was discovered

of

a

bronze

in the layer of

statue

monuments, such column

of

colossal

It is quite pos-

examination of the principal

as

the

size

rubbish which covers the

ancient stone pavement of the square. sible that a careful

of

Coliseum, Pantheon,

Marcus Aurelius, would lead

of other graffiti of a similar character,

Roman

and the

to the discovery

and thus, enable

us to follow, step by step, the wanderings of the last

Emperor who saw Rome Normans.

before

the

ravages

of

the


CHAPTER XI THE INCURSION OF THE SARACENS, IN 846, AND THE EXTENSION OF THE FORTIFICATIONS OF THE CITY

The

Palermo by the Saracens

conquest of

in

831

caused the reigning Pope, Gregory IV., to adopt certain measures of defence.

tion

Tiber

a

of

fort

an

as

Tlie first

was the construc-

outpost at the

mouth

of

the

another was the abandonment of the churches

;

outside the walls, in the wilderness of the Campagna, their contents

being transferred within the shelter of

the City's defences.

The founding mouth

of

ficalis.^

the

We

Gregoriopolis,

of

river,

the

at

fortress

the

described in the Liher Ponti-

is

are informed that the ancient colony and

harbour of Ostia, "stricken with age, seemed to have

been altogether destroyed " stricken

inhabitants

Gregory

is

a

new

line

still

yet there were a few fever-

;

wandering among the

ruins.

praised by the biographer as having built of

walls

with

portcullis

gates,

crowned

with powerful batteries (^petrariae)^ and protected by a deep

moat.

The account

judge from the

remains 1

is

of

greatly exaggerated, this

Gregorius, IV. 38.

126

to

Gregoriopolis which


the late the

INCURSION OF THE SARACENS, IN

846

Carlo Ludovico Visconti and

laid

erecting

on the

left

the

of

main

of

of old houses

and

street

way

nothing.

or

little

or his

up

filled

mud

walls.

also barricaded the openings of the streets

which

the doors,

They

to

the

in

two or three blocks

selected side

Ostia

at

amounts

fortifications

They simply

did

actually

bare in

What Gregory IV.

winter of 1867-1868.

representatives

I

127

windows, and shop-fronts with

ran between the blocks.

It

possible,

is

we

although

found no evidence, that the houses surrounding

this

rudimentary fort on the opposite sides of the boundary

were levelled to the ground.

streets

The Saracenic invasion main

in its

lines,

of 846

but very uncertain in

biographer of Sergius

II.

most

critical

the 10th of August, 846,

Tuscany and protector fleet of

facts, leaves off

point.

It

his de-

seems that on

Count Adalbert, Governor

of

warning that a

of Corsica, sent

seventy-three Saracenic vessels, carrying eleven

thousand nalled

The

its details.

(844-847), a contemporary, and

perhaps an eye-witness, of the scription at the

a well-known event

is

men and

making

five

the

for

hundred

mouth

had been

horses,

Tiber.

the

of

sig-

Count

Adalbert urged the Romans to place within the protection

of

the

walls the bodies

apostles, Peter

in gold

and

and Paul,

silver

of

the

princes

of

the

as well as the great treasure

which many generations of pilgrims

had deposited over defenceless basilicas

outlying

and

the Via Cornelia and of

the

their of

tombs

in

the


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

128

Via

The Romans, however, paid

Ostiensis.

warning of Adalbert, but

the

tion to

communicating the contents

selves with

the villagers and farmers of

little

atten-

satisfied

them-

of his letter to

the Campagna, that these

might assemble for the defence

Villagers

of the coast.

and farmers, likewise, treated the message with tempt

so that

;

mouth

Tiber, on the twenty-third of the month, they

the

of

the Saracens landed at the

when

con-

found Gregoriopolis abandoned, and were able to make that outpost their base of operations. straits the

In these ness, not

to

shown want had

call

the

members

Frisians,

called

much weak-

The only

inhabitants

who

courage to rush to the defence of Porto

side

nected with

as

they had previously

cowardice, as

of forethought.

sufficient

(on the

it

Romans showed

it

the

of

river

by means the

of

opposite

of a "

and the Franks, who

Burgus, between the

and

con-

wretched bridge ") were colony,

foreign

Ostia,

lived

castle

of

the

Saxons,

the

quarter

in

the

S.

Angelo and

the Vatican.

After two encounters, in which nineteen skirmishers lost

their

lives,

Porto was taken by the

the garrison put to the sword

;

August;

and

the few survivors were

pursued as far as Ponte Galera. 26th of

infidels

This happened on the

on the following day the Saracens

marched upon Rome, while stream, and took possession

their

—

free

fleet

was towed up-

and undisturbed

— of

the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul outside the walls.


INCURSION OF THE SARACENS, IN I

have taken the pains to estimate Liher

the

of

Pontificalis

on

lavished

silver

the

— the

— on

weight

can reckon

I

of

silver

cens,

them

almost

for the cost

authority

gold

and

the

two

of ;

as nearly

about three tons of gold and thirty

it,

must have

— an

of

down

churches from the time of Constantine as

the

decorations

rich

129

846

hands of the Sara-

fallen into the

fabulous

which well

booty,

repaid

and trouble of their expedition.

While these depredations were going

on, the

Romans

attempted a sally in the "plains of Nero" (the Prati di

of the

The farmers

but were easily driven back.

Castello),

Campagna, supported by the

Alban and Tiburtine

hills,

successful in attacking

seem

villagers

to

have

been

and dispersing a band

near the Basilica of St. Paul.

For

from the

more

of pirates

this reason, or per-

haps because they had secured more booty than their

would

vessels

hold,

after slaughtering a

by

the

"a very great booty

number

great

many towns and

fire

invaders began their retreat,

of

of

men, destroying

strongholds, and carrying

people

and

of

all

off

things."

Their infantry and cavalry went south along the Appian

Way, while

the fleet skirted the coast as far as Gaeta.

Fleet and crews were ultimately lost in a gale off the coast of Sicily.

The most important circumstance events

is

in

this

chain of

the fate of the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul.

There can be no doubt that the Romans despised the warning

of

K

Count Adalbert

in regard to the safety of


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

130

these tombs

gold

in

treasures

the

belonging

silver

to

both

the accounts agree in testifying that

all

;

and

Saracens seized in either place innumerahilia bona.

the

Did the people

of

Rome heed

second part of the

the

Did

admonition as regards the bodies of the apostles?

they open the sarcophagi and carry the precious contents within the City walls?

The answer the

more than doubtful.

is

first place,

was

Pope Sergius,

broken down by gout and humor

so

podagrieus that he could attend to no duties "

good

his

own

from

less

same (hrutus

stoUdus

" extremely

and

valde)^

In the second place,

account.

on both sanctuaries a

was

source, et

plan of campaign

statement

the

to

he was

;

of

His brother, Benedict, we learn

biographer.

the

passive "

according

nothing,"

for

in

the

so

dull

and

of

even

Saracens

fell

according

thunderbolt,

like

a

tliat

had been carefully matured

to

beforehand.

What easy to

this

plan of

understand.

the

four winds the

the

Would Kasbali

not their

They

first

and scatter

bones of the propliet

seems to have been followed by the our sanctuaries.

it

is

Suppose that the crusaders had

taken possession of Mecca.

have been to invade

Moslem invaders was,

A

?

the

like policy

infidels in

certainly entered

to

aim

regard to

and plundered

the treasures of the crypt " where reposed the most holy

body

of the Prince of the Apostles" (uhi sacratissimum

corpus principis apostolorum requlescit^

;

here

is

the proof


INCURSION OF THE SARACENS, IN of

it.

Leo

of

gilt

silver,

III.

846

131

had placed over the tomb a

bas-relief

representing the

Redeemer, the Virgin

The

Mary, Peter, Paul, Andrew, and Petronilla.

bas-

was stolen by the Saracens, and a copy was sub-

relief

by Leo IV.

stituted in its place

after the retreat of the

invaders.

would be impossible to discuss

It

present

all

Peter and Paul in 846.

same

;

opinion

two holy places was not

the

of

sarcophagus of

that the

St.

subterranean crypt and protected

embedded

metal that

of

St.

masonry,

in

like the

the sanctuaries of both

of

My

book

forward to prove

arguments brought

the

deny the profanation

or to

in a

is

in

that the fate

Peter, placed in a

by a case of

escaped

solid

while

rifling,

Paul, a plain marble coffin level with the

floor of the basilica,

was certainly injured or destroyed.

We

find the evidence of the fact last

life

of Benedict III.:^ Sepulclirum (^Pauli apostoli)

mentioned

in the

quod

The word

Sarraeenis destructum fuerat^ perornavit.

a

the

respects

all

destructum^ however, cannot be taken in a literal sense

the lid of

sarcophagus, with the

the

APOSTOLO mart(yiii) engraved of Constantine,

1

Chapter

II. p.

145.

is still

xxii. in

in the

in existence.

I

epitaph

;

paulo

style of the age

saw

it

on Decem-

Duchesne's edition of the Liber PontiJicaUs, Vol.

The passage

reLating to St. Peter's, in the life of

Leo

IV.,

mentions not the grave, but the altar of the Apostle as having been injured by the Saracens perdiictum.

:

beatiss. Petri altare

violatum

et

ad vilitatem


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

132 ber

1,

1891, having lowered myself from the fenestella

under the high

altar. ^

23.)

(^^ig-

The most notewortliy consequence from a topographical point

Fia. 23.

the

construction St. le

canopy of Arnolfo Mura, after the fire of 1823.

Vatican district of

two

in

the

powerful

('ity

di

Lapo

proper,

outlying

Paul's, the other at the church

these

events,

was the inclusion

— The tomb of St. Paul and the fuori le

of

of view,

of

of S.

forts,

in S.

Paolo

and the one

at

Lorenzo fuori

Mura.

The

walls

of 1

the

Civitas

Leonina,

See Pagan and Christian Rome,

or p. 157.

Burgas, are


INCURSION OF THE SARACENS, IN

and are properly considered a mas-

in existence,

still

Leo IV.

mediaeval military engineering.

terpiece of

133

846

undertook to imitate, to a certain extent, the construction of

feet thick,

and has two

The lower

gallery

within.

The

level with the battlements.

is

lower gallery were walled up in

Pope Borgia, and the gallery

the fifteenth century by

transformed into a secret passage

itself

Corridojo di

— connecting

Castello

Vatican with the fortress of

many popes and

S.

May, 1527,

that

is

of Charles of

S.

palace

of

To

Angelo.

;

we at

a

Pope Clement VII., who this

of

passage from the hordes

for-

Angelo, becomes more simple on the

hill

natural

and

effective

no

line

which

consti-

our illustration. protected in existence

(Fig. 24.)

of

defence.

Here

galleries, save

the height of the battlements,

still

in

Leonine wall, so elaborate

the

find a plain wall with

were

this cor-

one of the most strik-

behind the church, the steep slopes of tute

the

between the Vatican and the

in the level stretch of

famous

Bourbon.

The construction tress

of

through

fled

the

— the

cardinals have been indebted for

escape from death or servitude

ing instances

twelve

supported by open arcades facing

is

the

of

is

one above the other.

galleries,

The upper one

arcades

ridor

His structure

the wall of Aurelian.

as

may

the Vatican landscape.

be seen in

The most exposed angles

by round towers, two and form

a passage

of

a conspicuous

which

are

landmark in

The one represented

in

the


134

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

illustration,

which stands

the sea,

commands an unlimited view over

pagna and the

Fig. 24.

turris

at a height of 187 feet

coast,

and

the

above

Cam-

therefore described as the

is

— Tower of the wall of Leo IV., uow used as an observatory.

unde mare prospicitur

tions of the Vatican group.

in

the

It is

early

now used

representaas

an ob-

servatory for photographing the section of the heavens

which was

allotted

to

the

Holy See by the Interna-


INCURSION OF THE SARACENS, IN Astronomical

tional

used

The other tower new summer casino

Congress. ^

chapel

a

as

135

846

the

for

is

of

Leo XIII.

The

Rome were unequal

zens of

the walls

and

the

colonists

Campagna were

Two

work.

to the task of

A

the required time.

in

(^praestatio operis)

service to,

and the resources of the

pontifical treasury

was

of

upon

called

inscriptions,

now

completing

system of forced

in consequence

the

resorted

farms of

fortified

take a share

to

citi-

in

affixed to the arch

the

the

which

spans the Via Angelica, give important details of the

scheme adopted to obtain thus speedy assistance and

One

cheap labour.

says,

" In the

Pope Leo IV., the Militia

the

time of our Lord

Saltisina (a colony

the road to Ardea, fifteen miles from

Rome)

two towers, and the wall between them

"In

the

time of

our Lord

near the ruins of Veil on the S.

built these

the

other,

Pope Leo IV., the

Capracorum (a colony founded by Hadrian

Militia

of

the

;

"

on

Cornelia)

built

this

site of

the present farm

tower and the wall which

Both companies declare

with the next."

connects

it

that they

worked under the direction

who was probably

I.

of a certain

Agatho,

the chief engineer of the Leonine wall.

In 880 John VIII. did

for

St.

Paul's without

the

Walls what Leo IV. had done thirty years before for St.

Peter's,

1

This work

am

but is

with this

difference,

that while

entrusted mostly to Cavaliere Mannucci, to

indebted for the illustration.

the

whom

I


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

136

Burgus was included proper, the astery

Ostiensis with

Basilica

and

and became a part

in

remained

hospices

its

of the

adjoining mon-

detached

a

City

fort,

con-

nected with the City only by means of a colonnade a

The stronghold

mile long.

to be seen above

A

founder.

its

the

same

time

Lorenzo

S.

ground

is

now

— was named Johannipolis after

the

for

fact,

le

protection

No

Mura.

The

of

the basilica of

document

historical

but we possess a drawing of Martin

Heemskerk which shows the about 1534.^

which no trace

second detached fort was built about

fuori

mentions the

— of

fact

of

state

the stronghold

that two inhabited centres

of

the Campagna, Saltisinum and Capracorum, could fur-

soldier-workmen

nish a strong contingent of

for

the

defence of the Capital, seems to prove that a few fortified

farms

Saracens. selves,

did I

escape

may add

from

the

depredation of

the

that some of the Saracens them-

namely, the prisoners taken at

St.

Paul's and

on the road to Gaeta, were compelled to take a share in the work, the fact being recorded in an inscription.^

The extent

of the zone

plundered in the fearful

visita-

tion of 846 can be determined with the help of the of churches

which Leo IV. had

implements and vestments. ings, however, at least I

list

to refurnish with sacred

None

of

the church build-

seem to have been materially damaged

have not been able to find in the Liber Pon-

1

Reproduced

2

De

in

Ruins and Excavations^

Fig. 35.

Rossi, Inscriptiones Christianae urhis

Romae, Vol.

11. p.

347.


INCURSION OF THE SARACENS, IN

any mention

tifiealis

repaired

roofs,

Leo IV. or

of

having

his successors

The

windows, or doors.

walls,

137

846

of

list

plundered churches comprises those of Silva Candida, Ostia and Porto.

of the delta of the Tiber, of

I

must

record especially that of S. Cyriacus on the Via Osti-

because

ensis,

remains

that

it

was

just in the

Signor

Rocchi

Pietro

twenty-five years ago

neighbourhood of

traces

some

discovered

one of

of

the

its

Saracenic

camps, consisting mainly of daggers and poniards with

curved blades of Oriental make.

Other churches are

mentioned on the Tusculan and Alban

hills

(Frascati,

Morena, Massa Maruli), and along the Via Appia as Terracina and Fondi.

Important, above

far

as

the

mention of the church of SS. Cosmas and Dami-

anus (S. Cosimato) near Subiaco, because Saracens carried

the

their

devastation

it

as

is

all,

shows that far

as

the

upper valley of the Anio, and into the very heart of the Simbruine Mountains.

We

find a survival

day in the village

this incursion at the present

of Saracinesco^

on a conical

nest

from

and

almost

perched like an eagle's inaccessible

peak

at

a

height of 2500 feet above the sea, and of 1350 feet

above

Cosimato.

S.

party, having been

finding

There cut off

is

no doubt that a foraging

from the main body, and

a retreat impossible, took

shelter

among

these

rocky precipices, and that afterwards they were allowed to

the

form a settlement and cross

for

the

live

crescent.

in peace

Some

of

by substituting the

inhabitants.


138

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

who come

to

resque their

Rome

every winter clad in their pictu-

costumes as

Arabic

Elmansour

is

painters'

names,

like

also the

name

hood

of the village.

fore,

our valley of

From the

models, have

El-Mansour

(Almansorre).

of a cave in the neighbourthis point of view, there-

Anio forms a counterpart

the Saas-Thal in the Valaisan Alps, the

peaks of

which

still

preserved

preserve

their

villages

Saracenic

of

and

names

(Monte Moro, AUalin, Mischabel, Alphubel, Almagell, Balferin, etc.),

from the invasion of 927.


CHAPTER

XII

THE FLOOD OF

On

January

6,

856

when Benedict

856,

III.

was pope, the

Tiber rose violently, broke through the embankments,

and flooded the lower quarters depth of several ficalis

According

feet.

the

City

to

the

to the Liher Ponti-

the waters reached the highest step of the stairs

of St. Dionysius, near the present in Capite,

and the architrave

Via Lata.

in

of

Houses

S. Silvestro

of the door of

or were

fell

church of

S.

Maria

washed away by the

men and way down

hundred, trees were uprooted,

cattle

and crops destroyed,

the river from

Rome to the sea. What damage was

all

the

in this instance

monuments we do not know

;

drowned,

done to the

classic

but the records show that

during the Middle Ages there were several destructive inundations of the Tiber, and they are described with

an almost stereotyped formula in the Liher Pontijicalis.

The formula runs thus

On

:

—

such an hour, on such a day of such a year,^ the

waters broke through the posterula of St. Agatha, and 1

Hora

diet

X. for the inundation of October

Pontificalis^ Vol. II. p. 145, chap, xxiii.

139

30, 860.

See Liher


140

DESTRUCTIOI:^ OF ANCIENT

rushing over the waste

fiekls

of

the

ROME Campus

Martius,

followed the line of the Via Flaminia (the modern Corso) to the foot of the Capitoline hill this obstacle,

;

then, pushed back

they followed the line of the Pallacinae,

Such a description would not be applied rising of the waters,

FiG.

2.J.

;

etc.

to a gentle

which quietly spread over the low-

— The FoiLuu lUxnied by the Tiber — 1898.

lying districts, giving time to the citizens to save

and property

by

we have

life

here rather a sudden outburst,

produced by the breaking away

of

an obstacle, whether

a levee, or an embankment, or a wall.

In the inundation

must have been

in the line of the

of 856 the obstacle


THE FLOOD OF walls of 'Aurelian

bank

and Honorius, which followed the

dm

mansitavit,

the

Ponte

by the

present

Ponte Margherita, to

There were two or three

Sisto.

left

Turris uhi umbra Neronis

the river from the

of

141

856

gaps in

the wall, called posterulae^ which served to give access the

to

bank. the

ferries

The

and

to

posterula

the of

inundations broke,

gaps, and

mooring stations along the St.

Agatha,

was the

through which

northernmost of

consequently the most exposed of

all;

the

any

temporary obstruction of the water here would be apt to give

Even quent. at

the

way in

first

modern times

Our

illustration

time

inundation

under the pressure

in

of

a

1557

Aemilius (Fig. 44).

floods

of the flood.

have been not infre-

shows the Forum under water

freshet

carried

(Fig.

25).

away part

A of

destructive the

Pons


CHAPTER

XIII

THE ROME OF THE EINSIEDLEN ITINERARY

The name summary

a

Rome

description of

century, which tions,

been

Einsiedlen Itinerary has

mostly of

dating from the ninth

appended to a collection

is

Roman

given to

of inscrip-

volume

origin, in a manuscript

now

formerly in the library of the Abbey of Pfeffers, in that of Einsiedeln, in Switzerland.

The volume has

been examined and illustrated in

minutest details

by Haenel, Jordan, De

its

Our

and myself.^

Rossi,

researches have proved that the Itinerary was

the

of

legends

of

map

a

Rome

of

the

of

joint

made up time

The

Charlemagne, prepared for the use of pilgrims. legends, therefore, are itineraries,

or

routes,

religious attraction.

of

arranged so as to form eleven

between

The

list

is

the

main

as follows

centres

of

—

:

Route I.

From

the Aeliaii Bridge to the Esquiline, by S. Lucia in

Selce. II.

1

From

the Aelian Bridge to the Porta Salaria.

Haenel, in Archiv fiir Philologie und Pixdagogik^ Vol. V.

pp. 115-138; Jordan, Topographic von Inscr. Christ., Vol. II. pp. 9 et seq. e

;

Bom,

Vol.

II.

p.

329;

De

(1837) Rossi,

Lanciani, V Itinerario di Einsiedlen

V Ordo di Benedetto Canonico, Rome, 142

1891.


THE ROME OF THE EINSIEDLEN ITINERARY III.

From

143

Bridge to the Porta Asinaria (now

the Aelian

S.

Giovanni).

IV.

From

the Aelian Bridge to

V.

From

the Porta

VI.

From

the Porta Flaminia (now Porta del Popolo) to the

St.

Nomentana

Paul's without the Walls.

to the

Forum Romanum.

Capitol (Via di Marforio).

VII.

From

the Porta Tiburtina (S. Lorenzo) to the Subura by

the Esquiline gate of Servius

VIII.

From

;

and again

the Porta Tiburtina to the Subura by the Viminal

gate of Servius.

IX.

From

the Porta Aurelia (S. Pancrazio) to the Porta Prae-

nestina

X.

From

(now Porta Maggiore).

the Circus

Maximus

to the Porta Metroni, across the

Caelian Hill.

XI.

From

the Porta Appia

(now Porta

di S. Sebastiano) to the

Schola Graeca (Bocca della Verita).

The Ninth Route, from west to east, marks what camp surveyors would call the decumanus maior ; Third, from north

to

south,

the the

approximately, gives

the line of a cardo^ at right angles with

it

;

us

the others

are designed to illustrate the four quarters formed

the intersection of the cardo and the decumanus.

author of first,

to

the

document had two purposes

show the pilgrims

to

their

another, from the grave of one martyr

another

;

and secondly,

conspicuous

edifices,

to point out to

The view

in

way from one

by

basilica

to that

of

them the most

profane as well as sacred, which

they would see on the right or on the

left

of

their


:

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

144

The map used bj the compiler of the Itinerary oldest of which we have knowledge, after those

path. is

the

which served

of the time of Constantine,

I

believe

to be a revised

it

some

map, because

stantinian

distinctly classical

drianum)

Vicus

(as,

edition

of

the

names

the

of

in

Con-

are

so

Minervium, Ha-

Patricii,

much

betray a

as to

com-

and of the Curiosum Urhis ;

pilation of the Notitia fact,

for the

origin than the

earlier

time of Charlemagne.

The

City

the

which the pilgrim

streets along

exactly

are

those

change had yet taken

pavement

their

of blocks

of

imperial

of

place

is

their

in

led through

Roma;

direction,

worn by

basalt,

age,

no

and

was

not yet covered with a layer of rubbish or with sand

from the inundations of the Tiber. course, in general

deviation

of

;

for there

obstacles placed

speaking, of

order to avoid

in

line,

way by

the

in

am

more than one instance

is

from a straight

I

downfall of some

the

great building of the Republic or of the Empire.

A

conception of the importance of this document, as

throwing light on the state of the Roman monuments

may

in the ninth century,

Routes,

the to

the

City.

which takes us from

Esquiline,

The

be gained from the

directly

edifices

are

through

grouped

those on the right of the path, the

N

S(inistra)

;

The

text says

:

left,

itself.

I

IN

Aelian

the

the in

heart

three

D{extra)\

first

of

Bridge of

the

columns those on

and those crossed by the path

—


THE ROME OF THE EINSIEDLEN ITINERARY

FROM THE GATE OF

PETER TO THE CHURCH OF

LUCIA IN ORTHEA

S.

On

ST.

On

Right

the

145

The church

The Circus Flaminius.

the Left

of S. Laurentius in

Damaso.

The

The Rotunda.

theatre

of

The

Pompey.

Cypress.

The thermae

of

The church

Commodus.

of St. Lawrence.

The

Capitol.

The Forum

of Trajan

and

its

The church

column.

is

The Arch

of S. Sergius,

of Septimius Severus.

The equestrian

The Tiber. The church

where

the Umbilicus Romae.

of St. Hadrian.

statue

of

Con-

stantine.

The Forum Roraanum. The church

of St. Agatha.

Subura.

The thermae

The church

of Constantine.

of S.

Pudens in Vico

Patricii.

The church Longo,

of S. Vitalis in Vico

where

the

The church

of S. Laurentius in

Formoso.

Back again by the

beautiful

Subura.

horses are.

The church Vico

of S.

Euphemia

in

The thermae

of

ad Vin-

cula.

Patricii.

The gate

of Trajan

St.

Peter, from which

we

start,

is

the

gate of the Aurelian wall, which opened at the left or Cistiberine entrance to the Aelian Bridge, on of the present Piazza di

name

of

Procopius

Ponte

S.

Angelo.

the

site

Its classical

Porta Aurelia (nova) had since the time of (^Goth.

I.

19)

been superseded by that of

Peter, ''the chief of the apostles."

We

now

enter the


"

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

146

Via del Banco

di

and Via del Pellegrino,

Roman

mains of

Via

Spirito,

S.

Banchi Vecchi,

dei

ancient as shown by the re-

all

pavement which are constantly

basaltic

discovered under the modern pavement at a depth vary-

ing from ten

fifteen

to

out on the left are

:

wrongly applied

the

;

buildings

Stadium, where

the

Piazza Navona, to which the is

The

feet.

name

pointed

now

of Circus

is

the

Flaminius

Rotunda, or Pantheon

;

the

Thermae Commodianae, probably

the Baths of Agrippa

by Commodus.

on the right are the

restored

First

Library and archives of the Church of Rome, founded

by Pope Damasus of

(Stabula Factionis Prasinae,

charioteers

tius in

in the barracks of the green squadron

and the theatre

Prasino);

S.

Lauren-

Pompey, the

of

re-

mains of which occupy the space between the Piazza di

Campo

We

di Fiori

not sure what

are

which

(^Cupressus)^ of

and the Via Argentina.

meant by " the Cypress

in our itinerary follows the

Pompey's theatre.

quarters, derived

is

from a

Names

of

streets,

solitarj^ tree

or

mention even of

growing conspicu-

ously in a wilderness of ruins, are not infrequent in

Our Ninth Ward (Rione)

Rome. della

Piazza zetta

Pigna, dell'

del

''

Pine-tree

Olmo,

Fico,

Ward "

" Elm-tree

" Fig-tree "

;

a

;

is

actually

we

have

called also

a

Square,"

and a

Via

Arancio, etc.

may

dell'

Piaz-

be adopted by the

Yet, while

such designations

populace,

seems hardly credible that they should have

it

been registered in such a document as the Itinerary^


THE ROME OF THE EINSIEDLEN ITINERARY and put down

147

most important

as indicating one of tlie

landmarks of the City.

Resuming our journey toward the Forum, we enter the Via delle Botteghe Oscure, skirting the east side of

Flaminius (the

Circus

the

by that

church of

the

of

among and above

built

Marco

or

site

Pallacinae,

S.

which

Laurentius

is

Via

lastly the

named Clivus Argentarius

antiquity,

in

Prothi in the Middle Ages.

The

indicated Pensilis,

in

ruins), then the

its

and

of

di

Via

di S.

Marforio,

and

Ascesa

Itinerary mentions

the Capitoline hill and the church of

SS. Sergius and

Forum and the column of Trajan on the right. Entering the Forum Romanum by the arch of Septimius Severus, we turn at once to the Bacchus on the

left,

the

and following the succession

left,

della Croce Bianca, de'

Lucia

of short streets.

Via

Monti, Leonina, and Via di

S.

corresponding to the Argiletum, Subura,

in Selce,

and to the Clivus Suburanus, we reach the end of the journey at the Esquiline gate, in the neighbourhood of

known under

the church of S. Lucia in Orthea, better the

name

Lucia in Selce.

of S.

Nine points of

interest

are

namely, the Senate-house dedicated to

Pope

Honorius

called dei

SS.

Agatha, the

group hill

of

the

borrowed

I.,

church

the

Quirico

e

on

recorded

Giolitta

of ;

S.

the

St.

the

left,

Hadrian by

Cyriacus,

church of

now St.

Baths of Constantine, and the beautiful Horse-tamers, from which the its

Quirinal

popular name of Monte Cavallo; and


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

148

Longus (Via (Via

churches are

which

was

only

Basilica

new

the

of

S.

All

in

V. in

these

On

Baths

Though

streets

edifices

and

Trajan

of

Vincoli.

modern

Panisperna

two

right

the

while

1587,

between the

street

the

Pietro

true that the

is

Gesu).

Sixtus

Maggiore.

mentioned,

are

by

destroyed

Maria

S.

Bambino

del

Patricii

extant except that of S. Euphemia,

still

cutting open

and

Lorenzo in Panisperna,

Euphemia on the Vicus

S.

Via

Urbana,

on the Vicus

Vitalis

S.

di S. Vitale), of S.

Pudens, and of

of

it

churches of

four

the

lastly,

the

general

in

mentioned above, dei

Banchi, del Pellegrino, delle Botteghe Oscure,

etc.,

follow

the lines of ancient thoroughfares, the statement must

not

be

accepted

too

literally.

There

the right or to the

slight deviation to

is

usually

a

in conse-

left,

quence of which the old pavements of basalt have come to

light,

modern

as

a

streets,

rule,

under the houses wliich flank the

ratlier

under

than

the

them-

streets

selves.

The importance

this precious

of the other section of

document, in wliich are transcribed some of the monumental inscriptions of the City, of

that

containing the Itinerary.

such

Nazzareno, of

as

the

the

of

do not refer to

I

Claudius

arch of

obelisk

almost as great as

which are

inscriptions from the edifices ence,

is

the

those

from

buildings

which

in

the

Vatican,

Trajan, and the arch of Septimius

have

in

still

the

exist-

Via del column

Severus, but to

partly

or

wholly


c3

O &(

o

a o P5

O

ITS

.2

^

CD

a o Ph ID

Si

H



THE ROME OF THE EINSIEDLEN ITINERARY Following the order of

disappeared.

we

monument

find the first

by Totila and

1798,

in

the

of

the

river Anio, broken

the

mausoleum

Hadrian,

of

the

of

of

St.

Peter's.

the triumphal arch

and Theodosius, which stood by

of Arcadius, Honorius, S.

the

of

marbles for the

Cappella Gregoriana in

The document mentions furthermore church of

epitaphs

destroyed in July, 1579, by Pope

epitaphs were

decoration of the

the

second century buried within.

the

of

Gregory XIII., who made use

the

by which

order are inscriptions from the square base

in

great emperors

The

to be the bridge

1867 (Fig. 26).

soldiers in

Next

in 544,

for

the manuscript

down again by the Neapolitan army third time by the Pope's own

the Via Salaria crossed first

151

Orso at the entrance of the bridge

Nero (Pons Neronianus or Vaticanus); that of Gra-

tian, Valentinian,

church of

and Theodosius, which stood by the

Celso

S.

in

Banchi, destroyed toward the

end of the fifteenth century

by Titus

was

find

rebuilt

the

in

Navicella

of

fifth

the

Capitis

SS. Quattro (Tabernola);

C.

we

an arch built

Circus Maximus,

the

Nymphaeum, which by

Flavins

Phi-

corner of the Via

Africae)

and Via

possess a drawing of

Peruzzi.^ I.

a

century

City, at

(Vicus

made about 1500 by

to

also

the

1

lastly

not known.

is

reference

a

lippus, prefect

della

and

the curved end of

at

the fate of which

We

;

The monumental

L. VI. 1728 a.

dei it,

in-


2

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

152

market

scriptions of the in

place

(macelluTri) of Livia

they were afterwards made

;

of

Maria

Trastevere,

in

pavement

The Baths

two

miles

which they came

of

the

of

including

churches,

various

restoration

still

in

the

of

that

distant,^

of

from

S.

the

to light again in 1868.

Akarii,

Julii

use

were

which,

according

to

another document of the Einsiedlen manuscript, stood Bartolomeo, are

near the

island

known.

The Septizonium

of

S.

at the

un-

otherwise

south corner of the

Palatine hill seems already to have fallen into a ruin-

The inscription on the frieze of lower colonnade numbered originally 280 letters, ous condition.

which 118 could be copied by the Einsiedlen on the extreme

Maximus, and 45 nianus (^Cod.

of the building

left

117

which

were

respectively

fifths

not

far

two ends

called

As

and Septem Solia Minor. building was

toward the Circus

There was consequently a gap

between the

letters

scribe,

25) on the extreme right toward

the arch of Constantine. of

of

by the anonymous Barberi-

letters

XXX.

the

Septem

the total

the

of

Solia

Maior

length of the

hundred

from three

ruins,

feet,

two-

had seemingly collapsed before or about the time

of Charlemagne.

Another

inscription

way

rather confused

and Honorius

to

the

of

the

collection

to the repairs

theatre

of

1

a

2

Buins and Excavations^

I.

L.

VL

refers

in

a

made by Arcadius

Pompey, which had

1178. p. 183.


THE ROME OF THE EINSIEDLEN ITINERARY The Forum

been half -ruined by an earthquake. ^

Trajan and the Baths of Diocletian

monumental

of their

ment

of

The pave-

Sacra Via, of

the

the Vicus Tuscus, and of the Argiletum was

from any accumulation

of

rubbish,

compiler

of

the

fact

the

that

of

retained some

still

inscriptions in place.

Forum Romanum,

the

of

153

still

clear

shown by the

as

could

collection

copy

the inscription of the Caballus Constantini, and others

almost level with the pavement

monuments on the Capitoline

several

remains

siderable

Tiber. 2 the

lonesome

there,

before,

roads

the eye

by some

the

fell

Janiculum,

and

of

the the

and posterns

C.

I.

and

walls

conthe

of

many tombs along Campagna still retained

that

of

frauds

the

that,

here

of

customs of

such

as

the

millers

of

the

City,

the

officers

stationed

at

the walls of Arcadius and

Honorius.^ 1

also

on an edict issued, centuries

prefect

against

gates

embankment

finally,

of

Hill,

and marble decorations, and

regulations

the

the

of

appears,

It

their epitaphs

and

He saw

itself.

L. VI. 1191.

2

Ihid., 472, 562, 773, 916, 1014, 1472, 1708.

3

Ibid., 1711, 1016, c.


CHAPTER XIV THE USURPERS OF THE HOLY OF

The two

SEE,

AND THE SACK

1084

between the pontificate of John

centuries

VIII. (872-882) and that of Gregory VII. (1073-1085) witnessed

the

deepest

mediaeval Rome.

degradation

As we

in

history

the

of

follow the chain of events,

roughly described in contemporary chronicles, we are often reminded of the time of the " thirty tyrants " in the third century of the Empire, the comparison being

always in favour of these

We

last.

read of pontificates lasting only weeks or even

days, as that of Boniface VI., which extended over

teen days; of Theodore days, and of

Peter

for

who was Pope for twenty who filled the chair of St.

II.,

Benedict V.,

days.

sixty-three

fif-

popes in two hundred years,

There

were

forty-nine

and the succession was

determined, not by established usage, but by the prevalence for the

moment

were elected in

of one or another faction.

direct

canon law, as Marinus 896), and

opposition I.

of

the

statutes

of

(882-884), Formosus (891-

John X. (914-928)

by an open purchase

to

Popes

;

votes, 154

elections

as

that

were secured of

Benedict


THE USURPERS OF THE HOLY SEE VIII.

there was a double and even a triple election,

;^

— that

of Sergius

and John IX.

III.

Benedict IX., Sylvester

of

155

III.,

and that

in 898,

and Gregory VI. in

1045.

The supreme pontiff might be thrown into prison by his own attendants, as was Leo V., in 903, after reigning only 40 days

usurpers might in turn be ex-

;

pelled and shut up in a monastery, as Christopher

904;

in

pope might

a

with pillows, or

suffocated

Stephen

be

Leo

VI.,

strangled with a rope,

stabbed

Christopher

V.,

was

the

to

or

heart,

as

John X., John

I.,

XII., Benedict VI. ;2 or chased from the chair of St.

Romanus

Peter, as

The grave

was.

pope might

a

of

be violated for the sake of the richly embroidered vest-

ments

tomb

which the body had been buried,

in

Hadrian

of

body

case the

III.,

itself

as

was the

885;^

at Nonantola, in

in

was exhumed from before the high

altar, slashed in the face

and hands, mutilated, dragged and thrown into the

on the

floor of St. Peter's,

such a

lot befell the corpse of

Formosus

river,

1021-1024.

at 1000 to 2000

The sum spent on

ch.

pod. 3

II.

Rossi, Inscr. Christ. Vol.

10

Lib. Pont. Vol.

;

43

;

II. p.

II. p.

variously stated

is

at Pavia.

235, n.

215; Auxilius, Defens. Formos.

1,

p. 248, n. 18

Martinus Polonus in Lib. Pont. Vol.

Lib. Pont. Vol.

still

pp. 270, 275.

De

III.

occasion

pounds of Papienses, or gold denarii coined

See Lib. Pont. Vol. 2

this

—

in 896.*

Sepulchral inscriptions of popes in this period are 1

one

II. p.

*"Ann. Alamann." Auxilius und Vulgarius,

;

Lintprand, Auta-

II. p.

240.

225, n. 3.

in 3Ion. p. 95,

Germ. Scr. Vol.

I.

p.

53;

Dummler,


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT HOME

156

extant in which their predecessors are called " wolves "

The sacred

and "unclean." 2

office

was

^

mercy

at the

an unspeakable Theodora vestararia and a Marotia

of

Patricians,

senatrix.^

George

like

and

Aventinensis

Gregory the Nomenclator,* were blinded, mutilated, and dragged from church to church.

by being stripped

There were

Superista.^

the castle of

to

— often

robberies,

fires,

which the moral sense of men

XI. (931-936)

only fair to remember that

is

Europe this

fact

that the

registered in

character,

we now and then

But

whose

virtue,

The whole

alone.

find

the it

shocking state of

dark days was corrupt

in those

period,

this

Rome

did not prevail in

affairs

—

successful

Liher Pontificalls in words that are unquotable. is

on

fights in the streets, attacks

was blunted may be inferred from the paternity of John

of the

blood ran, like Maria

Angelo, appeals

St.

The extent

murders.

the

till

invaders, famine, pestilence,

foreign

to

garments in the face

of their

populace and scourged

Matrons were punished

a

even in

yet,

;

of

pope of

noble

wisdom, and sanctity are

in

striking contrast with the tendencies of the age.

To what

vicissitudes the remains of ancient

subject in the tenth century

it

is

easier to imagine than

1

De

2

Ihid. p. 215,

^

Chronicon of Benedict of Soracte^ ad a. 928. Mon. Germ. Scr. Lang. p. 483 Ann. Fuld. ad

*

RosF-.i,

Inscr. Christ. Vol. II. p. 212.

and Lib. Pont. Vol.

II. p.

;

Defens. Formos. ch. s

Rome were

Mon. Germ.

4.

Scr.

Lang.

p. 483,

258, n. 4.

a.

882

;

Auxilius,


THE USURPERS OF THE HOLY SEE

Amidst general disorder and the

to set forth in detail. strifes of

contending factions, they became the prey of

any one who had the power to

own

for his

Some

purposes.

formed into strongholds

ground

prevent

to

A

faction.

157

;

their

them and use them

seize

great buildings were trans-

others

were levelled to the

occupation

by the opposite

few were occupied by the lowest orders

tradespeople

;

thus the

of

Forum Transitorium was taken

possession of by the butchers, the Basilica Julia by the

rope-makers, the Crypta Balbi by the candle-makers, and the Circus Flaminius by the lime-burners.

There was a decline in the number of pilgrims

to

the

1045,

— had

double election as

of

of

knowledge

—

extended

so

Sylvester

both these popes were

regard

in

far

and

that,

Gregory,

illiterate,

third

a

was named who could help them celebrate the

pontiff

holy

Lack

City.

and writing

reading

after in

Holy

the

iting

vis-

offices.^

The

falling off in the

in the shrinkage of the

number ''

of pilgrims

was manifest

Pilgrim's Pence," the principal

item in the revenue of the Holy See.

This was due to

the insecurity of travel not only in the Campagna, but also in the rest of Italy

and

were regular bands

highwaymen, organized

of

the pilgrims and rob

them

There

in the Alpine passes. to

waylay

of the pence that they

expecting to offer to the " great beggar," as

were

Rome was

Especially for pilgrims from the northern side

called. 1

See Mon. Germ. Scr. Lang. Vol. VI.

p.

358 ad

a.

1044.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

158

journey to the " seat of

Alps the

the

of

tles" involved risks and sufferings which

An

credible.

the

Apos-

now seem

in-

inscription formerly in the parish church

Bourg-St. -Pierre, in the Val d'Entremont, recorded

of

the

murders committed by a band

St.

Bernard Pass.

neto,

973,

These were the Moors

who for more than half a commanded the passes of

acting

from

heavy ransoms

grims.

of

Frassi-

century, from

90G to

western Alps, ex-

the

travellers,

especially

In 940 they crossed the St. Bernard and

on the rich monastery of Valley.

pilfell

Maurice in the Rhone

St.

In 973, a distinguished pilgrim, Maiolus, abbot

Cluny, was taken at

of

Saracens in the

of

bridge

tlie

sum

compelled to pay a large

of

Orsieres,

gold

in

to

save

and his

life.

The outlaws

of the

Campagna

Moors

cruelty with the

of

the popes of a later age evil,

as

regards

the

vied in rapacity and

Frassineto

;

and, although

succeeded in extirpating the

existence

of

regularly

bands, yet the lonely roads converging to

not until recently been quite secure.

saw

(at least, I

cross site

on the the

it

left

the spot where a

murdered

Toward

Rome have exists still

a few years ago) a modest

bank

of the ancient

Sepoltura

so-called

There

organized

di

wooden

Via Clodia, oppo-

Nerone, which

marks

young female pilgrim was atrociously

in 1827.^

the

beginning of 1

Shown

this

troubled

in Fig. 17, p. 93.

period the


THE SACK OF loss of

159

1084

revenue from the contributions of pilgrims was

temporarily offset by an increase from an unexpected

In the pontificate of Stephen VI. (896-897),

source.

the venerable basilica of St. John Lateran

Negli-

fell in.

gently built, with spoils from earlier edifices, as were the other churches of the time of Constantine,

it

The

long since begun to show signs of decay.

had

walls

nave rested on columns of various kinds of marble,

of the

differing in height

and strength.

These, yielding under

the roof, bulged outward

the pressure of

far that

so

the ends of the beams of the roof-trusses came out of

and the building

their sockets,

In the basilica

collapsed.

were untold treasures accumulated in the course of centuries

;

as Gains

Marius stole from the smouldering ruins

of the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol (83 B.C.) several

thousand pounds of gold, and Julius Caesar gathered large

money from the demolition near the Forum Holitorium, so

sums

of Pietas,

of

the Apostolic

of

treasures, all

its

See

bore from

the

of the

temple

the ''usurpers

basilica

all

its

furniture of gold and silver, and

all

the utensils."

The chastisement

that

followed those evil days was

sweeping, and introduced a the history of the papacy of the fate

is

new

era, at least so far

concerned

;

as

and the fortunes

papacy were always closely connected with the

of the

City.

Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia,

arrived in sight of the walls of Rome,

May

24, 1084,


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

160

and established

his

ducts, probably on

camp among

the ruins of the aque-

the same spot

Fiscale, fourth mile-stone of the

Goths had encamped

— by

the Torre

Via Latina

— where the The Romans

years before.

5-17

del

displayed more courage than might have been expected.

Abandoned by welcomed

the

Emperor Henry

a liberator

as

knowing what they had

Normans

and

Saracens,

Hildebrand, had

on

entered

the

whom

only a few days to expect at the

whom Gregory

summoned unequal

IV.,

they had

previously,

hands of the VII.,

Pope

to his rescue, they pluckily '

There

fight.

were

traitors

among them, however, chief of whom was the consul Cencio Frangipane. At daybreak of May 28 the Normans and their infidel allies effected a double entrance by the Porta Flaminia (now Porta del Popolo) and the Porta Tiburtina (now Porta di S. Lorenzo) fighting their way through the eastern quarter of the city, they ;

succeeded in releasing the Pope from the Castle of

Angelo, and conducted him amid the Lateran.

The whole

of the

fire

and carnage

Campus Martius and

St.

to of

the Caelian hill was devastated by the flames, and the

unhappy City became the scene

of horrors, in compari-

son with wliich the sack of the Vandals seems merciful.

On

the third day the citizens tried to rise once more

against their foes, but the attempt was stifled in blood

and

fire.

The

scene

is

well pictured by Gregorovius.

"

When

both flames and the tumult of battle had subsided," says


;

THE SACK OF the learned author of a heap

lay

Rome

161

1084

in the Middle Ages^^ "

Rome

smoking ashes before Gregory's eyes

of

burnt churches, streets in

dead

the

ruins,

bodies

The

Romans, formed a thousand accusers against him.

Pope must have averted

his eyes as the

of

Romans, bound

with cords, were led in troops into their camp by Sara-

Noble women, men calling themselves senators,

cens.

and youths were openly sold

children,

slavery;

like cattle into

and among them the imperial

others,

were carried as prisoners of

state to

Calabria.

prefect,

Goths

and Vandals, nevertheless, had been more fortunate than were the Normans, since Goths and Vandals had found

Rome the

of

filled

with inexhaustible wealth, while the plunder

Moslems

the

in

service

of

the duke could

no

longer have been comparable to that which their predecessors had ravished from St. Peter's 230 years before.

The

was now

city

terribly impoverished,

churches were devoid of ornament. stood in the ruinous

str,eets

Mutilated statues

or lay in the dust amid the

baths and temples.

relics of

and even the

Hideous images of saints

remained here and there in the

basilicas,

which were

already falling into decay, and attracted the spoiler by the gold which

The

votaries.

for

a

some days

was possibly

still

affixed

to

them by

brutal fury of the victors satisfied itself in

robbery and murder, until the Romans,

sword and a cord round their necks, threw them-

selves

at

the feet of the duke. 1

M

The grim conqueror

Mrs. Hamilton's translation, Vol. IV. p. 246.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

162

compassion, but he

felt

could

make good

not

their

losses."

Even

after the lapse of so

Rome

find in

many

as a

still

whole has never recovered from

the state of desolation to which

was reduced

it

The few roads which

27).

we can

traces of this Norman-Saracenic invasion.

The Caelian quarter (Fig.

centuries,

traverse

1084

in

this

silent

region are practically the same as those through which

Gregory VII. had been hurried from the

Angelo

to the Lateran

layer

the

of

only their present level

;

from

debris

castle

the

burnt

is

of

higher,

having

edifices

We

considerabl}^ raised the level of the whole district.

have evidence of

this in the

of S. Clemente,

The lower church shows

one above the other. of

two churches

the level

the city before, and the upper that after, the

The

S.

fire.

reconstruction of S. Clemente was undertaken, after

the withdrawal of Robert Guiscard, by Cardinal Anastasius,

tion

who

of

the

died in 1126 or 1128, leaving the

work

Cardinal

to

Pietro

comple-

This

Pisano.

information has lately been obtained from the epitaph of Cardinal

Pisano, which was

accidentally discovered

new house

in tlie foundations of a

in

Via Arenula.

The

marble slab on which this inscription was cut appears to have been divided

known

date, to

up into small squares,

and the

an un-

pave a room in a house two miles dis-

tant from S. Clemente. of thirteen feet

at

There

is

a difference in level

and seven inches between the

later church.

earlier


13

o 03

a

o o

O



THE SACK OF The

another

of

fate

stroyed by the same

somewhat

church was rebuilt by Paschal

dently rolled

down

the

We

area.

learn from the

extant, that he

II., still

had

fire

evi-

occupies only a small portion of

it

Paschal

1111 on the same

the slopes of the knoll on which the

building stood, but original

II. in

This

different.

reason that the debris of the

level, for the

the

Quattro Coronati, de-

SS.

fire, is

on

building

ecclesiastical

the church of the

Caelian,

165

1084

inscription

of

made excavations under

the marble floor in search of some holy relics: iussit

fuerat

et invenit

ex proconesso

comhustum

quod prius

sub altar e

cavare

duas concas quibus

in

unam

Pope

churches of of S. of S.

S.

is

due

porpTiireticam

erant recondita 'sacra

The work was not completed the same

confr actum

et

till

the

also

January

Maria in Monticelli, of

S.

Romanum

Pantaleo

ai

To

1116.

7,

of

the

(1110),

Monti (1113),

Salvatore in Primicerio (1113), and of a chapel

near the Porta Flaminia, erected to scare away of Nero,

by which

it

was believed that belated

were pursued on entering the

Much fire

tlie

ghost

travellers

city.

has been written in regard to the extent of the

damage done and

corpora.

reconstruction

Adriano in the Forum

aliam

et

to the

of 1081.

It

pagan monuments by the pillage

must have been

great, especially

in the region of the Caelian, of the Oppian,

and

of the

valley which runs between these hills in the direction of

the Lateran.

The

old Porta Asinaria was named, after

the catastrophe, the Porta Perusta, or the

*'

burnt gate."


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

166

decay of the City,

— the

abandonment

In

fact, the final

of

the okl level of streets and squares (Fig. 28), the

disappearance of the remains of private houses, and even

some public

of

The

gration.

now

edifices,

— dates

from

this fearful confla-

long since stricken by water famine,

hills,

ceased altogether to be inhabited, and the scanty

Campus

population pressed more and more toward the

Martius, where the digging of wells was easier on ac-

count of the alluvial

The

Tiber.

larger

soil

which forms the valley

monuments, such

as temples, theatres,

and baths, were not much damaged by the

umns all,

of Trajan

of

The

fire.

Marcus Aurelius did not

The

being in the middle of open squares.

works

of

and

of the

col-

suffer. at

collection

and that

of art in bronze at the Lateran,

of

marble statues on the Quirinal, also went safely through the ordeal.

Rome

in

Hildebert, Archbishop of Tours,

who

visited

1106 or 1107, speaks of great remains which

struck him with admiration, and also of the beautiful statues in which the City

We

know one

still

abounded.

of the reasons, at least,

why

the two

massive columns of Trajan and of Marcus Aurelius were spared in these centuries of wholesale destruction.

They

brought a respectable income to their respective owners, namely, to the public treasury for the

monks

An

of

first,

and to the

SS. Dionysius and Sylvester for the second.

inscription in the vestibule of

of S. Silvestro in

the present church

Capite, dated 1119, states that both

the column of Marcus Aurelius and the

little

church


a a

S 'o OS

o J3

o

S«

o

-3

dj

r^

e3 Ci4

O

o

o M



THE SACK OF

169

1084

which stood at the foot of

of St. Nicholas

were leased

it

probably from year to year, on

to the highest bidder,

account of the fees which could be collected from the tourist or pilgrim that wished to behold the

Rome from The of

obelisks were less fortunate than the

Campus Martins

Normans. pedestal

This

shaft

the time

in

sponsible

for

was

to

on

the its

but we are not sure

;

Normans

are

to

Were we

destruction.

its

attributed

Charlemagne, when the Ein-

of

the

all,

a sun-dial in

as

undoubtedly erect

was compiled

siedlen Itinerary

whether, after

commonly

is

commemo-

and the overthrowing

to,

up by Augustus

the obelisk set

the

of

a lofty point of observation.

columns just referred

rative

wonders

be in

held

re-

possession

of precise records of the discovery of the different obelisks,

indicating the

of rubbish,

the

way

in

which they lay on

their

bed

depth at which the various fragments

were found, the injuries that they had received before, during, or after the tures,

fall,

and the nature

we should probably be

agency the giants were laid that the

responsibility of

the frac-

to

tell

by what

But

it

able

low.

the

of

is

certain

throwing down of the

monoliths cannot be fixed upon the early barbarian invaders,

because

obelisks were

still

that

some

of

the principal

standing in the sixth and seventh

Nor can earthquakes be considered an

centuries.

quate cause

we know

;

why

ade-

should the Vatican obelisk have been

the only one to withstand the shocks

?

Further,

it

has


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

170

been proved that the columns of the porticoes of public

and private buildings destroyed by the earthquake 422

that

east,

the same

direction,

toward the

point of

in

fell

all

is,

The

which the shock came.

of

toward the norththe

obelisks,

compass from

on the contrary,

appear to have fallen toward every point on the horizon.

The

statement

last

corroborated by the evidence

is

man who investigated the subject, Michele He states that the obelisks discovered by his

of the first

Mercati.^

Sixtus

contemporary,

Maxim us, now

in

V.,

the

Piazza del Popolo, and

— the

Piazza the

two from the Circus

dell'

Esquilino

not been overthrown by accidental causes.

made by man

retained evidence of the efforts

them down, by building

fires

three

intact,

base,

holes

to

saw come out

pieces,

He

of the

showed the edges rounded Such

— had

They

all

to bring

levers,

or

by

says that every

ground was broken

the upper and middle pieces being

while the lower portion,

the flames.

insert

about the pedestal.

obelisk which he into

drilling

and the

from the mausoleum

one

Augustus, now in the Piazza

of

Laterano

del

which rested on the off

by the violence

operations require

of

more time and

patience than would have been devoted to such a pur-

pose I

b}''

the barbarians.

have three documents to present in relation

interesting subject of the fate of the obelisks.

to this

One

is

an unpublished sketch by Carlo Fontana, showing the 1

See

p.

152 of his book Degli obelischi di

Boma, MDLXXXIX.


THE SACK OF

way the moment

obelisk of

its

the gardens of Sallust lay at the

of

Another

discovery.

Angelo Maria Bandini, showing the obelisk

lower portion of the

had suffered before or lastly,

171

1084

at

the

my own

the record of

of

the obelisk of the temple of

is

sketch

a

which the

injuries

Campus

the

time

of

by

jNIartius

fall

its

and

;

experience in unearthing Isis,

near the apse of the

church of La Minerva.

Fig. 29.

The

— The obelisk of the gardens of Sallust, as sketch

(Fig. 29),

is

Carlo

of

it

Fontana,

lay after

here

dated March 21, 1706, and

the private library of

Queen Victoria

had

fallen.

reproduced preserved in

is

at

it

Windsor.^

It

shows the way in which one of the obelisks decorating the Egyptian casino of the gardens of Sallust had fallen,

having been broken into two pieces, one length of the other.

This division of parts

interesting in the light of Mercati's 1

Volume

G

1,

sheet 249.

double is

the

especially

statement that in


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

172

their

the

fall

would

obelisks

break

generally

into three pieces of about

equal length.

The drawing given by Bandini

to illustrate the

^

condition

even more significant.

is

I

Campus Martins

the

in

the obelisk

of

have reproduced

a scale a

on

than

less

little

one third the

it

size of the

original (Fig. 30).

drawing

This

how

the lower portion of

the

monolith

by

off

had

been

away and rounded

eaten

"fjNTlFEX'MAXlMVS"

shows

fire

we can

;

also

the holes

the

upper

insertion

drilled in

part of

iron clamps,

see

for

levers

the

and

by those who

were endeavouring to hasten the

But the 1

De

fall

of the shaft.

chief importance

Ohelisco Ccesaris Augnsti,

c Campi Martii ruderibus nuper Romae, MDCCL. eruto.

Fig. 30.

— The obelisk of the Campus Martius.


THE SACK OF in the fact

lies

we

173

1084

from the evidence thus afforded

that

are able to determine the approximate date of the

fall

The reader

itself.

shaft

is

estal

is

observe that though the

will

greatly injured and in part calcined, the ped-

meaning

remarkable

a

in

of

this

clear

is

of

state

— the

The

preservation.

was protruding

shaft

above ground and exposed to injury, while the base was

embedded

in

and protected by the

had accumulated around obelisk

Augustus

of

Martins had

risen

the

of the

the City.

level

of

some ten or eleven

about halfway between the level of

and debris which

We

when

In other words,

it.

fell,

soil

Campus

the feet

the

was

it

;

and the modern

classical

may, therefore, assign the

fall

monolith to the tenth or the eleventh century.

In a line with this conclusion was the condition of the obelisk to light of Isis.^ side,

the

of

June

Rameses the Great, which was brought 14, 1883,

When

among

this graceful

pavement

of

the

the ruins of the temple

monument was temple

in

laid

which

it

on

its

was

standing had already been covered with a thick layer of rubbish. 1

Bidl.

Com., 1883,

p.

33 sq.


CHAPTER XV ROME AT THE END OF THE TWELFTH CENTURY — THE ITINERARY OF BENEDICT

The

state of

vasion could in

Rome before and after the Norman inno way be more clearly indicated than

by comparing the Einsiedlen

Itinerary^ of

ninth cen-

tlie

tury, with the Itinerary of Benedict, of the twelfth. last

This

document, better known under the name of Ordo

Romanus^ forms a part

by Benedict, who was canon Innocent

pontificate of

cated to

Guy

dict himself

II.

of

St.

Peter's under the

(1130-1143).

of Castello, cardinal of St.

became Pope

Caelestinus II.

Liber politicus written

the

of

was dedi-

It

Mark.

1143, under the

in

Bene-

name

of

His Ordo^ edited by Mabillon, Urlichs,

Jordan, and myself,^ describes seven routes by which the popes used to cross the city at the head of public processions on certain days of the year. follows 1

:

are as

—

Mabillon,

Museum

Italicum, Vol.

dex topographicus urhis Bomae,

Rom

They

p.

II, p.

79 sq.

in Altertum, Vol. II. p. 664 sq.

siedlen^ p. 87 sq.

174

;

;

143, nn. 50, 51

;

Urlichs, Co-

Jordan, Topographie der Stadt

Lanciani, L'ltinerario di Ein-


THE ITINERARY OF BENEDICT

175

Route

From

I.

the church of the Resurrection (now S. Anastasia) to

St. Peter's. II.

From

the church of St. Hadrian to S. Maria Maggiore.

III.

From

the church of

IV.

From

the Lateran to the Vatican, and

Maria Maggiore

S.

Back from the Vatican

V.

to the Lateran

VI.

From

the Coliseum to St. Peter's.

VII.

From

the church of

mana)

Maria Nuova (now

S.

These seven routes correspond

a greater

;

mentioned than in the

many changes

in part

different route.

S.

Francesca Ro-

with those

Einsiedlen Itinerary^ and

important for our study are

by a

Maria Maggiore.

to S.

lowed by the

to the Lateran.

number

are of

fol-

specially

landmarks

Einsiedlen document,

and

are clearly seen to have taken place in

the thoroughfares of the City since the ninth century.

We may ary

is

fifth

also observe that, while the Einsiedlen Itiner-

based on a

century,

map

made

at

of

the City of the fourth or

when

time

a

the edifices

still

bore their correct and classic names, the Itinerary of

Benedict has a distinctly mediaeval character, and shows traces

of

the influence of that widely used mediaeval

guide-book, "

The Marvels

Romae^.^

fact,

In

when

describing

the

City, than this vade 1

There

is

Rome

"

QMirahilia Urhis

Benedict the Canon apparently had

hand no better source

at

of

of information for topography,

pontifical

mecum

pageants

through the

of ignorant pilgrims,

an English translation by F. M. Nichols, London.

which 1889.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

176

had gradually made of the

Roman

its

way among

the

official

documents

and

curia, as did the Politicus of Benedict

the liher Censuum of Cencius Camerarius. It will be

instructive

to

of the Einsiedlen Itinerary

erary

Benedict

of

;

compare the Tenth Route with the First of the

both conduct the reader over the

Maximus and the

same ground, between the Circus

The

Crypta Balbi. of interest

:

Itin-

mentions the following objects

first

—

now the church of S. Maria in Cosmedin. Graecorum, now Piazza della Bocca della Verita.

Ecclesia Graecorum,

Scola

Templum

Jovis,

Capitoline

Elephantus,

temple

of

Jupiter

Optimus

Maximus,

on

the

hill.

i.e.

Elephantus Herbarius, on the Via della Bocca della

Verita. Porticus, colonnade

on the west side of the Via della Bocca della

Veritk.

Theatrum, theatre of Marcellus. Sanctus Angelus, the colonnade of Octavia. Porticus, the colonnade of Philippus.

Theatrum Pompeii, the theatre of Pompey.

These names, we readily cal or

Byzantine periods.

see, all

belong to the

But the names

classi-

of the

Ordo

are of an altogether different class, and their relation to the

We

names given

start

is

at once obvious.

from the church of the Anastasis, which has

already been follow

in the Mirahilla

transformed into

Benedict

over

the

Sancta

same route.

Anastasia,

and

The Porticus

usque ad Elephantum has become the Porticus Galla-


THE ITINERARY OF BENEDICT

now

torum^

represented by the church and hospital of

Galla Patricia

S.

Portions Minucia the Crypta Balbi

A

the

the theatre of Marcellus

Sibyl ;

is

the temples of Pietas and

;

Forum Holitorium have

the

found

now

is is

similar shifting

to be

the

To

in

and the

a Basilica Jovis

;

the

Crinorum^ and

Craticulae.

from ancient to mediaeval names

in every route of the

our knowledge of monumental tury.

is

Hope

of Cicero

Porticus

Templum

a

name

Ordo

;

always remain a document of the

this will

177

indicate its value

nevertheless

first

rank for

Rome in the twelfth we may take up the

cen-

part

dealing with the Burgus, or Vatican district, which

not covered by the Einsiedlen Itinerary

the topographi-

;

cal outline, accurate as well as clear, is as follows

1.

now

Pons^ templum, castellum Adriani,

is

:

—

the bridge and castle of

S. Angelo.

gate

of

2.

Porta

3.

Obeliscus Neronis, the familiar

the

collina,

Peter,

St.

in

front of

the

castle,

destroyed by Alexander VI.

Terebinth of the Mirahilia, one

of the great inausolea on the border of the

Via Triumphalis.

mausoleum

as resembling in

Peter Mallius describes this

shape and

in height the

mole of Hadrian.

It

was demolished

to take advantage of its beautiful marbles for the building of

the steps and of the court of

St. Peter's.

The name Terebin-

thus seems to be a corruption of tiburtimim, which in the lan-

guage of those days meant an

edifice built of stone or marble.

Antonio Filarete has represented the monument,

in

one of

the panels of the bronze gates, as actually having the shape of a tree 1

^ !

The name N

for turpentine-tree in Italian

is

terehinto.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

178 4-.

Memoria

Tomb

sen sepulcrum Romuli,

This "

Tomb

of

shape, so called to

which we know S. Paolo.

It

as the

was

Romulus.

of

Romulus " was a mausoleum of pyramidal form a pair with the so-called Meta Remi, pyramid

by the Porta di

of Cestius,

also popularly called

Meta

di Borgo,

and

is

represented in Antonio Filarete's bronze panel, as well as in

Raphael's fresco of the Vision of Constantine. left of the

It

Via Triumphalis, between the church

stood on the of S.

Maria

Transpontina and the palazzo Giraud-Torlonia in the Piazza

Alexander VI. levelled

Scossa-Cavalli.

make room 5.

it

to the

ground

to

Via Alexandrina.

for his

Porticus, Porticus Maior, Via Sacra.

This was a covered way, by means of which the pilgrims could cross the Borgo under shelter. S.

It started at

the Ponte

Angelo, and followed the line of the present Borgo Vecchio

to the foot of the steps of St. Peter's. 6.

Maiore.

S. Laurentius in Porticu

The covered way and

shrines, such as S.

demolished July

now

donia, S.

just

13,

mentioned was lined with churches

Maria Transpontina de Capite Porticus,

1564; S. Salvator de Porticu, or de Bor-

represented by S. Giacomo Scossa-Cavalli; and the

Laurentius of the Ordo, rebuilt in

its

present shape by the

Cesi d' Acquasparta in 1G59. 7.

S.

Maria

in Virgari.

This was a church at the end of the covered way, toward St. Peter's, so called

from the corporation of makers and

of pilgrims' staffs, to it

8.

in

which

it

belonged.

sellers

Pius IV. demolished

1508 to widen the area mentioned under the next head.

Cortina Beati Petri.

This was a small square at the foot of the steps of

St. Peter's,

ornamented with three fountains, one of which was of por-

phyry

;

the other two were of white marble.

Interesting as

it

would be

to follow the

worthy canon

through the other parts of the City, the limits of our task


THE ITINERARY OF BENEDICT Mediaeval

forbid.

Rome

has

limit of its greater changes.

City in most places surface.

A

metropolis

lies

ten

now almost reached the The level of the ancient or twelve feet

—A

below the

large portion of the site of the once proud is

wholly deserted

;

the

great monuments,

moss-grown and crumbling except where the

Fig. 31.

179

typical

Roman

solidity of

house of the twelfth century, built with odd fragments.

construction was such as to defy Nature herself, are in part turned to account as habitations, in j^art exploited for such building materials

population

of

degenerate

as are of use to the scanty

days (Fig. 31), in part

undisturbed in the midst of the wilderness.

left


CHAPTER XVI MARBLE-CUTTERS AND LIME-BURNERS OF MEDIAEVAL AND RENAISSANCE ROME In the exploiting able

materials

two

classes of

workmen

for valu-

times,

wrought the most

in particular

These were the Marmorarii, or marble-

and the

The Roman

Roman monuments

mediaeval and early modern

in

serious damage. cutters,

of the

Calcararii, or lime-burners.

marble-cutters, architects, sculptors, and

mosaic-makers, whose work w^as in a sense a precursor of the Renaissance,

our

admiration,

Cosmatis."

whose

are

command

artistic creations still

generally

called

The Cosmatis, however,

of this great succession of

the

" School

of

are only a branch

workmen which was founded,

about 1150, by the Sons of Paul,

jilii

Pauli.

Lawrence,

son of Cosmas, the head of the Cosmati branch, flourished

toward the end of the twelfth century, and was followed

by

five

generations of artists of the same name.

The

the third branch, which also

includes

three or four generations, from 1153 to 1275;

the last

Vassalecti form

brancli

is

that of Ranuccio

and Nicholas, son John,

his

who

Romano, with

nephew John

Ciuittone,

his sons Peter

and

flourished from 1113 to 1209. 180

his grand-


MARBLE-CUTTERS AND LIME-BURNERS

not necessary to repeat here what Promis, Reu-

It is

mont,

181

De

Rossi,

Frothingham, Richter, Boni, Mazzanti,

and others have written on the origin and progress this great school it

is

For our purposes

of marble-cutters.

that for the

to observe

sufficient

of

space of three

centuries the guild lived and prospered and accomplished

work

its

expense of the ruins of ancient Rome.

at the

The marble-workers made excavations and destroyed monuments with two ends

in view, to find

to secure materials for their

work.

fond of epitaphs tered not

— whether

— because

old

models and

They were

especially

pagan or Christian

it

mat-

the thin slabs of marble on which

the epitaphs were inscribed could easily be adapted to their

purpose,

and panels This

ambones, and decorative patterns.

of mosaic,

the

is

being almost ready for use in borders

reason

why

the

of

floors

our

mediaeval

churches are so rich in epigraphic documents

two

hundred

pavement

inscriptions

of SS.

of the church

were

used

in

about

;

making the

Quattro Coronati after the destruction

by the Normans, and nearly a thousand

were similarly turned to use in the

floor

of St. Paul's

without the Walls.

The marble-workers

also inaugurated

and even international flourished for spirit of

of

Italy.

traffic

two and a half

in

an interprovincial

Roman

marbles, which

centuries, sustained

by the

emulation in building which had seized the

Each town

felt

cities

impelled to raise a church,

"grand, beautiful, magnificent, wliose just proportions


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

182

in height, breadth,

and length shoukl so harmonise with

the details of the decoration as to

make

it

decorous and

hymns

solemn, and worthy of the worship of Christ in

and

duomo

canticles," like the

which should reach '^even

of Siena

;

and campaniles

the stars," like

to

that

of

Spoleto.

The

first influential

voice heard in remonstrance against

these practices of the marble-cutters, and the utter aban-

donment

of the

Roman monuments,

is

that of Petrarch.

His pungent remarks were addressed especially to the

whom

nobles,

he describes as following in the path of

destruction, treading in the footsteps of the Goths

However,

the Vandals. the

middle

and

if

lower

the patricians were to blame,

classes

followed

their

palaces

were

ornaments

were

closely

Temples, baths, theatres, and

example.

demolished

piecemeal

;

and

their

marble

broken to pieces and thrown into the lime-kilns, and even their walls overthrown and their foundations broken

up

for the sake of the stones or of the bricks with

After a time the produce of this indus-

they were faced. try

grew

which

in excess of the

demand, and more

spoils

were

accumulated than could be disposed of in the local market.

Some

the history of the destruction of

students

;

tliis

in to

but they have yet to be properly grouped

and compared. tions,

new phase Rome are known

of the facts connected with

I

shall here offer only a

with the hope that they

investigate the subject

may

few observa-

induce others to

more thoroughly.

The

archives


MARBLE-CUTTEKS AND LIME-BURNERS

183

of our great church buildings have yet to be explored

Fumi

the success achieved by Luigi

in

examining the

documents connected with the building of the duomo Orvieto leads us to hope that other records

may be

on both sides of the Alps, by means of which of trade of mediaeval

The

Rome may

earliest instance of the

;

at

found,

branch

this

be illustrated.

removal of marbles from

the Eternal City to distant lands dates from the time

King Theoderic.

of

In a letter addressed to Festus

the Patrician, Cassiodorius, the king's secretary, orders that the columns of the

Domus

Pinciana

possession near the gate of the same

— an

name

imperial

— should

be

sent to Ravenna.

The portion

of the cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle erected

by Charlemagne is

in 796-804,

an octagon copied from

and

built

of the

and consecrated by Leo

S. Vitale at

by Roman marmorarii.

III.,

Ravenna, designed

The

lofty openings

upper story are decorated with a double row of

columns of unequal length, of rare marbles and breccias, brought from Rome, Treves, and Ravenna. ^ the

desire

to

follow

Roman

traditions

was

that the fountain in front of the cathedral

In so

fact,

great

was actually

decorated with a brazen wolf, like the one which then stood in front of the Lateran, and with a pine cone, like the

one which stood on the fountain of Symmachus,

in the atrium of St. Peter's. 1

The most valuable were

restored at the peace of 1815.

stolen

by the French invaders

m

1794, but


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

184

The in

cathedral of Pisa, begun in 1063, and consecrated

1118 by Pope Gelasius

Rome and

taken from

mostly built of marbles

II., is

The workshop

Ostia.

the classic remains were transformed into

by Busketus and Ronald, the

which

in

new shapes

architects of the

duomo,

Some

has lately been found on the banks of the Arno. of the marbles actually bear the

mark

of their origin

one near the southwest corner of the transept scribed

GENio

•

COLONIAE

They

of Ostia."

also

•

osTiENSis, "

To

the

is

altar,

in-

Genius

imported sarcophagi, as that

covered in 1742 at the foot of the high

;

dis-

and now

preserved in the Camposanto, inscribed with the name of

Marcus Annius Proculus, a magistrate and leading

citizen of Ostia.

The

Rome were

inexhaustible stores of

resorted to for

the construction of the cathedrals of Lucca (1060-1070)

and

of

Monte Cassino (1066)

Salerno (1084 (eleventh

;

Matteo at

Andrea

at Amalfi

baptistery of S.

Giovanni

Fig. 32), and of S.

century)

(begun

in Florence

of those of S.

;

;

of

tlie

in 1100)

;

of the

monastery of Nostra

Signora di Tergu, on the north coast of Sardinia, between Sorso and Gastel Sardo, of the church of S. Francesco at Civita Vecchia, of the cathedral of Orvieto (1321-1360),

and even

of

some parts

Westminster Abbey.

of

To

prove this statement in the case of some of the buildings

we need no

literary evidence

;

the shape and quality of

the marbles, and the inscriptions engraved upon them,

give unmistakable testimony regarding their origin.

Yet


MARBLE-CUTTEKS AND LIMP:-BURNERS for

and

Monte Cassino we do have the authority of

Leo

Fig. 32.

of Ostia,

who

of

185

Alphanus

expressly state that Desiderius

— The pulpit in the cathedral of

purchased in

S. Matteo at Salerno, built with marbles from Rome.

Rome

" columns, bases,

marbles of various colours."

These

and spoils

capitals,

and

were put on


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

186

board light coasting ships (tartane) like those that

up the Tiber at the

to the

mouth

still sail

wharf of Ripa Grande, and landed

From

of the Garigliano.

the

mouth

of the

Garigliano to Monte Cassino the work of transportation

was accomplished with teams quence of

sack of

the

One

of buffaloes.

conse-

1084 was the carrying

off

of

columns and marbles of various kinds by the retiring

army

adornment

for the

We

of the cathedral at Salerno.

are indebted to Luigi

Fumi

for detailed informa-

Rome

tion concerning the use of materials from

building of the cathedral at Orvieto.^

The

in the

barge-

first

loads were shipped up the Tiber, from the quay of the

For the space

Ripetta to Orte, in June, 1316.

of nearly

forty years the maestri delV Opera deV duomo, or " super-

intendents of

construction," sent their agents through

the country around

Rome

carvings.

The mouth

for

tlieir

Augusti, near the in

in search of blocks of

ruins

Porto

of

of the Tiber)

May, 1321, with the consent

of their

Portus

(the

were attacked owners

of Ostia, then probably not subject to individual ship, shared the

centre

of

same

fate in the

devastation being the

remains of which

I

marble

;

owner-

following year

— the

shattered

theatre, the

brought to light

those

in 1881.

In process of time the villa of Domitian at Castel Gandolfo, the

mausoleum

Hadrian, the portico of

of

Octavia, the temple of Isis and Serapis, and the ruins of Veil 1

were

Fumi,

II

in like

duomo

manner put

di Orvieto ed

i

to ransom.

suoi restauri,

The docu-

Rome,

1881.


MARBLE-CUTTERS AND LIME-BURNERS meiits collected

by Fumi give us many

who had placed

details

of

this

Pandolfo and Giovanni

remarkable trade in old marbles. Savelli,

187

at the disposal of the builders of

the cathedral the remains of the villa of Domitian, were

remunerated with a

of

gift

pepper, wax, and

saffron.

In 1354, while Andrea di Ugolino was superintending the work, a block of marble purchased for thirty-five

was taken from the colonnade

florins

cut into the beautiful round

Octavia, and

of

window which

occupies the

Other blocks were brought from

centre of the fagade.

the same source in 1359, under the mastership of d'

When

Orcagna.

search was

made

a compensation was paid to the of the colonnade of Octavia,

Andrea grounds

in private

owner, as in the case

and

of the temple of Isis,

which belonged respectively to Alessio Matrice and Paolo di Converrone. res nullius, a fee

If

blocks were

the

was

j^aid to the

in

a paper read

to

considered

City for the license of

exportation.

Giacomo Boni, British

1893,

the still

American

Society

meeting of the

Rome, March

of

28,

makes an interesting statement regarding the use

Roman

of

is

and

at a

materials in Westminster Abbey.

most important works of a

Roman

"Among

marble-cutter

preserved in Westminster Abbey," he says, "there

a small

tomb bearing no

inscription, but believed to

be of the daughter of Henry

The name

of

III.,

who

petrvs romanvs civis

is

died in 1257.

engraved in the

basement of the shrine of Edward the Confessor.

Peter,


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

188

must have worked on

therefore,

toward 1269, the

it

year in which the relics of the Confessor wei'e laid in

Henry

the place of honour by

The tomb

III.

of this

king, the second founder of Westminster Abbey, erected in 1281, has nothing English

The

Purbeck marble.

about

it,

save

materials of which the

esque pavement in front of the high altar

were of

certainl}^

Ware.

the

imported from

Rome by

the

is

grey

Roman=

composed

Abbot Richard

After his election, which took place in 1258,

the abbot paid a visit to the Eternal City, and brought

back,

as

a

souvenir of his pilgrimage, some slabs of

Upon

porphyry and serpentine. the following words

:

his

may

grave

be read

HIC

PORTAT LAPIDES QVOS HVC PORTAVIT AB VRBE,

that

is

to say, he lies buried

under the red and green

porphyries (the essential element of a Romanesque pave-

ment) which he brought himself from the banks

of the

Tiber to those of the Thames." •

The attempt

England

a

of

style

Richard of of

Ware

to

transplant to

work which could only

find

its

proper means of support among the ruins of an ancient city,

was not successful

;

but there

is

no doubt

al-

though we yet lack material evidence

— that

found new outlets for their trade

compensate for the

loss of the

to

the

Romans

English market.

In presenting this aspect of the destruction of the

Eternal City,

I

do not wish to cast more blame on

tlie


;

MARBLE-CUTTERS AND LIME-BURNERS

189

mediaeval

marble -cutters

Much may

be said in extenuation of their treatment of

ancient buildings

than

they

actually

and many instances

;

deserve.

more wanton

of

destruction might be cited, from the time of Nero to

own

our

While the army

age.

of

Vespasian was be-

sieging the Capitol, and trying to scale

its

walls from

the roofs of the nearest houses, the partisans of Vitellius

hurled bronze and marble statues on their assailants

and the garrison seen,

Hadrian's mausoleum, as

of

we have

defended themselves in a similar manner during

the siege of the Goths. a legitimate excuse

;

but

Self-defence I

may

be urged as

have discovered in the State

archives a petition addressed

on August

20, 1822,

to

Pope Pius VII. by a building contractor, named Matteo Lovatti, in which he for a liouse he

would

states

was raising

that, to

provide materials

in the Piazza del Popolo,

he

like to destroy certain ancient ruins opposite the

church of

S.

Maria in Dominica.

It

is

astonishing to

think that such a request could have been addressed to a

man

the

like

Pope Pius VII., and more

request was granted, on

the

so to

know

that

favourable report of

Visconti, Fea, Valadier, and Cardinal Pacca.

In 1870, a few months before of Italy,

Rome became

Pope Pius IX. determined

to

the capital

raise

a

monu-

mental column in memory of the Ecumenical Council.

To

save time and money, and the trouble of quarrying

travertine from the territory of Tivoli, one of the most interesting

and best preserved gates

of

the

City, the


^

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

190

Porta Tiburtina of Honorius, was of

which

was

it

built

The

sacrificed.

stones

were sunk in the foundations

of

the column, opposite the church of S. Pietro in Montorio

—

to

all

no purpose, because the events of September

20 of that year made

raising of the

tlie

monument

out

of the question.

We

have already seen that

Roman

legislation at one

time imposed capital punishment on those

who destroyed

old tombs for the sake of the marble of which they were built,

and that Constans substituted

penalty

a fine for the death

and that these and similar provisions

;

for

a

time checked the destruction of the tombs lying close

highways, while those

to the

exposed to view, or

less

standing on private grounds, were ruthlessly sacrificed.

The destruction did not decrease and waxed even greater loras,

to

in the

in the

Middle Ages, Chryso-

Renaissance.

the master of Poggio Bracciolini, says, referring

marbles taken from this source

broken

fragments,

in

made use

of

as

ready for

"

:

the

building material.

I

The

statues

lie

or are

lime-kiln,

have seen many

used as mounting-steps, or as curbstones, or as mangers in stables."

Public

officials

not only tolerated this search for sculp-

tured marbles and for limestone, but sometimes claimed a share in the profits.

From

a

document

1426, preserved in the Vatican archives,^ 1

See

p. 92.

^

of

we

Diversorum, Vol. IX.

July

1,

learn that

p. 245.


MARBLE-CUTTERS AND LIME -BURNERS the papal

company

191

while giving a free hand to a

authorities,

of lime-barners

to

destroy the Basilica Julia

on the Sacra Via for the sake of the blocks of traver-

which the

tine of

the nave and aisles were

of

reserved to themselves half the produce of the

built,

kilns

pillars

present was afterward

a

;

made

from

this source to Cardinal

Giacomo

then

engaged

his

A

Eustachio.

repairing

in

of

income

the

who was

Isolani,

church

titular

of

S.

fate similar to that of the Basilica Julia

fell to

the lot of the

Monte

del

Grano

tomb

of

Alexander Severus at the

thus perished also half of the Coliseum,

;

the arch of Lentulus, the Circus Maximus, the square

basement of the mausoleum of Caecilia Metella, and a

hundred other monuments, the

spoils of

which served to

build St. Peter's, St. Mark's, the Palazzo di Corneto, the " In

Palazzo Farnese, the Cancelleria, the Villa Giulia. the

early

Marchi,

ging

years

"many

cellars, in

opening new

Paul

of

III." (1534-1550),

and statues discovered

torsoes

in dig-

planting gardens and vineyards, and in

streets,

used to be thrown into the kilns,

especially those sculptured in of the

De

says

Greek marble, on account

wonderful lime which they produced.

Paul

III.

issued most cruel regulations to the effect that no one

should

dare

thus

penalty of death. the

The

number and value

logical collections in ^

destroy

to

result of

ancient

statuary

under

was a steady increase

public

in

and private archaeo-

Rome."^

See the article by Miintz in Bevue Archeologique for

May- June,

1884.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

192

As

a matter of fact, however, these

lations " of

We

Paul

may suppose

Greco-Roman

of

being, but

it

'^

most cruel regu-

not produce a lasting

III. did

effect.

that the destruction of the masterpieces art

may have

diminished for the time

was by no means suppressed.

spolia-

went on with increasing

tion of marble

and stone

activity to the

end of the sixteenth century.

edifices

The

We

must

not forget that another edict of the same Pope, dated

July 22, 1540, put at the mercy of the " deputies " of the

Fabbrica di

Forum and to profit

S.

Pietro

Via

of the Sacra

by the

all ;

the

monuments

of

the

and they did not hesitate

pontifical grant to the

fullest possible

extent.

Pirro Ligorio, the architect, discussing the best

way

of obtaining a particularly fine plaster, suggests the use of

powdered Parian marble, " obtained from the statues

which are constantly being destroyed. "^ after describing it,

a certain

Flaminio Vacca,

marble boat with figures on

found in the Baths of Caracalla, remarks that " as

it

now it has been made to steer He makes a similar observation

once floated on water, so its

way through

fire."

with respect to a statue found by Orazio Muti, opposite tlie

church of

S. Vitale,

"which had been sent

kiln to have the moisture taken off

sands of

inscriptions

its

back."^

to the

Thou-

have perished in the same way.

Fra Giocondo da Verona, adducing testimony from Codex Bodleiamis,

1

Lif^orio,

2

Flaminio Vacca, Memorie, edited by Fea,

p. 17. n. 23, 116.

his


MARBLE-CUTTERS AND LIME-BURNERS

own

experience, says that some

Roman

19B

citizens boasted

having had the foundations of their houses and palaces

of

constructed with ancient statues.

The headquarters at the "

was

of these destroyers of ancient

Botteghe Oscure," that

is,

arcades were then

the

and high above ground

tion,

;

good

name —

that

preserva-

of

state

of

but, as a matter of fact,

was no great ruin of marble or stone that did

there

not have of

a

in

wing

in the

the Circus Flaminius facing the street of

Rome

this

its

own

So important was the exercise

kiln.

industry

lime-burning

of

whole

minius that the

Circus Fla-

the

at

district received

name

the

The extent

Lime-pit (calcarario^ calcararid).

of

area covered by this designation can be determined

of

the

by

the site of the churches of S. Nicolaus in Calcaria retro Cesarinos, Calcarario,

now now

S.

Nicola

Cesarini, SS.

ai

Quaranta de

Francesco delle Stimmate, and S.

S.

now named

Lucia dei Ginnasi

Lucia de Calcarario,

S.

was

II Calcarario^ in

also a

spring

;

there

Piazza

the

deir Olmo.

Other famous kilns were those of

S.

Adriano, for the

burning of the marbles of the Imperial Forums Agosta^ fed with the spoils of the tus

;

mausoleum

of

of the

;

Augus-

and of La Plgna, supplied with materials from the

Baths of Agrippa and the temple of

Isis.

were temporary establishments opened near edifice,

which were abandoned

exhausted.

We

must

class

Then

there

this or that

as soon as the supply

among

these the

kilns

was by


^

;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

194

the Baths of Diocletian, mentioned by Flaminio Vacca those of the villa of Livia at Prima Porta, mentioned

by Pirro Ligorio

those of the necropolis between the

;

Via Latina and the Via Appia, seen by Marini

by Panvinio, and those

of the Regia, described

Basilica Julia,

and

those

;

of the

Venus and Rome,

of the temple of

discovered by Nibby and by myself.

Outside the City the burning of lime was practised

many

for

The

among

years

bearing upon

oldest record

known March

30, 1191,

vacatur

calcaria

to

civitate.''^

me,

The

document

a

is

portam

down

the papal authorities,

the

matter,

Celestine

made

non

if

that

is

dated

III.,

of a " locus qui

ah

longe

Hostiensi

year 1816,

Vitelli, **"

is

not open, approval of

to the pontificate of Pius VII.

relates the following incident

greed " of Giuseppe in

is

the

Porto.

exercise of this trade continued without

interruption and with the tacit,

Fea

of

where mention extra

Ostia and

the ruins of

:

"

To

the insatiable

tenant of the farm at Ostia

due the disappearance of some

miles of the paving of the ancient Ostian way, which

was

in a

most excellent

many

as the destruction of

nice from

.

.

.

large pieces of

He

Flaminio Vacca, Memorie, 104

Marini, Inscriptiones alb. X.;

well

carved cor-

broke the latter into frag-

;

Ligorio,

Pauvinio, see

Bull, del Inst., 1871, p. 244. 2

preservation, as

the temple of Vulcan, a masterpiece of the

time of Hadrian.

1

state of

Bullarium Vaticanum, Vol.

III. p. 75.

Codex Neapolitanus, 29 C.

I.

L.

Vol.

I.

p.

;

415;


MARBLE-CUTTERS AND LIME-BURNERS ments to make lime

a

in

kiln

close

by

;

195

but

I

suc-

ceeded in stopping him before the fagots were set on

The fragments thus rescued from

fire."

shown on the spot (Fig.

still

33).

the flames are

Other pieces

of this

exquisite entablature had been destroyed in 1427, before

the eyes of Poggio Bracciolini and Cosimo de' Medici.

Similar kilns were discovered in 1796 by Robert Fagan,

not far from the temple.

Fig. 33.

— Fragments of cornice from the temple of Vulcan, at Ostia, rescued from a lime-kiln by Fea.

I

have myself had no small experience in tracing the

results

of

the operations of the lime-burners

;

none of the important excavations with wliich been connected, either in

Rome

in

fact,

I

have

or on neighbouring sites,

has failed to bring to light remains of one or more limekilns.

I

mention two examples as specially worthy of

note.

A

lime-kiln

was found

in the palace of Tiberius

on


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

196

the Palatine hill by Rosa, in 1869.

brim with

Among

fine

of art,

Terme

delle

nero antico

atides, in

an ephebus in black

;

some calcined, some a head of Nero

the exquisite

;

basalt, published by.

Mittheilungen for 1895, p. 97-119, pocrates,

little

pi. 1

intact.

now

three cary-

;

statuette

Hauser

of

in the

a head of

;

the

filled to

the latter were the veiled bust of Claudius,

Museo

in the

works

was

It

Har-

and other minor fragments.

In February, 1883, in the excavations on the south

Atrium

side of the

of Vesta, a pile of

marble was found

about 14 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 7 feet high.

was wholly made up

of statues of the Ve stales

some unbroken, others

The

in fragments.

It

maximae,

statues

and

fragments had been carefully packed together, leaving

few

as

interstices

as

possible

between them, and the

spaces formed by the curves of the bodies were filled in

There were eight nearly perfect

with chips.

we were agreeably

surprised to find

among

statues,

and

the broken

ones the lower part of the lovely seated Vesta with the footstool,

which

number

to the

alas

!

is

of years

now hardly it

has been

dampest corner of the Atrium. this

left

owing

exposed in the

There were present at

remarkable discovery, which took place at 6.30 a.m.

on February

— the myself the

9,

only four people besides the workmen,

Crown Prince

Frederick

in

recognisable,

;

II.,

and full

of Prussia, afterward the

Dr. Henzen, one of

I distinctly

my

Emperor

colleagues,

remember how the

and

prince, then

vigour of health and strength, helped the


MARBLE-CUTTERS AND LIME-BURNERS

workmen

to raise the masses of

up against the wall

statues

the golden age of as

if

it

Roman

were a dream

!

of

197

marble and to set the the

That was

atrium.

excavation, and

we

recall

it

These beautiful statues had

been piled into a regular oblong, like a cord of wood,

by some diggers

of

marbles,

who had

carefully filled

the spaces between the statues as they lay side by side, in order that

no empty spaces might be

By what

left.

fortunate accident these sculptures were preserved difficult to

a

great

House kilns

found

guess

;

but one thing at least

quantity of

of the Vestals

other marbles

is

it

is

certain

—

belonging to

must have perished by

fire.

the

Two

and two deposits of lime and of charcoal were in the course of the 1

same excavations.^

See Notizie degli Scavi, December, 1883,

p. 54.


;

CHAPTER XVII THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY Ix the fourteenth century in the fifteenth

a at

modern

Rome was

mediaeval

began to be slowly transformed into

it

While the

city.

still

seat

of

tlie

Avignon (1305-1377), three-quarters

of

the

their

prehistoric ancestors

roofs,

and quenched their are

in-

with fever and poverty, lived like

habitants, stricken

We

space

The

within the walls was put under cultivation.

Tiber.

was

papacy

told

mud

in

thirst

that

in

huts with thatched

with the waters of the the

year 1377, on the

return of Gregory XI. from Avignon, there were only 17,000 people in the entire area. is

exact or not, the

Whether

men who remained

the figure

faithful to their

Without

native soil deserve the gratitude of mankind.

them the

site of

Rome, completely deserted, might now

have to be pointed out to the inquiring stranger as that of Veii, of Fidenae, of Ostia,

and

of

Tusculum.

In the abandoned parts of the City a remnant of

could be found in the churches

and

Esquiline,

and

teries

as

of

that

character

the of

S.

until

Caelian,

Balbina, its

fortified

" modernisation " 198

monas-

Aventine

which retained in

its

life

hills,

mediaeval

1884.

Vines


THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY and

grew

olive trees

on the Palatine, and

199

in the halls of the imperial palace

grazed again on the

cattle

site

of

Here and there

the Forum, as in the days of Evander.

stood the dismantled ruins of baronial houses destroyed

by the victor

of the da}^

other quarters

;

Torrecchiano, for instance brick

towers,

— were and

loopholed

— the

bristling with square

battlemented,

Normanni,

the

of

Papi,

Romani,

and Anguillara dominated the region

tevere,

while

entrance

Ponte

the

to

the

of

di

Maria (the

Pons Aemilius, now Ponte Rotto), and those Frangipani the island of

The

ruins

(Monte Giordano), and Fiori),

of

Statilius

were in the hands of the Orsini.

of

Marcellus

ancient the

of

Taurus

Pompey's theatre (Campo

had supplanted the Pierleoni theatre

the

Bartolomeo (Fig. 34).

amphitheatre of

the

of

S,

Tras-

of

commanded

Pierleoni

Santa

strong-

Stefaneschi,

Anicii,

those

obtrusive

The

proof of perpetual warfare and bloodshed. holds

Campo

(Monte

in

The

di

Savelli

the possession of the

The Colonna

Savello).

family occupied a fortified enclosure in the abandoned quarter about Trajan's Forum, with the centre of their

stronghold at the temple of the Sun on the Quirinal (Villa Colonna), while the

the hill of ised

Monte

by them

still

as detached forts.

standing

;

of

Augustus and

Citorio, strongly garrisoned,

at the corner of the is

mausoleum

One

were

util-

of their towers,

Via Tre Cannelli and Via Nazionale,

there are also towers of the Mellini

and Sanguigni near the Stadium,

of the

Sinibaldi and


200

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

Crescenzi near the Pantheon.

These ugly square struc-

tures were raised to protect the residences of the barons,

which had not the aspect

Fig. 34.

of a palace, hut of a cluster

— House and tower of the Margani.


THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY of

201

narrow dwellings, enclosed by a battlemented

low,

Around them

wall.

the

lived

who every night barred with The great fortress of lanes.

vassals

chains the

and

partisans,

surrounding

the

Frangipani covered

the southern half of the Palatine, the core of the forti-

being the Septizonium

fication

;

and

this family

had out-

posts also at the Coliseum, at the Turris Cartularia, at

the Janus Quadrifrons of the

Forum Boarium, and

at

the arches of Titus and Constantine.

The great Torre

Conti, erected

de'

by Nicholas

I.

about 858, and rebuilt by Innocent III. in 1216, was called

by Petrarch Turris

toto

and

the Carinae

its

pro-

It

the

of

from

commanded the district The upper part Subura.

digious height and strength. of

orbe unica

having collapsed during the earthquake of 1348, Pope

Urban VIII. pulled down the the lowest of the three stories. is

Much

the top of

better preserved

the Torre delle Milizie, the construction of which was

popularly attributed to Nero.

by Pandolfo of

rest, as far as

della

It

was very

Suburra in 1210.

the same century

it

likely built

In the second half

became the property

of

the

Annibaldi, and later passed into the possession of the Caetani.

The

aspect of

with that of

S.

Rome

may be compared In many parts there

in those days

Geminiano to-day.

were towers crowned with battlements and with iron brackets for signal

fires

(Fig. 35).

so great that a district of

Their number was

the City on the slopes and


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

202

Oppian

at the

foot of the

Campo

Torrecchiano.

All

sense

Fig. 35.

of

the

hill

beautiful,

was actually

all

called

appreciation

of

the

art,

— A lane of mediaeval Rome — Via della Lungarina, demolished in 1877.


THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY

203

seems to have been lost for a time among the Romans.

While other

cities in Italy

were raising churches, town

exchanges, fountains, palaces, and splendid private

halls,

houses which

command admiration

day

at the present

on account of the graceful simplicity of their proportions

did

and the

little

finish of their

more than

pile

work, the builders at

Rome

up and jumble together

frag-

ments of older structures, without regard to form or Tivoli, Viterbo,

fitness.

Rome

period far superior to architecture.

and even Corneto, were in in their public

They can point

to splendid

this

and domestic examples of

the skill and taste of their master masons of the four-

teenth century, while to

show that

is

influence of the

we Romans have

absolutely nothing

Every

trace of the local

comparable.

Cosmatesque School seems to have

dis-

appeared before the beginning of the fifteenth century.

When,

therefore, interest in artistic construction

to revive, as the handicrafts of art

which form the auxiliaries

no longer existed in the City, artisans from other

parts of Italy, especially from Tuscany, Umbria,

region of the lakes of

Peter from 1431 to 1447.

Paul

11.

(1464-1471)

called Palazzo Venezia.

is

and the

Como and Lugano, had

summoned to Rome. The first impulse toward the rebuilding was given by Eugene IV., who occupied St.

began

A

to be

of the City

the chair of

splendid memorial of

the palace of St. Mark,

Under

now

the pontificates of Paul's

successors, Sixtus IV., Innocent VIII. (1484-1492),

and


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

204

Alexander VI. (1492-1503), Baccio Pontelli carried to

Rome

the artistic traditions of Brunelleschi, and erected

successively the churches of S. Maria del Popolo, S. Pietro in Montorio, S. Agostino, S.

Maria della Pace, the

Sistine chapel, the fagades of

Pietro in Vincoli and

SS.

the

of

Apostoli,

the

S.

hospital

of

Spirito,

S.

the

palace of the Governo Vecchio, and the great court of

Mag-

the pontifical palace, near the church of S. Maria giore,

To Bramante we

which was recently destroyed.

owe the

beautiful court of

Damaso

S.

the Vatican,

in

the Belvedere, the galleries connecting this last with the pontifical residence, the

round temple

of S. Pietro in Montorio,

(now the

in

the cloisters

and the palaces

of the Riario

now

Cancelleria) and of Cardinal di Corneto,

Torlonia-Giraud.

The

aspect of the City

was considerably changed by Early in the fifteenth

the erection of these buildings.

century the modern

spirit,

and so fond of straight

so methodical in

began

lines,

in the cutting of spacious streets

rambling habitations of

March

30, 1425,

the

through the ruins and

City.

By

Campus Martins Via

de'

the

Arco

;

several

of

the

Nicholas V. the Via di

Banchi); and Paul

II.

di Portogallo near S.

the Piazza Venezia.

dated

a bull

Martin V. reestablished the

and paved

things

to manifest itself

office of

the

Eugene IV.

commissioners of streets (rnagistri viarum). straightened

all

lanes S.

in

Celso

the

(now

paved the Corso between Lorenzo in Lucina, and

Sixtus IV. was

named "the

great


THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY

205

many

{gran fahhricatore)^ on account of the

builder "

improvements made under

his rule

;

and Alexander VI.

Via Alexandrina through the Borgo.

carried the

cannot be denied that these improvements in the

It

material aspect and welfare of the City involved great losses

on the archaeological and historical

regarding the extent of

out entering into particulars the

which

transformation,

for our purpose

in

his

ride

be

follow Poggio Bracciolini

Beginning with the Capitol,

Nicholas V.

of

Poggio

describes

the

southern

the colossal remains later

of

platform

now

Caffarelli palace

few decades

Avill

it

through the City in 1447, the year of the

election

where the

to

my

be fully given in

will

volumes on the Storia degli Seavi di Roma^ sufficient

With-

side.

the

of

the

hill,

stands, as covered with

temple of Jupiter

;

but a

columns, capitals, and frieze had

dis-

appeared so completely that archaeologists since then

have found serious the

two summits

difficulty in

of the hill

was occupied by the Capito-

lium and which by the Citadel. of

Isis

determining which of

Speaking of the temple

and Serapis, near the church

of

La Minerva,

Poggio mentions two interesting particulars.

He

says

that a local gardener in planting a tree had lately dis-

covered a head of one of the colossal river-gods, which, together with other recumbent figures, once lined the

dromos

of the temple,

ity of the people,

covered

it

but being annoyed by the curios-

who rushed

up again.

He

to

see

his find, at once

also speaks of the remains of


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

206 a

many

with

portico

columns,

ground or half buried under the ruins

Some

December,

in

1451, to the Loggia of the Benediction at St.

under the

management

skilful

of

Peter's,

from

engineer

the

the

of the temple.

removed

columns were

these

of

on

lying

either

Bologna, Maestro Aristotile di Fioravante degli Alberti.

Of the temple first visited

of Concord,

Rome

Poggio says that when he

in 1431 the front portico, facing the

Forum, was almost intact; but that

the

whole

temple with a part of the portico was destroyed.

Simi-

lar instances of

in the case of

later

wanton destruction are recorded by him portions of the Coliseum, as well as of

the remains at Ostia and other suburban places.

The general

by these

practice followed

tury builders, whether simple citizens, was this:

popes,

cardinals,

fifteenth cen-

or

patricians,

Before commencing their work

they would secure the possession of a petraia^ that

is,

an ancient structure or part of a structure, from which they could obtain materials of construction, lime and

ornamental marbles.

from the

There

no

is

edifice in

fifteenth century the erection of

simultaneously mutilation

of

carry

with

the

it

Rome

which did not

destruction

some ancient structure.

dating

I

or

the

a

few

add

instances.

When of

the

Martin V., in July, 1425, undertook the laying beautiful

cosmatesque

pavement

of

St.

John

Lateran, Antonio Picardi and Nicolao Bellini, contractors

for

the work,

received

the

Pope's permission to


THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY of

strip

their

marbles

and without the City,"

the churches, "both within

all

in

207

which divine service was no

Apparently the contractors gave to

longer celebrated.

the grant a very broad interpretation, and laid hands not

only on abandoned places of worship, but on the very

tomb

In a brief of March

of the prince of the apostles.

29, 1436,

Eugene IV. complains that some precious

porphyry and serpentine had been wrenched

of

the pontifical chair, which was, as

most blessed

the

!

Peter "

it

off

slabs

from

were, "the altar of

The same Pope

issued a

second brief for the protection of the Coliseum against the "diggers of marbles"; and yet I find that stones

from the Coliseum were used by him in the restoration of the apse of St.

Curia and the

John Lateran, and marbles from the

Forum Julium

in the restoration of the

Apostolic palace.

The monuments which rule of Nicholas

suffered the

most under the

V. are the Coliseum, the Circus Maxi-

mus, the Curia, and the temple of Venus and Rome.

A

document

of 1452

^

certifies that

one contractor alone,

Giovanni Paglia Lombardo, was allowed to remove from the Coliseum 2522 cartloads of travertine in the space of only nine months.

was worked

as a

columns of both

The temple

of

Venus and Rome

quarry from 1450 to 1454, the porphyry celiac

being used as lining for the lime-

kilns on account of their refractory qualities.

Pope destroyed the triumphal arch 1

The same

of Gratian, Valen-

Published by Miintz in Eevue Archeologique, September, 1876.


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

208 tinian,

and Theodosius, by the church

of

S.

Celso in

Banchi, in order to widen the Piazza di Ponte S. Angelo

and he built

two expiatory

also the foundations of the

chapels at the entrance to the same bridge with statues

and ornamental marbles from the mausoleum

of Hadrian.

In 1456 twenty blocks of rare marble were removed from

made Duomo.

Ostia to Orvieto and the faQade of the

The building

use of in the decoration of

Loggia of the Benediction

of the

at St.

Peter's, the masterpiece of the time of Pius II,, caused

more damage vasion.

to ancient

monuments than

Materials were

extracted

from the Coliseum, the temple the

Forum Julium,

the

Baths

(SS.

Cosma

and lime

of Jupiter Capitolinus,

hill of S. Spirito,

the temple of the

the Via Campana, the portico of Octavia, Caracalla,

of e

the

templum

Damiano), the ruins

tlie

built the palace of St.

Mil-

the

Via Flaminia

near the farmhouses of Valca and Valchetta. II.,

Urbis

Sacrae

Ostia,

of

vian bridge, and the massive tombs of

Pope, Paul

obtained

the Senate-house, the bridge of Nero,

the Palatiolum on the

Dea Dia on

a barbaric in-

The next

Mark with

the

spoils of the temple of Claudius on the Caelian, of the

Coliseum, of a temple

near S. Maria in Cosmedin, of

the tombs of the Via Flaminia, of the Septa Julia, and of an

unknown

travertine building (the

the vineyard of the banker raised the

beautiful

Tommaso

Castello

taken from the Amphitheatre.

at

Gaianum

Spinelli

Tivoli

;

?)

in

and he

with materials

Nevertheless, the genial


;

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY Aeneas April

Piccolomini issued his famous brief

Silvio 28,

urhem^'"

in

209

"

commencing,

1462,

which

he

threatened

the pontifical wrath against the

Cum almam

of

nostram

heavy penalties and destroyers of ancient

remains.

Of Sixtus IV. we have two

it

One

our subject.

for

is

briefs that are important

dated

December

17,

1471

authorises " the architects of the Vatican library to

make excavations anywhere

in order to secure the stone

ni'Âť'"P

Fig. 3G.

— The

Porta del Popolo of the time of Sixtus IV.

M. Heemskerk

needed

" for the work.^

" the

inflicts

a sketch by

other, dated April

7,

greater excommunication " on those " the patriarchal

remove marbles from and

The

From

(1536).

basilicas."

The

Victor, the tutelary

1474,

who

and other churches

beautiful round temple of Hercules

god

of the charioteers of the circus,

which stood near the Ara Maxima and the Forum Bo-

monuments destroyed under the The two square towers on either

arium, was one of the rule of this pontiff.

side of the Porta del Popolo (Fig. 36) 1

MUntz, Les Arts a

la

were built in the

cour des PapeSy Vol.

III. p. 15.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

210

same pontificate with marbles from the tombs

of Aelius

Gutta Calpurniaiius, the famous charioteer (Fig. 37); of Valerius of Lucius Nonius Asprenas, consul A.D. 6 ;

Nicias

named Postuma, and from

of a patrician lady

;

an unknown tomb of pyramidal shape which stood on the site of the present church of S. Maria de' Miracoli.

Altogether 250 large marble blocks were used in the building of the two bastions.^

nwm is

Fiu.

The

;17.

list

— Kcliefs

I'ruin

the

tomb

in

Via Lata, the materials

cent

VIIL

in

the

arms novus) near

ander VI.

in

the

Via Alexandrina.

1

and veneering

Maria

of

this

church, and the

— the

so-

— which was accomplished by Alex-

widening and straightening

The same Pope

near the gate of the castle of frieze

S.

which were used by Inno-

of

restoration

Meta Romuli^

,

with the destruction

removal of the great pyramid of the Rorgo called

'

o! Calpurniaiius, the charioteer.

for this century closes

of a triumphal arch (called

^

LB

S.

of Hadrian's

Visconti in Bull. Com., 1877,

p.

185

of

the

round tower

built a

Angelo with the marble mausoleum. sq.

2

See

p. 178.


THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY

Among this

the palaces built

century

of Cardinal

I

Adriano

by private individuals during

mention only two,

shall

which was built with the

spoils of

and of the four-faced temple della Cancelleria,

now

Corneto,

di

211

of

— the

palace

Torlonia-Giraud,

the

Basilica

Julia

Janus; and the Palazzo

by Cardinal Riario with stone

built

from the Coliseum and with marbles from the triumphal arch of Gordianus, near the Praetorian camp.

Before passing to the disastrous sack of

army first

Bourbon,

of Charles of

I

Rome by

the

must remark that the

quarter of the sixteenth century showed a decided

improvement

in the increasing appreciation of the value

monuments on

of certain classes of ancient

such popes as Julius

II.

individuals as Raphael

the part of

and Leo X., and such private

and

his archaeological advisers,

Fabio Calvo da Ravenna and Andrea Fulvio.

Statuary

The

finding of

and inscriptions were especially prized. the Laocoon

among

the ruins of the house of Titus on

the Oppian seems to have struck with

Pope, the court, the

A

artists, in fact

amazement the

the whole population.

general search for works of sculpture was afterward

instituted, in the course

of

which the remains

buildings suffered great damage.

raphy was in

its

infancy,

The

of

old

science of topog-

and the importance

of

pre-

serving ancient buildings was slow to be recognised.

The

last years of

Alexander VI., who died in 1503,

were marked by the destruction of a portion of the Baths of Diocletian, of

an unknown temple on the Sacra Via,


^

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

212

and

Forum

of the

Transitorium.^

cessor (1503-1513),

give

operations to

ancient Rome.

Julius

his

II.,

suc-

was too much absorbed

in military

much

remains of

attention

to

However, he took up

the

in earnest the re-

construction of the Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter's. Since the time of Nicholas V. fears had been entertained

and Leon Battista Alberti

for the safety of the building,

and Bernardo Rossellino had been commissioned pare plans for

reconstruction.

its

gressing very slowly impulse,

who

placing

it

when

Julius

to pre-

The work was II.

gave

under the direction

of

it

a

pro-

new

Bramante,

entered upon his duties in 1503.

Bramante's design was to substitute for the old church, of a pure basilica t3'pe, cross,

an

edifice in the

form of a Greek

with a hexastyle portico in front, and an immense

cupola over the centre supported by four great piers. Julius II. laid the foundations of the Greek cross in 1506

under the pier now called della Veronica.

The four

piers

and the arches whicli spring from them were the only parts of the structure completed at the time of the Pope's death.

The

antiquities

loss occasioned to art, history,

by the destruction

simply incalculable.

is

and Christian

of the venerable basilica

The west

half

of the greatest

temple of Christendom was levelled to the ground with all

its

precious decorations in mosaic, fresco, sculpture,

1

JahrhiLch far Kunst und Wins., Vol. IV.

2

Curiously enough, the old St. Peter's appears In Jenichen's Pano-

ramic View

of

[Frontispiece).

Rome,

engraved

p. 70.

more than

half

a

century

later


THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN CITY in

marble and in wood, with

and

its

pontifical

its

historical inscriptions

among which were

tombs,

213

those of

Celestine IV. (t 1243), Gregory IX. (f 1241), Boniface

IX.

VII.

Innocent

(11404),

(f 1406),

Eugene

IV.

(11447), and Nicholas V. (11455).

Three other churches of Julius II.

:

on the night of

also disappeared in the pontificate

the old titulus Marcelli, which collapsed

May

1509

23,

;

the church of S. Donatus,

demolished for the opening of the Via Giulia

church of SS. Celso

;

and the

Giuliano in Banchi, which was

e

destroyed to widen the Piazza di Ponte.

No

great losses are recorded under the rule of Leo X.,

who, on September classic

1517, issued a

bull,

written in

language, for the encouragement of those

might be willing to the City of

by reason tion."

2,

raise

Rome might

new

edifices,

"to the end that

increase in size

of additions to its buildings

The Via

di Ripetta

and the Via

who

and and

d'

in dignity its

popula-

Aracoeli were

The only act of vandalism which can be brought home to him is the destruction of a certain part of the Via Tiburtina, called La Quadrata, the embankment of which was supported by great walls The stones were removed to St. Peter's. of travertine. opened by the same

pontiff.


CHAPTER

XVIII

THE SACKIXG OF ROME BY THE ARMY OF CHARLES OF BOURBON IN 1527

The

Rome

sacking of only

parable

One

burning of

by the

the

B.C.,

and the destruction caused by the

City

the

1081.

in

the

of

was a calamity com-

with

Gauls in 390

Normans

in 1527

sung to-day over the

familiar lullabies

cradles of restless children begins with the la

ninna, e passa via Barbone

is

gone," the

name Barbone,

Go to the man "

!

'^

beard," having usurped that of

So persistent

is

the

memory

the

words sleep,

:

" Fatti

Barbone

with the long

hated conqueror.

of those days of terror

!

Charles of Bourbon, the remorseless leader of a cruel

army, appeared before the crumbling walls of the Leo-

May

nine City

1527, and placed his headquarters in

5,

the convent of S. Onofrio, opposite the gate of S. Spirito (Fig.

38).

Although he himself

fell

tlie

victim of a

stray shot early on the following day, his forces, comprising Italians,

twenty thousand

and

six

Germans, fourteen

thousand

Spaniards,

tliousand

succeeded

in

storming the Borgo while the Pope was seeking shelter in the

castle of

S.

Angelo. 214

The

pillage of

the

City,


73

a

o o

o a

O CO

03

CO

6



;

SACK OF

217

1527

with unspeakable horrors, lasted eight days, from the 6th to the 14th of May. ures collected in the

In so short a time the treas-

Roman

vents, during the lapse of centuries,

The

sacred precincts of

hands

the

were dispersed.

Peter's

St.

fared worse at

and

Spaniards

Catholic

the

of

and con-

palaces, churches,

Lombards

than they had at the hands of the Saracens in 846.

They

The Spaniards searched every tomb. the corpse

Julius

of

II.

of

vestments

pontifical

its

they gambled with their booty, and rested

by lying stretched out on the venerable used

the

ship

as

women

chalices

drinking

of

broken into

windows bits,

;

they

company with

profligate

cups,

in

their

manuscripts collected by Pius stained glass

altars

workman-

the sanctuary, preparing their

of

themselves

marvellous mediaeval

and they stabled

;

stripped

of

horses

the

in

aisles

with precious

litters

and Sixtus IV.

II.

The

Guillaume de Marcillat were

and the Flemish tapestries designed

by Raphael were stolen

for

the

sake

of

their

gold

threads.

The

fate

connected

on

the

of

these world-famous tapestries

with

that

vicissitudes

of to

the

City,

which

Rome have been exposed

in

and

is

throws

closely light

antiquity in

relics

of

these

later

centuries.

Pope Leo X., thirteen years before these events, had given Raphael a commission to draw cartoons illustrating scenes

from

the

New

Testament.

were copied in tapestry by Bernhard

The cartoons van Orlay and


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

218

Michael Coxie, and the priceless fabrics thus produced

were exhibited in the Sistine chapel on certain church

The

festivals.

tapestries

and were carried

were stolen by the lansquenets,

with other spoils from the Vati-

off

In 1553, however, they came

can.

Anne de Montmorency, who

sion of

owner

legitimate

their

;

the

into

restored

posses-

them

to

but some of them were lost

forever.

Even

the tapestries that had been preserved to this

time were not to be spared further vicissitudes.

They

experienced perhaps a Avorse treatment in 1798 at the

hands of the French invaders, when they were sold for

sum

a nominal

them

the

for

to

sake

He

Genoese Jew.

a

of

the gold

which Van Orlay had made use

and in

burnt one of

silver threads, of

weaving the bright

but the profits did not meet

liis

expectations.

Pius VII. bought the rest back in 1808.

During the

lights,

siege of

Rome

1819 they were exposed to injury for

in

the third time from General Oudinot's artillery.

cannon-balls entered

the

were hung

on the

;

one

fell

gallery

where

floor,

the

Two

tapestries

and the other burst

directly in front of the one portraying the Miraculous

Draught If

we

of Fishes. recall

the vast collections of objects of value

which the piety

of

Roman

sacristies

of

centuries,

we can

of

May, 1527.

the faithful

churches

appreciate

had heaped up during

the losses

Sacred vessels of small

the of

size

in the

preceding the

month

were packed


SACK OF sacks

in

and carried

off

219

1527

others which

;

could not be

removed were destroyed, and the most precious

relics

were treated with contumely.

The

busts of St. Peter

and

St.

Andrew,^ and that

of

John

of

church

the

of

Lateran,

the

in

hoisted

soldier

were stolen respectively from

Presbyter

the

shrines

their

head of

Paul, the

St.

on the

which was believed

point of

to be the one

had pierced the side

of

had

been presented

to

azed

II.,

the

his

and

Vatican,

A

Capite.

in

Silvestro

S.

the

in

German

the

lance

in

spear

with which Longinus

Redeemer on the

cross

;

it

Pope Innocent VII. by Bay-

and was preserved

in the

famous shrine of the

Santa Lancia, a masterpiece of the school of Mino da Fiesole, destroyed

have belonged

to

by Paul V. to

in 1606.

Veronica,

St.

The

and

to

vail, said

bear

the

impression of the Saviour's features, was dragged from

tavern to tavern

drunken

among

soldiery. ^

the jeerings and taunts of the

The

cross

hung over the Apostle's tomb in the

mud

The head

1

of the of St.

Via

di

Andrew was

of

Constantine,

in St. Peter's,

Pancrazio.

where the

A

was tossed

Borgo and trampled under

stolen again in 1848

and hidden in a

recess of the city walls between the Porta Cavalleggeri S.

which

and the Porta

marble statue erected by Pius IX. marks the spot

was re-discovered in 1850. first one which the pilgrims sought on their visit ad limina, was kept in a shrine built by John VII. The shrine was destroyed in 1606, together with its priceless mosaic pictures. The image of the Virgin alone was saved by Cardinal Pallotta, who made a present 2

of

This

it

relic

relic,

the

to the Ricci of Florence.

It is

family in the church of S. Marco.

now

preserved in the chapel of that


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

220

Even

foot.

palace, the

the chapel of St. Lawrence in the Lateran

most august shrine

was profaned and stripped

the

of

Catholic world,

of all its contents.

Furniture, pictures, and works of art of every description

Avere

destroyed

in

private

and

houses

palaces

and precious stones were apportioned among the

pearls

German mercenaries by

spoonfuls, the share of an ordi-

nary soldier in the booty being from three to four thousand

Exquisite

ducats.

devised to extort

refinements

were

cruelty

of

money from persons suspected of havThe old Cardinal Ponzetta, although

ing concealed

it.

a partisan of

the Emperor, was held for a ransom of

twenty thousand ducats, and afterward dragged through the streets of the City with his hands tied behind him

Another

he died soon after in great destitution. nal,

cardi-

Cristoforo Numalio, was torn from the bed where

he was lying cession

and

;

in

placed on a hearse, and dragged in pro-

ill,

ecclesiastical

his

profligate

robes.

women surrounded

Drunken

soldiers

the bier, brandishing

torches and vociferating infamous songs in imitation of

Thus the unfortunate

priestly canticles.

carried

the

into

old

man was

church of the Aracoeli and lowered

ransom

into a crypt, to be buried alive unless a fresh

should be paid. last

rescue

his

at

the

moment.

Still

more unhappy was the

name ought of

Friends came to

drunken

fate

of

a

priest

to be enrolled in the list of heroes.

soldiers

had dressed a donkey

A

whose group

in sacerdotal


;;

SACK OF robes and

made

Having

kneel before a street shrine.

it

caught hold of a

221

1527

priest,

minister the holy

they tried to force him to ad-

communion

The good

to the brute.

old man, to save the Host from such profanation, swal-

lowed

before they could prevent him, and suffered

it

from those demons

in

human

rible

martyrdoms recorded

The

loss sustained

flesh

one of the most hor-

in the history of persecutions.

by the City

in those eventful

days

has been valued at seven or eight million of ducats by

Scaramuccia Trivulzio, cardinal of Ulloa, the biographer of Charles in estirnating this loss, of florins

V.

that

that

assert chisels,

at fifteen

Giovio,

many

were

by

while Gregorovius,

;

— nearly a million and a half pounds Cappella,

or

it

is

not surprising

Brantome, and

ancient statues,

mutilated

sterling, or

of dollars.

In the light of these barbarities, find

;

mentions a sum of twenty millions

between seven and eight millions

to

Como

work

the

destroyed

;

that

of

others

Greek

Raphael's

frescoes in the Stanze and those of Pinturicchio in the

Sale Borgia of the Vatican were deliberately injured

the

smoke

of bonfires lighted in the

that the very

the

tomb

Constantinian

middle of the halls

of St. Peter, deep Basilica,

by

under the apse of

was broken

into,

and the

remains of the Apostle scattered to the four winds

but these statements,

if

not altogether incorrect, are at

least exaggerated.

We

have quite definite information regarding the num-

ber and the quality of the statues discovered and ex-


;

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

222 hibited in

Roman

among them were

palaces and villas before 1527.

Chief

the recumbent colossal figures of the

Nile and of the Tiber, found at the time of Leo X.

the ruins of the temple of Isis

;

the

attributes of Hercules (Heracles

May

on

Commodus with Campo

to the Belvedere gardens

by Julius

— discovered

Ciampolini house at the

the

moved

to the Vatican

Campo

in

di

II.; ;

14, 1506,

on the Oppian art

—

Fiori,

and

re-

not

is

known is

;

the

usually

on a farm of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere,

near Grotta Ferrata

of

another

1513 under

Belvedere Apollo, found, not at Antium, as

January

a torso

by Clement VII.; the Sleeping

Ariadne, whose place of discovery

stated, but

and

di Fiori

of Heracles in the possession of the Colonnas

the torso of the Belvedere

the

and Telephos), found

15, 1507, in the Piazza di

removed

among

and the Laocoon group, found on

;

by Felice de Fredis There were

hill.

in his vineyard

also the bronze

presented to the Senate and

Roman

works

people by

Sixtus IV. and exhibited in the Palazzo dei Conservatori the hill;

statue

the

of

Marcus Aurelius, now on

tlie

Capitoline

marble horse-tamers, the three Constantines,

and the two river-gods

of the Quirinal.

All these marbles and bronzes have come

down

to us

uninjured except one, the Heracles of the Colonna palace,

which has disappeared

;

and the frescoes

well as those of Pinturicchio, are

examining these three years ago

last,

when

by order

of

still

of Raphael, as

to be seen.

In

the Sale Borgia were reopened

Leo XIII.,

I

observed

German


SACK OF

223

1527

names scratched with a pointed instrument, whetlier a sword or knife the wall

;

am

tell,

on the lower surface of

but whether they are names of the mercenaries

V. or of more peaceful

of Charles I

could not

I

visitors of later times

unable to say (Fig. 39).

Fig. 39.

— One

of the Sale Borgia

— that of

the "Vita della

Madonna" — in

the Vatican.

Reissner asserts that the right arm of the central figure of the it

Laocoon group must have been broken

was discovered

;

but

it is

arm was missing

off

a fact quite generally

after

known

that

the

the

time of discovery.

The

assertion of a letter published

some years ago by

at


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

224 I.

Mayerhofer

that the of

tomb has

1527,

The

letter

in the Historisches

been distinctly contradicted by Grisar.^

was written by Theodoric Vafer

soldiers," the writer says,

in

751)

p.

was violated during the sack

of St. Peter

and bears the date

scheid),

Jahrhuch (1891,

of

June

;

Ge-

"

The

1527.

" have profaned every church

Rome, and have slaughtered

altars of the apostles

17,

(alias

on

victims

their

they have broken the

the

coffins, or

urns, containing the relics of St.

Peter and

and dispersed the precious dust

they have stolen the

;

sacred vessels used in the divine service," etc.

Grisar thinks that expressions of a

we ought not

man

the appalling disaster

Professor

to take too literally the

writing under the excitement of ;

certainly not one of the hundreds

by eye-witnesses

descriptions

of

Paul,

St.

the

of

events agrees

with this statement. Interesting discoveries have from time to time been

made

A

in connexion with this sack of the City. diarist of the last century,

that

found in the Corso,

where

cellars it

of

Via put

della it

Palazzo

1,

Verospi

1879, an apprentice

in repairing the drain of Stelletta,

on the Again,

mason

a house at No. 23,

found a shiny piece of metal, and

in his pocket waiting for a

a connoisseur. 1

the

scudi was

had been concealed in 1527.

on the morning of June

engaged

Cecconi, relates

sixty thousand

1705 a treasure of

in

named

chance to show

it

to

In the meanwhile the dirt from the drain

See Le tombe Apostoliche di

Boma, Roma,

1892, p. 27, n. 40.


SACK OF was carted away

The

piece

for his

made

at once

in the act of receiving

twenty francs

from a goldsmith opposite.

Search was

on the spot, and 142 gold coins were found

Policemen were sent after the

and near the drain.

in

They overtook

carts.

Porta Angelica.

in the direction of the

was caught

lad

225

1527

these outside the Porta Angelica,

examined the contents, and found forty-two more to the great

amazement

of the drivers,

pieces,

who had no

idea

that they were removing gold from such an unexpected

One hundred and

mine.

eighty-four gold pieces had

therefore been concealed in the drain of the house during or immediately before the pillage of 1527. certain

who

1503;

in

is

the coins bear the effigy, the coat of arms, and

:

the legend of Pius

VIII.,

The date

II.,

who

died in 1492;

and

died in 1464;

of

of Innocent

Alexander VI., who died

other predecessors of Clement VII.,

of

under whose pontificate the pillage took place.

Clement VII. himself amount

coins of

The

to one-third of

the whole number. ^

The Tiber

hiding-place of chief importance ;

for,

the bed of the

rather than allow their treasures to be seized

by the invaders, the Romans threw the

is

their valuables into

arms of Father Tiber, who gathered them in

muddy

treasury,

his

and has preserved them to our day.

At the time of the discovery it was asserted that a coin with the and name of Paul III. had been seen in the treasure-trove, a fact that, if substantiated, would place the concealment of this gold at a later 1

effigy

period than the sack.

Q

I

have not been able

to see the coin in question.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

226

When,

in 1877, the

tion of the

works connected with the construc-

embankments along the

ing and deepening of

its

and the widen-

river

bed began,

made

I

a point

it

to ascertain the comparative depth of the various finds

with a view to determining the

stratification

The

objects of every description at the bottom.

was not

easy, because

more dredgers were kept

and more compressed-air caissons were sunk

at

at the

time than one could watch personally, and, in such cate inquiries, personal observation

is

to the following result

:

that

we

if

count the miscellaneous objects wliich

task

work same deli-

necessary.

Comparing the notes taken from 1878

come

the

of

to 1889, I

have

leave out of ac-

may

pertain to any

age and hence are not conclusive, the archaeological strata of the Tiber correspond with considerable regularity to

the leading catastrophes in the history of objects with which the dredgers first recall the revolution of 1848-1849,

Rome.

The

came into contact

and bear witness

to

the haste with which compromising objects, as republican

symbols and weapons of every kind, were made to disappear as soon as General Oudinot had become the master of the City.

The next important

spond with the French invasion third from

mementoes

the top yields

as

of its

layer seems to corre-

1798-1799

;

and the

harvest innumerable

of the sack of Charles of

Bourbon.


CHAPTER XIX THE MONUMENTS IN THE LATTER PART OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

The

wretched state of

the sixteenth century

is

Rome

in

the latter part of

hardly concealed beneath the

superficial brilliancy of the Renaissance. facts,

which

I

The following

have gathered at random from contem-

porary records, cast light upon the condition of things. In April, 1566, Pius V. directed the cardinals Crispo,

and Sforza "

di Montepulciano,

of

Rome

of

summer comes

are promptly cleaned, so that

when

the heat

the air shall not be tainted."

Ap-

had

been

parently,

no attempt to

made

years.

for

to see that the streets

As

clean

the

streets

the country roads were only re-

paired four times each century, in the years of Jubilee, so the streets were only cleaned on great occasions, as

when

a newly elected pope rode in state to the Lateran

to take possession of his

To illustrate another may mention the curious

chair.

aspect of the administration, I

means adopted by Pius IV. and the City government to

diminish

vagrancy.

They determined

magistrates at the head of the City,

accompanied

by

thirteen

" the

wards of the

thirteen gentlemen 227

that

chosen

by


228

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

the Council

— one

for each region

month with

their parishes once a

The

1562).

— should

go around

-

the almsbox " (July

Rome, the

feast of the Birth-day of

8,

glori-

ous Palilia, on the twenty-first of April, was no longer for lack

celebrated,

money, but

of

was proposed on the ground had said that they private

their

Ave re

purse "

"

that

willing

some

gentlemen from

contribute

to

expenses

defray the

to

1549 a revival

in

of

the

celebration. justice

Ill

City magistrates of this period,

to the

must acknowledge

that, so far as relates to the

we

preser-

vation of the ancient monuments, their behaviour was

very

different

of

While the papal

particularly

by a

dated July 22, 1510, the municipal to

raise

and

their

voice

in

to protest against

missioners

for

the

*'

and reverence

love

so consistent

authorities

had

Fabbrica

for

projects

I

Paul

of

officials

their

the

di

S.

alma

III.

never ceased preservation,

Pietro."

parens

Their

was never

This attitude of mind

and unvarying that

municipal archives, to

the

the shameful deeds of the com-

dred vx)lumes of Records which

sition

of

bull

favour of

crushed by untoward events.

was

and

popes

the

sanctioned and encouraged the destruction of

remains,

classic

that

Chamber.

Apostolic officially

from

I

in the

many hun-

have consulted in the

have found no trace of any oppo-

connected with the safeguarding of

the classic remains, or with the increase of the archaeological collections of the

Capitoline

Museum.

On

the

I


Fig. 40.

— Bas-reliefs church of

S.

from the arch of Marcus Aurelius, removed from the Martina in 1525, now in the Conservatori Palace.



THE MONUMENTS regard

contrary,

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

IN

the

for

the

of

glories

past

231

was

times carried to an extreme, and the City Council

and then transformed

that

overzealous

this

we

devotion to antiquity might justly be criticised,

compelled to admire the patriotism of the City for

in

trials,

also,

the cause

gloomy prospects

we must

they forgot

art

of

for the

now

were, into an academy

itself, as it

Even allowing

humanists.

of

at

else

all

future, and

confess, the sense of justice

;

are

officials,

— present

sometimes,

thus in March,

1525,

they took away from the rector of the church

of

Martina the bas-reliefs from the arch of Marcus

S.

now on

AureliLis,^

Conservatori

the landing of

the staircase of the

without allowing him

Palace,

any com-

pensation (Fig. 40).

In 1538, after 320 scudi had been

laboriously

col-

and other defaulters and crimi-

lected from the Cerrini

nals in the district of Cori, the City Council voted that

" of

the

sum

said

320 scudi a portion should be

of

devoted to the setting up of the equestrian statue of

M. Antonius

(szc),

according to the design of Master

Michael Angelo, sculptor, and another portion to the building of

the

Campidoglio."

substruction

The equestrian

walls

of

the

Piazza del

statue referred to

is

the

bronze Marcus Aurelius which was then set up in the square of the Capitol, where

In the Middle Ages (Fig. 42);

and

its

it

it

had

preservation 1

a

I.

has remained ever since. stood is

near

the

Lateran

thought to liave been

L. VI. 1014.


232

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

due to the

belief that it

the

of Constantine,

Christian Emperor.

first

The

was a statue

interest of the municipal authorities in the pres-

ervation of statuary

When

incident.

is

by the following

illustrated also

Pius IV., in 1561, urged the Munici-

pality to complete in timber the unfinished

the bridge of Santa Maria

Council

the

hesitated

(now

Monsignor Rufino guaranteed "

sum

cipality in the

succeed."

It

the

Muni-

to reimburse the

2000 scudi

of

suggestion until

if

the plan should not

happened that the repairs were not suc-

and the

cessful,

called the Ponte Rotto),

accept

to

portion of

commenced proceedings against

City

Monsignor Rufino

reimbursement

for

of

money.

the

After paying 640 scudi, he asked the City to accept in settlement

of

by experts, for the decoration of

statues," to be valued

new

the

Capitoline

them "two beautiful

due

balance

the

The proposal was

buildings.

Tommaso

cepted, and Mario Frangipani and lieri

Cava-

were appointed appraisers with power to choose a

third to

de'

ac-

appraiser

to

assist

The

them.

statues are

still

be seen, on either side of the vestibule of the Con-

servatori

according

found,

They

Palace.

a

to

in the

Forum Julium.

Julius

Caesar;

that

are

colossal

somewhat

The one on on the

left,

in

size,

doubtful

both

tradition,

the right represents a

victorious

Roman

admiral.

In December, statues

of

1584,

Castor and

the

restoration

of

the

colossal

Pollux came to a standstill on


THE MONUMENTS

IN

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

account of the lack of funds.

means

to complete the

office of

Fig. 41.

work

233

In order to provide the

the Council farmed out the

public notary for two of the wards of the City,

— The

statues of Castor and Pollux on the Capitoline

hill,

restored in

1584.

the Rione

di

Ripa and the Curia Capitolina, and the

statues were set in the places

which they now occupy

(Fig. 41).

In 1576, in spite of the emptying of the treasury to


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

234

defray the expenses of the Jubilee of 1575, the

City

fathers voted a large sum, for tliose days, to bring the

Lex Regia

dispute regarding the possession of the satisfactory

famous document

This

conclusion.

to a is

a

copy, engraved in bronze, of the decree by which the " Senate

and the Roman people " conferred the imperial

The

power on Vespasian. Boniface St.

VIII.

the

in

John Lateran, and

its

where, showing

had been used by

construction

set

so

an

of

altar

awkwardly that

it

it

in

could

Cola di Rienzi, in 1346, caused

hardly be read.

be taken from

tablet

it

to

hiding-place and set up in the nave, to his fellow-citizens, he

was wont to

speak fiery words on the right of the people to choose

own form

their

government.

of

The

efforts

of

the

municipality to secure the valuable document had always failed,

owing

Lateran.

to

the

Compelled

Canons

opposition of the at last

by a decree

of the

of

Pope

the to

take some action, the Canons voted to commit the pre-

Roman

cious tablet to the guardian care of " the

and

as they

people,"

begged that they might receive something

in return, the Council, out of gratitude,

gave them 200

gold scudi on condition that they purchase a silver ewer

and basin and a pair

The 200

of candelabra for use in the basilica.

scudi were secured by

pawning

certain objects

of value belonging to the City.

In the minutes of the City Council for I find

the following statement

the antiquities of

Rome

:

" It

is

May

17, 1580,

clearly seen that

are disappearing every day, on


THE MONUMENTS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 235 account of the search for marbles, which the most reckless manner,

in

preservation

carried on

with no regard

the

have

a

Maggiore (the

Palazzo

recent instance of this in the

to

We

themselves.

ruins

the

of

is

palace of the Caesars) where the most beautiful halls

have been tions

undermined so

and buttresses

to

A

be kept standing."

deputa-

Pope Gregory XIII., instructed

tion

was sent

him

to revoke all grants given

to

new founda-

require

to

as

to ask

by the Apostolic Cham-

ber "for the procuring of marble and travertine from the

ancient ruins of the

di S. Pietro

Apostles."

and

The

City, even

church

the

of

for the

Prince

the

result of this interview

Fabbrica

may

of

the

be inferred

from the fact that by another apostolic brief the destructive

powers of the Fabbrica di

to the ruins of Ostia

were extended

S. Pietro

and Porto.

In the Autobiography of Cardinal Giovanni Antonio

by Professor Cugnoni,^ a

Santori, edited

instance

is

given of the

way

that Sixtus V. dealt with

" Seeing that the

ancient monuments.

characteristic

Pope was quite

bent on the destruction of the antiquities of Rome," says the Cardinal,

"many Roman noblemen came

to try to persuade his Holiness to

purpose,

particularly

as

abandon

to beg

me

his strange

he cherished the intention of

destroying the Septizonium (as he afterward did), the

Velabrum 1

(that

See Vol. XII.

p.

is,

the

372,

four-faced arch of the

and Vol. XIII.

Societa reale di Storia patria.

p. 151, of

Forum

the Archivio della


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

236

Boarium), and the Capo

tomb

the

of

monument

Bove," which we

di

Caecilia Metelhi, that

" I

Republic.

of the

as

and splendid

rare

made

know

this request

in

company with Cardinal Colonna, and received the reply that he wished to remove the unsightly ruins in order

And

to repair those that required it."

May,

indeed, in

1589, Giovanni Battista Mottino and Girolamo Leni and

brothers

his

had no

from Cardinal

down

the

obtaining permission

difficulty in

di Montalto, the Pope's Camarlingo, to pull

mausoleum

The

of Caecilia Metella.

however, contained a provision

"

:

rescript,

Our Sovereign Lord

and Master grants the concession, provided that the

Roman

people

monument,

as I

give here

to

Pope,

the

Avill

tlie

This

content."

are

show

;

but

I

clause

think

it

saved

worth while

exact words of the request the

the

made

to

of

the

"Gio. Battista Mottino, and Girolamo Leni and

his

age

:

so

characteristic

is

it

of

spirit

—

brothers, are the owners of the farm-lands of

Bove, where there be

is

a tomb, or tower, which

advantageous

very

therefore

to

them

to

Capo it

di

would

dismantle.

They

humbly pray your Holiness that they may

be granted permission in such a way that the gentle-

men

of the City Council (Signori Conservatori) cannot

oppose

it

by saying

ought not to say, as public place, and

the

it it

is is

an

antiquity,

out of

others have

which they

Rome and

not in a

been dismantled, one on

road to Tivoli, another of marble at Ponte

dell'


THE MONUMENTS

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

IN

237

many others.^ If your Holiness will make this concession we think Romano) will do that the Roman people (popolo likewise to please him, and thus all we receive will be by the special favour of our Master, and we will unceasingly pray God for his preservation, and Arco, yet another at Casal

that

happy

and

long

a

Rotonno, and

be

life

granted

your

to

Excellency."

The "popolo Romano," on whom Cardinal alto

had sought

to lay the responsibility, at

work

and the

tated,

demolition

of

Mont-

di first

began,

numerous and serious were the remonstrances

but

so

that,

on

motion of Paolo Lancellotti, seconded by his

the

Ottavio Gabrielli, and

leagues,

Alessandro

hesi-

col-

Gottifredi,

the Municipal Council cancelled the permission, and so

tomb

the

others

Metella was saved.

of

the

of

same nature,

This occurrence, and

possibly

account

for

the

change of feeling among the people toward Sixtus V.

Those same magistrates who had ordered the erection a

of

return

rate

the

the

death

August 1

I

him, November 26, 1585, to

to

statue

of

24,

Pope

the

1590

peace

of

:

to

commemo-

and plenty, thus announce the

Council

" To-day, our most

Holy Lord, Pope

cannot quite make out which tomb on Via Tiburtina

in this petition of Mottino

Cod. Vat. 3439,

f.

35.

and

The

his friends

;

perhaps

Monday,

on

it is

is

alluded to

that described in

antiquita al ponte delV Arco

is

the

tomb

of

M. Antonius Antius Lupus, about which see Bull. Com., 1891, p. 221. The mausoleum of Aurelius Cotta still bears the characteristic name given it in the memorial (Casal Rotondo).


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

238

Sixtus v., has departed this

and mutual congratulations

and

in

his

of

of all classes

But Sixtus V. was great ship

amidst the rejoicings

life,

and

City,

the

classic

to say

in

enmity,

in

modesty and

his

ruins.

It

toward some

that, in

spite of

contempt

the

he

his

in

on the Eter-

toward

professed

would, perhaps, be more correct

many

to

him the

of

Marcus Aurelius, and

we cannot forget destruction, we owe

ruins, for

classic

so

"^

in everything, in his friend-

magnificence, in the benefits he conferred nal

citizens.

acts of

columns of Trajan and

the

restoration of

Horse-tamers of

the

of

the

Quirinal, the discovery and reerection of three obelisks,

the removal of the Vatican obelisk to a more suitable place,

and the renovation

The demolition

of the

Septizonium

the

of

whole City. of

Septimius

Severus took place in the winter of 1588-1589, under the

direction

of

menico Fontana.

Pope's

the

Some 905

the work, but the valuable

and

peperino

of

marbles, teresting

see

what

famous building, the

of

columns

and

expenditure.

became

loss

expended

in

materials recovered, blocks

the

offset

Do-

architect,

scudi were

travertine,

more than to

favourite

the

of

spoils

rare

of It

is

of

in-

this

which archaeologists have

regretted more than of almost any other in Rome.

"Thirty-three blocks of stone,"

I

have stated

else-

where, "were used in the foundation of the pedestal of ^

Hodie sanctissimus dominus noster, Syxtus papa

congratulantibus

et

maxima omnium

laetitia,

quintits,

omnibus

diem suum clausit extremum.


THE MONUMENTS

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

IN

the obelisk in the Piazza del

239

Popolo; 104 of marble in

the restoration of the column of Marcus Aurelius, in-

cluding the base of the bronze statue of St. Paul

tomb

in the

of the

Pope

in the Cappella del

The

Pius V.

the Casa dei

staircase of

workhouse, by the Ponte

Sisto,

Moses

on

of

St.

Quirinal,

the

and

spoils of the Septizonium."

The Baths

of

(February

all

destruction

12, 1588).

the

had

church

their share of

the

not more mercifully

"We

Pope's of

admirers,

a portion

sings

them

of

had," he says, "this large

tract of land," the present Piazza di Termini,

was

of

^

one of the

the

of

praises

Cancelleria;

fountain of the

lastly,

Diocletian were

Gualtieri,

Baths of

the

John Lateran, the court and

Girolamo degli Schiavoni,

treated;

in

the adjoining palace, the

staircases of

Mendicanti, or

door of the Palazzo della

the north fagade

the

Presepio,

and that of the Trinita

Monti, the wash-house Qavatore)

Diocletian, the

S.

15

Maria Maggiore, and an equal number in that of

at S.

de'

;

"

which

no use because uneven and covered with the

of

ruins of

the

baths";

"it has been cleared

but now, thanks to Sixtus

and levelled up."

Not

less

V.,

than

2,660,000 cubic feet of masonry were broken up in the

course

of

the

work.

The

figures

can be verified in

the pontifical Books of Account, from which Ave learn that the destruction lasted from

15 of the following year. 1

The

May

16, 1586, to

materials were

Buins and Excavations^

p. 183.

May

carted


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

240

away and put

to use in raising the level of the Vicus

Bambino Gesu),

Patricius (Via del

Vicus Portae

of the

Viminalis (Via Strozzi), and other adjacent streets.

Next

importance come

in

the

damages

inflicted

in

the time of Sixtus V. upon the Claudian aqueduct, the

arches

which, seven

of

the height of level

reached in places

long,

one hundred and twenty feet above the

Many

Campagna.

the

of

miles

them were demol-

of

ished that the materials might be used in the construction

of

the

name from

new that

Aqueduct, which received

Felice

As we

Pope, Felice Peretti.

the

of

its

have seen, the Claudian, the Marcian, the Alexandrine,

and other aqueducts, had suffered of

the

at

little

who merely attempted

barbarians,

the hands

to

a

create

water famine in the besieged city by removing a few stones from the channels.

The Marcian and Claudian

aqueducts at any rate were practically intact the

end of

Castello

and

the sixteenth century.

Domenico

Fontana,

till

near

Upon Matteo da the

architects

of

Sixtus v., and upon the trustees of the hospital of S.

Giovanni, rests the main part of the responsibility for their

Whenever

disappearance.

the

hospital

was

in

need of money or building materials, a certain number of arches

were sold by public auction, and demolished

by the purchaser.

I

have found several grants

in the

archives of this charitable institution, conveying the right

and even

to destroy one, two, 1

See

p.

four, pilasters at one time.^

85 and Fig. 20.


THE MONUMENTS Some

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

IN

the ruins, which are

of

City, escaped destruction

by a

is

the pride of

the

breadth under the

hair's

One, as

rule of this energetic Pope.

mated,

now

241

I

have already

inti-

Forum

the so-called Janus Quadrifrons of the

In a letter addressed to his architect, Fon-

Boarium. tana, dated

January

1588, Sixtus says:

4,

"I give you

permission to destroy that ancient arch by S. Giorgio Velabro,

in

that

may

you

use

its

marbles

for

the

pedestal of the obelisk which I have resolved to erect in

the

Piazza del Laterano, and

also

the coat of

for

arms and the inscription which belong to the same pedestal.

I

grant you also the three columns of porta-

santa which support the portico of a canon's residence,

near the Loggia of the Benediction, and the pieces of a fourth,

you S.

which are lying there on the ground.

are

to

use

the

for

These

our chapel

ciborium of

in

Maria Maggiore."

Fontana did not

avail himself fully of the permission,

being perhaps afraid to engage in

which was too obvious

;

acts,

the vandalism of

and he took the precaution to

provide himself with a safe-conduct from the Pope, which he could use in case the "

him.

In another

Pope

says:

"You

letter,

are

Roman

People " should arrest

dated February authorised

to

excavate,

and remove from any place

you think

columns, marbles, travertine,

and any

necessary for the chapel,

which our

1589,

5,

it

Donna

other

Camilla,

is

seize,

expedient,

building and ornamentation sister.

the

material of

the

adding to


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

242

We

the church of S. Susanna. a present to her, and interfere with

you

it

give these materials as

our will that no one shall

is

in the execution of our

The aim which Sixtus had

in

commands."

view may be urged in

extenuation of his treatment of the ancient monuments.

We

should not forget that while destroying with one

hand ruins which,

had no

to his mind,

value, he

was

with the other raising structures which to this day com-

mand

the admiration

concede that

of

ducts, for example,

fully

is

struction of the

Acqua

higher parts of

the

hills,

We

world.

may

freely

of portions of the ancient aque-

loss

tlie

the

compensated by the con-

Felice,

by means

Esquiline,

Quirinal,

of

which the

and Pincian

almost entirely abandoned for eleven centuries on

account of the dearth of water, were again made habitable.

There

one

however,

is,

can never forgive,

— the

act

historic

loggias, It

halls,

vandalism

the

at

colonnades,

mosaic

pictures,

ever existed.

Pompeo Ugonio and

No of

and of

we

Patri-

Lateran, with

chapels, oratories, banqueting

was the most wonderful museum

that

that

destruction of the old

archium, or pontifical residence its

of

rooms,

inscriptions.

mediaeval art

one can read the accounts of

Giacomo Grimaldi, without pro-

found regret that so much of priceless value has been lost.

The

oratories of the Virgin

the time of Nicholas St. Sebastian,

I.

Mary, dating from

(858-867), of

St.

Sylvester and

dating from the time of Theodore

I.

(642-


THE MONUMENTS

IN

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

649), the

church and monastery of

shrines of

S.

Caesarius, of

S. Apollinaris,

St.

243

Pancras, the

Michael the Archangel, of

dating from the time of Hadrian

I.

(772-

795), the Leonine triclinium, the Loggia of the Benediction, built

Fig. 42.

by Boniface VIIL (1300), the Council

— View of the Lateran

In the foreground

(6)

,

hall,

—

buildings before their destruction by Sixtus V.

the bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius.

From

a sketch

by Ciampini. all

loss

were razed to the ground in a few months.

most lamented, not only by cultivated men of the

day but of

The

the

also

by the populace, was that

Holy Cross

(Oratorium

of the

Sanctae

Oratory

Crucis),

the

shape and location of which are shown in the sketch

by Ciampini (Fig. 42). This Oratory was in the form of a Greek a small

cross,

with

atrium in front, surrounded on three sides by


244

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

•

columns and presenting the type of a

nymphaeum.

classic

There were three fountains of rare marble, one occupying the centre of the vestibule, the others at the sides, each

with water trickling down into

The

a column.

from the capital of

it

three doors were

Three

inlaid with silver.

cast in bronze

of the four

arms

and

of the cross

contained altars, while in the fourth stood the baptismal Exquisite mosaics adorned the ceiling, and the

font.

walls were covered with

the sort called opus

the finest marble veneering, of

The

sectile.

destruction of this

by Ugonio

of early Ciiristian architecture is recorded

the following words

torn

down amid

:

" This

gem in

most splendid oratory was

the groans of the City, and

its

destruc-

tion has left a sense of loss in the hearts of all."

The

closing years of the sixteenth century fall in the

Pope Clement VII I., Aldobrandini (1592-

pontificate of

1605).

He

undertook, in 1597, the renovation of the

transept of St.

John Lateran, which was

him, the Nave Clementina.

He

called,

after

also raised the magnifi-

cent Altar of the Sacrament at the south end of the

same transept. architect

of

;

marancie,

The names

of

Cav. di Arpino and Cristoforo dalle Po-

painters

;

of

Antonio

Valsoldo,

Landini, and Silla Longhi, sculptors

goldsmith

;

Paolo Olivieri,

Pietro

;

Francesco

of Curzio Vanni,

of Orazio Censori, founder

;

and

of Giulio

Lanciani, goldbeater, are associated with this important

work.

But what a destruction

of

old

marbles

and


THE MONUMENTS

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 245

IN

bronzes the completion of

involved

it

from

It is clear

!

the account-book of the clerk of the works, Giovanni

Vaccarone, that for three consecutive years Rome, the suburbs, and even parts of Etruria were ransacked to

Damages were caused not

secure materials.

by the

a column, another

of

bit

marble,

blocks of

plain

a

with the Pope's

who

speculators

private

small

official

frieze,

much one

provided,

or a tombstone, or

by the contractors armed

as

permission to carry

off

any antique monument that would

to pieces

so

or pull

suit their

purpose.

Among rials

mentioned as having provided mate-

those

— those

who destroyed

—

are Muzio own account who sold the marbles of

Piazza di Sciarra

;

monuments on

old

del Bufalo

;

their

Flaminio Vacca,

the arch of Claudius in the

the nuns of S. Silvestro,

who furnished

marbles from the temple of Mithras at S. Giovannino

(Via della Mercede)

;

posed of the remains of the temple of rario

who apparently ;

Arco I

who sold the marbles monks of La Minerva,

the canons of the Pantheon,

;

from the Baths of Agrippa

Isis

who thus disVenus in Calca-

Loreto Facciolo,

know

the

furnished marbles from the temple of

the nuns of S. Marta, di

;

Camigliano

;

who

sold the remains of the

who The monks of

and the Duchess

not what splendid remains.

Savelli,

sold

SS.

Apostoli contributed a column of porphyry and a block of giallo antico

many

;

the nuns of S. Lorenzo in Panisperna,

blocks of travertine from some ruins which occu-


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

246

pied the slope of the Viminal, in the neighbourhood of S.

Pudenziana

;

the priests of S. Agnese, in the Piazza

Navona, furnished stone and marble from the Alexandrine Stadium I

;

and there were a hundred others that

cannot take the space to mention.

Meanwhile the papal board

of

works on

its

own

ac-

count undertook excavations and the demolition of ruins,

who

granting two-thirds of the proceeds to those

Under

the work.

these conditions Alessandro Senzolino

carried on systematic operations in the

Marmorata Borrella,

Forum and

Petruccio Bettania, at Ostia

;

Ponte Salario

at

;

;

of

the

Venus and Rome.

at

La

Gioacchino

Ottaviano da Gubbio, at

the Torre Pignattara and S. Maria Nuova, that

mausoleum

did

is,

Empress Helena and the temple

the of

They took columns wherever they

could find them, not only from sacred

edifices, like the

old Lateran, S. Croce in Gerusalemme, and S. Pudenziana,

but even from the street corners.

On

April 25, 1599,

a Pietro Savia, a mason, sold ''the shaft of a giallo taken

linare."

On

column

from the corner of a house near

S.

of

Apol-

the same day a certain Ippolito conveyed a

similar shaft "

removed from the corner

at the Sette Sale,"

and on

sold a piece of portasanta,

May

2,

of his vineyard

Simon the apothecary

which had served as a curb-

stone at the entrance to the Ponte Sisto.

The worst deeds of destruction at this time, hov/ever, must be brought home to Orazio Censori, the builder of the Altar of the Sacrament.

This masterpiece

is

orna-


THE MONUMENTS

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

IN

247

mented with four large bronze-gilt columns, which sup-

fantastic

relate

stories

The guide-books

same metal.

port a pediment of the

as

origin

the

to

of

these four

One account assigns them to the temple of Optimus Maximus according to another, the

columns. Jupiter

;

Emperor Vespasian brought them from Judaea; and a third version says that they were cast by Augustus from the beaks of the ships captured at the battle of Actium. It is

probably true that the columns, or at least two of

them, were

placed

Lateran by Constantine, to

the

in

serve as light-bearers (^Pharo-cantharoi) on each side of

the high altar.

As

necessary metal was

the

lacking

columns to the design of the new

them with

capitals

to

adapt

and

altar,

to

the

crown

and a pediment, Censori made a tour

and

in Etruria, in the district of Tarquinii

He

Falerii.

brought back to

Rome hundreds upon hundreds

pounds of works

of

tombs

of

art

in

of

bronze, collected from the

Corneto and Civita Castellana, which were

all

melted up in the furnace, together with pieces of the bronze beams of the Pantheon. 1599, records the

" for

mending

facture rosettes,

of

payment

new

and ovules

cornice, consisting

;

of

capitals

for

entry dated July,

of 5089.55 scudi to

a broken bronze

three

An

column with

;

Censori

manu-

for the

foliage,

flowers,

the decorations of the entire

16 doves, 16

stars,

and 2 large

angels; and for the expenses of his journey to Corneto

and Civita Castellana,

to bring metal to

Rome."

The


j

DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

248

commune pounds

Corneto

of

of bronze

;

received

59.85

scudi

have not found the account

I

66

for

rela-

tive to Civita Castellana.

In

opposition

this

chamber,

Apostolic

Fig. 43.

to

the

shameful City

behaviour

Council

never

of

the

granted

— The Loggia of Pietro Squarcialupi, Palazzo del Senatore.

permission

to

use

materials

from

structures

ancient

without restrictions designed to protect the structures themselves.

On

September, 1520, Pietro Squarcialupi,

Senator, wishing to complete the Loggia in front of the

Palazzo

del

Senatore

on the Capitol (Fig. 43), asked

permission to obtain stones from the neighbourhood of

The decree

the triumphal arch of Septimius Severus. of the Council granting the authorisation

is

a

model

of


a .2

a 3 a

c3

o P5

o

2



THE MONUMENTS The

prudence.

responsibility

excavation notify

''

no harm

at

his

reached

must

own expense the

sliall is

visit the place,

similar instance

satisfy himself that

may

be quoted from the Records

On

October

15, 1574,

Gregory XIII.

to

the Ponte Rotto (the Pons Aemilius of classic

restore

Fig.

44), three

arches of which had been

away by the inundation

ried

must

he

committee of ten

a

City Council, pressed by Pope

times.

and when the

Forum."

of the latter half of the century.

the

own

his

depth

desired

and

;

251

done to the standing remains of the arch,

or of other monilments in the

A

on

excavate

magistrate, who, with

the

citizens,

Senator

and

has

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

IN

of

September

27,

car-

1557,

accepted the suggestion of Giovanni Battista Cecchini, the chairman of the Council, to

make use

The

travertine from the Coliseum for the work. of the Council,

care

" It

:

blocks of

of

decree

however, was worded with the greatest

agreed that the marbles and stones

is

quired for the work shall be excavated and

re-

removed

from the belt of ruins around the amphitheatre, com-

monly

called

il

Coliseo, provided that the said marbles

and stones are found any standing part

and

loose,

of the

in

no way attached to

monument.

The

search can

be extended to other sites belonging to the S. P. Q. R.,i

provided no harm

is

done to standing ruins

— Matteo

da Castello, our architect, to carry out the instructions 1

an

Senatus Populnsque Bomanus,

official

ancient

"The

Senate and People of

designation of the government of the

city.

modern

Rome,"

as well as of the


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

252

of the Council

may

all statues,

;

or movable antiquities, which

eventually come to light, shall be the property of

the S. P. Q. R."

In this connexion

founders

the

Smetius,

it

the

of

Pighius,

is

worth while to remark that

science

number

expound not at

their

meaning

with such

all

and

matters

as

an inscription was discovered, or did

Tiiey

not

seem

to

think

whether

a

found in

situ, or loose in a

block

Forum

the

containing

matter of

indifference

removed

to

to

museums, or burnt into

which

in

subsequent

fate.

important to notice

an inscription had been

mass of rubbish, whether in

Once

the

in

was

was

themselves

place

Campus Martins. copied and made known,

or

inscription

stone

it

the its

and

investigate

to

concerned

they

;

Ursino,

copy the greatest pos-

to

inscriptions,

of

Metello,

Fulvio

Panvinio,

Ligorio,

and Cittadini, aimed simply sible

epigraphy,

of

them whether the

the

Farnese, or

Cesi,

sawed

was

it

an a

original

or

into

Carpi

slabs

to

recognition

of

the importance of recording the minutest details in

all

pave the

branches

floor

of

of

St.

lime,

Peter's.

study having

to

A

do with

come only with the development in

our

own

days.

full

of

antiquity has

scientific

method


CHAPTER XX THE MODERNISATION OF MEDIAEVAL BUILDINGS IN THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES

The

systematic demolition of the remains of ancient

Rome

ends with the sixteenth century, but the next

which

period,

from

extends

beginning

the

the

of

seventeenth to the end of the eighteenth century, adds

another chapter to the record of loss and disappearance

— the

Under the

destruction of mediaeval buildings.

pretext dinals,

of

and embellishment, popes,

restoration

patricians,

and heads

car-

monastic orders, laid

of

their

hands upon the most noted and the most vener-

able

churches,

which had, until then, preserved their

beautiful basilica type in

all

its

simplicity

and majest}^

Paul v., as we have seen, inaugurated the movement

by pulling down the St.

Peter's,

nessed, of St.

also,

east

1606-1615.

half

of

S.

old

basilica

The seventeenth century

other modernisations

Hadrian and

the

;

the

of

wit-

twin churches

Martina were disfigured by Piero

da Cortona, under Urban VIII., and by Alfonzo Soto-

mayor and Borromini, under Alexander VII. Onorio Longhi destroyed the church of with

its

marvellous

frescoes 253

S.

In 1651,

Ambrogio

by Pierino del Vaga, to


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

254 build in

the

place

its

of

S.

Carlo

Corso.

al

In

The

urement

of

Marchis

de

Anastasia,

S.

Cosma Croce

rapidly ex-

is

S.

Apollinare

Damiano

e

to

was

church

the

1750,

The

by Carlo Gimach.

1722,

due

of

disfig-

Ferdinando

to

Francesco Fontana, and

The

Arrigucci.

of

basilica

of

Gerusalemme was profaned and reduced

in

to its present

form

in

1744 by Passalacqua and Greg-

orini, a restoration classed

of " nefarious " architects.

was given by Fea dict

in

in

Fuga, of SS. Apostoli to SS.

list

old church of S. Alessio was modernised

Tonmiaso

by

century the

eighteenth

the

tended.

S.

structure

tasteless

to

by Milizia among the works

The same

Paolo

XIV., profaned the

Posi,

attic of

title of

dishonour

who, under BenePantheon, substi-

the

tuting chiaroscuro daubs for the exquisite marble incrustations

of

the

"nefarious,"

epithet

time

Septimius

of

Severus.

The

might most appropriately be

ap-

plied also to Borromini on account of the disfigurement of

the

Lateran,

to

Antonio

Canevari

for

that

of

SS. Giovanni e Paolo, to Francesco Ferrari for that of S.

Gregorio on the Caelian, and so on to wearisome

length

;

practice,

for the restoration of churches

and was carried out

became a general

in accordance with a uni-

form plan. This plan

may

be easily outlined.

"

The columns

the nave were walled up, and concealed ters of

whitewashed masonry

;

of

in thick pilas-

the inscribed, or sculp-


I

MODERNISATION OF MEDIAEVAL BUILDINGS marble

tared

and

slabs,

were taken up and replaced by brick

dows were enlarged out

of

the win-

;

proportion,' that

all

floods

For the beautiful roofs

ful recess of the sacred edifice.

of

cedar wood, vaults or lacunaria were

The simple but precious

tuted.

floors

might enter and illuminate every remote, peace-

of light

made

pavements,

cosmatesque

the

255

frescoes

substi-

the

of

four-

teenth century were whitewashed, and the fresh surface

was covered with the insignificant productions cesco

Cozza,

fact

Fran-

Gerolamo Troppa, Giacinto Brandi, and

But the most

other painters equally obscure."^ prising

of

that

is

accomplished, not only without general applause

;

could

profanations

these

all

opposition,

sur-

be

amid

but

such was the perverted taste of the

time.

we

In this period, however, cle

are called

upon to chroni-

only a few instances of the destruction of classical

monuments.

Paul V., in 1610, demolished the Baths of

Constantine and four churches to

make room

palace of his kinsman, Scipione Borghese, pigliosi

beautiful

palace.

remains

He

also

of

the

Forum Transitorium (1606) were cut into slabs and

to the

levelled

temple ;

the

utilised

now

of

for the

the Ros-

ground the

Minerva

columns and for the

in

the

frieze

decoration of

the Borghese Chapel in S. Maria Maggiore, and of the

fountain of the

Acqua Paola on

blocks of stone belonging to the ^

Ancient Home,

the Janiculum. cella

p. xix.

of

The

the temple


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

256

and

to the enclosing wall of the

the

monks

Forum were given

of S. Adriano.

Templum

In 1632 Urban VIII. damaged the

church of SS. Cosma

the level

Sacrae

and the Heroon Romuli, which are united

Urbis

presented

from

Urban

Secretarium of the

marble

of

Senatus

mausoleum

and sold or

feet,

out

reset

of

in

opus

also

for

their

for

place

of

;

the

the

destroyed.

destruction -

of

of

the

some portions

Hadrian, of the old churches of

Vibiana,

S.

Anastasia,

S.

Salvatore

in

Campo, and

which covered the portico

removed

was

sectile

Martina),

(S.

S.

of the metal

the

were obliterated, and the beautiful

responsible

is

and

fastenings

historic inscriptions

veneering

in

The bronze doors were wrenched

S. Ignazio.

their

raised

from them to the Jesuits

stones

church of

He

Damiano.

e

both buildings twenty-four

of

to

Maria

S.

Pallara,

in

lastly of

the bronze roof

The weight

of the Pantheon.

to the apostolic

and

foundry from the

Pantheon was 450,251 pounds.

The nexion

last is

incident

we have

to

mention

in

this con-

the demolition of the triumphal arch which

stood at the corner of the Corso (Via Flaminia) and the Via in Lucina (Ara Pacis), accomplished by Pope

Alexander VII.

removed to

in 1662.

to the Capitoline

Maria Peretti

Savelli.

Two

Museum

Two

were

of the bas-reliefs ;

a third was given

columns of verde antico

were bought by the Pamphili and placed on either side of their altar at S.

Agnese

in the Piazza

Navona

;

two


MODERNISATION OF MEDIAEVAL BUILDINGS others the

257

found a resting-place in the Corsini Chapel at

Lateran.

The key

of

the arch

the vestibule of the University of of the three

is

to

be found in

Rome, and the group

dancing Hours, discovered in 1740 at the

foot of the arch, has been

Statue in the Vatican

removed

Museum.

to the Galleria delle


CHAPTER XXI MODERN USE OF ANCIENT MARBLES If we

could

only wrest the secret of their origin

from the marbles,

stones,

and bricks with which our

our houses, and our churches were built and

palaces,

decorated

in

the

period

of

Renaissance,

the

if

the

marble-dust with which the ceilings and the walls were plastered,

and their stucco ornamentation modelled, by

the cinquecento artists, could be again moulded into the statues

and

bas-reliefs

from which

knowledge of the ancient City and art

was obtained, our

it

of

its

We

would be wonderfully enhanced.

treasures of

cannot follow

the record of this practice without a feeling of melan-

choly as

we

reflect

upon the irreparable

loss to culture

and progress which the modern world has experienced the disappearance of so

embodied the highest

many

in

masterpieces in which were

ideals of antiquity.

Nothing would

better illustrate the strange turns of fortune than the

varied uses to which the marbles from ancient structures have been put in

modern times

;

and

I

may, per-

haps, fittingly close this brief sketch by relating a few

out of the almost numberless instances that have come to

my

notice. 258

I


MODERN USE OF ANCIENT MARBLES The

259

beautiful slabs of portasanta, with which the doors

of the church of S.

Maria

dell'

Anima

are veneered, were

from a marble-cutter's shop, discovered in the

taken

The tombstone

foundations of the same church.

Duke

Piccolomini,

Marquis

Amalfi,

of

of

of Inigo

Capistrano,

Chief Justice of the kingdom of Naples, buried August 29, 1566, in S.

Maria del Popolo, was cut out

of a cornice

from the Baths of Agrippa.

We

know from

the Memoirs of Flaminio Vacca that

arms

the coat of

of

Pius IV. on the Porta Pia was

carved out of the capital of a column of the Porticus

Eventus Boni near the Stagnum Agrippae.^

In the same

connexion Vacca says: "I remember also that while the Theatine Fathers were laying the foundations of the

church of

column

Andrea

S.

della Valle they

of grey granite forty

and one

into several pieces,

found a part of a

palms long. of

This was sawn

them was turned

into the

threshold of the main door of the church."

Vacca further throws light on the disappearance the

last

remains "

Maximus.

of

the

Upon

the

temple

Tarpeian

Palazzo dei Conservatori," he says, Pentelic large

the

is

Jupiter

rock ''

Optimus

behind

the

several columns of

marble were found.

Their capitals were so

was able

one

that

which

of

of

I

now

garden.

to

carve out of

in the loggia of

The

others

the lion

the Villa Medici facing

were used by Vincenzo de

Rossi for the statues of the prophets and other figures 1

See

p. 3.


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

260

which adorn the chapel of S.

Fig. 45,

of Cardinal Cesi in the church

Maria della Pace (Fig. 45).

— The

No fragment

of the

Cesi chapel in the church of 8. Maria della Pace, built with

Pentelic marble from the temple of Jupiter

Optimus Maximus.

entablature was found, but as the building was close to the edge of the Tarpeian rock I suspect that

must have

fallen over the precipice "

(Mem.

its

marbles

64).


MODERN USE OF ANCIENT MARBLES The

correctness of this surmise

261

was proved

in

1780,

one hundred and eighty years after the publication " In

Vacca's Memoirs. " great blocks of

that

Montagnani,

says

year,"

of

entablature of beautiful workmanship

were found under the house at No. 13 Via Montanara, belonging to

Duke Lante

della Rovere.

ornamented with festoons fastened

They were destroyed on the

make

a sketch of them.

stands at the

foot

of

As

The

frieze

was

to the heads of bulls.

spot before any one could this

Duke Lante

house of

the Capitoline

I

hillj

have no

doubt that the marbles belong to the temple mentioned

by Vacca."

Toward

num-

the middle of the fifteenth century a

ber of fluted columns of giallo antico thirteen feet long

were discovered among the ruins of the temple of Venus in the

gardens of Sallust.

Cardinal Ricci di Monte-

pulciano bought them and used them for the balustrade

He

in his chapel in S. Pietro in Montorio. also

some alabaster columns found

same

at the

which he had sawed into slabs for tables other valuable

objects

were shipped

to

purchased

;

place,

these

Lisbon

and as

a

present to the King of Portugal, but the vessel which

bore them foundered in a gale.

When

the tepidarium or central hall of the Baths of

Diocletian was adapted for Christian worship

by Pius IV.

the capital of one of the eight granite pillars was missing;

Michel Angelo replaced dentally

among

it

by another discovered

acci-

the ruins of the temple of Claudius on the


DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME

262

The stadium

Caelian.

Domitian,

of

now

represented by

the Piazza Navona, has supplied materials for the erection of several

modern

among them the palace Madama, the church of

buildings,

Beneinbene in the Piazza Nicola dei Lorenesi in

the Via

of S.

Anima, and the

dell'

Casino of Pius IV. in the Vatican gardens.

The chapel

of

Gregory XIII.

in St. Peter's

with marbles from the mausoleum

built

of

Giovanni Alberti, who happened to be in time of

its erection,

in

sketch-book,

his

Borgo

S.

bulls'

Sepolcro

has

:

now in " The

sketched

lieads,

the following

left

on

frieze

these

with

sheets,

mostly

Hadrian.

Rome at the memorandum

Collacchioni

the

is

library,

wreaths

and

together with

the architrave and base, was taken from the river-front

mausoleum

of the

The marbles

XIII.

Hadrian by order of Pope Gregory

of

used in building the Gre-

will be

gorian Chapel in St. Peter's.

July 20, 1579."

A

I

made

these drawings

similar fate befell the marbles dis-

covered in the Augusteum of the Fratres Arvales, near

The Augusteum was an oblong

La Magliana.

ported by columns high.

It

of

hall,

sup-

Greek marble twenty-two

feet

contained statues of imperial members of the

brotherhood, standing on pedestals inscribed with their praises.

among

The several

were cut up

Up

statues

were saved and were dispersed

collections

;

the

columns and pedestals

for the decoration of the

same chapel.

to about the middle of the sixteenth century there

were considerable remains of the Baths

of Titus standing


MODERN USE OF ANCIENT MARBLES between

east of the Coliseum,

Pietro in Vincoli and

S.

Here were found

the Baths of Trajan. ^

263

sections of

"the

most beautiful cornices," which, according to the prevailing custom, were

sawed up into

slabs,

and were sold

to the Jesuits to be used in their church of Gesu.

mention of

this

church brings to

From

incident of the same sort. lately published

by Plon

my memory

another

the beautiful volume

in Paris,^

we

learn that in or

Roman house

about 1541, the head of the

The

of the Jesuits,

Father Condatius, unearthed in the piazza then called degli Altieri,

now

which he sold

ment which tells

del Gesu,

for one

some great blocks

hundred ducats.

have discovered

I

in

the

of marble

Another docustate

archives

us that the marbles were bought by a lime-burner

and consumed

in a kiln close to the church.

The columns

of

verde

antico which

ornament the

balcony of the Farnese palace, and those of the villa of Julius III. on the

Via Flaminia, come from the Baths

Acque Albule,

of the

The columns

below Tivoli. altar of

the

or sulphur springs, in the plain

church of

building on the

site of

two alabaster columns

S.

of rare breccia

on the high

Rocco are from an ancient

the present Orto Botanico. of the Odescalchi

Chapel in the

SS. Apostoli were found in 1728 in the palace of

1

They

are represented on sheets 17

chita di

Boma

La

vie de

2

of

du Perac

and 18

The Au-

of the Vestigi delV anti-

(edition of 1575).

Saint Ignace de Loyola d''apres Pierre Ribadeneira, son

premier historien, par

le

P. Charles Clair, S.J., p. 278.


DESTRUCTION

264

OF.

The

gustus on the Palatine.

Teodoro

of S. at

The uppermost

removed

in 1888,

appi'oach

travertine

slabs

of

the

from

the

The columns

theon.

porphyry found

of

steps of the Porto di

were paved with blocks

The

serpentine from the same place. inclined

the church

vestibule of

paved with pieces

is

La Marmorata.

Ripetta,

ANCIENT ROME

area in

piazza and the

were

Capitol

of

front

paved

with

the

Pan-

of

of breccia corallina in the chapel

Sebastiano on the Palatine come from the house

of S.

those of the chapel of the Morti in S.

of the Vestals

;

Lorenzo fuori

le

Mura from

the police barracks on the

Caelian (castra Peregrinorum).

The

Ginetti chapel in S.

Andrea

della Valle

with slabs of AfricanŠ discovered at Porto nieri

Chapel in

S.

of

Juno

at Veii

temples and palaces on the Aventine palace

at

;

Maria Maggiore, with the

S.

Andrea

S.

inlaid

the Falco-

Giovanni dei Fiorentini, with marbles

from the great temple Chapel in

;

is

delle

Fratte,

;

the Borghese spoils

of

the

and the Bernini

modernised by the

present owner in 1868, with the spoils of the Baths of

The terminal tower of the city wall on bank of the Tiber below Monte Testaccio was

Licinius Sura.

the left built

by Honorius or Narses with blocks

of

alabaster

from the neighbouring marble-wharf; at the beginning of the last century the

tower was pulled down and the

blocks were used again for the

chapel of Raphael in

the Pantheon.

When we

think of the wealth of marbles displayed


r

;

MODERN USE OF ANCIENT MARBLES in

the public

265

and private buildings of Rome, and

at

the same time consider that every cubic foot has been

obtained from the monuments of the ancient City,

new

gain a

we

insight into the magnitude of the building

We

must remember,

too, that the greater part of the ancient

marbles used by

operations of the ancient Romans.

modern

architects

and marble-workers were found either

shapeless or in a form unsuited to the use for which they

were needed, so that at

least

from a third to a half of the

gross cubic content has been lost.

In 1845 Faustino Corsi made a

list

the

of

marble

columns dispersed over the fourteen wards of the city the total

number recorded by him

is

7012.

Since the

publication of this catalogue fifty-four years have elapsed,

and we may calculate that the number has been increased by

at

least

one-tenth, so that to-day the

probably not far from 8000.

number, but

it

is

far

This

is

from incredible,

sum

total

is

truly a surprising if

we

recall that

the City once possessed 3000 statues of bronze alone.



INDEXES I.

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

Abbey, Westminster, 184, 187 Acqua Paola, fountain of, 255.

Anguillara, 199.

fol.

Anicii, 199.

Acqiie Albule, baths of, 2(i3. Adalbert, Count, gives warning of the approach of the Saracens, 127. See Church, under HaS. Adriano. drian. Aesculapius, statue of, 29. St. Agatha, posterula of, 139 fol.;

church

S. of,

Agostino, church of, 204. Agrippa, improvement of Rome, 11

Pantheon of, 110; statue head of (?), 112. Agrippae Stagnum, 259.

of,

;

111;

;

church

of, 254.

See Pope. Altar of the Sacrament, bronze colVI., VII.

of, 247.

Ambrogio, church

of, 253.

(S.

;

156, 160, 177, 214.

temple

Faustina,

of,

Apollinare, church of, 246, 254.

Apollo Belvedere, 222. SS. Apostoli. See Church.

Apoxyomenos, copy of, 69. Appian Way. See Via Appia. Apusii, tomb of the, 103. Aqua Alexandrina, 240 Anio Vetus, 82; Appia, 82; Claudia, 80, 85, 240; Felice, 82, 85, 240, 242 Marcia, 80, ;

85, 240

;

Virgo,

82.

Aqueducts, water supply of, cut off by Goths, 79; channels of, neglected, 80 fol.; used for fortifications, 83. Also, see Aqua. Ara Maxima, 17, 209. Aracoeli, church of the, 220.

Arcadius, inscription relating to, 50; restored city walls, 53 with Honorius repaired theatre of Pompey, ;

Anastasia). See Church. S. Andrea at Amalfi, church of, 184; delle Frate, 264 at the Manger, 118 della Valle, 4, 259, 264. SS. Andreae et Gregorii ad Clivum Scaurum, church, 121. S. Angelo, castle of, 8, 88, 128, 133,

Anastasis

younger,

of, 32.

;

Aix-la-Chapelle, cathedral of, 183. Alaric, 53, 91, 115; advance on Rome in 408, 56 enters the city in 410, 57. Albinus, Lucius, 112. Aldobrandini gardens, 24. S. Alessio,

of, 57.

111.

246, 256.

Alexander

Anselmo, garden

Antiochia, statue of, 104. Antonio da Sangallo, the

20

S.

S.

S.

Antonius and of,

church of, 20, 32. Agnese (Piazza Navona), church

umns

AnniaCornificia Faustina, house of, 57. Annibaldi, 201.

memorandum

Mura, garden

Pau-

linus, 36.

of, 145, 147.

Agilulf, 88. S. Agnese fuori le S.

Anicius Acilius Aginatius, 37;

152.

Arcadius, Honorius, and Theodosius. See Arch. Arch, of Arcadius, Honorius, and Theodosius, 52, 53, 151 of M. Aurelius, on the Corso, 118, 231, 256 fol. di Camigliano, 245 of Claudius, 148, ;

;

;

267


;;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

268

245 of Constantine, 19, 30, 201 of Gratianus, Valentinianus, and Theodosius, 52, 151, 207 of Gordianus, of Janus Quadrifrons (of the 211 ;

;

;

;

Forum Boarium), 241

;

34, 125, 201, 235,

of Lentulus, 191

arciis

;

novus

(near S. Maria in Via Lata), 210; of Septimius Severus, 145, 147, 148, 251 of Titus, 121, 151, 201 of Trajan, 31 of Valentinian and Valens, 53. Architectus publicoruui, 77. Arcus Caelimontani, 78. Argiletum, 147, 153. Ariadne, statue of the sleeping, 222. ;

Ariulf, 88. Arruntii, tomb of the, 31.

Art(orius?) Germanianus, house

of,

24.

Augusteum, 110; of the Fratres Arvales, 262.

Jovis, 177 194, 211

;

;

Julia, 22, 36, 91, 157, 191,

Salvatoris in Laterano, 33.

See Church. Bathing establishment discovered on the Esquiline, 28. Baths, of the Acque Albule, 263 of the Julii Akarii, 152; of Licinius Sura, 204; of Livia on the Palatine, 23. See Thermae. Bath-tubs, pagan, used for holding the relics of martyrs, 117. ;

Belisarius, 75, 79. Belvedere, 204 torso of, 222. ;

Benedict V., VI., VIIL, IX., XIV. See Pope. Bernini, Lorenzo, discovery made by, 41.

Boniface IV., VI., VIIL See Pope. Borgia. See Pope. Bove, Capo di, 236. See Caecilia Me-

Augustus, transformation of the city tella. during the administration of, 10 Bramante, buildings erected by, 204; fol. places images of the gods in the designs for St. Peter's, 212. Compital shrines, 38; statue of, 111 Bridge, Aemilian (Pons Aemilius, mausoleum of, 170, 170, 199; palace Ponte Rotto), 199, 232, 251; of S. of, on the Palatine, 263 fol. Angelo (Aelian), 41, 142 fol., 177, Aurelian, walls of, 15. 178; of Cestius (S. Bartolomeo), Aurelius, Marcus, 58; column of, 109, 34; Milvian, 208; of Valentinian (Ponte Sisto), 34, 246; Vatican 125, 166, 238, 239 bronze equestrian (Pons Vaticanus or Neronianus) 53, statue of, 222, 231 fol. See Arch. Aurelius Avianius Symmachus, L., 151, 208. Burgus, the quarter, 128; walls of, house of, 45, 77. Aventine, finds on the, 61 fol. 132 fol., 136, 177. Burial-places. See Tombs. Avidius Quietus, house of, 24. Byzantine colony about the Palatine, Avignon, seat of papacy at, 198. ;

;

,

122.

Bacchus, statue of the Indian, 29. Baccio Pontelli, buildings erected by, 204.

Balbina, church of, 198. Balbus, L. Cornelius, 11 capacity of theatre of, 5; cryptus of, 157, 176, S.

;

177.

church

of, 116.

,

Barbarians not accountable for the disappearance of Roman monuments,

;

of a young, 104.

7.

Bartoli, extracts

S. Caecilia,

Caecilia Metella, tomb of, 92, 96, 191, 236 fol. Caelestinus II. See Pope. Caelian, market hall on (S. Stefano suffered from Rotondo) 34, 37 Norman-Saracenic invasion, 162. Caesar, Julius, statue of, 232; statue

from the memoirs of Caetani,

Pietro Santo, 40, 62, 90. Basilica of Junius Bassus, 118; of Constantine, 110; Eudoxiana, 75;

the, 201.

Calcararii, 180 fol.

;

193.

Cameos.

See Gems.

headquarters

of,


;

;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS Campagna, 153

;

outlaws of 158 ,

final

;

desolation of, 101.

Campo

di Fiori, 5.

Carinae, 201. S. Carlo al Corso, church

of, 254.

Caryatides of Diogenes, 111. Casal Rotondo, 237. Casino dei Quattro Venti, 16. Cassino, Monte, cathedral of, 184

fol.

;

;

;

;

;

;

his

mauso-

of, 120.

hill, 40.

Cestius, Gaius,

of, 96, 178. ,

of, 34.

Church, of S. Agatha, 145, 147 S. Agnese, 20, 32 (Piazza Navona) 246, ;

,

256; S. Agostino, 204; S. Alessio, 254; S. Ambrogio, 253; S. Anastasia (Anastasis, the Resurrection), 122, 176,

254, 256;

S.

Andrea

at

Amalfi, 184; S. Andrea della Frate, 264 St. Andrew at the Manger, 118 S. Andrea della Valle, 4, 259, 264; SS. Andreas et Gregorii ad Clivum ;

Gerusalemme,

Donatus, 213; S. Euplos, 122; S. in Vico Patricii, 145, 148; S. Francesca S. Eustachio, 191 Romana, 175; Gesii, 263; S. Galla ;

Patricia, osseo, 89

S. Giacomo del ColGiacomo Scossa-Cavalli,

177; ;

S.

178; S. Giorgio in Velabro, 122, 125, Giovanni dei Fiorentini, 264 (see St. John) S. Giovanni e Paolo, S. Girolamo degli Schiavoni, 254 241; S.

;

;

239; S. Gregorio, 254; St. (S.

Hadrian

Adriano), 110, 123, 145, 147, 165, S. Ignazio, 256;

175, 253, 256;

John Lateran,

St.

123, 159, 206, 207,234,

239, 244, 246, 251 (see Lateran); St. S. Laurentius in Porticu Maiore, 178; of the Ordo, 178; S. Laurentius in Damaso, 145; S. S. Laurentius in Pensilis, 147 Laurentius in Formoso, 145, 148; S. Laurentius in Prasino, 145, 146; S. ;

;

Lorenzo f uori le Mura (St. Lawrence on the Via Tiburtina), 33, 40, 132, 136, 264; S. Lorenzo in Panisperna, 246 S. Lucia de Calcarario (S. Lucia dei Ginnasi), 193; S. Lucia in Selce, ;

tomb

Cestius (S. Bartolomeo) bridge Christopher. See Pope.

175,

in

Euphemia

Lawrence, 110

See Pope. S. Celso in Banchi, church of, 151, 208. SS. Celso and Giuliano, church of, 213. Cemeteries, ancient, covered over, 15, 16; cameos and gems found on the sites of Christian, 94 fol. S. Cesario in Palatio, church of, 106, Celestine IV.

monasterium

Croce

246, 254; S. Dionysius, 110, 139; S.

;

Celer, Nero's architect, 19 leum and epitaph, 20.

;

254, 256; S.

Cassiodorius, 38, 77 fol., 183. Castor and Pollux, statues of, 232 fol. Catacombs, abandoned after the Gothic invasion, 70, 91 devasted by the barbarians, 70 fol. who encamped about the entrance to, 71 restorations of, relics of martyrs transferred 71 from, 106, 115 fol. Cathedrals, partially built of Roman marbles Aix-la-Chapelle, 183 Pisa, and others, 184 fol. Westminster Abbey, 187 fol. ;

;

:

Cartularia, Turris, 121, 201.

120;

Scaurum, 121; S. Apollinare, 246, 254; SS. Apostoli, 11(5, 204, 245, 254, 263 of the Aracoeli, 220 S. Balbina, 198; S. Caecilia, 116; S. Carlo al Corso, 254; S. Celso in Banchi, 151, 208; SS. Celso e Giuliano, 213; S. Cesario in Palatio, 106, 120 S. Ciriaco (S. Cyriacus), 91, 137, 147; S. Clemente, 33, 162 SS. Cosma e Damiano, 37, 110, 118 (Subiaco), 137, ;

Canale di Fiumicino, 33. Capitolium, 12, 143, 145, 153, 189, 248, 264. See Museum. Caracalla, 22. See Thermae.

Cespian

269

142, 147; S. Marcello, 90; Marcelli, 213; S. Maria dell' Anima, 259; S. S. Maria in Maria Antiqua, 110 Campitelli, 91 S. Maria in Cosmedin, 34, 176, 208 S. Maria delle Grazie, 91; S. Maria Liberatrice, ;

;

;

Maria Maggiore,

120;

S.

239,

241,

255,

264;

S.

175, 204,

Maria ad

Martyres (Pantheon), 90, 110 fol., 115; S. Maria in Monticelli, 165; S. Maria Nova, 103; S. Maria Nuova, S. Maria della Pace, 91, 175, 246 ;


;

;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

270

Maria in Pallara, 256; Maria del Popolo, 204, 259; S. Maria in Schola Greca, 122 S. Maria del Sole, 12; S. Maria Transpoutina, 178; S. Maria in Trastevere, 152; S. Maria in Via Lata, 139, 210; S. Maria in Virgari, 178; S. Martina, S. Martino ai 110, 118, 231, 253

204, 260; S. S.

;

;

Monti, 79; S. Michele in Borgo, 117; La Minerva, 171, 205, 245; St. Nicholas, 169; St. Nicolaus in Calcaria (S. Nicolo ai Cesarini), 193; S. Nicolo in Calcarario, 90; S. Nicolo dei Lorenesi, 262; S. Orso, 151; St. Pancras, 79, 243; S. Pantaleo ai Monti, 165 (see Pantheon = Rotonda ;) St, Paul's without the walls (S. Paolo fuori le Mura), 33,60, 117, 128, ;

132, 135 fol., 143, 181

;

St. Peter's. 8,

52, 60, 72, 117, 122, 128, 151, 175, 177,

178, 191, 208, 212, 213, 217, 219, 253, S. Phocas, 122; Montorio, liK), 204, 261

262;

S. ;

S.

Pietro in Pietro in

Vincoli, 75, 148, 204; S. Prisca, 61 S. Praesede, 116; S. Pudens in Vico S. Pudenziana, Patricio, 145, 148 ;

Quaranta de Calcarario (S. Francesco delle Stimmate), 193; SS. Quatro Coronati, 165, 181 SS. Quirico e Giolitta, 147; S. Rocco, 263; S. Saba, 122; S. Sabina, 61 S. Salvatore in Campo, 25(5; S. Salvator de Porticu, 178 S. Salvatore in Pri246: SS.

;

;

;

of the Saviour, 110 S. Sebastiano in Pallara, 91 S. Sebastiano alia Polveriera, 121 SS. Ser-

micerio, 165

;

;

;

;

gius et Bacchus, 110, 145, 146 S. Silvestro in Capite (St. Sylvester), 139, Sistine Chapel, 204 S. 1(36, 219, 245 Stefano delle Carozze, 12 S. Ste;

;

;

;

fanŠ Rotondo, 34, 37; S. Susanna, S. Teodoro, 117, 122, 264; S. Vibiana, 116, 256; S. Vitalis in Vico Longo, 145, 148, 192. Churches outside the walls abandoned, 126. See Cathedrals. Circus Maxiraus, 4, 17, 19, 48, 66, 143, 151, 170, 176, 191,207; Flaminius,66, 145, 146, 147, 157, 193 of Nero, 32. See Church. S. Ciriaco (S. Cyriacus). 242;

;

Civita Castellana, 13, 247. Civitas Leonina. See Burgus.

Claudia Vera, house of, 24. Claudius (Caelian) temple of, 208, 261; bust of, 196. Claudius Claudianus, house of, 24. Clement VII, VIII. See Pope. S. Clemente, church of, 33, 162. Clergy, ignorance of the Roman, 117. Clivus Argentarius, 147 Capitolinus, 34; Sacer, 22, 36; Scauri, 19; Suburauus, 63, 147 Victoriae, 120. Clodius Hermogenianus, 36. Coliseum (Flavian Amphitheatre), ,

;

;

28, 34, 48, 77, 89, 125, 175, 191, 201,

206,207, 208,211,251.

Collegium Fortunae

Felicis, offices of,

27.

Colonna family,

199.

Comes formarum iirbis, 78. Comes partus urbls Romae,7S. Commodus, bust of, 222. Compital shrines, adorned by Augustus, 38.

Concord, temple

of, 110, 206.

Conflagrations, described by Livy, 16 under the Emperor Nero, in 64 a.d., 17 fol. traces of this fire, 19; in the Forum Romanum, 21 fol.; in the reign of Titus, 80 a.d., 22, 28; in the reign of Commodus, 191 a.d., 22; in the reign of Carinus in 283 A.D., 22; in 1084 a.d., 160 fol. Constans II., visit to Rome in 663 a.d., 8, 92, 111, 123 fol. Constantia, mausoleum of, 32. Constantine, 25); dismantled earlier buildings, 31 and erected the basilica of St. Peter's, 31 fol. regionary catalogue compiled in the time of, 48; equestrian statues of, 145, 153; statues of, 222. See Arch, Basilica, ;

;

;

Thermae. Constantius II., 34, 47 fol. Corneto, treasures from, 247. Cornificius, Lucius, 11,

Corridojo di Castello, 133. Cortile di Belvedere, 90. Cortina beati Petri, 178. SS. Cosma e Damiano. See Church.


;; ;;

;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS Cosmatis, school of, 34, 180 fol., 203. Cosmus, house of, 58. Craticulae Templum, 177. Crescenzi, the, 200. S. Groce in Gerusalemme, church of, 246, 254.

Curator Statuarum, 34. Curia. See Senate-house.

Eventus Bonus, colonnade

61; in 1724 (Palatine), 119 in 1762 (Villa Quintiliorum), 103; in 1780 ( Appian Way) 105 in time of Pope Pius VI., 104 by Carlo Torlonia, 104 in 1849, 69 in 1855, 105 in 1862, 5 in 1864, 66; in 1867-68 (at Ostia), ;

Decius Albinus, Caecina, 61 Marius Trajauus, Venantius Basilius, 77 ;

;

28.

" Destruction " and " Disappearance "

of, 101

;

distinction in

4.

of

Roman

causes

villas,

monuments in Roman and

modern times, 189 fol. Destruction of Rome, three in

prominent in the history

facts

of, 13 fol.

Diocletian,

29; repairs buildings in the Forum, 22; triumph of, 49 fol. statue of, 104. See Thermae. St, Dionysius, church of, 110, 139. Domitian, house of, on the Palatine,

St.

;

;

,

;

;

,

;

,

;

Fabbrica di Fabii,

tomb

S. Pietro, 228, 235.

of the, 31.

Fabius Felix Passifilus Paulinus, 36;

119; villa of, 186.

Domus

;

in 1869 (Palatine), 119, 196, (Via Severiana), 93; in 1873 (Esquiline), 28; in 1875 (Esquiline), 94; in 1876, 5; in 1877 (near the Coliseum), 19, (Via Nazionale), 23; in 1879 (Thermae of Constantine), 24 in 1880 (Site of the English Church) 69 in 1883 (House of the Vestals), 121, 196 by Boccanera in 1883-84, 105 in 1885 (Teatro Drammatico) 66 in 1886, 13, (Piazza Bocca della Verita), 17, (Esquiline), 42; in 1887, 14; in 1888 (Temple of Isis), 42 in 1891, 4; in 1892 (garden of S. Sabina), 58; in 1895 (near the Coliseum), 89; in 1896 (Piazza Bocca della Verita) 39 in the Vigna Torlonia and Vigna Maciocchi, 57.

127

Destruction of

;

;

Damaso, court of, 204. Damasus. See Pope. Dea Dia, temple of, 208. Decii. See Thermae.

meaning,

;

;

,

S.

Roman monuments,

of, 4.

Excavations, in the time of Pope Eugenius IV., 112 of Sixtus IV., 66 of Innocent VIII., 103; of Pius IV., 5,

;

Cybele, statue of, 70, 112. Cypress, the, 145 fol.

of

271

Gaiana, 120 Pinciana, Donatus, church of, 213. ;

38, 183.

Titianus, 36. Factionis Prasinae Stabula, 146. Falerii, 13.

Elephantus Herbarius, 176. Ephebus, statuette of, 196. Equestrian group, pedestal in

Forum,

of,

found

50.

hill, covered over and raised by Augustus, 14 the event commemorated by Horace, 15; market-

Esquiline

;

place on, 34

;

gate

of, 147.

Eugenius, defeat of, 35. Eugenius IV. See Pope. S. Euphemia in Vico Patricii, church of, 145, 148.

Euplos, church of, 122. S. Eustachio, church of, 191. Euterpe, statue of, 104.

S.

Fates, group of the Three, 87. Ficoroni, Francesco di, 41, 91 fol. Flavinus Philippus, 151. Fontana, Domenico (architect of Sixtus v.), 85, 238,240,241. Formosus. See Pope. Forum of Augustus, 112. Forum Boarium, 12, 16 arch of the, ;

34, 125, 201, 209, 235, 241.

Forum Holitorium, 159, 177. Forum Julium, 22, 207, 208. Forum Romanum, 21 fol., 34,

110, 120,

143, 145, 147, 153, 165, 199, 246.

Forum of Trajan, 15, Forum Transitorium,

47, 145, 152, 199.

157, 212, 255.


;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

272

Francesca Romana, church of, 175. Francesco delle Stimmate, church

S. S.

of, 193.

Frangipani, the, 121, 199, 201.

Hadrian

I., III. See Pope. Harpocrates, head of, 196. Hathor, replica of the sacred cow, 43,

44. St.

Gabinius Vettius Probianus,

Gaianum,

87.

Galla Patricia, church

S.

of, 177.

Gallienus, 32. Ganymede, statue of, 10-1. Gardens, Licinian, 15; of Maecenas, 12; of Sallust, 171.

Gelasius

II.

See Pope.

Gems and cameos, engraved,

usually found near the sites of cemeteries, t^ fol.

Genseric and the Vandals, 74

fol., 119,

IV.,

of, 72.

Emperor,

160.

Heracles, torso of, 222. Heraclius, 118, 119, 122. Hercules, Farnese, 44 Invictus, statue of, 6() Magnus Gustos, bronze statue of, 66 Olivarius, statue of, 39; Vic;

;

;

tor, 209.

Honorius, 50, 53, 55, 72. See Arch. Honorius. See Pope. Horse, bronze, of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, 69.

Horse-tamers, group

of, 145, 147, 222,

238.

455.

Gesu, church S.

Helena, tomb

Henry

36.

Giacomo

of, 263.

del Colosseo, church of,

S. Ignazio,

Innocent Pope.

89; Scossa-Cavalli, 178. Gildo, Count, 50.

church III.,

II.,

of, 256.

VII.,

See

VIII.

Giorgio in Velabro. See Church. Giovanni, hospital of, 240.

Inscriptions, of the Einsiedlen Itiner-

S. S.

Giovanni dei Fiorentini, church

Isis.

S.

264 S.

e Paolo, 254.

Giovanni, in Florence, baptistery of,

S.

;

of,

ary, 151

fol.

;

of Benedict, 174 fol.

See Temple.

Itinerary, Einsiedlen, 142 fol., 174 fol. of Benedict, 174 fol.

184.

Girolamo degli Schiavoni, church Janus, bronze statue

Gladiator, bronze statue of,

(j6.

Golden House of Nero, 23. Gordian, the younger, villa of, on the Via Praenestina, 6. Gothic wars, monument relating to, 50. Goths, signs of the pillage of Rome by

temple

Janus Quadrifrons, arch

of, 125, 201,

211.

Jerusalem, spoils from the temple

of,

57.

Johannipolis, 136.

St.JohnLateran. See Church, Lateran. VIII., IX., X., XL, XII. See Pope.

John VII.,

the, 58.

Graecorum Ecclesia

of, 87;

of, 110.

of, 2.39.

et Schola, 176.

Grain Exchange, 34. Gratianus, 34, .'i5. See Arch. Gregorian Chapel, in St. Peter's, 262. S. Gregorio, church of, 254.

Julia Domna, 22, 104. Julian, the Apostate, 48. Julii Akarii, baths of, 152. Julius II., III. See Pope.

Gregoriopolis, 12() fol. Gregory the Great, Gregory III., IV., VI., VII., IX., XL, XIII., XVI. See

Juno, temple

Pope. Guiscard, Robert, 159

fol.

Hadrian, bust of, 32. See Mausoleum. St. Hadrian. See Church.

of, 61, 265.

Jupiter Optimus Maximus, see

Tem-

ple; Stator, temple of, 18, 121.

Kilns.

See Lime-kilns.

Laocoon, replica 211, 222, 223.

of,

41;

finding of,


;

;;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

278

Cosmedin

Church)

Lateran, the, 106, 160, 166, 175, 219, 231, 242 fol., 254. See Church, under St. John Lateran.

Grazie, 91 Liberatrice, 120 Maggiore (see Church) ad Martyres

Lautumiae,

(Pantheon) (see Church)

S.

Formoso,

in

145, 148;

of,

celli,

;

152; in

Via Lata,

139, 210; in Vir-

gari, 178.

Marinus I., IL See Pope. Market hall of theCaelian (S. Stefano Rotondo) 34, 37 on the Esquiline, ,

;

35.

234.

Liber Politicus of Benedict, 174. Liber Censuum, 176. Licinian gardens, 15. Ligorio, Pirro, 192, 194.

Lime-burners, 180

Monti-

Schola Graeca, 122 del Sole, 12 Transpontina, 178; in Trastevere, in

on the Via Tiburtina (S. Lorenzo fuori le Mura). See Church. Leo IL, IIL, IV., v., X., XIII. See

rise in, 53, 54.

in

;

Nova, 103; Nuova

(see della Pace, 204, 260; in Pallara, 256; del Popolo, 204, 259;

146;

Lex Regia,

165;

Church);

of the

fol.

delle

;

;

;

Ordo, 178; in Fensilis, 147; in Porticu Maiore, 178; in Prasino, 145,

Pope. Leonine wall, 133 Level of the city,

(see

;

16.

Laureutius, in Damaso, church 145;

in

Marmorarii, 180

fol.

Marmorata, La, 33, 246, Martin V. See Pope.

264.

Martina. See Church. Martino ai Monti, church of, 79. Mater Matuta, temple of, 12, 39. Matteo da Castello, architect of Pius S.

S.

fol.

Palace Lime-kilns, of Rome, 193 fol. Atrium of of Tiberius, 195 fol. of Ostia and Porto, 194 Vesta, 196 ;

;

IV., 61

;

S.

fol.

Livia, baths of, on the Palatine, 23; villa of, at Prima Porta, 194 market ;

;

of Sixtus V., 85, 240, 252.

Matteo at Salerno, cathedral

of,

184.

Mauritius, 106.

Mausoleum, of Augustus,

of, 152.

Loggia of Squarcialupi, 248. S. Lorenzo fuori le Mura. See Church. S. Lorenzo, in Panisperna, church of, 246.

Lucca, cathedral of, 184. S. Lucia de Calcarario (S. Lucia dei

170, 17C, 199; of Constantia, 32; of Hadrian, 8, 87, 151, 186, 189, 208, 210, 256, 262; of

the Empress Helena, 246. Maxentius, 22, 31. Mediaeval Rome, desolation

Ginnasi), 193; in Selce, 142, 147. Lucilius Paetus, tomb of, 92.

Meta di Borgo, 178. Meta Sudans, 30.

Lysippus,

S.

Michele in Borgo, church of, 117. Minerva, statue of, 29; temple of, 255. Minerva Medica (so called), temple of,

8, 87.

Maecenas, gardens of, 12. Magna Mater, 117. Maioranus, edict of, 75. Marble-cutters, 180

fol.

;

of, 178 fol.

Mellini, 199.

95.

plan of the

city, 18.

Marbles, traffic in Roman, 181 fol. tolerated by public officials, 190 fol. Marcella, house of, 58 fate of, 59, 60. ;

Marcelli, church of the, 213.

Minerva, La. See Church. Mirabilia Urbis Romae, 175. Mithras, temple of, 245. Mole. See Mausoleum. Moletta, La, 17. Monte Giordano, 5 de' Cenci, Moon, temple of the, 17. ;

5.

S.

Moors of Frassineto,

S.

Moses, fountain of, 239. Mosileos, the imperial mausoleum of the Decadence, 72.

Marcello, church of, 90. Marcellus. See Theatre.

Maria, dell' Anima, church of, 259 Antiqua, 110; in Campitelli, 91;

158.


;;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

274

Municipal authorities favor the preservation of monuments, 228

Museum,

fol.

Capitoline, 18, 228, 256;

Orvieto, cathedral of, 184 fol. Ostia, 19, 33, 93, 126, 137, 184, 186, 194,

al

206, 208, 235, 246.

Celio, 13, 90; villa di Giulio III., 13;

Torlonia, 105; Vatican, 90, 104, 257; See Palazzo dei Conservatori.

Myron, cow

Pactumeii, palace of the, 58.

Pagan edifices converted

into Christian

churches, 37.

of, 87.

Pagan Naevius, Lucius Clemens, house

of.

24.

Natural agencies in the demolition of ancient buildings, 7. Nero, 4 thermae of, 14 set the city on fire, 17 fol. traces of this fire, 19 Golden House of, 23 Circus of, 32 bust of, 196. Nerone, Sepoltura di, 158. Nerouis Obeliscus, 177. St. Nicholas, church of, 169. Nicolas I., V. See Pope. S. Nicolaus in Calcaria (S. Nicolo ai Cesarini), church of, 193, S. Nicolo, in Calcarario, church of, 90 ;

;

;

;

cults, representation of, in Christian churches, 117 fol. Palace, of Septimius Severus, 3; of the Caesars in the seventh century, 119, 235; of Augustus on the Palatine, 263 fol. Palatine, remains of private houses on the, 23; late occupancy of, 119 fol.; desolation of, 199 possessed by the Frangipani, 201. Palatiolum, 208. Palazzo, della Cancelleria, 191, 204, 211, 239; dei Conservatori, 13, 222, 231, 232; di Corneto, 191; Farnese, 191, 263; Giraud-Torlonia, 178, 204, 211 del Governo Vecchio, 204 Ros;

;

dei Lorenesi, 262. Nile, figure of, 222.

Palilia, 228.

Normanni, 199. Norman-Saracenic invasion, 159 traces of,

151.

Thothmes

Obelisk, of

Rome by

Pallacinae, 147. fol.

1(52 fol.

Nymphaeum,

III.

Constantine

removed

II.,

;

239.

Obeliscus Neronis, 177. Octavia. See Porticus. 5, 48.

165.

Oratories of the Lateran destroyed by Sixtus v., 242 fol. Oratorium Sacrae Crucis, 243 fol. Ordo Romanus, 174 fol. Orsini, the, 199. S.

Orso, church

of, 151.

fol.,

119, 124, 125, 145, 146, 200, 245,

254, 256, 264.

;

;

Oppian,

Palladium, monastery called, 121. St. Pancras, church of, 79, 243. S. Pantaleo ai Monti, church of, 165. Pantheon, 4, 9, 37, 41, 48, 90, 106, 110

to

48 of the Vatican, 148, 169, 2.S8; in the Campus Martins, 1(59, 171 fol. from the Circus Maximus, 170; from the Mausoleum of Augustus, 170; of the gardens of Sallust, 171 of the temple of Isis, 173; manner of the fall of, 169 fol.; of tlie Piazza del Popolo,

Odeum,

;

pigliosi, 255.

Paolo fuori le Mura. Papi, the, 199. S.

See Church.

Paschal I., II. See Pope. Patriarchium, pontifical residence at the Lateran, 242 fol. St. Paul,

tomb

of,

129

fol.

See Church. Paul II., III., V. See Pope. Peace, temple of, 57. Penates, temple of, 110, 223. Peregrinorum Castra, 264. tomb of, St. Peter, gate of, 145, 177 129 fol., 221, 224; chapel to, 110. See Church. St. Peter's, church of. St.

Paul's

without

the walls.

;

Petrarch, 182. Petronilla, tomb of, 72. Phidias, 8, 87.


INDEX OF SUBJECTS Philippus, Marcius, 11. Phocas, 37, 106 foL, 120. S. Phocas, church of, 122. Piazza Navona. See Stadium.

Nicolas V., 204, 206, 207, Paschal I., 116; Paschal II., 165 Paul II., 203, 204, 208 Paul HI., 33, 96, 191, 225, 228; Paul V., 122, 219, 253, 255; Pius II., 217, 225; Pius IV., 5, 55, 178, 232, 259, 261 Pius V., 227, 239; Pius VI., 104; Pius VIL, 189, 194, 218; Pius IX., 55, 189, 219 Romanus, 155; Sergius I., 123; SergiusIL, 127, 130; Sergius III., 155; Silverius, 70; Sixtus IV., 55, 203, 204, I.,

201, 242

;

212, 213; ;

Pierleoni, the, 199. Pietas, shrine of, 10, 159, 177. S. Pietro, in Montorio in Vincoli.

;

;

See

;

Church.

;

Pilgrim's Pence," 157. Pinturicchio, frescoes of, 221, 222. Pisa, cathedral of, 184. Pisidius Romulus, 52. Pius II., IV., v., VI., VII., IX. See •*

Pope. Poggio Bracciolini, 205 Pompey. See Theatre.

fol.

Pope Alexander VI., 55, 177, 178, 204, 205, 210, 211, 225 Alexander VII., 96, ;

Benedict III., 131, 139; Benedict V., 154; Benedict VI., 155; Benedict VIII., 154; Benedict IX., 155; Benedict XIV., 111,254; Boniface IV., 37, 110, 112, 115; Boniface VI., 154 Boniface VIII., 98, 234, 243 Boniface IX., 213; Borgia, 133; Cae123, 253, 256;

;

lestinus II., 174, 194; Celestine IV., 213; Christopher I., 155; Clement VII., 133, 222, 225 Clement VIII., 244 fol.; Damasus, 146; Eugenius IV., Formosus, 112, 203, 204, 207, 213 ;

;

Gregory

154, 155; Gelasius II., 184;

Great, 88, 101; Gregory III., Gregory IV., 126 fol.; Gregory VI., 155 Gregory VII., 154, 160, 162; Gregory IX., 213; Gregory XL, 198; the 112

275

;

;

Gregory XIII., 151, 235, 251, 262; Gregory XVI., 155; Hadrian I., 243; Hadrian HI., 155 Honorius I., 8, 122, ;

174; Innocent HI., 201; Innocent VII., 213, 219; Innocent VIII., 103, 203, 210, 225; John VII., 120, 219 John VIII., 135 fol., 147; Innocent

II.,

;

John IX.,

209, 217, 222; Sixtus V., 82, 148, 170,

237 fol.; Stephen II., Stephen v., 116; Stephen VI.,

235,

72, 118;

155, 159;

Sylvester HI., 155; Symmachus, 20; Theodore I., 242; Theodore II., 154; Urban VIII., 55, 111, 201, 253, 256; Vigilius, 71 Vitalianus, 112, 124. Popes destroy ancient monuments to rebuild Christian churches, 206 fol. Porta Appia, 143 Asinaria, 143, 165 Aurelia, 143, 145 Capena, 31 Collina, 177 Flaminia, 54, 143, 160, 165 Furba, 86; Metroni, 143; Nomentana, 143; Ostiensis, 54; Portuensis, 53, 54; Praenestina, 53, 54, 143; Salaria, 142; Septimiana, 54; Tiburtina, 53, 54, 143, 160, UK); Vimina;

;

;

;

;

lis,

;

143.

Porticus, in the Via Bocca della Verita, 176; Crinorum, 177; Eventus Boni, 259; Gallatorum, 176; Maior (Via Sacra), 178 Maximae, of Gratian, .'34 Minucia, 177; of Octavia, 28, 176, 186, 187, 208; of Philippus, 176. Porto. 128, 137, 186, 195, 235, 2(54. ;

Portus Licini, 78. Postumius, M. Festus, house Praedia Aemiliana, 18. S. Praesede, church of, 116. Praetorian camp, 89. Principia, house of, 58. S. Prisca, church of, 61.

;

of, 24.

John X., 154, 155 John XII., 155; Julius Prothi Ascesa, 147. II., 211, 212, 217, 222; Julius HI., 36; S. Pudens in Vico Patricio, church of, Leo II., 116; Leo III., 131, 183; Leo 145, 148. IV., 131, 133, 136 fol. Leo V., 155 Leo S. Pudenziana, church of, 246. X., 211, 213, 217, 222 Leo XIII., 135, SS. Quaranta de Calcarario (S. Fran222; Marinus I., 154, 160; Marinus cesco delle Stimmate), church of, XL, 121 Martin V., 204, 206 Nicolas 193. 154

;

John

155;

XI.. 156;

;

;

;

;

;


;

;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

276

SS. Qaatro Coronati, church of, 165, S. Sebastiano, in Pallara, 91 alia Pol181. veriera, 121. SS. Quirico e Giolitta, church of, Secretarium Senatus, 110, 118, 256. 147. Senate-house, 22, 110, 123, 147, 207, 208. Quirinal, called Monte Cavallo,' 147; Sentius Saturninus, G., shrine rebuilt marble statues on, 166; river gods by, 27. of, 222. Sepolcro degli Stucchi, 96. ;

*

Ranucci Romano,

Septa Julia, 208. Septimius Severus,

180.

Raphael, tapestries of, 217 foi. frescoes ;

18, 28 restorations of, 22, 28.

;

palace of, 3 See Arch.

Septizonium, 121, 152, 201, 235, 239. of Alexandria, 65. Regia, 18, 194. Sergius I., II., III. See Pope. Regionary Catalogue of the time of SS. Sergius and Bacchus. See Church. Constantine, 48. Sette Sale, 246. Remi Meta, 178. Severus, architect of Nero, 19. Rhadagaisus, 50. Severus, Alexander, 28, 191. Rienzi, Cola di, 234. Silverius. See Pope. Silverware, finds of, 63. S. Rocco, church of, 2()3. Roma Vecchia, 104. S. Silvestro in Capite (St. Sylvester). Romani, the, 199. See Church. Romanus. See Pope. Sinibaldi, the, 199. Komuli, Sepulcrum, 178, 210. Sistine Chapel, 204, 218. Sixtus IV., V. See Pope. Romulus, Heroon of, 110, 123, 256. Rospigliosi gardens, 24. S. Spirito, hospital of, 204. Stadium, where now is the Piazza NaDe Rossi's account, 83, 84. vona, 5, 48, 146, 199, 246, 262. Rotondo, church of the. See Pantheon. of, 221, 222.

Record

Serapeum

office, 37.

Ruins of

Roman

villas, stratification

S.

S.

Statilian family.

Columbaria

of, 94.

Statilius Taurus, 11, 199.

of, 101.

Saba, church of, 122. Sabina, church of, 61

garden

;

of,

58.

Statio Marmorum, 33. Statuary, removed from pagan places of worship, 36 used as rubble, 41 fol.; condition of, when discovered, ;

45. Sacra Via. See Via. Statues, hiding of bronze, in times of Sacrae Urbis Tcmplum, 208, 256. panic, 64 fol. concealed by magisSallust, gardens of, 58, 89, 2()1. trates, 65. S. Salvator de Portion, church of, 178. S. Salvatore in Campo, church of, 25(). Stefaneschi, the 199. S. Salvatore in Primicerio, church of, S. Stefano, delle Carozze, 12; Ro;

tondo, 34, 37.

1(55.

Sanctus Angelus, 176. Sanguigni, the, 199. Saracens, traces of the

Stephen

II.,

V., VI.

See Pope.

Stilicho, 50, 53, 56.

camp

Bernard Pass,

of, 137

Stratification of ruins, 101.

Streets, condition of, 227. Sarcophagi, used to hold relics of mar- Studio of Greek sculptors on the Esin the St.

158.

quiline, 42.

tyrs, 117.

Saturn, temple

of, 34, 110.

Savelli, the, 199.

Saviour, church of the, 110. Schola Graeca, 143.

Subura, 143, 145, 147, 201. Sun, temple of, 199. S. Susanna, church of, 242. Sylvester III. See Pope.


;

;;

INDEX OF SUBJECTS See Church. See Pope.

St. Sylvester.

Symmachus.

Thermae. Tombs, fate

fol.

Tarpeian rock, 259. Temple, of Antoninus and Faustina, 111; Claudius (Caelian), 208, 2G1 Concord, 110, 206; Craticulae, 177 Dea Dia, 208; Hercules Victor, 209 Hope, 177; Isis, 42, 112, 171, 173 Janus, 110

Juno Regina, 61; Juno (Veil), 265 Jupiter Optimas Maximus, 8, 13, 48 52, 74, 159, 176, 205, 208, 247, 259 fol

Mater MaJupiter Stator, 18, 121 tuta, 12, 39 Minerva, 255 Minerva Medica (so called) 95 Mithras, 245 Moon, 17; Peace, 57; Penates, 18; ;

;

;

,

;

Pietas, 10, 159, 177

Romulus,

;

house

Titus, 57;

110,

Saturn, 34, 110; Sacrae Urbis, 208, 256 Sun, 199; Venus and 123, 256;

;

entrances con91 destruction of, 190. Tombs, of the Apusii, 103; Arruntii, Casal Rotondo, 237 Caecilia 31 Metella, 92, 96, 191, 2.36 fol. Gains Cestius, 96, (Meta Remi) 178 Fabii, Lu31 on the Via Flaminia, 208 cilius Paetus, 92 at the Ponte dell' Arco, 2136, 237; Romulus, 178; Alexander Severus, 191 Vergilius Eurysaces, 92 Vibius Marianus, 92. See Sepolcro. Torre, de' Conti, 201 Fiscale, 82, 162 delle Milizie, 201; di Nona, 41; Pignatarra, 72, 246; dei Schiavi, 7. ;

;

;

;

;

,

;

;

;

;

;

;

Torrecchiano Campo,

199, 202.

Totila, 119, 151.

Trajan, arch of, 31; channel of, 33; house of, 57 column of, 109, 125, 145, 146, 148, 166, 238. See Forum, ;

;

,

;

Vesta, 18

;

;

Rome, 8, 22, 48, 110, 122, 194, 207, Thermae. 246 Venus in Calcarario, 245 Venus Treasures, concealed (gardens of Sallust) 261

See Arch,

of, 211.

of,

cealed, 95 fol.

Tabernola, 15. Tapestries of Raphael, 217

186, 193, 205, 222, 245;

277

at the sack of

1527, 224 fol.

Vulcan (Ostia), 194. Temples closed, 35.

Tribunus Voluptatum,

S. Teodoro, church of, 264. Terebinthus, 177. Theatre, of Balbus, 5; Marcellus, 101, 176, 177, 199 Pompey, 5, 48, 77, 145,

Tulliola, 103.

Triumph

78.

of Diocletian, 49 fol.

Turcius Asterius Secundus, 63. Turris Chartularia, 121, 201.

;

Ugolini house,

146, 152, 176, 199.

Theoderic, 38, 77

fol., 89, 90, 183.

Theodore

I., II. See Pope. Theodosius, 35, 50. See Arch. Thermae (see Baths) areas closed for, 14 their building an important factor in the transformation of Rome, ,

;

22

fol.

;

of

Agrippa (Commodianae),

145, 146, 193, 245, 259; of Caracalla,

of

14, 22, 23, 33, 90, 116, 192, 208;

Constantine, 14, 24, 145, 147, 255 of the Decii, 14, 36, 57, 60 of Diocletian, ;

;

14, 22, 27, 116, 153, 194, 211, 239, 261 of Nero, 14 of Titus, 14, 23, 32, 36, 262 of Trajan, 14, 23, 32, 36, 145, 148. Tiber, 33; inundations of, 139 fol.; figure of, 222 treasures thrown into, 225 fol. Tigellinus, 4, 18. ;

;

;

N

5.

Umbilicus Romae, 145. Urban VIII. See Pope. Vacca, Flarainio, extracts from memoirs of, 5, 39, 90, 192, 194, 259. Valens. See Arch. Valentinian I., 33; bridge of (Ponte prohibited sacrifices, 34, 246 See Arch. Valentinian III., 74 fol. Valerius Severus, 59. Sisto)

,

;

35.

Vassalecti, 180.

Vatican, the, 128, 133, 175. See Museum, St Peter's. Vatican district included in the city proper, 132. Veil, 186.

Venantius Fortunatus,

109.


;

INDEX OF PASSAGES

278

Venus, Venus and Rome. See Temple. Vergilius Eurysaces, tomb of, 92. Verus, Lucius, statue of, lOi. Vespasian, Lex Regia of, 234. Vesta, temple of, 18; statue of, 196. Vestals, house of, 121, 122, 196, 264. Via Appia, 31, 103, 105, 137, 194; Aurelia, 16; Clodia, 158; Collatina, 16; Cornelia, 32; Labicana, 16, 72; Latina, 96, 160, 194 Nomentana, 20, 32 Nova, 31 Praeuestina, 6 Sacra,

Vigna Barberini,

19, 121 BarberiniSpithoever, 89 Ceccarelli, 116 Grimani (Barberini), 90; Maciocchi,57 Moroni, 95 Torlonia, 57. Villa Corsini-Pamiili, 16; Giulia, 191, 263; di GiulioIII. (museo), 13; Gordianorum (Via Praenestina) ,6,7; Livia, 194 Quintiliorum, 103 fol.

;

;

34, 36, 52, 110, 120, 153, 178, 191, 211;

Salaria Salaria Vetus, 15, 65, 151 Nova, 15; Tiburtina, 33; Triumphalis, 177, 178. See Clivus, Vicus. S. Vibiana, church of, 116, 256. Vibius Marianus, tomb of, 92. Victory, statue of, 48. Vicus Capitis Africae, 151 Patricius, 240 Portae Vimiualis, 240 Tuscus,

;

;

;

;

Voconiorum,

105.

See Pope. Vitalis in Vico Lougo, church

Vitalianus. S.

Vitiges, siege of, ^9, 89, 115.

Volusianus, Rufus, 33. Vulcan, temple of (at Ostia), 194. Wall, Leonine, 133

fol.

;

of Aurelian,

15.

;

;

Zmaragdus,

153.

IL

109.

INDEX OF PASSAGES AND INSCRIPTIONS CITED Horace

A. Authors Ammianus Marcellinus

Satires

Page

Pack

XVI.

47

10,

St.

Senno X.

L

8 fol.,

viii.

Augustine

cv de verbis

xcvi.,

Liber Pontificalis 38 38

10,

Claudianus

De

VI. Confiulatu Ilonorii

65

42.

Codex Barberinianus

Gregorius, Vol.

II.,

Vol. Vol. Vol.

II.,

iv. 38,

145, xxii.,

II., 145, xxiii.,

225, 235, 240, 248, 270, 275

II.,

258,

xxiv. 46, xxvi. 27,

Codex Theodosianus 92

X. Tit. 17,

Dion Cassius 11

xliii. 49,

Frontinus 80

126 131 139 155 156

LiVY

152

XXX. 25,

1.13,

59 59

xlviii..

Variae vii. 13,

Jerome

Letters

65

13,

15

St.

Evang. Luc.

Cassiodorius

iii.

of,

145, 148, 192.

;

;

;

;

;

;

See Pope.

Vigilius.

16 16

MoN. Germ. Scr. Lang. Vol. I., p. 53, Vol. I., p. 483, Vol. VI., p. 358,

155 156 157


INDEX OF INSCRIPTIONS

Page

Prudentius Contra Sym.

153

vi. 916,

Page i.

279

501-505,

35

Pliny the Elder Historia Naturalis

1014,

153, 231

1016,

153

1173,

:>3

1178,

2 50 53 152 153 36 36 36 37 61 153 153 151 50 20 1

1187,

1188-90,

10

vii. 36, 121,

1191,

i.

Procopius

1472,

de Bello Gothico

1651,

19,

79, 145

1658,

3,

83 87

1663,

ii.

iv. 22,

1664,

1703,

Suetonius Octav. 29,

1708,

11

1711,

Tacitus

1728 a,

Annates

1730,

19

XV. 43,

14, 647,

Venantius Fortunatus Carmina iii.

Epherneris Epigraphica 109

23,

ZOSIMUS 57

V. 45,

iii.

De Vol.

B.

Inscriptions

Benevento, inscription found Brick stamp of Theoderic,

Capua, inscription found

at,

at,

65 78 65

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinaruin i.

285,

p.

415,

vi. 472,

562, 773,

•

21

p. 287,

Rossi: Inscr .Chr. Urhis

Romae

212,

156

p. 215,

155, 156

p. 347,

136

II., p.

Fabretti: Inscriptiones Domesticae p. 721, no. 431,

112 Marini: Inscriptiones alb. 194 153 X., 153 Notizie degli Scavi: 1880, p. 53, 153

20

194 51



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