436 



R O M E. 



Uome. the marble plan of Rome which had formed the pave- 

 s ""V ' ment of the temple, and the broken fragments of which 

 are fixed in the staircase wall of the Museum of the 

 capitol. 



The remains of the double temple near the Coliseum 

 are supposed to be those of Hadrian's magnificent tem- 

 ple of Venus and Peace. The peristyles of this double 

 peripteral temple had 12 columns in front, and 22 in 

 depth of Parian marble, some broken remains of which 

 are still seen. The whole was surrounded by a double 

 colonnade, 500 feet long and 300 broad, of columns of 

 oriental granite, with rows of capitols of Parian marble, 

 the gigantic shafts of which are strewed around near 

 Titus's arch. The platform of the colonnade, and the 

 situation, and even steps of the temple, may yet be 

 traced. The picturesque ruin called the temple of 

 Minerva Medica stands in a solitary vineyard on the 

 Esquiline hill. It is decagonal within. It is built of 

 brick, and stripped of all its ornaments. The remains 

 of the temple of Venus Erycina, consisting of the octa- 

 gonal brick cella, stand in the circus and gardens of 

 Sallust. 



Theatre of The only remains of the theatres of ancient Rome 

 Marcellus. are those of the theatre of Marcellus. It was of Tibur- 

 tine stone, and consisted of four orders of arcades. 

 The remains of this theatre are a portion of the two 

 lower arcades, of which we have given a drawing in 

 our article, CIVIL ARCHITECTURE, Plate CLXXXVI. 

 Portico of The portico of Octavia consisted of a double row of 

 Octavia. marble columns, enclosing a large oblong square, enclos- 

 ing the temples of Jupiter and Juno. Many of the 

 beautiful columns of this colonnnde are built up in the 

 miserable houses of the Jews which now cover its an- 

 cient site. At No. 11, via di San Angelo in Peschiera 

 are three magnificent fluted Corinthian columns of Gre- 

 cian marble, supposed to be the remains of the temple 

 of Juno. 



Therms or Of the thermae or baths of ancient Rome, the ruins 

 baths. of those of Titus, of'Caracalla and Dioclesian, are all 



that now remain. The baths of Caracalla are situated 

 at the base of the south summit of the Aventine hill. 

 They are now a mass of roofless ruins of almost immea- 

 surable extent, filled with tremendous fragments of 

 broken wall, and overgrown with weeds and brambles. 

 Beside the immense halls, one of which was 150 feet 

 long, and covered with a flat roof of stone, there are 

 the remains of a large circular building, and other 

 smaller ones. A broken staircase leads to the top of 

 the ruins. 



Baths of The part of the baths of Titus which has been ex- 



Titus, cavated, is near the Coliseum. After passing the 

 mouths of nine long corridors, we enter the portal of 

 what is called the house of Maecenas, and then arrive 

 at a damp and dark corridor, the ceiling of which is 

 still adorned with some of the most beautiful specimens 

 that now remain of the paintings of antiquity. After 

 examining these arabesque paintings, the visitor enters 

 magnificent halls, whose ceilings are beautifully painted 

 with fantastic designs. In one of these dungeons, 3f) 

 of which have been opened, is shown the remains of a 

 bath supposed to have been for the private use of the 

 emperor, and in another is seen the crimson-painted 

 alcove, in which the Laocoon was found in the time of 

 Leo X. The French found in those chambers the 

 Pluto and the Cerberus. It is said that miles of these 

 baths remain unexplored. 



Baths of The baths of Dioclesian are scattered over the sum- 



Dicclesian. mit of- the Quirinal and Viminal hills, and they are 



said to have surpassed all the thermae of ancient Rome. 



They seem to have formed an immense oblong square, Rome, 

 with a circular hall at two corners which are still stand- "- V ' 

 iqg. One of these halls, which is much dilapidated, 

 has been used as a granary, and the other has been 

 transformed into a church. * The Xystum, or great co- 

 vered hall of the thermae, was converted into the church 

 of Santa Maria de Angeli by M. Angelo. It is a hall 

 350 feet long, and 90 high. The vaulted roof is sup- 

 ported by sixteen Corinthian columns, eight of which 

 only, of Egyptian granite, are ancient. The Meridian, 

 traced on the pavement in 1701 by Bianchini, still re- 

 mains. 



Among the antiquities of Rome, the bridges are 

 not the least remarkable. We have, however, already 

 treated the subject in our article BRIDGE, Vol. IV. p. Bridges. 

 48-2, and have given representations of the Pons Mil- 

 vius, and the Pons Senatorius in Plate LXXXII. 



Among the ancient arches is that of Claudius Drusus Arches. 

 Nero, which is close to the present Porta San Sebasti- 

 ano. It consists of a single arch, and is built of mar- 

 ble and Tiburtine stone. The two columns of African 

 marble are supposed to be of a later age. The arches 

 of Titus and of Severus have already been described. 

 The arch of Constantino is in fine preservation, Its Arch of 

 sculptured medallions and bas reliefs which comme- Constan- 

 morate the victories of Trajan, are supposed to have tine - 

 been torn from one of his triumphal arches. This arch 

 consists of eight fluted Corinthian columns of marble, 

 which support the figures of eight Dacian captives; one 

 column one Dacian, and all the eight heads very mo- 

 dern. The arch of Gallienus is a building of mean 

 architecture, on the Esquiline hill, near the church of 

 Santa Maria Maggiore. The arch of Dolabella and Si- 

 lanus stands on the Ccelian hill, near the church of San 

 Tomaso in Formis. 



The only remains of the celebrated aqueducts of an- Aqueducts. 

 cient Rome, are those of the Martian and Claudian a- 

 queducts. The long and broken lines of these lofty 

 arches stretch over the Campagna to the south, that of 

 Martian was built by Quintus Martins in the time of 

 the republic. That of the emperor Claudius was car- 

 ried through the hills and across the valleys of Latium 

 for a distance of 50 miles. 



The first obelisk was brought to Rome from Egypt Obelisks. 

 by Augustus, and now stands on Monte Citorio. The 

 obelisk of Rameses is the loftiest that was ever brought 

 from Egypt. Though now patched together, it rises 

 to a hundred feet in front of the Lateran church. 

 The two obelisks that stood at the entrance of the mau- 

 soleum of Augustus, were brought to Rome by Claudius. 

 One of them stands in front of Santa Maria Maggiore, 

 and the otiier on Monte Cavallo. The obelisk found 

 in the circus of Carac&lla stands on the Fountain of the 

 Piazza Navona. The obelisk in the grand piazza of St. 

 Peter's is in the most perfect preservation, and was 

 brought from Egypt by Caligula. The obelisk which 

 stood in the circus of Sallust, occupies the summit of 

 the Pincian hill. 



On the Appian way are many remains of the ancient Tombs, 

 tombs of the Romans. The tomb of the Scipios is one 

 of the most celebrated : The inscriptions have been 

 placed in the Vatican. On the opposite side of the road 

 to this tomb is that of the Maniglia family. The tomb of 

 Cecilia Metella, the wife of Crassus, is reckoned one of 

 the most beautiful pf sepulchral monuments. It con-, 

 sists of a round tower of immense blocks of Tiburtine 

 stone, adorned with a Doric marble frieze, on which 

 are sculptured ram's heads, festooned with garlands of 

 flowers. This beautiful tower rests upon a square base- 



