274 THE STORIES OF NOTED PAINTINGS. 



COBIOLANUS BEFORE ROME. 



Bj YENEZIANO BONIFACIO (1494-1563). In the younger 

 days of Rome, when she was first experimenting in republican- 

 ism, one of her chieftains, Caius Marcius, called Coriolanus from 

 one of his daring exploits, set himself obstinately against the 

 enfranchisement of the common people. It was of course the 

 unpopular side, and he at last became so obnoxious to the plebian 

 element that, to save his life, he had to escape from the country. 

 He joined its enemies and led them in their wars against the 

 Romans. He was so successful that eventually Rome itself was 

 besieged and brought to the last extremity. Deputations of 

 Senators and of Priests were sent out to him for terms, but all 

 to no purpose. At last the happy thought struck the besieged 

 to send their noble women, headed by his own mother, his wife 

 and his children. Coriolanus could not withstand their entrea- 

 ties. He yielded to his mother ; but he told her that in saving 

 her country she had lost her son. And he went off into volun- 

 tary banishment and there died like an obstinate old Roman, as 

 he was. 



ST. SEBASTIAN. 



By AMERIGHI DA CARAVAGGIO (1569-1609). The subject of 

 this painting, and of so many other similar ones, was of noble 

 family, and one of the guards of the Emperor Dioclesian (A. D. 

 300). Like many Romans in that dangerous time he was secret- 

 ly a Christian. Two of his converts were accused of belonging 

 to this proscribed sect and were condemned to the torture. As 

 they wavered in their courage at the last moment, Sebastian, 

 regardless of himself, boldly exhorted them to faith and con- 

 stancy. Thus self -exposed, he too was condemned to death, and 

 was left for dead, pierced with innumerable arrows. Irene, the 

 the widow of one of his martyred friends, in going for the body 

 found him still alive and took him to her house, where, with the 

 aid of her daughters, she extracted the arrows and restored him 

 to life. But the spirit of the martyr was still in the Christian 

 hero, and he shortly paid the penalty of his faithfulness under 

 the clubs of the heathen executioners. 



