THE PANTHEON. 20 5 



list of Italian artists, among whom he and his more 

 illustrious master shine as stars of greater magnitude. 



We visited the Pantheon, the shrine of "all the 

 gods," where we found the tombs of Raphael and the 

 first king of Ital} r . The Pantheon was built by 

 Agrippa, son-in-law to Augustus. It is generally 

 caUe 1 the " Rotunda," because of its form. It is about 

 140 feet in diameter and 150 feet in height. The 

 light is admitted only through, an opening in the 

 do ne. The portico consists of a massive roof resting 

 on sixteen columns of oriental granite, e ich (if which is 

 fifteen fei-t in circumference. It was, when ancient 

 Rome was at the height of her glory as a heathen 

 city, adorned with br.mze and other beautiful statues 

 of all the Roman cle'.ties. These were removed by 

 Constantine. 



It gives one some idea of the vast changes which 

 have taken place in Rome, to leirn th it the entrance 

 which is now twelve steps below was, 2,000 years ago, 

 actua'ly twelve stt-ps above, the surface of the ground. 

 Since we were in the ancient city, the Pantheoa has 

 been flooded by the overflow of the Tiber. 



Rome is very much more modernize 1 than I had 

 expected to find it. The carriages and horses and 

 entire equipage, with the dresses of the better classes 

 18 



