THE PANTHEON. 265 



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 Italy. The Pantheon was built by 

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

 called 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 

 dome. The portico consists of a massive roof resting 

 on sixteen columns of oriental granite, each of which is 

 fifteen feet in circumference. It was, when ancient 

 Rome was at the height of her glory as a heathen 

 city, adorned with bronze and other beautiful statues 

 of all the Roman deities. These were removed by 

 Constantine. 



It gives one some idea of the vast changes which 



have taken place in Rome, to learn that the entrance 



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



actually twelve steps above, the surface of the ground. 



Since we were in the ancient city, the Pantheon has 



been flooded by the overflow of the Tiber. 



Rome is very much more modernized than I had 



expected to find it. The carriages and horses and 



entire equipage, with the dresses of the better classes 



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