﻿598 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  Kmil 
  P. 
  Albrecht 
  

  

  HOUSE 
  OF 
  THE 
  VESTAL 
  VIRGINS 
  IN 
  THE 
  ROMAN 
  FORUM, 
  WITH 
  SOME 
  OF 
  THE 
  STATUES 
  

   OF 
  THE 
  CHIEF 
  VESTAES 
  STIEE 
  STANDING 
  

  

  The 
  Vestal 
  Virgins 
  played 
  an 
  important 
  part 
  in 
  Imperial 
  Rome, 
  not 
  only 
  as 
  conservators 
  

   of 
  the 
  sacred 
  fire, 
  but 
  in 
  politics 
  as 
  well, 
  their 
  influence 
  obtaining 
  offices 
  and 
  favors 
  for 
  

   relatives 
  and 
  friends, 
  as 
  evidenced 
  by 
  inscriptions 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  statues 
  erected 
  by 
  grateful 
  

   recipients. 
  Near 
  Porta 
  Pia 
  lie 
  the 
  bones 
  of 
  guilty 
  Vestals, 
  each 
  buried 
  alive 
  in 
  a 
  little 
  vault 
  

   12 
  feet 
  deep, 
  with 
  the 
  small 
  dish 
  and 
  crust 
  and 
  the 
  earthen 
  lamp 
  that 
  was 
  soon 
  extinguished 
  

   in 
  the 
  close, 
  damp 
  air. 
  It 
  was 
  the 
  fatal 
  thumb 
  of 
  the 
  Vestals 
  that 
  gave 
  the 
  signal 
  of 
  life 
  or 
  

   death 
  for 
  the 
  unsuccessful 
  performer 
  in 
  the 
  Colosseum. 
  To 
  the 
  right 
  rise 
  the 
  columns 
  of 
  

   the 
  Temple 
  of 
  Faustina, 
  dedicated 
  in 
  141 
  by 
  Emperor 
  Antoninus 
  to 
  his 
  wife. 
  

  

  that 
  seven 
  centuries 
  later 
  conquered 
  the 
  

   world. 
  

  

  Two 
  hundred 
  and 
  fifty 
  years 
  (754-509 
  

   B. 
  C.) 
  this 
  Kingdom 
  lasts, 
  and 
  is 
  then 
  

   overthrown. 
  A 
  Republic 
  takes 
  its 
  place, 
  

   to 
  give 
  way 
  in 
  five 
  centuries 
  (509-27 
  

   P>. 
  C), 
  through 
  military 
  despotism, 
  to 
  an 
  

   Empire, 
  which 
  in 
  turn 
  endures 
  five 
  hun- 
  

   dred 
  years 
  (27 
  P>. 
  C.-476 
  A. 
  D.), 
  though 
  

   for 
  the 
  last 
  third 
  of 
  that 
  time 
  very 
  weak 
  

   indeed. 
  

  

  After 
  that, 
  chaos. 
  Kingdom, 
  Republic, 
  

   Empire 
  — 
  all 
  are 
  gone; 
  only 
  a 
  weak, 
  

   ruined 
  city 
  remains. 
  

  

  The 
  great 
  nobles, 
  the 
  Popes, 
  and 
  the 
  

   people 
  struggle 
  for 
  mastery 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  war 
  

   within 
  and 
  without 
  — 
  invasion, 
  rebellion, 
  

   open 
  strife, 
  and 
  secret 
  murder. 
  Charle- 
  

  

  magne 
  is 
  crowned 
  in 
  St. 
  Peter's 
  and 
  sets 
  

   the 
  Pope 
  more 
  firmly 
  on 
  his 
  throne 
  ; 
  a 
  

   new 
  element 
  enters, 
  the 
  Frankish 
  and 
  

   German 
  emperors, 
  but 
  the 
  struggle 
  goes 
  

   on. 
  Emperors 
  and 
  Popes 
  are 
  alternately 
  

   friends 
  and 
  foes; 
  the 
  city 
  is 
  now 
  Guelph, 
  

   now 
  Ghibelline. 
  

  

  Enters 
  Napoleon 
  and 
  changes 
  the 
  map 
  

   for 
  a 
  brief 
  while, 
  and 
  again 
  insurrection. 
  

  

  Now, 
  in 
  our 
  own 
  time, 
  a 
  united 
  Italy, 
  

   and 
  Rome 
  its 
  capital. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  the 
  puzzling 
  question 
  of 
  the 
  

   "Prisoner 
  of 
  the 
  Vatican," 
  the 
  problem 
  

   of 
  large 
  needs 
  and 
  little 
  means, 
  the 
  after- 
  

   math 
  of 
  war 
  with 
  her 
  ancient 
  foe 
  beyond 
  

   the 
  Alps, 
  to 
  tax 
  all 
  resources. 
  After 
  

   twenty-five 
  centuries, 
  Rome 
  is 
  still 
  mak- 
  

   ing 
  history. 
  

  

  