﻿602 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  ' 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  Emil 
  P. 
  Albrecht 
  

  

  THE 
  TOMB 
  OF 
  ROMAN 
  EMPERORS 
  

  

  Constructed 
  as 
  a 
  tomb, 
  faced 
  with 
  Parian 
  marble, 
  for 
  Hadrian 
  and 
  his 
  successors, 
  the 
  

   Castle 
  of 
  Sant' 
  Angelo 
  is 
  approached 
  by 
  the 
  Ponte 
  Sant' 
  Angelo, 
  with 
  its 
  ten 
  colossal 
  statues 
  

   of 
  angels. 
  The 
  tomb, 
  converted 
  into 
  a 
  fortress, 
  repelled 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  the 
  Goths. 
  From 
  

   the 
  tenth 
  century 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  citadel 
  of 
  Rome, 
  the 
  party 
  in 
  power 
  overawing 
  the 
  people 
  from 
  

   the 
  stronghold. 
  It 
  was 
  before 
  this 
  castle 
  that 
  the 
  permanent 
  gallows 
  stood, 
  seldom 
  unoccupied. 
  

  

  and 
  little 
  narrow 
  ways, 
  and 
  the 
  Sacra 
  Via, 
  

   which 
  led 
  upward 
  to 
  the 
  Capitoline 
  Hill 
  

   (see 
  page 
  594). 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  all 
  vague 
  and 
  chaotic 
  at 
  first, 
  

   a 
  jumble 
  of 
  meaningless 
  stones, 
  but 
  pres- 
  

   ently 
  they 
  will 
  take 
  form 
  and 
  precision 
  

   and 
  alignment; 
  if 
  you 
  watch 
  closely, 
  you 
  

   may 
  even 
  see 
  the 
  white-robed 
  Vestals 
  

   tending 
  the 
  sacred 
  fire, 
  instructing 
  the 
  

   novices, 
  going 
  off 
  in 
  wheeled 
  carts 
  — 
  per- 
  

   haps 
  the 
  only 
  people 
  in 
  Rome 
  who 
  dare 
  

   use 
  them 
  — 
  to 
  seats 
  of 
  honor 
  in 
  the 
  am- 
  

   phitheater. 
  

  

  Thirty 
  years 
  of 
  their 
  life 
  the 
  Vestals 
  

   gave 
  to 
  the 
  service 
  of 
  fire 
  and 
  water 
  — 
  

   they, 
  the 
  daughters 
  of 
  patricians, 
  but 
  the 
  

   true 
  descendants 
  of 
  those 
  shepherd 
  maids 
  

   who 
  tended 
  the 
  fire 
  and 
  watched 
  the 
  well 
  

  

  while 
  the 
  men 
  fought 
  and 
  Romulus 
  built 
  

   his 
  wall 
  centuries 
  before. 
  

  

  As 
  tiny 
  girls 
  of 
  ten, 
  they 
  began 
  their 
  

   training 
  and 
  doubtless 
  romped 
  about 
  as 
  

   children 
  will, 
  whether 
  embryonic 
  priest- 
  

   esses 
  or 
  slaves, 
  in 
  this 
  atrium 
  that 
  we 
  can 
  

   trace 
  today 
  (see 
  page 
  598). 
  

  

  At 
  twenty 
  they 
  began 
  responsible 
  serv- 
  

   ice 
  ; 
  at 
  thirty 
  they 
  commenced 
  to 
  train 
  the 
  

   novices 
  ; 
  at 
  forty 
  they 
  might 
  leave 
  temple 
  

   and 
  service, 
  if 
  they 
  desired, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  

   recorded 
  that 
  many 
  did. 
  

  

  Theirs 
  was 
  a 
  place 
  of 
  honor 
  and 
  privi- 
  

   lege 
  so 
  long 
  as 
  they 
  watched 
  their 
  fire 
  

   and 
  kept 
  their 
  vows, 
  chief 
  of 
  which 
  was 
  

   chastity. 
  If 
  the 
  fire 
  went 
  out, 
  they 
  were 
  

   scourged 
  by 
  the 
  Pontifex 
  Maximus. 
  If 
  

   their 
  vows 
  were 
  broken, 
  they 
  died. 
  

  

  