The Student's Roman Empire: A History of the Roman Empire from Its Foundation to the Death of Marcus Aurelius (27 B. C.--180 A. D.)

Front Cover
Harper, 1893 - Rome - 638 pages
 

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 614 - Nothing was omitted which in any respect could be subservient to the convenience and pleasure of the spectators. They were protected from the sun and rain by an ample canopy occasionally drawn over their heads. The air was continually refreshed by the playing of fountains, and profusely impregnated by the grateful scent of aromatics. In the centre of the edifice, the arena, or stage, was strewed with the finest sand, and successively assumed the most different forms. At one moment it seemed to rise...
Page 614 - Sixty-four Vomitories (for by that name the doors were very aptly distinguished) poured forth the immense multitude ; and the entrances, passages, and staircases, were contrived with such exquisite skill, that each person, whether of the senatorial, the equestrian, or the plebeian order, arrived at his destined place without trouble or confusion.
Page 443 - I had prohibited all public assemblies. From these circumstances I thought it more necessary to try to gain the truth, even by torture, from two women who were said to officiate at their worship. But I could discover only an obstinate kind of superstition, carried to great excess.
Page 579 - ... villas, colonnades, examples of landscape-gardening, woods and sacred groves, reservoirs, straits, rivers, coasts, all according to the heart's desire ; and amidst them passengers of all kinds on foot, in boats, driving in carriages or riding on asses to visit their country properties ; furthermore fishermen, bird-catchers, hunters, vintagers ; or, again, he exhibits stately villas, to which the approach is through a swamp, with men staggering under the weight of the frightened women whom they...
Page 442 - Soon afterwards the crime, as it often happens, by being pursued, became more diffusive, and a variety of matters of fact were specified to me. An information, without a name, was put into my hands, containing a list of many persons, who deny that they are, or ever were Christians ; for, repeating the form of invocation after me, they called upon the gods, and offered incense, and made libations to your image...
Page 614 - The outside of the edifice was encrusted with marble, and decorated with statues. The slopes of the vast concave which formed the inside were filled and surrounded with sixty or eighty rows of seats of marble, likewise covered with cushions, and capable of receiving with ease above fourscore thousand spectators.
Page 614 - It was a building of an elliptic figure, five hundred and sixty-four feet in length, and four hundred and sixty-seven in breadth, founded on fourscore arches, and rising, with four successive orders of architecture, to the height of one hundred and forty feet.
Page 443 - ... before it was light to sing alternately among themselves hymns to Christ as to a god, binding themselves by oath not to be guilty of any wickedness, not to steal nor to rob, not to commit adultery, nor break their faith when plighted, nor to deny the deposits in their hands whenever called upon to restore them. These ceremonies performed, they usually departed, and came together again to take a repast, the meat of which was innocent and eaten promiscuously...
Page 579 - He was the first to bring in a singularly delightful fashion of wall-painting ; villas, colonnades, examples of landscape-gardening, woods and sacred groves, reservoirs, straits, rivers, coasts, all according to the heart's desire ; and amidst them passengers of all kinds on foot, in boats, driving in carriages or riding on asses to visit their country properties ; furthermore fishermen, bird-catchers, hunters, vintagers ; or, again, he exhibits stately villas, to which the approach is through a...
Page 561 - My special thanks, whose even-balanced soul, From first youth tested up to extreme old age, Business could not make dull, nor passion wild; Who saw life steadily, and saw it whole; The mellow glory of the Attic stage, Singer of sweet Colonus, and its child.

Bibliographic information