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travels through france and italy-第58章

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  hardness in all well…water; which quality is deposited in running  a long course; especially; if exposed to the influence of the sun  and air。 The Romans; therefore; had good reason to soften and  meliorate this element; by conveying it a good length of way in  open aqueducts。 What was used in the baths of Cemenelion; they  probably brought in leaden pipes; some of which have been dug up  very lately by accident。 You must know; I made a second excursion  to these antient ruins; and measured the arena of the  amphitheatre with packthread。 It is an oval figure; the longest  diameter extending to about one hundred and thirteen feet; and  the shortest to eighty…eight; but I will not answer for the  exactness of the measurement。 In the center of it; there was a  square stone; with an iron ring; to which I suppose the wild  beasts were tied; to prevent their springing upon the spectators。  Some of the seats remain; the two opposite entrances; consisting  each of one large gate; and two lateral smaller doors; arched:  there is also a considerable portion of the external wall; but no  columns; or other ornaments of architecture。 Hard by; in the  garden of the count de Gubernatis; I saw the remains of a bath;  fronting the portal of the temple; which I have described in a  former letter; and here were some shafts of marble pillars;  particularly a capital of the Corinthian order beautifully cut;  of white alabaster。 Here the count found a large quantity of fine  marble; which he has converted to various uses; and some  mutilated statues; bronze as well as marble。 The peasant shewed  me some brass and silver medals; which he has picked up at  different times in labouring the ground; together with several  oblong beads of coloured glass; which were used as ear…rings by  the Roman ladies; and a small seal of agate; very much defaced。  Two of the medals were of Maximian and Gallienus; the rest were  so consumed; that I could not read the legend。 You know; that on  public occasions; such as games; and certain sacrifices; handfuls  of medals were thrown among the people; a practice; which  accounts for the great number which have been already found in  this district。 I saw some subterranean passages; which seemed to  have been common sewers; and a great number of old walls still  standing along the brink of a precipice; which overhangs the  Paglion。 The peasants tell me; that they never dig above a yard  in depth; without finding vaults or cavities。 All the vineyards  and garden…grounds; for a considerable extent; are vaulted  underneath; and all the ground that produces their grapes; fruit;  and garden…stuff; is no more than the crumpled lime and rubbish  of old Roman buildings; mixed with manure brought from Nice。 This  antient town commanded a most noble prospect of the sea; but is  altogether inaccessible by any kind of wheel carriage。 If you  make shift to climb to it on horseback; you cannot descend to the  plain again; without running the risk of breaking your neck。

About seven or eight miles on the other side of Nice; are the  remains of another Roman monument which has greatly suffered from  the barbarity of successive ages。 It was a trophy erected by the  senate of Rome; in honour of Augustus Caesar; when he had totally  subdued all the ferocious nations of these Maritime Alps; such as  the Trumpilini Camuni; Vennontes; Isnarci; Breuni; etc。 It stands  upon the top of a mountain which overlooks the town of Monaco;  and now exhibits the appearance of an old ruined tower。 There is  a description of what it was; in an Italian manuscript; by which  it appears to have been a beautiful edifice of two stories;  adorned with columns and trophies in alto…relievo; with a statue  of Augustus Caesar on the top。 On one of the sides was an  inscription; some words of which are still legible; upon the  fragment of a marble found close to the old building: but the  whole is preserved in Pliny; who gives it; in these words; lib。  iii。 cap。 20。

IMPERATORI CAESARI DIVI。 F。 AVG。 PONT。 MAX。 IMP。 XIV。 TRIBVNIC。 POTEST。 XVIII。 S。 P。 Q。 R。 QVODEIVSDVCTV; AVSPICIISQ。 GENIES ALPINAE OMNES; QVAE A MARI SVPERO AD INFERVM PERTINEBANT; SVB IMPERIVM PO。 RO。 SUNT REDAC。 GENTES ALPINAE DEVICTAE。 TRVMPILINI CAMVNI; VENNONETES; ISNARCI; BREVNI; NAVNES; FOCVNATES; VINDELICORVM GENTES QVATVOR; CONSVANETES; VIRVCINATES; LICATES; CATENATES; ABI… SONTES; RVGVSCI; SVANETES; CALVCONES; BRIXENTES; LEPONTII; VIBERI; NANTVATES; SEDVNI; VERAGRI; SALASSI; ACITAVONES MEDVLLI; VCINI; CATVRIGES; BRIGIANI; SOGIVNTII; NEMALONES; EDENETES; ESVBIANI; VEAMINI; GALLITAE; TRIVLLATI; ECTINI; VERGVNNI; EGVITVRI。 NEMENTVRI; ORATELLI; NERVSCI; VELAVNI; SVETRI。

This Trophy is erected by the Senate and People of Rome to the  Emperor Caesar Augustus; son of the divine Julius; in the  fourteenth year of his imperial Dignity; and in the eighteenth of  his Tribunician Power; because under his command and auspices all  the nations of the Alps from the Adriatic to the Tuscanian Sea;  were reduced under the Dominion of Rome。 The Alpine nations  subdued were the Trumpelini; etc。

Pliny; however; is mistaken in placing this inscription on a  trophy near the Augusta praetoria; now called Aosta; in Piedmont:  where; indeed; there is a triumphal arch; but no inscription。  This noble monument of antiquity was first of all destroyed by  fire; and afterwards; in Gothic times; converted into a kind of  fortification。 The marbles belonging to it were either employed  in adorning the church of the adjoining village; which is still  called Turbia; a corruption of Trophaea; 'This was formerly a  considerable town called Villa Martis; and pretends to the honour  of having given birth to Aulus Helvius; who succeeded Commodus as  emperor of Rome; by the name of Pertinax which he acquired from  his obstinate refusal of that dignity; when it was forced upon  him by the senate。 You know this man; though of very low birth;  possessed many excellent qualities; and was basely murdered by  the praetorian guards; at the instigation of Didius Tulianus。 For  my part; I could never read without emotion; that celebrated  eulogium of the senate who exclaimed after his death; Pertinace;  imperante; securi viximus neminem timuimus; patre pio; patre  senatus; patre omnium; honorum; We lived secure and were afraid  of nothing under the Government of Pertinax; our affectionate  Father; Father of the Senate; Father to all the children of  Virtue。' or converted into tomb…stones; or carried off to be  preserved in one or two churches of Nice。 At present; the work  has the appearance of a ruinous watch…tower; with Gothic  battlements; and as such stands undistinguished by those who  travel by sea from hence to Genoa; and other ports of Italy。 I  think I have now described all the antiquities in the  neighbourhood of Nice; except some catacombs or caverns; dug in a  rock at St。 Hospice; which Busching; in his geography; has  described as a strong town and seaport; though in fact; there is  not the least vestige either of town or village。 It is a point of  land almost opposite to the tower of Turbia; with the mountains  of which it forms a bay; where there is a great and curious  fishery of the tunny fish; farmed of the king of Sa
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