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travels through france and italy-第96章

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cut it off。 Those popes  who have provided the modern city so plentifully with excellent  water; are much to be commended for the care and expence; they  have bestowed in restoring the streams called acqua Virgine;  acqua Felice; and acqua Paolina; which afford such abundance of  water as would plentifully supply a much larger city than modern  Rome。

It is no wonder that M。 Agrippa; the son…in…law; friend; and  favourite of Augustus; should at the same time have been the idol  of the people; considering how surprisingly he exerted himself  for the emolument; convenience; and pleasure of his fellow…citizens。  It was he who first conducted this acqua Virgine to  Rome: he formed seven hundred reservoirs in the city; erected one  hundred and five fountains; one hundred and thirty castella; or  conduits; which works he adorned with three hundred statues; and four hundred pillars of  marble; in the space of one year。 He also brought into Rome; the  aqua Julia; and restored the aqueduct of the aqua Marzia; which  had fallen to decay。 I have already observed the great number of  baths which he opened for the people; and the magnificent  thermae; with spacious gardens; which he bequeathed to them as a  legacy。 But these benefactions; great and munificent as they seem  to be; were not the most important services he performed for the  city of Rome。 The common…sewers were first made by order of  Tarquinius Priscus; not so much with a view to cleanliness; as by  way of subterranean drains to the Velabrum; and in order to carry  off the stagnant water; which remained in the lower parts; after  heavy rains。 The different branches of these channels united at  the Forum; from whence by the cloaca Maxima; their contents were  conveyed into the Tyber。 This great cloaca was the work of  Tarquinius Superbus。 Other sewers were added by Marcus Cato; and  Valerius Flaccus; the censors。 All these drains having been  choaked up and ruinous; were cleared and restored by Marcus  Agrippa; who likewise undermined the whole city with canals of  the same kind; for carrying of the filth; he strengthened and  enlarged the cloaca maxima; so as to make it capable of receiving  a large cart loaded with hay; and directed seven streams of water  into these subterranean passages; in order to keep them always  clean and open。 If; notwithstanding all these conveniences;  Vespasian was put to great expence in removing the ordure from  the public streets; we have certainly a right to conclude that  the antient Romans were not more cleanly than the modern  Italians。

After the mausolea of Augustus; and Adrian; which I have already  mentioned; the most remarkable antient sepulchres at Rome; are  those of Caius Cestius; and Cecilia Metella。 The first; which  stands by the Porta di S。 Paolo; is a beautiful pyramid; one  hundred and twenty feet high; still preserved intire; having a  vaulted chamber within…side; adorned with some ancient painting;  which is now almost effaced。 The building is of brick; but eased  with marble。 This Caius Cestius had been consul; was very rich;  and acted as one of the seven Epulones; who superintended the  feasts of the gods; called Lectisternia; and Pervigilia。 He  bequeathed his whole fortune to his friend M。 Agrippa; who was so  generous as to give it up to the relations of the testator。 The  monument of Cecilia Metella; commonly called Capo di Bove; is  without the walls on the Via Appia。 This lady was daughter of  Metellus Creticus; and wife to Crassus; who erected this noble  monument to her memory。 It consisted of two orders; or stories;  the first of which was a square of hewn stone: the second was a  circular tower; having a cornice; adorned with ox heads in basso  relievo; a circumstance from which it takes the name of Capo di  Bove。 The ox was supposed to be a most grateful sacrifice to the  gods。 Pliny; speaking of bulls and oxen; says;

Hinc victimae optimae et laudatissima deorum placatio。

They were accounted the best Victims and most agreeable to  appease the anger of the Gods。

This tower was surmounted by a noble cupola or dome; enriched  with all the ornaments of architecture。 The door of the building  was of brass; and within…side the ashes of Cecilia were deposited  in a fluted marble urn; of curious workmanship; which is still  kept in the Palazzo Farnese。 At present the surface of the ground  is raised so much as to cover the first order of the edifice:  what we see is no more than the round tower; without the dome and  its ornaments; and the following inscription still remains near  the top; facing the Via Appia。 

CAECILLAE Q。 CRETICI F。 METELLAE CRASSI。

To Caecilia Metella; Daughter of Q。 Criticus: wife of Crassus。

Now we are talking of sepulchral inscriptions; I shall conclude  this letter with the copy of a very singular will; made by  Favonius Jocundus; who died in Portugal; by which will the  precise situation of the famous temple of Sylvanus is  ascertained。

〃Jocundi。 Ego gallus Favonius Jocundus P。 Favoni F。 qui bello contra  Viriatum Succubui; Jocundum et Prudentem filios; e me et Quintia  Fabia conjuge mea ortos; et Bonorum Jocundi Patris mei; et eorum;  quae mihi ipsi acquisivi haeredes relinquo; hac tamen conditione;  ut ab urbe Romana huc veniant; et ossa hic mea; intra  quinquennium exportent; et via latina condant in sepulchro; jussu  meo condito; et mea voluntate; in quo velim neminem mecum; neque  servum; neque libertum inseri; et velim ossa quorumcunque  sepulchro statim meo eruantur; et jura Romanorum serventur; in  sepulchris ritu majorum retinendis; juxta volantatem testatoris;  et si secus fecerint; nisi legittimae oriantur causae; velim ea  omnia; quae filijs meis relinquo; pro reparando templo dei  Sylvani; quod sub viminali monte est; attribui; manesque mei a  Pont。 max; a flaminibus dialibus; qui in capitolio sunt; opem  implorent; ad liberorum meorum impietatem ulciscendam;  teneanturque sacerdotes dei Silvani; me in urbem referre; et  sepulchro me meo condere。 Volo quoque vernas qui domi meae sunt;  omnes a praetore urbano liberos; cum matribus dimitti;  singulisque libram argenti puri; et vestem unam dori。 In  Lusitania。 In agro VIII。 Cal Quintilis; bello viriatino。〃

I; Gallus Favonius Jocundus; son of P。 Favonius; dying in the war  against Viriatus; declare my sons Jocundus and Prudens; by my  wife Quintia Fabia; joint Heirs of my Estate; real and personal;  on condition; however; that they come hither within a time of  five years from this my last will; and transport my remains to  Rome to be deposited in my Sepulchre built in the via latina by  my own order and Direction: and it is my will that neither slave  nor freedman shall be interred with me in the said tomb; that if  any such there be; they shall be removed; and the Roman law  obeyed; in preserving in the antient Form the sepulchre according  to the will of the Testator。 If they act otherwise without just  cause; it is my will that the whole estate; which I now bequeathe  to my children; shall be applied to the Reparation of the Temple  of the God Sylvanus; at the foot of Mount Viminalis; and that my  Manes 'The Manes were an order of Gods supposed to take  cognisance of such injuries。' I shall implore the ass
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