"The Goth, the Christian, time, war, flood, and fire,
Have dealt upon the seven-hilled city's pride."
Rome was founded in the year 753 B.C., and it gradually increased, as
we all know, till it became the capital of the world. By a summary of
dates we will endeavour to give an idea of the manner in which Rome
became ruins.
In July 390 B.C. it was devastated by fire. Up to 120 B.C. it was
subject to numerous raids by the Northerners, who, with the help of
civil war, and a devouring fire in 50 B.C., caused the destruction of
several of its most splendid buildings. In 64 A.D., during the reign
of Nero, a terrible fire ravaged the city for six days; and again in
89 A.D. another fire took place, lasting three days. In the reign of
Commodus a third fire occurred, which consumed a large portion of the
city. In 330 A.D. Constantine took from Rome a number of monuments and
works of art to embellish Constantinople. From 408 to 410 A.D. Rome
was three times besieged by the Goths, under Alaric, who plundered and
fired the city; and in 455 A.D. the Vandals took possession of Rome
and plundered it. On June the 11th, 472 A.D., the city was captured by
the Germans, under Ricimer, and in 476 A.D. the Roman Empire was
broken up.
About 590 A.D. continual wars with the Lombardians devastated the
Campagna. In 607 A.D. the Bishop of Rome was made Pope. In 755 A.D.
the Lombards again desolated Rome; and up to 950 A.D. it was held
successively by the Emperor Louis II., Lambert Duke of Spoleto, the
Saracens, the German king Armilph, and the Hungarians. In 1083 it was
taken by Henry IV. of Germany; and in 1084 it was burned, from the
Lateran to the Capitol, by Robert Guiscard. From the eleventh to the
sixteenth century many of its buildings were turned into fortresses by
the nobles, who made continual war upon each other; and during the
"dark ages" the Romans themselves destroyed many monuments, in order
to make lime for building their new palaces and houses.
Thus we see that when, in 55 B.C., Julius Cæsar, with his "_Veni,
vidi, vici_," conquered the little island now called Great Britain,
Rome contained in ruins many evidences of past splendour, and whilst
the Romans were overrunning the rest of Europe, their empire was
hastening to decay. We, the savages of those days, have ever since
been growing in strength and wisdom, laying the foundations of future
empires, overturning others, but not with the idea of "universal
conquest," but simply for a "balance of power." Ancient Rome, by the
help of invaders, flood, fire, the Popes, and its inhabitants, was
reduced to ruins, which have been in considerable part preserved by an
immense accumulation of soil, which, again, caused them to be
forgotten till recent explorations once more brought them to light.
Modern Rome stands thirty feet above the level of Ancient Rome, and is
a strange mixture of narrow streets, open squares, churches,
fountains, ruins, new palaces, and dirt. Built during the seventeenth
century, the city is situated in a valley which formed part of the
ancient city, and lies to the north of it, being divided from it by
the Capitoline Hill, and offering to the visitor attractions which no
other city can boast. The germ of the old Roman race which civilized
the world is still alive, and is quickly rising to a new life--lifting
itself, after twenty centuries of burial, from the tomb of ignorance
and oppression. Here is the centre of art and of the world's past
recollections; here is spoken in its purity the most beautiful of
languages; here are a fine climate and a fine country; and here are
being strengthened the power and the splendour of united Italy.