It Serves To
Turn Several Olive, Corn, And Paper Mills, Being Conveyed Through
A Modern Aqueduct Raised Upon Paultry Arcades At The Expence Of
The Public, And Afterwards Is Branched Off In Very Small Streams,
For The Benefit Of This Parched And Barren Country.
The Romans
were so used to bathing, that they could not exist without a
great quantity of water; and this, I imagine, is one reason that
induced them to spare no labour and expence in bringing it from a
distance, when they had not plenty of it at home.
But, besides
this motive, they had another: they were so nice and delicate in
their taste of water, that they took great pains to supply
themselves with the purest and lightest from afar, for drinking
and culinary uses, even while they had plenty of an inferior sort
for their bath, and other domestic purposes. There are springs of
good water on the spot where Cemenelion stood: but there is a
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.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 136 of 276
Words from 70203 to 70707
of 143308
