A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 105
CHAP. CV. A Description of old Rome, and the chief raririties thereof.
ROme when it was first built was but …2 miles in compass: it was situated upon dainty hills, in a most healthfull aire: had a brave River running by it, with the more case to convey the in-land commodities for her necessity, and delight; it had the Sea at a convenient distance, not too neer, whereby she might be annoyed with forreign Navies, nor so remote but that she might be supplyed with outlandish commodities. The river Tiber at Rome is four hundred foot broad, and so deep that it will carry ships of the greatest burden. Its about sixteen miles distant from the Sea. It was almost round in compasse. The suburbs in processe of time grew so great, that Aurelian the Emperour built new walls, which were amost fifteen miles in compasse: and again, the suburbs in a little time grew so great that one of them was fifteen miles long, and raught even to the Sea, and in Augustus his time there was numbred in Rome above three hundred, and twenty thousand poor people that received relief from the publick: Besides, the number of bondmen was very great: few rich men but they had an hundred, and some four hundred a peece: Seneca saith in his time that the inhabitants were so many that the spacious and innumerable houses were scarce able to contain them: that a great part of them were forreigners that came from all parts of the world to live there: So that the number of inhabitants was reckoned to be at least four millions. These people were sustained with provisions brought out of all Nations; so that Rome seemed to be the common Mart of the whole world. Heliogabalns to shew the greatnesse of the City caused all the spiders to be gathered and put together, which being weighed amounted to ten thousand pounds weight: and a great Plague breaking out at Rome for many dayes together there died ten thousand persons. The houses were generally built very high, that so they might be the more capcious, insomuch as Augustus was feign to make a Decree that their buildings should not exceed seventy foot in height, conceiving that they marred the delicacy of the air by their over-much shadow: but this extended onelyonly to private mens houses, for the great men were not limited. But besides, the great height of the houses, they were beautified by the matter whereof they were built, by the Architecture, and by the Symmetry of them, wherein Art, and Elegancy strove for priority. And for that end what exquisite workmen soever Greece, or Asia brought forth, they were either sent for, or came of their own accord to beautifie this Imperial City, especially in Augustus's time, who made his boasts, Marmoream se relinquere, quam lateritiam accepisset: that he should leave Rome built of Marble, which he found built of Bricks. Nero also when he had burned a great part of it, at his own charges built it up again, beautifying it with excellently composed streets, large wayes, and curious porches to all the houses, which three things were a great Ornament to the City: whereupon Cassiodorus saith, Our forefathers tells us of the seven wonders of the World: The Temple of Diana at Epesus: The costly Tomb of King Mausolus: The brazen Statue of the Sunin the Isle of Rhodes called the Colossus. The Image of Jupiter Olympicus made by Phidias: The house of Cyrus King of the Medes, and Persians built by Memnon: The walls of Babylon built by Semiramus: And the Pyramides of Egypt: But now (saith he) the City of Rome is the greatest miracle of them all. There were in it four hundred twenty four Temples erected to their Idol-gods.
There were two Capitols in Rome; The old built by Numa, the new, begun by Tarquinius Priscus, and Superbus, finished by Horutius Pulvillus Consul, upon the Saturnian, or Tarpeian, or Capitoline hill. It was eight acres, or eight hundred feet in compasse, almost four square. It was ascended unto by one hundred steps on the South part which looked towards the Market-place, and Palace. It would hold eight thousand men. It was covered with brasse-tiles all gilt with gold. There were three Chappels in it; to one of which (viz. Jupiter's) Augustus gave sixteen thousand pound weight of gold, and jewels worth almost as much more, twelve thousand Talents were spent in gilding of it. The gates were cover'd with thick plates of gold.
Next after the Capitol, the Pantheon is worthily noted. It was built by Agrippa son in Law to Augustus in the year of the City 729. The Architecture of it was admirable, the beauty, and proportion of all the parts most exquisite: The breadth of it was one hundred and fourty four feet, and the height as much: It was wholly covered over with very great tiles of brasse richly gilt. In the Reign of Trajan it was burnt by lightning, and re-built by Hadrian.
The Temple of Peace was built by Vespasian, three hundred foot long, and two hundred broad: It was the most beautiful of all the Temples in the City, and enriched with gifts of inestimable value: It was adorned with Statues, and pictures of most exquisite workmanship: yea and all the rarities were collected into this Temple for the sight whereof men formerly used to travel through the whole world. And here also he placed those vessels which formerly belonged to the Temple of Hierusalem, and were brought from thence by Titus at the sacking of it. It was burnt down in the time of Commodus either with fire from heaven, or arising out of the earth after a little earthquake.
There were an infinite number of Baths both publick, and private in Rome. Some of which baths were all paved with plates of silver, and set with rowes of Pillars for ornament. Antoninus's bath had sixteen hundred slates of polished Marble in it.
The Appian Cawsey was built by Appius Claudius Censor. It reached from Rome to Capua, the bounds of the Empire that way, at that time; which was afterwards lengthened to Brundisium by Julius, and Augustus Caesar, in all three hundred and fifty miles long, and so broad, that two Coaches might easily passe by one another, being about 25 foot broad. It was made of hard flinty stones, hewen and laid so close together, (yet without any morter or claspes of iron) that it seemed all of one stone; the stones were three, four, and five feet square: nine hundred yeares after it was made the stones were not one whit disjoynted, or broken: Ever and anon on the sides were stones whereon persons might sit, or lay their burdens, or get on horseback, and at every miles and, high stones (or pillars) were raised, whereon were engraven the number of the miles. Likewise there were many Monuments on both sides with witty inscriptions, or pretty inventions on them, yielding both matter of mirth, and seriousnesse to the travellers.
There were fourteen (saith Pliny) twenty (saith P. Victor) Aquaeducts in Rome; the chiefest of which was the Claudian, began by Caligula, and finished by Claudius; So big as a man might ride on horseback in it; brought fourty miles to the City in a level, through the Mountains, and over the Valleys; as high as the highest hill in the City: seven millions and a half were spent in making it. There were besides in the City one thousand three hundred fifty two lakes or great receptacles of water for common use.
The Cloacae or common sewer, were made by Tarquinius Priscus; they were so wide, that a Cart loaden with hay might passe along them, viz. sixteen foot wide, and as many high. There were seven chief armes from the seven hills (besides several smaller from other parts) which ran into the main Channel. Notwithstanding all the weight of building upon them, and several earthquakes, they remained firm almost eight hundred years. And at one time when they were out of repair▪ there were a thousand talents spent in repairing of them.
There were an infinite number of Statues, or Images in every part of the City, costly for their matter, and curious for their workmanship: some Authours say that there were neer as many of them, as there were living people in the City; some of them were of polished Marble; Infinite of brasse, some of Ivory, some of silver, and some of gold. Domitian the Emperour commanded that no statues should be made for him in the Capitol, but such as were all of silver, or all gold, solid, and not hollow, each of them weighing at least an hundred pound weight. Commodas the Emperour had a Statue made for him of gold that weighed a thousand pound weight: Together with a Bull, and a Cow of the same metal as if he had been the founder of the City. He had also in the Market-place a Pillar erected, and his Statue made upon it of a thousand five hundred pounds weight of silver. Their statues of brasse were most of them gilt, and so were many of their Statues of silver. Some of them were of a Colossaean bignesse; others mounted on horseback, and in…several postures, and habits: For the preserving of all which from hurt, there was one who was called Comes, or an Earle, whose office it was continually to walk up, and down in the night attended with many Souldiers, that none might wrong them, and besides it was death for any man to do it. Lipsius de Mag. Rom. Imperii.
Trajan built a Bridge over the River Ister, or Danon, of twenty Arches, each one hundred and fifty feet high, sixty thick, and one hundred and seventy distant one from another, in all four thousand seven hundred and seventy feet, which was almost a mile long. The River was very deep and swift, and the bottom not firm ground, neither could the stream be diverted any other way: all which much augmented the difficulty of the work.
Ancus Martius the fourth King of Rome built a woodden bridge over Tybur, yet without nailes, or pins, so that in time of warr it was taken down; afterwards AEmilius built it of stone: and lastly, Antoninus Pius built it of Marble.