Pagan and Christian Rome

Les Contes Drolatiques, or Droll Stories

by Rodolfo Amedeo Lanciani

It has been contended, and many still believe, that in ancient Rome the doctrines of Christ found no proselytes, except among the lower and poorer classes of citizens. That is certainly a noble picture which represents the new faith as searching among the haunts of poverty and slavery, seeking to inspire faith, hope, and charity in their occupants; to transform them from things into human beings; to make them believe in the happiness of a future life; to alleviate their present sufferings; to redeem their children from shame and servitude; to proclaim them equal to their masters. But the gospel found its way also to the mansions of the masters, nay, even to the palace of the Cæsars. The discoveries lately made on this subject are startling, and constitute a new chapter in the history of imperial Rome. We have been used to consider early Christian history and primitive Christian art as matters of secondary importance, and hardly worthy the attention of the classical student. Thus, none of the four or five hundred volumes on the topography of ancient Rome speaks of the basilicas raised by Constantine; of the church of S. Maria Antiqua, built side by side with the Temple of Vesta, the two worships dwelling together as it were, for nearly a century; of the Christian burial-grounds; of the imperial mausoleum near S. Peter's; of the porticoes, several miles in length, which led from the centre of the city to the churches of S. Peter, S. Paul, and S. Lorenzo; of the palace of the Cæsars transformed into the residence of the Popes. Why should these constructions of monumental and historical character be expelled from the list of classical buildings? and why should we overlook the fact that many great names in the annals of the empire are those of members of the Church, especially when the knowledge of their conversion enables us to explain events that had been, up to the latest discoveries, shrouded in mystery?

Genres: Short Stories, History, France

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1833

About the author

1847-1929

Reviews

[G. İlke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goriot Baba'yı okudunuz, çok sevdiniz ve yazarın başka hangi kitabını okuyacağınızı düşünüyorsunuz. Düşünmeyiniz, bu kitabı edininiz. Vadideki Zambak'tan pek hazzetmemiştim ama Aşk Gecesi'ne tek kelimeyle bayıldım. Kadınları sıklıkla aşağılamasına rağmen hem de. Bay Balzac bunu hep yapıyor çünkü, alıştım maalesef. Kadınlarla bir alıp veremediği var belli ki, yoksa Paris'teki bütün düşük karakterli kadınlar onu bulmuş olamaz herhalde. Masalsı, aşk temalı hikayeler anlatıyor bu kez Bay Balzac, Paris yüksek sosyetesinden esinlendiğini belirterek elbette. Eğlenceli ve gayet doyurucu bu kısacık kitabı herkese tavsiye ederim. Okuyunuz, okutunuz. =)

[Ahmet Toköz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paris’in eğlence hayatının gülü Balzac, aynı zamanda da alacaklılardan kaçıyordu. Kralları kraliçeleri, rahipler ve rahibeleri ‘namus’ ve ‘fazilet’ algısı üzerinden eleştirdiğini düşünmüş bu kitaptaki öykülerde. Kitabın çok da modern olduğu söylenemez. Öykülerden ziyade Balzac’ın anlatımına tebessüm ediyorsunuz.

[Ed Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Temples and Tombs

The book focuses on the tombs and temples of Rome from a historical and archaeological point of view. Some of the commentaries are interesting, but without photos and a good background in history, most readers will feel lost.

[Trepkos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheeky French porn - quite amusing!

[myriam kisfaludi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toujours Balzac en mode Rabelais et en ancien Français. Toujours truculent à souhait.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book published in the 1800's that talks about architecture that was uncovered, and some of the history of the city of Rome. While I found it interesting, I think modern readers might find it less than compelling.

[Bettie]

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22153


BATTLE BETWEEN CONSTANTINE AND MAXENTIUS
(From a painting by Giulio Romano, Francesco Penni and Raffaellino del Colle)

The opening chapter deals with: The early adoption of Christianity not confined to the poorer classes.—Instances of Roman nobles who were Christians.—The family of the Acilii Glabriones.—Manius Acilius the consul.—Put to death because of his religion.—Description of his tomb, recently discovered.—Other Christian patricians.—How was it possible for men in public office to serve both Christ and Cæsar?—The usual liberality of the emperors towards the new religion.—Nevertheless an open profession of faith hazardous and frequently avoided.—Marriages between Christians and pagans.—Apostasy resulting from these.—Curious discovery illustrating the attitude of Seneca's family towards Christianity.2—Christians in the army.—The gradual nature of the transformation of Rome.—The significance of the inscription on the Arch of Constantine.—The readiness of the early Church to adopt pagan customs and even myths.—The curious mixture of pagan and Christian conceptions which grew out of this.—Churches became repositories for classical works of art, for which new interpretations were invented.—The desire of the early Christians to make their churches as beautiful as possible.—The substitution of Christian shrines for the old pagan altars at street corners.—Examples of both.—The bathing accommodations of the pagan temples adopted by the Church.—Also the custom of providing public standards of weights and measures.—These set up in the basilicas.—How their significance became perverted in the Dark Ages.—The adoption of funerary banquets and their degeneration.—The public store-houses of the emperors and those of the popes.—Pagan rose-festivals and their conversion into a Christian institution.

[Italo Italophiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A large section in the book is dedicated to the construction of the first and second Basilica of St. Peter. First Constantine's tribute to where St. Peter was crucified is described, and then the new basilica's construction is detailed. I found this to be the most fascinating section of the book.

The second most interesting section is about the churches built over the homes that were used by Saints Peter and Paul when preaching to the early Christians in Rome.

The author's enthusiasm for his subject is contagious. A picture of Rome through the ages emerges from his text. It is a living, breathing Rome, full of complex people from all around the Mediterranean Sea. He treats us to appropriate quotes from classical writers, popes, saints and historians.

The reader comes away with a better understanding of the ancient Romans and the early Christians, but to fully appreciate the book the reader should have a basic grounding in the history of ancient Rome and in the Catholic faith. Only then can one really understand the links the author makes between Jerusalem and Rome, not least the recreation of the Via Dolorosa by Rome's town planners, to host the yearly Passion play.

Please read my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...

[Tara Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's so much yet to be learned about the relative interconnection between pagan and early Christian beliefs, especially during their first manifestations in Ancient Rome. Theoretically, according to the Christian Bible, Christ did not actually set out to create a religion of his own, rather to reform the corruption that was starting to spread through certain sects of the Jewish faith. Chronologically, Christianity was practiced in earliest forms with a certain tide over of early Jewish and Roman roots, as well as a healthy dose of Northern influence from the Gauls and the Saxons as invading tribes brought new influences to Rome. I found this text to be interesting, despite it's age, as the author backtracks to several moments in history where pagans and Christians co-existed in Rome, eventually taking and grafting pieces of each other to incorporate new elements of worship still practiced in the future.

[Justin Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is interesting to read this account which pre-dates 20th century criticism. The validity of events recorded in the Bible and early Christian tradition are generally assumed to be true. The questions dealt with in this book are more along the lines of the legitimacy and applicability of artifacts.

[Bjørnar Tuftin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would you like to read an early 19th century revival of medieval and renaissance, rabelaisian humor? Then look no further, or maybe look further, what do I know except these stories did not resonate with me. I'd try to describe them, but I could never do them justice.

[Evan Simpkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im fascinated by tomb art. This is a great resource, but not just for that.

[İlter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farklı hikayelerin olduğu bir kitap. Aşk Gecesi, Şeytanın Çırakları(Sonu hariç), Hayal Kırıklığına Uğrayan Aşık isimli hikayeler fena değildi.