|
THE emperor Theodosius during his short stay in Italy, conferred
the greatest benefit on the city of Rome, by grants on the one hand,
and abrogations on the other. His largesses were indeed very
munificent; and he removed two most infamous abuses which existed in
the city. One of them was the following: there were buildings of
immense magnitude, erected in ancient Rome in former times, in which
bread was made for distribution among the people. Those who had the
charge of these edifices, who Mancipes were called in the Latin
language, in process of time converted them into receptacles for
thieves. Now as the bake-houses in these structures were placed
underneath, they build taverns at the side of each, where they kept
prostitutes; by which means they entrapped many of those who went
thither either for the sake of refreshment, or to gratify thor lusts,
for by a certain mechanical contrivance they precipitated them from the
tavern into the bake-house below. This was practiced chiefly upon
strangers; and such as were in this way kidnapped were compelled to
work in the bake-houses, where many of them were immured until old
age, not being allowed to go out, and giving the impression to their
friends that they were dead. It happened that one of the soldiers of
the emperor Theodosius fell into this snare; who being shut up in the
bake-house, and hindered from going out, drew a dagger which he wore
and killed those who stood in his way: the rest being terrified,
suffered him to escape. When the emperor was made acquainted with the
circumstance he haunts of lawless and abandoned characters to be pulled
down. This was one of the disgraceful Nuisances of which the emperor
purged the imperial city: the other was of this nature. When a woman
was detected in adultery, they for shutting her up in a narrow
brothel, they obliged her to prostitute herself in a most disgusting
manner; causing little bells to be rung at the time of the unclean deed
that those who brand the crime with greater ignominy in public opinion.
As soon as the emperor was apprised of this indecent usage, he would
by no means tolerate it; but hating ordered the Sistra __ for so
these places of penal prostitution were denominated- to be pulled
down, he appointed other laws for the punishment of adulteresses.
Thus did the emperor Theodosius free the city from two of its most
discreditable abuses: and when he had arranged all other affairs to his
satisfaction, he left the emperor Valentinian at Rome, and rammed
himself with his son Honorius to Constantinople, and entered that
city of the 10th of November, in the consulate of Tatian and
Symmachus.
|
|