CHAPTER XXXVI. THE SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGES
Among the wonders of the Metropolis of the World, the catacombs orsubterranean vaults and passages are certainly not the least. The firstChristians, persecuted with atrocious cruelty by the pagan imperialgovernment of Rome, sought refuge for safety occasionally in thecatacombs; and sometimes, also, that they might assemble withoutincurring suspicion, in larger numbers, to instruct themselves in thedoctrines of their new religion. These subterranean passages were alsoundoubtedly the resort of fugitive slaves and other miserable beings,who sought refuge from the tyrannical government of imperial Rome,over which have presided some of the direst monsters that everexisted--Heliogabalus, Nero, Caligula, and other despots in purple.
Among these subterranean passages there are, it appears, differentkinds. Some were constructed for the purpose of receiving the dead,others were used as water conduits, and supplied the city with rivers offresh water for a population of two millions. The cloaca maxima, whichled from Rome to the sea, is very famous, as well as many smallerhidden roads, constructed by wealthy private individuals, at an enormousexpense, in which they could secrete themselves from the depredations ofthose greatest of all robbers the emperors, and in later times from thepersecution and massacre of the barbarians.
The soil on which Rome is built, as well as that in its immediateneighborhood, offers great facilities to the excavator, beingcomposed of volcanic clay, easy to pierce, yet sufficiently solid andimpenetrable to damp to form a secure habitation. In fact, to this daymany shepherds, with their flocks, lodge in these artificial caverns.
Before the exploration of the subterranean passages of the castle, itwas thought desirable to send the severely wounded to Rome, attended bythose who were only slightly injured, and conducted by some shepherds.Among the Liberals very few were wounded, and none severely so. Many ofthe Papilini, moreover, requested permission to remain and follow thefortunes of the proscribed, for there are not many Italian soldiers,however debased, who willingly serve the priesthood; and there isno doubt that when the hour for liberating Italy and Rome from theirpollution arrives, not a soldier, with the exception of the foreignmercenaries, will remain to protect them.
After dispatching the wounded, Orazio and his men removed to thesubterranean passages all that the castle contained which was valuableand useful, with provisions of all kinds to last for some time, and thenawaited calmly the coming of the enemy. They did not fail to take allmilitary precautions, and that in spite of the notices from Romeof every movement of the enemy, Orazio also sent scouts and placedsentinels in all directions, that he might be apprised at the earliestmoment of their approach.
The original party had been considerably augmented by the arrival ofAttilio and his followers, as well as by those of the Roman soldierswho had resolved to serve the priest no longer, not to mention certainyouths from the capital, who, having heard of the victory won by theLiberals, determined forthwith to join them. They now numbered sixtyindividuals, without counting the women, while Orazio's authorityover his band was increased rather than lessened by this addition, andAttilio, although at the head of the Roman party, and commander of the"Three Hundred," showed the greatest fidelity in obeying the orders ofhis brave and warlike brother in arms.
Orazio divided his little army into four companies, under the commandof Attilio, Muzio, Silvio, and Emilio the antiquary. The latter had beensecond in command before the advent of the chief of the Three Hundred,but made it a point of honor to yield this post to him. A generousdispute ensued, which would never have ended, had not Orazio persuadedAttilio to accept the first command, and assigned the second to Emilio.Such was the disinterestedness of these champions of Rome's liberty."Freedom for Rome or death!" was their motto. Little did they carefor grades, distinctions, or decorations, which they indeed held asinstruments used by despotism to corrupt one half of the nation, andhumiliate and hold in bondage the other half.