LINKS WITH THE PAST

Evening Star, Issue 21092, 3 May 1932, Page 12

LINKS WITH THE PAST

ROMAN REMAINS IN ALGERIA 1 Roman Remains and Monuments in Algeria ’ was the subject of Dr AV. H. Benham’s address at a joint meeting of the Classical Association and the Archaeological Branch of the Otago Institute at the Museum last evening. Dr Beuliam conducted his audience on an interesting and instructive tour of Northern Algeria from Algiers to Biskra in the south and then north-east to Constantine. This was a route personally followed on his recent world tour by Dr Benham, and his descriptive comments on the places visited, which he was careful to emphasise, comprised only a very small jwrtion of Algeria, were effectively illustrated by a series of lantern slides depicting some of the majestic studies in decay which form the onlv existing relies of the “glory that was Rome.” The colossal aqueducts which the Romans used to convey water from tho mountains to tho city above ground were represented by views of the amazing structures at Cherchel and Carthage, the latter of which bore the name of the great Emperor Hadrian. Dr Bonham Jinked up these grim old remains of an ago other than ours with the world of the Scriptures and the world of the motor car, and endowed with striking appeal and attractiveness ruins and stones which to tho average man are nothing but mouldering piles, but which arc in reality the containers of groat and valuable historical -coords and secrets that have yet to be fully revealed. It was a rare treat tc stroll with Dr Benham among the runs of the once magnificent city of Timgat. with its tine old buildings, its gigantic amphitheatres, where the Roman d'uma found vigorous life and expression at a time when Romo was tiring of t, and its astounding bath clubs where the elite of Roman society gathered to indulge in the ablutions of the time an! exchange the gossip of their class aid day. The pictures were excellent loproductions of scones essentially Old World depicting structures Roman in spirit and execution, and eloqucit of the architectural and structural talent of a time which is too commonly regarded as primitive and crude in comparison with our own. On the notion of Mr W. J. Morrell, a hearty aoto of thanks was passed to the lectmsr.