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2,300-Year-Old Mosaic Made of the Most Brilliant Material Unearthed in Major City: Report

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Archaeologists working at Rome’s Palatine Hill reportedly found an incredible treasure in early December.

After five years of working on the archaeological exploration of a large, aristocratic mansion near the Roman Forum, the team discovered a deluxe banquet room believed to be at least 2,300 years old, according to CNN. Within the room, the researchers found an enormous, fully intact wall mosaic made of brightly colored seashells and corals, images of which were shared by Voice of Europe on social media.

The mosaic is 16.4 feet long (5 meters) and features designs of tridents, trumpets, lotus leaves, mythological creatures and more, all made from mother of pearl, shells, corals, precious glass and marble, CNN reported. The actual wall is framed with ancient Egyptian blue tiles, travertine and crystals.

The discovery was described as “unmatched” by Colosseum Archaeological Park lead archaeologist Alfonsina Russo. It’s believed the scene depicted in the mosaic celebrates victories in naval and land battles, and was likely funded by one or more extremely wealthy Romans. (Read more from “2,300-Year-Old Mosaic Made of the Most Brilliant Material Unearthed in Major City: Report” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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Bones Attributed to St Peter Found by Chance in 1,000-Year-Old Church in Rome

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Bones attributed to St Peter have been found by chance in a church in Rome during routine restoration work, 2,000 years after the apostle’s death.

The relics of the saint, who is regarded as the first Pope, were found in clay pots in the 1,000-year-old Church of Santa Maria in Cappella in the district of Trastevere, a medieval warren of cobbled lanes on the banks of the Tiber River.

The bones were discovered when a worker lifted up a large marble slab near the medieval altar of the church, which has been closed to the public for 35 years because of structural problems.

He came across two Roman-era pots with inscriptions on their lids indicating that inside were not only bone fragments from St Peter but also three early popes – Cornelius, Callixtus and Felix – as well as four early Christian martyrs. (Read more from “Bones Attributed to St Peter Found by Chance in 1,000-Year-Old Church in Rome” HERE)

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Secret Pagan Basilica in Rome Emerges From the Shadows After 2,000 Years

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A mysterious Roman basilica built for the worship of an esoteric pagan cult and now lying hidden more than 40ft below street level has opened to the public for the first time.

The basilica, the only one of its kind in the world, was excavated from solid tufa volcanic rock on the outskirts of the imperial capital in the first century AD.

Lavishly decorated with stucco reliefs of gods, goddesses, panthers, winged cherubs and pygmies, it was discovered by accident in 1917 during the construction of a railway line from Rome to Cassino, a town to the south. An underground passageway caved in, revealing the entrance to the hidden chamber . . .

The subterranean basilica, which predates Christianity, was built by a rich Roman family who were devotees of a little-known cult called Neopythagoreanism.

Originating in the first century BC, it was a school of mystical Hellenistic philosophy that preached asceticism and was based on the writings of Pythagoras and Plato. (Read more from “Secret Pagan Basilica in Rome Emerges From the Shadows After 2,000 Years” HERE)

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Rome: Hundreds of Thousands Protest Against Same-Sex Unions

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A crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands gathered in Rome’s San Giovanni Square on June 20 to engage in a Family Day protest against a bill backed by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi that would create civil unions for same-sex couples. The square, adjacent to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, can hold an estimated 300,000 people, but the crowd of protesters overflowed beyond its boundaries, an AFP photographer said.

The bill that Renzi has attempted to push though Parliament would, in addition to establishing civil unions for homosexuals, provide for the teaching of “gender theories” in Italian schools. It passed the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of Parliament) on June 10 and must now be approved by the Senate. Renzi seeks a Senate vote on the legislation during the next few weeks, with the aim of it being enacted before the end of July. The prime minister is a member of Italy’s Democratic Party, which is often described as being “center-left,” but has inherited a legacy of socialism from its predecessors.

Italian Democrats were energized in their push for civil unions after voters in Ireland — which like Italy, has a large majority of Catholics — approved a referendum on May 23 legalizing same-sex “marriage by a 62.1-percent affirmative vote. Following that vote, Renzi said: “Civil unions [in Italy] cannot be delayed any longer.”

And Italy’s Democratic Party leader Roberto Speranza called the Irish vote a “joy,” adding that “now it is Italy’s turn.” Another party leader, Laura Boldrini, the president the Chamber of Deputies, tweeted an approving message on the day of the Irish referendum that translates as: “being European means recognizing rights.”

While the Democrats may be the strongest political party in Italy, with a large plurality in both houses of parliament, they still face formidable opposition to passage of their civil unions bill — particularly from the Catholic Church, which seems to have a stronger influence on Italian society that it does in Ireland, where most Catholic voters ignored a statement published by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference in opposition to its passage. (Read more from “Rome: Hundreds of Thousands Protest Against Same-Sex Unions” HERE)

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Black Panther Chairman: Democrats Using Black People ‘Like Whores & Prostitutes’

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In a recent radio interview, New Black Panther Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz made remarks startling even for his radical group.  He contended not only that Democrats are using black people “like whores and prostitutes” but that the United States is a “modern Babylon and a modern Rome” in serious decline. He continued:

“Can the Democratic Party really save us, locally and nationally, or are we just holding on because we ain’t got nothing better? Are we just being fired up for this election, to go out here and give some votes, and all of the core concerns of the black community will be thrown to the side when November gets passed.  We don’t want to be used like whores and prostitutes, we have to pay attention – we have to take charge of our post, accept our own and be ourselves, and stop jiving in bullsh*t.”

Here’s more from the Blaze:

The chairman then began to list a series of grievances with democrats, citing the rights of ex-felons and gentrification, whites moving into black neighborhoods, as letdown issues. Shabazz returned to the point by asking:

“Is the Democratic Party going to help with that? Is that even on their agenda, on their radar? Are your concerns being addressed, or are you being used like a whore? That’s the main point here.”

Shabazz reiterated his point by telling his listeners once again:

“We don’t want to be used like whores and prostitutes, we have to pay attention — we have to take charge of our post, accept our own and be ourselves, and stop jiving in bullsh*t.”

Photo credit: Bob Jagendorf

Manning the Barricades for Virtue and America

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This Fourth of July we are reflecting on the Founding Father’s intensive study of the Roman civilization. Knowing history, they embraced Rome’s virtues and eschewed her vices. The Founders understood the currents of history which gave us a collective heritage unrivaled. Sadly, we as a nation are turning our backs on the morality that made America special. The country has convulsed in the past 30 years as a new modern morality has supplanted the currents of culture built nearly two thousand years ago along the shores of Galilee. This new culture is not yet fully defined, but we stand horrified as we peer into the future. The culture of the Roman world was brutal and nasty. Ironically, we see its worst practices reviving with vigor. Please give us a moment as we recount a history seldom taught today’s students. The Roman Empire had a twisted view about the value of human life. These views were banished by the ascendency of Christ’s teaching. Infanticide was both legal and encouraged in ancient Rome. Pagan societies, such as the Carthaginians, Romans and Greeks went so far as to kill their children outside the womb, sometimes as a religious sacrifice to their gods. According to Plutarch, the Carthaginians “offered up their own children, and those who had no children would buy little ones from poor people and cut their throats as if they were so many lambs of young birds; meanwhile the mothers stood by without a tear or moan.” We see a modern American society which looks at children as a burden, and a generation of mothers who have decided by their own “choice” to sacrifice a generation. Population control is now an international objective.

Read More at Floyd Reports by Floyd and Mary Beth Brown, Floyd Reports