can,--and two cavities were pointed out in one of the
paving-stones of the road, which were said to have been made by the
knees of the apostle when he was imploring God to chastise the
impostor. The paving-stone is now kept in the church of S. Maria Nova.
Before its removal from the original place it gave rise to a curious
custom. People believed that rainwater collected in the two holes was
a miracle-working remedy; and crowds of ailing wretches gathered
around the place at the approach of a shower.

On the opposite side of the road, remains of a large church can still
be seen at the foot of the Palatine, among the ruins of the baths
attributed to Elagabalus. Higher up, on the platform once occupied by
the "Gardens of Adonis" and now by the Vigna Barberini, we can visit
the church of S. Sebastiano, formerly called that of S. Maria in
Palatio or in Palladio.

I am unable to locate exactly another famous church, that of S.
Cesareus de Palatio, the private chapel which Christian emperors
substituted for the classic Lararium (described in "Ancient Rome," p.
127). Here were placed the images of the Byzantine princes, sent from
Constantinople to Rome, to represent in a certain way their rights.
The custody of these was intrusted to a body of Greek monks. Their
monastery became at one time very important, and was chosen by
ambassadors and envoys from the east and from southern Italy as their
residence during their stay in Rome.

The basilica of Constantine is another example of this transformation.
Nibby, who conducted the excavations of 1828, saw traces of religious
paintings in the apse of the eastern aisle. They are scarcely
discernible now.

The temple of the Sacra Urbs, and the herooen of Romulus, son of
Maxentius, became a joint church of SS. Cosma and Damiano, during the
pontificate of Felix IV. (526-530); the Temple of Antoninus and
Faustina was dedicated to S. Lorenzo; the Janus Quadrifrons to S.
Dionysius, the hall of the Senate to S. Adriano, the offices of the
Senate to S. Martino, the Mamertine prison to S. Peter, the Temple of
Concord to SS. Sergio e Bacco.

The same practice was followed with regard to the edifices on the
opposite side of the road. The Virgin Mary was worshipped in the
Templum divi Augusti, in the place of the deified founder of the
empire; and also in the Basilica Julia, the northern vestibule of
which was transformed into the church of S. Maria de Foro. Finally,
the AErarium Saturni tr