Roman Antiquities: Or An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Romans ...

MIRMILLONES

SAMNITES

ESSEDARII

· ANDABATÆ, ETC. 301

Some gladiators were called MIRMILLONES (a upuupos, piscis), because they carried the image of a fish on their helmet; hence a Retiarius, when engaged with one of them, said, "I do not aim at you, I throw at your fish," (NON TE PETO, PISCEM PETO: QUID ME FUGIS, GALLE?) Festus. The Mirmillo was armed like a Gaul, with a buckler (parma vel pelta) and a hooked sword or cutlass (sica vel harpe, i. e. gladio incurvo et falcato), and was usually matched with a Thracian (THREX vel THRAX, i. e. Threcidicis armis ornatus), Cic. Phil. vii. 6. Liv. xli. 20. Horat. Sat. ii. 6. 44. Suet. Cal. 32. Juvenal. viii. 201. Auson. in Monosyll. 102. Quis Myrmilloni componitur æquimanus? Threx.

Certain gladiators from their armour were called SAMNITES, Liv. ix. 40. Cic. Sext. 64., and also Hoplomăchi, Suet. Cal. 35. Some Dimachari, because they fought with two swords; and others Laquearii, because they used a noose to entangle their adversaries, Isidor. xviii. 56.

There was a kind of gladiators who fought from chariots (ex essědis), after the manner of the Britons or Gauls, called ESSEDARII, Cic. Fam. vii. 6. Suet. Cal. 35. Cæs. de B. G. v. 24., and also from horseback, with, what was curious, their eyes shut (clausis oculis), who were called ANDABATE, Cic. Fam. vii. 10. Hence Andabatarum more pugnare, to fight in the dark or blindfold. Hieronym.

Gladiators who were substituted (supponebantur) in place of those who were conquered or fatigued, were called SUPPOSITITII, or SUBDITITII, Martial. v. 25. 8. Those who were asked by the people, from the emperor, on account of their dexterity and skill in fighting, were called POSTULATITII: such were maintained at the emperor's private charge, and hence called FISCALES or Cæsariani. Those who were produced and fought in the ordinary manner were called ORDINARII, Suet. Aug. 44. Domit. 4.

When a number fought together (gregatim, temere ac sine arte), and not in pairs, they were called CATERVARII, Suet. Aug. 45. Cal. 30. Those produced at mid-day, who were generally untrained, MERIDIANI, Senec. Epist. 7. Suet. Claud. 34.

The person who was to exhibit gladiators (EDITOR), some time before announced the show (munus edicebat, Senec. Ep. 117. ostendebat, pronunciabat, proponebat, &c. Cic. Fam. ii. 8. ix. 8. Suet. Jul.

26. Tit. 8.) by an advertisement or bill pasted up in public (per libellum publice affixum), in which he mentioned the number and names of the most distinguished gladiators. Sometimes these things seem to have been represented in a picture, Horat. Sat. ii. 7. 95. Plin. xxxv. 7. s. 33.

Gladiators were exhibited sometimes at the funeral pile, often in the Forum, which was then adorned with statues and pictures, Cic. Verr. i. 22.; but usually in an amphitheatre, so called, because it was seated all around, like two theatres joined, Plin. xxxvi. 14. 16, &c.

AMPHITHEATRES were at first temporary, and made of wood. The first durable one of stone was built by Statilius Taurus, at the desire of Augustus, Suet. Aug. 29., which seems likewise to have been partly of wood. The largest amphitheatre was that begun by Vespasian

302

COLISEUM -ARENA PODIUM -CUNEI.

the Colossus or large statue of Nero which stood near it.* It was of an oval form, and is said to have contained 87,000 spectators. Its ruins still remain. The place where the gladiators fought was called [cavea or] ARENA, because it was covered with sand or sawdust, to prevent the gladiators from sliding, and to absorb the blood; and the persons who fought Arenarii. But arena is also put for the whole amphitheatre, or the show, Juvenal. iii. 34.; also for the seat of war, Prima belli civilis arena Italia fuit, Flor. iii. 20, 21. iv. 2. thus Lucan. vi. 63., or for one's peculiar province, Plin. Ep. vi. 12.

The part next the arena was called PODIUM [Juv. ii. 144.], where the senators sat, and the ambassadors of foreign nations; and where also was the place of the emperor (SUGGESTUS vel -um), elevated like a pulpit or tribunal, Suet. Jul. 76. Plin. Paneg. 51., and covered with a canopy like a pavilion (CUBICULUM vel papilio, Suet. Ner. 12.), likewise of the person who exhibited the games (Editoris Tribunal), and of the Vestal Virgins, Suet. Aug. 44.

The Podium projected over the wall which surrounded the arena, [like a foot put forward, whence its name]; and was raised between twelve and fifteen feet above it; secured with a breastwork or parapet (lorica) against the irruption of wild beasts. As a further defence, the arena was surrounded with an iron rail (ferreis clathris), and a canal (euripo), Plin. viii. 7‡

The Equites sat in fourteen rows behind the senators. The seats (gradus vel sedilia) of both were covered with cushions (pulvillis), Juvenal. iii. 152., first used in the time of Caligula, Dio. lix. 7. The rest of the people sat behind, on the bare stone, and their seats were called POPULARIA, Suet. Claud. 25. Dom. 4. The entrances to these seats were called VOMITORIA [Sixty-four in number, in the Coliseum]; the passages (via) by which they ascended to the seats were called Scale or Scalaria; and the seats between two passages were, from their form, called Cuneus, a wedge, Juvenal. vi. 61. Suet. Aug. 44. For, like the section of a circle, this space gradually widened from the arena to the top. Hence, Cuneis innotuit res omnibus, to all the spectators, Phædr. v. 7. 35.

Sometimes a particular place was publicly granted to certain persons by way of honour, Cic. Phil. ix. 7., and the editor seems to have

It was built out of part of the materials, and on a portion of the site, of Nero's golden house.

"It measured in its longer diameter 615 English feet, and in the shorter 510 feet. The accommodations for the spectators within occupied the width of 157 feet, leaving for the longer diameter of the arena 281 feet, and for the shorter 176 feet, with 20 feet for the walls, &c. of the building. Its entire circumference measured about 1,770 feet, including a superficial area of 246,661 feet, or something more than 4 acres of land. Its extreme height was about 164 feet. The exterior elevation was composed of three stories of arcades, presenting successively the Doric, the Ionic, and the Corinthian orders. At its dedication, 5000 wild beasts are said by Eutropius to have been sacrificed in the arena, and 9000, according to Dio.". Encycl. Metrop, art. Amphitheatre.

"The Latin term podium was probably the origin of our term pew, as Junius, Minshewe, and others, have long ago conjectured. They appear, in their origin and purpose, to bear a striking resemblance to each other. Both were an encroachment on the space at first appropriated to the people. Both were erected in the best situations, and both were set apart for the noble, the great, and distinguished.”—British Mag. Sept. 1834. p. 305.

been allowed to assign a more honourable seat to any person whom he was inclined to favour, Cic. Att. ii. 1.

There were certain persons called DESIGNATORES or Dissignatores, masters of ceremonies, who assigned to every one his proper place, Plaut. Panul. prolog. 19. Cic. Att. iv. 3., as undertakers did at funerals, Horat. Epist. i. 7. 6.; and when they removed any one from his place, they were said eum excitare vel suscitare, Martial. iii. 95. v. 14. vi. 9. The Designatores are thought by some to have been the same with what were called LOCARII (quia sedes vel spectacula locabant). But these, according to others, properly were poor people, who came early and took possession of a seat, which they afterwards parted with to some rich person who came late, for hire, Martial. v. 25.*

Anciently, women were not allowed to see the gladiators, without the permission of those in whose power they were, Valer. Max. vi. 3. 12.; but afterwards this restriction was removed. Augustus assigned them a particular place in the highest seats of the amphitheatre, Suet. Aug. 44. Ovid. Amor. ii. 7. 3.

There were in the amphitheatres secret tubes, from which the spectators were besprinkled with perfumes (croco diluto aut aliis fragrantibus liquoribus), Martial. v. 26. & de Spect. 3., issuing from certain figures (SIGNA), Lucan. ix. 808.; and in rain or excessive heat there were coverings (vela vel velaria) to draw over them, Juvenal. iv. 122. For which purposes there were holes in the top of the outer wall, in which poles were fixed to support them. But when the wind did not permit these coverings to be spread, they used broad-brimmed hats or caps (causiæ vel pilei) and umbrellas, Dio. lix. 7. Martial. xiv. 27, 28.

By secret springs, certain wooden machines called PEGMATA vel -ma, were raised to a great height, to appearance spontaneously, and elevated or depressed, diminished or enlarged, at pleasure, Martial. Spect. ii. 16. viii. 33. Senec. Epist. 88. Suet. Claud. 34. Gladiators were sometimes set on them, hence called Pegmāres, Suet. Cal. 26., and boys (et pueros inde ad velaria raptos), Juvenal. iv. 122. But pegmata is put by Cicero for the shelves (pro loculis) in which books were kept, Att. iv. 8.

Nigh to the amphitheatre was a place called SPOLIARIUM, to which those who were killed or mortally wounded were dragged by a hook (unco trahebantur), Plin. Paneg. 36. Senec. Epist. 93. Lamprid. in Commod. fin.t

The general superintendance of the building was under the direction of a villicus amphitheatri.

"Of the other amphitheatres of the ancient world, it may be sufficient to remark that, while they were all more or less modelled upon the plan of the Coliseum, and subject to similar laws and arrangements, as far as the circumstances of their respective situations would admit, those of Verona, Capua, Nismes, and Autun, alone approached the amphitheatre of the capital in the style of their decorations, and the regularity of their management. That of Verona measured 506 English feet in the longer diameter, in the shorter, 405 feet; and the arena was 247 feet long, by 145 feet wide; the whole building including a circuit of 1,451 feet, and a superficial area of 204,930 feet: equal to about four fifths of the size of the Coliseum itself. Its entire height, consisting of three stories of arcades, was about 90 English feet. The amphitheatre at Nismes was 430 English feet long, by 338 wide; including an area of

302

COLISEUM

ARENA -PODIUM

CUNEI.

the Colossus or large statue of Nero which stood near it.* It was of an oval form, and is said to have contained 87,000 spectators. Its ruins still remain. The place where the gladiators fought was called [cavea or] ARENA, because it was covered with sand or sawdust, to prevent the gladiators from sliding, and to absorb the blood; and the persons who fought Arenarii. But arena is also put for the whole amphitheatre, or the show, Juvenal. iii. 34. ; also for the seat of war, Prima belli civilis arena Italia fuit, Flor. iii. 20, 21. iv. 2. thus Lucan. vi. 63., or for one's peculiar province, Plin. Ep. vi. 12.

The

The Equites sat in fourteen rows behind the senators. The seats (gradus vel sedilia) of both were covered with cushions (pulvillis), Juvenal. iii. 152., first used in the time of Caligula, Dio. lix. 7. rest of the people sat behind, on the bare stone, and their seats were called POPULARIA, Suet. Claud. 25. Dom. 4. The entrances to these seats were called VoMITORIA [sixty-four in number, in the Coliseum ]; the passages (via) by which they ascended to the seats were called Scala or Scalaria; and the seats between two passages were, from their form, called Cuneus, a wedge, Juvenal. vi. 61. Suet. Aug. 44. For, like the section of a circle, this space gradually widened from the arena to the top. Hence, Cuneis innotuit res omnibus, to all the spectators, Phadr. v. 7. 35.

Sometimes a particular place was publicly granted to certain persons by way of honour, Cic. Phil. ix. 7., and the editor seems to have

* It was built out of part of the materials, and on a portion of the site, of Nero's golden house.

been allowed to assign a more honourable seat to any person whom he was inclined to favour, Cic. Att. ii. 1.

The general superintendance of the building was under the direction of a villicus amphitheatri.

Of the other amphitheatres of the ancient world, it may be sufficient to remark that, while they were all more or less modelled upon the plan of the Coliseum, and subject to similar laws and arrangements, as far as the circumstances of their respective situations would admit, those of Verona, Capua, Nismes, and Autun, alone approached the amphitheatre of the capital in the style of their decorations, and the regularity of their management. That of Verona measured 506 English feet in the longer diameter, in the shorter, 405 feet; and the arena was 247 feet long, by 145 feet wide; the whole building including a circuit of 1,451 feet, and a superficial area of 204,930 feet: equal to about four fifths of the size of the Coliseum itself. Its entire height, consisting of three stories of arcades, was about 90 English feet. The amphitheatre at Nismes was 430 English feet long, by 338 wide; including an area of

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