A. D. 404
THE grandest and most renowned of all the ancient amphitheatres is the Colis？"um at Rome. It was built by Vespa"sian and his son Titus， the conquerors of Jerusalem， in a valley in the midst of the seven hills of Rome. The captive Jews were forced to labour at it； and the materials-granite outside， and a softer stone within-are so solid， and so admirably built， that still， at the end of eighteen centuries， it has scarcely even become a ruin， but remains one of the greatest wonders of Rome.
Five acres of ground were enclosed within the oval of its outer wall， which， outside， rises perpendicularly in tiers of arches one above another. Within， the galleries of seats projected forwards， each tier coming out far beyond the oneabove it； so that between the lowest and the outer wall there was room for a great variety of chambers， passages， and vaults around the central space， called the arena.①Altogether， when full， this huge building held no fewer than 87， 000 spectators！ It had no roof； but when there was rain， or if the sun was too hot， the sailors in the porticos unfurled awnings that ran along upon ropes， and formed a covering of silk and gold tissue over the whole. Purple was the favourite colour for this veil； because， when the sun shone through it， it cast such beautiful rosy tints on the snowy arena and the white purple-edged togas of the Roman citizens.
When the emperor had seated himself and given the signal，the sports began. Sometimes a rope-dancing elephant would begin the entertainment， by mounting even to the summit of the building and descending by a cord. Or a lion came forth with a jewelled crown on his head， a diamond necklace round his neck， his mane plaited with gold， and his claws gilded， and played a hundred pretty gentle antics with a little hare that danced fearlessly within his grasp.
Sometimes water was let into the arena， a ship sailed in， and falling to pieces in the midst， sent a crowd of strange animals swimming in all directions. Sometimes the ground opened， and trees came growing up through it， bearing golden fruit.
would follow the harp and song of the musician； but-to make the whole part complete-it was in no mere play， but in real earnest， that the Orpheus of the piece fell a prey to live bears.
For the Colis？um had not been built for such harmless spectacles as those first described. The fierce Romans wanted to be excited and to feel themselves strongly stirred； and， presently， the doors of the pits and dens around the arena were thrown open， and absolutely savage beasts were let loose upon one another-rhinoceroses and tigers， bulls and lions， leopards and wild boars-while the people watched with ferociouscuriosity to see the various kinds of attack and defence， their ears at the same time being delighted， instead of horror-struck， by the roars and howls of the noble creatures whose courage was thus misused.
Wild beasts tearing each other to pieces might， one would think， satisfy any taste for horror； but the spectators needed even nobler game to be set before their favourite monsters； -men were brought forward to confront them. Some of these were， at first， in full armour， and fought hard， generally with success. Or hunters came， almost unarmed， and gained the victory by swiftness and dexterity， throwing a piece of cloth over a lion"s head， or disconcerting him by putting their fist down his throat.
But it was not only skill， but death， that the Romans loved to see； and condemned criminals and deserters were reserved to feast the lions， and to entertain the populace with their various kinds of death. Among those condemned was many aINTERIOR OF THE COLIS？UMChristian martyr，③ who witnessed a good confession before the savage-eyed multitude around the arena， and "met the lion"s gory mane" with a calm resolution and a hopeful joy that the lookers-on could not understand. To see a Christian die， with upward gaze， and hymns of joy on his tongue， was the most strange and unaccountable sight the Colis？um could offer； and it was therefore the choicest， and reserved for the last of the spectacles in which the brute creation had a part.
The carcasses were dragged off with hooks， the blood- stained sand was covered with a fresh clean layer， perfume was wafted in stronger clouds， and a procession came forward- tall， well-made men， in the prime of their strength. Some carried a sword and a lasso， others a trident and a net； some were in light armour， others in the full， heavy equipment of a soldier； some on horseback， some in chariots， some on foot. They marched in， and made their obeisance to the emperor； and with one voice their greeting sounded through the building： "Hail， C？sar； those about to die salute thee！" They were the gladiators-the swordsmen trained to fight to the death to amuse the populace.
Fights of all sorts took place， -the light-armed soldier and the netsman-the lasso and the javelin-the two heavy-armedwarriors， -all combinations of single combat， and sometimes a general mêlêe . When a gladiator wounded his adversary， he shouted to the spectators， "He has it！" andlooked up to knowTHE DYING GLADIATOR.
whether he should kill or spare. When the people held up their thumbs， the conquered was left to recover， if he could； if they turned them down， he was to die： and if he showed any reluctance to present his throat for the death-blow， there was a scornful shout， "Receive the steel！"Many of us must have seen casts of that most touching statue of the wounded gladiator， that called forth from Byron these noble lines of indignant pity： -"I see before me the gladiator lie：
He leans upon his hand； his manly brow Consents to death， but conquers agony；And his drooped head sinks gradually low；And through his side the last drops， ebbing slow From the red gash， fall heavy， one by one，Like the first of a thunder-shower； and now The arena swims around him-he is gone，Ere ceased the inhuman shout which hailed the wretchwho won.