Identifier: storyofancientna00west (find matches)
Title: The story of the ancient nations : a text-book for high schools
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Westermann, William Linn, 1873-1954
Subjects: History, Ancient
Publisher: New York : London : D. Appleton and Company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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A Roman Villa by the Sea. From a Wall-painting. The Figure above the man Fishing is aStatue of Hercules. regular custom after the time of the Gracchi, insured themenough food to live upon; but the pride of the poorer classes,and their willingness to work, were undermined by acceptingthe charity of the state. As the state took over the task of supporting the poor, sothe wealthy citizens supplied them with their pleasures. Itbecame customary for politicians to give festivals as a meansof obtaining the votes of the mob of Rome. The chief partof these festivals lay in the gladiatorial games, an amuse-ment which the Latins had originally learned from Etruria.In these games men fought in pairs, usually with swords, andto the death. Sometimes a man with a heavy net and a CLESAR ENDS THE ROMAN REPUBLIC 377 A^IAMX«
Text Appearing After Image:
Gladiatorial Combat. From a Pompeian Mosaic. The Net-man has Suc-ceeded in Snaring his opponent, but is himself Thrownand Wounded. The letters read, Astianax Con-quered, Kalendio was Slain. trident would be pitted against one who carried only swordand shield. The cost and cruelty of these shows ma)r beimagined from the account of Caesars preparations for apublic show when hewas :unning for theaedileship in 65 b. c.It is stated that heexhibited on this oc-casion 320 pairs ofgladiators. 473. The Hunts ofWild Beasts. —Thelove of the sight ofblood aroused bythese duels was fur-ther satisfied by thehunts of wild beasts in the arena. When Pompey and Csesarwere striving for the mastery, Pompey erected, at his ownexpense, an immense theater which he dedicated to theRoman people. The opening, in 55 b. c, was celebrated withgames on a scale of magnificence unknown before that day.Cicero was present and has described them to a friend in aletter which we still have. He first criticises the trag

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