. Rome : its rise and fall ; a text-book for high schools and colleges. representations of the stage thatthey lost all thought and care of the affairs of real the evil was not confined to the capital. In all thegreat cities of the provinces the theatre held the same placeof bad preeminence in the social life of the people of Carthage were shouting and applauding inthe theatre at the very moment when the Vandals werebursting open the city gates. The Roman world diedlaughing. More important and more popular than the entertain-ments of the theatre were the various games,
. Rome : its rise and fall ; a text-book for high schools and colleges. representations of the stage thatthey lost all thought and care of the affairs of real the evil was not confined to the capital. In all thegreat cities of the provinces the theatre held the same placeof bad preeminence in the social life of the people of Carthage were shouting and applauding inthe theatre at the very moment when the Vandals werebursting open the city gates. The Roman world diedlaughing. More important and more popular than the entertain-ments of the theatre were the various games, especially thechariot races, of the circus. But surpassing in their terrible SOCIAL LIFE. 517 fascination all other public amusements were the animalbaitings and the gladiatorial combats of the arena. The beasts required for the baitings were secured in dif-ferent parts of the world, and transported to Rome andthe other cities of the empire at enormous expense. Thewildernesses of Northern Europe furnished bears andwolves; Scotland sent fierce dogs; Africa contributed. C HARIOT-R ACING. (Pompeian wall-painting.) lions, crocodiles, and leopards ; Asia, elephants and creatures were pitted against one another in everyconceivable way. Often a promiscuous multitude would beturned loose in the arena at once. But even the terrificscene that then ensued became at last too tame to stir theblood of the Roman populace. Hence a new species ofentertainments was introduced, and grew rapidly into favorwith the spectators of the amphitheatre. This was thegladiatorial combat. 315. The Gladiatorial Combats. — Gladiatorial shows seemto have had their origin in Etruria, whence they werebrought to Rome. It was a custom among the early 5 l8 ARCHITECTURE, LITERATURE, LAW. Etruscans to slay prisoners upon the warriors grave, itbeing thought that the manes of the dead delighted in theblood of such victims. In later times the prisoners wereallowed to fight and kill one another, this being
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