[139] The enormous canvas awning. The stone rings, into which these masts were fastened, are still visible at the present day in the walls of the Coliseum.
[140] Tauromenium. A city on the eastern coast of Sicily, now Taormina.
[141] The tenth or twelfth seat from you. My story here allows both sexes to be seated promiscuously, as was customary in the circus. At the exhibitions in the amphitheatre, women had places specially set apart. The license I have taken is the more easily justified, because the disposal of seats in the theatre was never strictly carried out, hence the frequency of the complaint that people who had no right to the places, crowded into those reserved for the knights.
[142] Rhegium. A city in the southern part of the Italian peninsula, in the country of the Bruttii; now Reggio.
[143] Moved the world by a wink of his eyelash. See Hor. Od. III, 1, V. 8; “cuncia supercilio moventis.” The words there refer to Jupiter; but Domitian’s flatterers, especially Martial, never wearied of deifying the emperor as a second Jupiter. See Mart., Ep. V. 6, V. 9, and many others.
[144] Ave Caesar! or Ave Imperator! (Hail to thee, oh Caesar!) The emperor was greeted with these words whenever he appeared in public, and replied by the phrase: Avete vos! (I greet you also!) The word Ave! (Be greeted! Be blessed!) was also in general use when persons met or took leave of each other.
[145] The seat to the left remained vacant. At public games, by virtue of his office, the Flamen Dialis sat at the emperor’s left hand. See Suet, Dom. 4: “Beside him sat the priest of Zeus.”
[146] Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant! The actual words with which the gladiators destined for the approaching combat saluted the sovereign.
[147] The vicinity of their flattering Gallants. See [note 141], Vol. II, Ovid’s prescriptions, here mentioned, are found in the Ars amandi, I, p. 135. Elsewhere (Amores III. 2) the same author gives us examples of a flattering gallant’s conversation with a fair neighbor.
[148] All the spectators’ thumbs were turned down. See [note 23], Vol. II.