Excuteretque feras auro quoque torta refulgent
Retia, quæ totis in arenam dentibus extant,
Dentibus æquatis: et erat mihi crede Lycota
Si qua fides, nostro dens longior omnis aratro.”
(T. Calpurnii Siculi Bucol. Ecloga vii.)
[125] Dionis Cass. lib. lxxviii. c. 25.
[126] “Opera publica ipsius præter Æden Heliogabali Dei ... et amphitheatri instauratio post exustionem ... nulla extant.” (Lampridius, Antoninus Heliogabalus, c. 17, ap. Script. Hist. Aug.)
[127] “... sumptibus publicis ad instaurationem theatri, circi, amphitheatri, et ærarii, deputavit.” (Lampridius, Alexander Severus, c. 24.) There are coins of this emperor with the amphitheatre on the reverse. See Plate [XXV.]
[128] “Fuerunt sub Gordiano Romæ elephanti triginta et duo, quorum ipse duodecim miserat, Alexander decem: alces decem, tigres decem, leones mansueti sexaginta, leopardi mansueti triginta, belbi, id est hyænæ, decem, gladiatorum fiscalium paria mille, hippopotamus et rhinoceros unus, archoleontes decem, camelopardali decem, onagri viginti, equi feri quadraginta, et cetera hujusmodi animalia, innumera et diversa: quæ omnia Philippus ludis sæcularibus vel dedit vel occidit.” (Jul. Capit. Gordianus Tertius, c. 33.)
[129] This celebration shews that the chronology then accepted by the Roman people is the same as that of Livy, which is used as the chronological table of buildings prefixed to this work.