272 On Animals depicted on Jntique MonnmenU. 



of the principal works where copies of them may be found. In 

 doing otherwise we should soon become tedious. We may, how- 

 ever, in passing, remark, that the number of the larger carnivo- 

 rous animals which the ancients were in the habit of putting to 

 death in their public games, was so immense, that all the sove- 

 reigns of Europe, and of the whole world, would attempt in vain 

 to bring together as many. Thus Trajan, after his victory over 

 the Parthians, exhibited games in which were produced 11,000 

 wild beasts, all of which were put to death. Pompey, even at 

 the opening of his theatre, exhibited to the people a one-horned 

 rhinoceros, 410 panthers, and more than 600 lions, more than 

 300 of which had manes, and were of course males. 



A knowledge of the immense number of animals that were 

 thus destroyed in the games of the circus, is, on more accounts 

 than one, interesting to the naturalist. It clearly shews that the 

 various savage races, and more especially the various carnivorous 

 animals, were formerly much more numerous than they are now. 

 Moreover, as finally all these animals were put to death, whether 

 in the circus or after their triumphal feats, the anxiety with 

 which the emperors, and other ambitious citizens, collected such 

 prodigious numbers, must have contributed rapidly to diminish 

 the noxious animals it was so much man's interest to destroy. 



The effect thus produced was so much the greater, inasmuch 

 as those public shows of the destruction of animals, which at first 

 had only a political object, became ere long a favourite subject 

 of the almost inconceivable luxury of the rich. Among other 

 nations, as for example some of the Asiatic, a religious character 

 was given to the destruction of wild beasts. A favour, more 

 familiarly known under the name of an indulgence, was the re- 

 ward. Whoever destroyed a tiger or a rhinoceros procured an 

 indulgence for a hundred years, whilst he who slew a lion was 

 rewarded with one of a thousand years* duration. This differ- 

 ence was, without doubt, owing to the greater importance and 

 difficulty connected with the destruction of a lion. According 

 to this view, it may be supposed, that the same religious ideas 

 would allow only a month's indulgence to the killing of a fish or 

 a tortoise, and three months to the destruction of a crocodile *. 



We now remark, that in the Thesaurus aniiqmtaUim Roma- 



• Sec Asiatic Researches vel. v. p. 371. 



