138 Essarj upon the Art of the FouTidnj 



The ass with his driver, erected by Augustus at Nicopolis*. 



The %vo]f which suckled Romuhis and Remus. 



A man combating a Hon. 



A hippopotamus of bronze. 



An elephant with a moveable trunk. 



Sphinxes, represented in the attitude of birds flapping' 

 their wings, a? if previous to flying upwards. 



A horse, full of ardour, and burning to start into the 

 arena. 



A Scylla, or female monster, devouring the companions 

 of Ulysses. 



An eagle stretching its wings, in order to carry off 

 *S serpent which he held in his claws : upon its wings were 

 seen lines and cyphers, which served for a sun-dial. 



A Helen : her tunic, wrought with the utmost beauty, 

 showed the fine shape of her limbs : — a magnificent diadem 

 confined her hair, which fell in ringlets on her shoulders : 

 her languishing eyes, the soft smile of which dwelt upon 

 her lips, half open; her raised and arched eyelids — every 

 feature, in short, conspired to present a degree of perfection 

 and beauty of which no description can iiivc any idea. 



Several charioteers, represented in the diflercnt attitudes 

 peculiar to their occupation. They were placed at the east- 

 ern goal {meta) of the Circus, which was called that of the 

 red faction. 



A combat between an ox, a hippopotamus, and a croco- 

 dile : — each of the combatants was biting his adversaries ; 

 the victory seemed to lean to no side, and it was evident 

 that the death of all three would finish the combat. 



All these and many other chefs d'ceuvre were thrown into 

 the flames. This fact alone evinces the barbarism in which 

 the people of the ^^"estern Empire were as yet plunged : — the 

 horses of Chio, however, escaped the destruction. History 

 has not preserved to us the name of him who exerted his in- 

 fluence to save them ; but it is very probable, that by order 

 of Dandolo, the doge and general of the Venctiansf, they 



were 



* Sueton. in Octavio, cap. OS. 



f The Venetians were, for a long period, united with the Greek empire ; 

 their merchants had counting-houses at Constantinople, and the doge himself ' 



had 



