Notices respecting New Books. 225 



XXXVII. Notices respecting New Bqoks. 



Description des To7?iLea7ix,&c. — Description of the Tomhs dis- 

 covered at Pompeia in 1812. By A. L. Millin, Mf^uiltr 

 of the French Institute, &fc. ^c. Naples : printed at the 

 Royal Press. Published at Paris in 1S14. 1 vol. Svo. 



We are indeljted to the Travels of M. ?uilljn in Italy, v/liich 

 lasted two whole years, for the present work, and which lias been 

 published separately, and indeed as a kind of precursor to his 

 more ample details. 



The first tomb described is square, surrounded, by a wall and 

 covered vvith a roof composed of flat stones resting on each 

 other, and gradually becoming narrower so as to form on eacli 

 side a kind of staircase of three steps : the last of these steps 

 bears a square base a little elevated, on which there was pro- 

 bably a statue. This gives the tomb itself a very elegant form, 

 resembling that of INIausolus king of Caria, to which, however, 

 it cannot be compared in point of the luxurv and beauty of the 

 ornaments. It would appear that tiiis form was much in vogue 

 at Ponipeia ; for two other tombs quite similar have been found. 



Without entering fully into the accurate details given by 

 M. MilHn respecting the construction and internal distribution 

 of this tomb, we shall proceed to notice the bas-reliefs vvith 

 which it is decorated. These bas-reliefs are three in number. 

 Two are jn front of the tomb, and are arranged on two plans : 

 the first rej)resents combats of gladiators ; the second, one of those 

 combats called venationes, because they took place betwefcii 

 men and animals. The third bas-relief adorns the upper part 

 of the entrance into the tomb : we there see five men, of whom 

 four are armed. \^'e shall describe this presently. All these 

 bas-reliefs are interesting, because they convey some curious in- 

 formation as to the combats of gladiators and others. On the 

 first bas-relief there are twelve gladiators who combat two and 

 two, forming six pairs (paria). The latter word, M.Millin ob- 

 serves, has been always used to denote two adversaries. Above 

 each pair there are inscriptions painted. The first pair are on 

 horseback : here M. Millin takes occasion to refute .Justus 

 Lipsius and Ferrariuo, who assert that these mounted gladiators 

 were called andahatcB. He admits that there were gladiators 

 known by this name ; but he remarks that thev wore casques or 

 helmets which covered their heads completely, and left no aper- 

 ture for the face ; that they fought without seeing one another ; 

 and that no author says they fought on horseback. The gladi- 

 ators on horseback were simply called equites, which M.'lVIillin 

 proves by a passage of Isidorus, and by the fine inscription of 

 Venusium published by Fabretti, Inscrif>t. domestic, c.l. n.202. 



Vol. 44. No. 197. Sept, ibl4. P Those 



