Chap. 54.] INSTANCES OF SUDDEN DEATH. 215 



one, suddenly expired at the door of the senate-house, just as 

 he was about to retire. Cn. Baebius Tamphilus, 19 who had 

 been praetor also, expired while he was enquiring of a boy 20 

 what time it was : Aulus Pompeius 21 died just after saluting 

 the gods in the Capitol ; and M. Juventius Thalna, 22 the consul, 

 while he was sacrificing. C. Servilius Pansa expired at the 

 second hour of the day, 23 while he was standing in the Forum, 

 near a shop there, 24 and leaning on the arm of his brother, 

 Publius Pansa : the judge Baebius, while he was giving an 

 order for an enlargement of bail : 25 M. Terentius Corax, while 

 he was making an entry in his note-book in the Forum : only 

 last year too, a member of the equestrian order at Rome, 

 while whispering in the ear of a man of consular rank, before 

 the ivory Apollo, in the Forum 26 of Augustus ; 27 and, what is 

 more singular than all, C. Julius, the physician, while he was 

 applying, with his probe, 29 some ointment to the eye of a pa- 

 tient. Aulus Manlius Torquatus, a man of consular rank, died 

 in the act of reaching a cake at dinner ; L. Tuscius Valla, the 

 physician, while he was taking a draught of honeyed wine ; M 



19 We are informed by Hardouin, that he held the office of Praetor 

 A.U.C. 660. B. 



20 " A puero ;" not necessarily a slave, as Littre seems to think. 



21 On Hardouin's authority, we learn that A. Pompeius was surnamed 

 Bithynicus, and was praetor A.U.C. 680. B. 



22 The death of Thalna is given somewhat more in detail by Valerius 

 Maximus, B. ix. c. 12 ; it took place A.U.C. 590. B. 



23 The ancients reckoned the hours from sun-rise ; in summer, the 

 second hour of the day would be six o'clock A.M., and in the winter, a quarter 

 past eight. B. 



34 Bankers, and usurers more especially, had their shops in the Roman 

 Forum. 



25 " Cum vadimonium differri juhet." B, 



26 Augustus built a third Forum, because the old one and that of Julius 

 Cajsar, were not found sufficient for the great increase of business. He 

 adorned it with a temple of Mars, and the statues of the most distinguished 

 Romans. 



27 According to Hardouin, this ivory statue was in the eighth region of 

 the city. B. 



28 " Specillum ;" this instrument is mentioned by Celsus, B. vi. c. 6, 

 25, et alibi. There has been a considerable discussion among the com- 

 mentators respecting the "specillum ;" see Lemaire, vol. iii. pp. 213, 214. 

 From the uses to which it was applied by Celsus, we can have little doubt 

 upon the subject. Poinsinet and Ajasson employ the equivalent French 

 term " eprouvette." B. 



29 Mulsum " was the most universally esteemed of all the beverages 



