166 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTOUY. [liook XXXIV. 



had conquered the Samnites, 13 who fought in obedience to a most 

 solemn oath ; it being formed out of their breast-plates, greaves, 

 and helmets, and of such largo dimensions that it may bo 

 seen from the statue of Jupiter Latiaris. 14 He made his 

 own statue, which is nt the feet of the other one, out of the 

 filings of the metal. There are also, in the Capitol, two heads 

 >vhich are very much admired, and which were dedicated by 

 the Consul I*. Lentulus, one of them executed by the above-- 

 mentioned Chares, 15 the other by Decius; 16 but this last is $> 

 greatly excelled by the former, as to have all the appearance of 

 being the work of one of the poorest of artists. 



Lut all these gigantic statues of this kind have been sur- 

 passed in our own age by that of Mercury, made by Zenodotus'-''" 

 for the city of the Arverni in Gaul, 17 which was ten years in 

 being completed, and the making of which cost four hun- 

 dred thousand sesterces. Having given sufficient proof there 

 of his artistic skill, he was sent for by Xero to Rome, where 

 lie made a colossal statue intended to represent that prince, 

 one hundred and ten feet in height. In consequence, however, 

 of the public detestation of Nero's crimes, this statue was con- 

 secrated to the Sun. lH . "We used to admire in his studio/ not 

 only the accurate likeness in the model of clay, but in the 

 small sketches 19 also, which served as the first foundation 

 of the work. This statue proves that the art of fusing 

 [precious] brass was then lost, for Xero was prepared to furnish 



13 This victory took place A.U.C. 4G1 ; wo have an account of it in Livy, 

 the concluding Chapter of the Tenth Hok. It. 



11 This was a statue of Jupiter, placed on the Alban Mount, twelve miles 

 from Home. At this place the various states of Latium exercised tin ir 

 religious rites in conjunction with the Romans; it WHS sometime* called 

 Latialis. U. See B. iii. c. 9, and Notes ; Vol. I. p. 205. 



15 The d< signer of the Colossus at Rhodes. 



16 Decius is said by Ilardouin to have been a statuary, but nothing is 

 knovs-n respecting him or his works. IJ. lie probably lived about tho 

 time of the Consul 1*. Cornelius Lentulus Spiuther, A.U.C. GD7. 



K " His country is unknown. n See 1J. iv. c. 83. 



ls St. Jerome informs us, that Vespasian removed the head of Nero, and 

 substituted that of the Sun with seven rays. Martini refers to it in the 

 Second Kpigram Le Spvctaculis, and also H. i. E{>. 71. 1*. 



1J| * 4 Purvis admodum surculis." There is, it appears, some difficulty in 

 determining the application of the word *nri-ntis to the Kubji-ct in question, 

 and we have no explanation of it by any of the comment, irrs. Can it 

 rtfer to the frame of wicker work which contained the model into \vhicli 

 the incited metal was poured? 13. 



