270 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book X^XV. 



figure in a ridiculous costume, known jocosely as the Gryllus ; 

 and hence it is that pictures of this class 34 are generally known 

 as " Grylli." Antiphilus was a native of Egypt, and received 

 instruction in the art from Ctesidernus. 35 



It would not be right to pass in silence the painter of the 

 Temple at Ardea, J; the more particularly as he was honoured 

 with the citizenship at that place, and with the following in- 

 scription in verse upon one of the paintings which he executed 

 there: 



" These paintings, worthy of this \vorthy place, 

 Temple of Juno, queen, and wife of Jove, 

 Plautius Marcus, 57 from Alalia, made. 

 May Ardea now and ever pruise him for his skill." 



These lines are written in ancient Latin characters. 



Ludius too, who lived in the time of the late Emperor 

 Augustus, must not be allowed to pass without some notice ; 

 for he was the first to introduce the fashion of covering the 

 walls of our houses with most pleasing landscapes, representing 

 villas, porticos, ornamental gardening, woods, groves, hills, 

 fishponds, canals, 38 rivers, sea-shores, and anything else one 

 could desire; varied with figures of persons walking, sailing, 

 or proceeding to their villas, on asses or in carriages. Then, 

 too, there are others to be seen fishing, fowling, or gathering 

 in the vintage. In some of his decorations there arc fine 

 villas to be seen, and roads to them across the marshes, with 

 women making 3 * bargains to be carried across on men's 

 shoulders, who move along slipping at every step and tottering 

 beneath their load ; with numberless other subjects of a 

 similar nature, redolent of mirth and of the most amusing inge- 

 nuity. It was this artist, too, who first decorated our uncovered* 



54 * 4 Caricatures." Sillier thinks it not unlikely that Gryllus was painted 

 trith a pip's face, that animal being signified by the Greek woid ypv\\o. 



" See Chapter 40 of this Book. : ' 6 See Chapter C cf this Book. 



:: In the original, as given by Sillig, ** IMautiu, Marcus Cicadas." 

 That commentator supposes him to have been a Greek bv birth, and adopt- 

 ed into the Plautian family, on being made a citizen of borne* 



* " Euripi." See B. i'i. c. 100, B. viii. c. 40, and B. ix. cc. 22, 80. 

 The landscape paintings on the interior walls of houses at Herculaneuiu 

 and Pompeii mav be taken as specimens of this artist's style. 



39 '* Succollatw sponsionc nuilicrihu*." This passage appears to be a 

 mass of confusion, in spite of Sillig's attempts to amend and explain it. 

 The meaning can only be guessed at, not given with any degree of cer- 

 tainty : of Ludius himself, no further particulars arc known. 



40 The '* hypiethra " or promenade*, 



