

:. 



( I 11 



It is l*o evident that the operation was painful, and, 

 M many catet, dangerous. The sons of Jacob employed 

 it as a device to destroy the house of Shechem, by advi- 

 sing the young men to be circumcised, and then falling 

 upon them before the wounds were healed, when they 

 were unable to defend themselves. Tacitus's account 

 of the origin of the practice, though imperfect, as was 

 to b* expected, is nevertheless correct so far as it goes. 

 Speaking of the Jews, he tayi, " Genitalia circumcidere 

 mttitucre. Hi dnerutaJf mucaniur." 1. 5. tub inil. 



very singular custom, however, is found to exist in 

 modem times, in Egypt, Abyssinia, and several other 

 countries for which physical reasons are assigned, we 

 mean the circumcision of females. The practice is dif- 

 ferent in different countries ; those who wish to know 

 the mode of performing the operation in Egypt, may 

 find it detailed in Sonini'i Travels, with a minuteness 

 which we reckon improper for our work. A different 

 mode is adopted in Abyssinia. Bruce calls it etsection, 

 tjuia fit txtrclione clitoridis. After Abyssinia was con- 

 verted to Christianity, this practice was laid aside as a 

 remnant of Paganism. It appear.*, however, that the 

 men preferred the Pagan females who had undergone the 

 operation, and serious apprehensions were entertained for 

 the Christian faith. A representation was made to the 

 court of Rome, and a skilful surgeon was sent into 

 Abyssinia to examine into the merits of the case, and to 

 report. In consequence of his representations, the 

 Abyisinians were formally authori/.ed to resume the 

 practice, which continues among them to the present 

 day. Our learned reader* may see the reason of this 

 practice in the following quotation from Hurt. not. in 

 Origen. " Circumcisio feminarum fit resectionc clitori- 

 dis, quz pars, in Australium przierlim mulieribu-, ita 

 excre^cit, ut ferro sit coercenda. Ita tradunt medici in- 

 Mgnes Paulus yEgineta, 1. 5. c. 70. Act. tetrabilt. I. 4. 

 Scrm. p. 103. Quorum hie ita pergit : quapropter 

 Egyptns visum est, ut antequam exuberet pars ilia cor- 

 poris amputetur ; turn przcipue cum virgines nubiles 

 sint clocandz. Porro hanc consuetudinem circumciden- 

 darum mulierum hodieque retinere Egyptios, ferunt ii 

 que regiones illas lu-traverunt, ignemque ad compescen- 

 dam hujus partis luxuriem adhibere scribit. Murem 

 hunc servare feminas in Persia et Cophtas in Ethiopia, 

 Christi licet immen prfcs>as." (g) 



CIRCUMFERENTOR is the name of a mathemati- 

 cal instrument for measuring angles by the magnetic 

 needle. It is sometimes used in land-surveying, where 

 an approximation to the truth only is required. It is 

 now completely superseded by other instruments. Sec 

 SURVEYING. () 



CIRCUMVALLATION. See FORTIFICATION. 

 CIRCUS, an edifice in use among the Romans, for 

 the exhibition of chariot races, and other games. The 

 Circensian games appear to have been introduced at Rome 

 from a very early period. They were probably borrow- 

 ed from the Etruscans. They were established by Ro- 

 mulus almost in the beginning of his reign, and they 

 continued to retain their popularity till the latest times 

 of the empire. The circus at first was a wooden inclosure 

 in which the spectators stood, a few seats only being pla- 

 ced for the persons of principal distinction. The most an- 

 cient permanent circus at Romr of which we have received 

 any account, wa that built by Tarquinius Priscus, in 

 the valley Murcia, between th Avenlinc and the Pala- 

 tine hill*. This circus continued for a long time to be 

 the only one in Rome. It obtained the name of the Cir- 

 cus Miximus, whether from its great supuiority in size 

 to those of a later date, from its being appropriated to 



C I R 



the celebration of the greater games, or from ill cor.sc- l 

 cration to the great gods. It was enlarged by Julius Sl ""~."'~ 

 Cxsar, and rebuilt and richly ornamented by Augi: 

 Tiberius, Caligula, CUudius, and Nero, all made addi- 

 tions to ir. It was farther enlarged by Trajan. Con- 

 stantine added to it some new porticos; and his son Con- 

 stans ornamented it with the great obelisk at present at 

 the Latcran. Dionysius of Halicarr.as-.us states the di- 

 mension!) of this circus, as it was left by Augustus, to 

 have been, for the length 3A stadia, the breadth I ju- 

 gera, corresponding respectively to upwards cf .i, and to 

 about \} t English furlongs. It could then contain about 

 150,000 persons. lo contequei .iJditions made 



to it previously to the time of the elder 1'iiuy, it became 

 capable of containing 260,000 spectators ; and an insciip- 

 tion placed over the great gate subsequently to the alter- 

 ations made upon it by Trajan, bore that that emperor 

 had rendered it adequate to receiving the whole Roman 

 people. Of this superb edifice there remain only some 

 very indistinct traces, which are level with the ground. 

 The remembrance of it, however, is still preserved by- 

 tradition ; the site of the building, which is at present 

 occupied by gardens, and the cemetery of the Jews, be- 

 ing distinguished at Rome by the appellation Ccrc/ii. 



The other circuses at Rome were numerous and consi- 

 derable. The Flaminian circus was, according to Livy, 

 founded by Fiaminius, the unfortunate antagonist of 

 Hannibal. This circus has been frequently noticed by 

 ancient authors. Dion Cassius relates, that a chace of 

 crocodiles was exhibited in it by Augustus, when 36 of 

 these animals were killed. On the site of this building, 

 there are now erected the church and convent of Santa 

 Caterina de Funari, the two palaces of the dukes Mattel, 

 with several other edinces. The only remains of this 

 circus are ruins hid beneath the present pavement of the 

 city, which is considerably raised in that part. Among 

 these ruins, there still flows a considerable etream of wa- 

 ter, which had been employed anciently for the supply 

 of the CTCUS. 



A great part of what was the area of the Agonal cir- 

 cus is occupied by the modern Piazzi Navona. The 

 houses situand at the northern extremity plainly follow, 

 in their curved direction, the bend of the circular end of 

 the ancient edifice. 



One of the most remarkable of the Roman circuses 

 was that which was begun by Caliguia, and termi- 

 nated by Nero. It appears to have been destroyed 

 as early as the time of Constantine, since the for- 

 mer basilica of St Peter, founded by that prince, occu- 

 pied the same situation as the prcse-t edifice, the right 

 side of which rests upon the wall . of the circus. The su- 

 perb obelisk which at present ornaments St Peter's place 

 belonged to that ancient edifice. From the exhibit;* 

 ven of the direction of the circus by Footana, (// Tempo 

 I'n! if. p. 245. ) it seems to have been longer than the 

 modern church, with the colonnade. 



In forac late excavations, there were discovered consi- 

 derable remains of a circus, which, a. it i- supposed, was 

 begun to be built by Nero in the gardens of ins aunt Do- 

 mitia, and was finished by Adrian. Then.- were at the 

 same time found several antique paintings. 



A circus was built by Heliogabalus, on ground with- 

 out the present Porta Maggiore. It was hence that the 

 obelisk was taken, which is now erected in the interior 

 garden of the Vatican. 



There was a fine circus in the Sallustian gardens, 

 which, it is said, might be filled with water for the exhi- 

 bition of Naumaclux. 



There was also the circus of Flora, on the Quirinal, 



