BOOK VIII. Lxx. 180-183 



years old ; after that is too late and before too early ; 

 the best way to train a young bullock is to yoke it 

 with one already broken in. For we possess in 

 this animal a partner in labour and in husbandry, 

 held in such esteem with our predecessors that 

 among our records of punishments there is a case of 

 a man who was indicted for having killed an ox 

 because a wanton young companion said he had 

 never eaten bullock's tripe, and was convicted by 

 the public court and sent into exile just as though 

 he had murdered his farm-labourer. 



Bulls have a noble appearance, a grim brow, bristly Buii-fights. 

 ears, and horns bared for action and asking for a 

 fight ; but their chief threat is in their fore feet : a 

 bull stands glowing with wrath, bending back either 

 fore foot in turn and splashing up the sand against 

 his belly — it is the only animal that goads itself into 

 a passion by these means. We have seen bulls, 

 when fighting a duel under orders and on show for 

 the purpose, being whirled round and caught on 

 the horns as they fall and afterwards rise again, 

 and then when lying down be lifted ofF the ground, 

 and even stand in a car like charioteers with a pair 

 of horses racing at full speed. It is a device of 

 the Thessalian race to kill bulls by galloping a horse 

 beside them and twisting back the neck by the horn ; 

 the dictator Caesar first gave " this show at Rome. 

 The buU supplies costly victims and the most sump- Buiufor 

 tuous appeasement of the gods. In this animal ""^'^<^^- 

 only of all that have a comparatively long tail, the 

 tail is not of the proper size from birth, as it is in 

 the others ; and with it alone the tail grows till it 

 reaches right doAVTi to the feet. Consequently the 

 test of victims for sacrifice in the case of a calf is 



127 



