234 ROME SLEEPING. 



And then there was the crowd itself : the bright-eyed, 

 dark-browed Roman people, who played in the shade 

 at dice, or mora, like the old Egyptians ; who lounged 

 through the temples, which were also the museums, to 

 look at the curiosities ; or who stood in groups reading 

 the advertisements on the walls and the programmes, 

 which announced that on such and such a day there 

 would be a grand performance in the circus, and that 

 all would be done in the best style. A blue awning, 

 with white stars in imitation of the sky, would shade 

 them from the sun ; trees would be transplanted, a 

 forest would appear upon the stage ; giraffes, zebras, 

 elephants, lions, ostriches, stags, and wild boars would 

 be hunted down and killed ; armies of gladiators would 

 contend ; and, by way of after-piece, the arena would 

 be filled with water, and a naval battle would be per- 

 formed, — ships, soldiers, wounds, agony, and death 

 being admirably real. 



So passed the Roman street-life day, and with the 

 first hours of darkness the noise and turmoil did not 

 cease ; for then the travelling carriages rattled towards 

 the gates, and carts filled with dung — the only export 

 of the city. The music of serenades rose softly in the 

 air, and sounds of laughter from the tavern. The 

 night watch made their rounds their armour rattling 

 as they passed, Lights were extinguished, householders 

 put up their shutters, to which bells were fastened, for 

 burglaries frequently occurred. And then for a time 

 the city would be almost still. Dogs, hated by the 

 Romans, prowled about sniffing for their food. Men 

 of prey from the Pontine Marshes crept stealthily along 

 the black side of the street signalling to one another 

 with sharp whistles or hissing sounds. Sometimes 

 torches would flash against the walls as a knot of 



