E. J. SEWELL, ESQ., ON POMPEII. 



133 



Maias, et venatio erit. That is to say: — "Twenty pairs of 

 gladiators, funiishecl by Quintus Monnius Kufus, will fight at 

 Xola, on May 1st, 2nd and ord, and there will be a hunt." The 

 hunt mentioned was an exhibition of wild beasts, which 

 sometimes fought with one another, sometimes with men, as the 

 familiar Eoinan cry " Christianos ad leones " reminds us. 



Another similar notice ends with the words : Ven[atio] erit. 

 Maio quin[quennali] feliciter. Paris va[le]. That is : " There 

 will be a hunt. Hurrah for Mains the quinquennial.* Bravo 

 Paris." Paris was no doubt a popular gladiator. 



Another notice ends with the words : Venatio et vela erunt : 

 " There will be a hunt, and awnings will be provided." 



Beside the general announcement of a gladiatorial displa}', a 

 detailed programme (libellus) was prepared in advance, and 

 copies were sold. Unfortunately, no such copy has come down to 

 11 s, but we have what is nearly as good, the memorandum which 

 a Pompeian, evidently with plenty of time to spare, has scratched 

 on a wall. There were two such programmes. The second 

 contains details as to nine pairs of gladiators who fought 

 together. It will be worth while to give part of the programme 

 relating to three of these pairs, together with some explana- 

 tions. 



MUNUS • N IV. iii 



PRID • IDUS • IDI[BUS] MAI[S] 



T • M • 

 V. PUGNAX • NER iii 

 p. MURRANUS • NER iii 

 O -T • 



V. CYCNUS . lUL • Villi 

 iQ. ATTICUS • lUL • X£V 

 ESS. 



m. P • OSTORIUS • LI 



V. SCYLAX • lUL • XXVI 



Munus N IV iii 



piidie Idus, Idibus Mais. 



Threx. Mirmillo 

 vicit. Pugnax, Neronianus iii 

 periit. Murranus, Neronianus iii 



Holomachus. Threx. 

 vicit. Cycnus, Julianus Villi, 

 missus est. Atticus, Julianus XIV 



Essedarii 

 missus est. Publius Ostorius LI 

 vicit. Scylax. Julianus XXVI. 



In the first row only the first letter N". of the name of the official 

 who furnished the exhibition (munus) is left unobliterated. 

 The fights extended over the four days (May 12th to loth). 



In tlie first event the two gladiators, Pugnax and Murranus, 

 were both " Neroniani," i.e., they came from the training-school 

 for gladiators founded by Nero. They had both fought three 

 times before. f 



The duoviri of every fifth year were called quinquennial duumvii s 

 and exercised greatly extended powers. 



t When a gladiator had never fought before, his name had appended 

 to it the letter T, standing for Tii^o, i.e., novice. 



