ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE AT NISMES. SQ! 
to Dio Cassius, gooowild beasts, between whom, 
itd^the primitive Christians held captive by the Romans, 
ip^^ats were fought. At the conclusion of this cruel 
jj^'^clo the whole place was put under water, and two 
H '*> named the Corcyrian and the Corinthian, represented 
v^yal engagement. To render the vapour from such a 
Lij'hido of^persons less noxious, sweet-scented water, 
! frequently wine mixed with saffron, was showered 
from a grated work above, on the heads of the 
^frtors. 
Roman Emperors who succeeded Titus were careful 
•< 5 ' 
V(,| *''6 preservation of this superb monument ; even the 
If^'^ptUous Heliogabulus caused it to be repaired after a grear 
C The rude Goths, who sacked the city of Rome, were 
Hj^^^nted with despoiling it of its internal ornaments, but 
'»len __ 
^i’^tted the structure Itself The Christians, however, 
an excess of zeal, hav'C not been satisfied with 
Pope Paul II. had as much 
as was necessary to furnish materials foi. 
5 ?" 
Df it gradually to decay 
levelled 
the palace of St. Mark and his pernicious example 
i, frillowed by Cardinal Riario, n the construction of what 
w cnilprt the chancery. 
f^f^Wed by Pope Paul HI. 
Lastly, a portion of it was 
in the erection of the Palace 
'®se. Notwithstanding all these dilapidations, there stlU 
‘''iih ®‘i°tigh of it to inspire the spectator with awe. 
ttj^Snse masses appear fastened to and upon one another 
t([^ tit any mortar or cement ; and these alov'j from then 
are calculated for a duration of man' thousands of 
tl^l ■ Occasionally, where the destroyers have not effectually 
their object, the half-loosened masses appear to be 
inttf^frtthe air, by some invisible power >5 for the wide 
among them leave no other support than thei. 
^ ''vhich seem every moment as if about to yield 
Vii| 5 ”dably to the superior force of gravitation. “They 
^'td has 
) ^“tiguage of all beholders during the vast periods 
•ti n^Sfr which this stupendous edifice has thus hung together 
® air. 
fists 
k Roman amphitheatre at nismes. 
anciently called Nemausis, in thcprovince of Lower 
S'tedoc, vvas a very flourishing colony of Romans 
