Part 4

The residence of the Flavian family was converted into a temple. See c. i. of the present book.

The Stadium was in the shape of a circus, and used for races both of men and horses.

The Odeum was a building intended for musical performances. There were four of them at Rome.

See before, c. iv.

See VESPASIAN, c. xiv.

See NERD, c. xvi.

This absurd edict was speedily revoked. See afterwards c. xiv.

This was an ancient law levelled against adultery and other pollutions, named from its author Caius Scatinius, a tribune of the people. There was a Julian law, with the same object. See AUGUSTUS, c. xxxiv.

Geor. xi. 537.

See Livy, xxi. 63, and Cicero against Verres, v. 18.

See VESPASIAN, c. iii.

Cant names for gladiators.

The faction which favoured the "Thrax" party.

DOMITIAN, c. i.

See VESPASIAN, c. xiv.

This cruel punishment is described in NERO, c. xlix.

Gentiles who were proselytes to the Jewish religion; or, perhaps, members of the Christian sect, who were confounded with them. See the note to TIBERIUS, c. xxxvi. The tax levied on the Jews was two drachmas per head. It was general throughout the empire.

We have had Suetonius's reminiscences, derived through his grandfather and father successively, CALIGULA, c. xix.; OTHO, c. x. We now come to his own, commencing from an early age.

This is what Martial calls, "Mentula tributis damnata."

The imperial liveries were white and gold.

See CALIGULA, c. xxi., where the rest of the line is quoted; eis koiranos esto.

An assumption of divinity, as the pulvinar was the consecrated bed, on which the images of the gods reposed.

The pun turns on the similar sound of the Greek word for "enough," and the Latin word for "an arch."

Domitia, who had been repudiated for an intrigue with Paris, the actor, and afterwards taken back.

The lines, with a slight accommodation, are borrowed from the poet Evenus, Anthol. i. vi. i., who applies them to a goat, the great enemy of vineyards. Ovid, Fasti, i. 357, thus paraphrases them:

Rode caper vitem, tamen hinc, cum staris ad aram, In tua quod spargi cornua possit erit.

Pliny describes this stone as being brought from Cappadocia, and says that it was as hard as marble, white and translucent, cxxiv. c. 22.

See note to c. xvii.