The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-08-22

| HSASs LhiS VI mlSSu8.
or matches, were generally about twcn.
ty-tour, though sometimes far greater
number were exhibited, for Suetonius
tells US that the Emperor Domitian prc.
sented q hundred matches in one lay,
The time when the races were to BE-
gin was anciently given by sound of
trumpet. Both the custom of matches
and that of summoning the horses to a.
starting place by signal are still prac.
tiscd in England. The horses being
up at the time, ready for starting, the
signal was given by mappa, or napkin,
hung out at the Proctor's tent, or tie
chief magistrates scat; hence Juvcnal
calls them Megalcnsian gamcs-Meca-
l'ace Spectacula Mapp;e. The origin
OF this custom was that when Nero was
once at dinner, and the people making
a great noise desiring that the snort
might begin, the Emperor threw the
napkin he had in his land out of the,
window as token that he had granted
their request.
at these races, also, the Romans
rode IN different colors, articularly tho
companies of characters, TO distinguish
themselves. These were generally
four, viz; Prasina (grccn.) russata
(rcd,) alba or albato whites and the
vineta (sky or sea color;) but the green
was generally the iavoritc, especially
under Caligula, Nero; and the follow
ing Emperor A. D. 81, and died A..
d. 06, added two more colors, viz: the
golden or yellow, and the purple (aurea
ct purperea) but these were soon laid
aside again by the following Emperors.
The Victors in the sports were honorcd
with garlands, coroncts, and other orna-
mcnts after the Greek manner, and
very often with considerable rewards.
Hence Juvenal says:
'tIinc centum, patri,nonia causi.liconium
Parte ALA solum russnt ponc luccrte."
The people of Rome were so partial
to the races at the festivities of NIithras.
and also afterwards in compliment to
the Emperors who encouraged these
sports, that there was an Ippodruna on
purpose for these races in most cities in
the empire, to which the people til, onc
cd i'll vast numbers. 10 show how
much the populace were interested in
these games. Juvenal sums up their
wants i'll two words, Panem ct irccnses
(bread and the games)--that is to saw
the bread distributed by the Empcrors
and the games in the circus. The same
poet also describes, in his seventh satire,
the extraordinary fondness of the Ro-
mans TOR these races. Congreve has
thus translated the passage:
This day all Rome If lmny be allowed,
Without sftrnce to such numerous crowd.
TO say all Rnmej will in the circus sweat,
Echoes already to their shouts repeat.
Metlinks hear the cry, away, AWAY!
The green has won the honor of the day
. should these sports be but one day
iorbornc
Rome would, in tears, her loved diversion.
mourn.
Such was the fondness too, for fayo-
rite horses, that Montfaucon tells u.s..
and gives an engraving of drawing
from an ura which has two INSCRIPTIONS
upon 1t, the uppcrmost regards the hor.
scs, the lower the person inferred there.
in. Over the first horse was an ill.,
scription, the meaning of which is--sthat
this was in memory of the horse Aouilo.
begat by Aquillo, who had conquered
l27 tines, won the second prizes SO
times and the third prizes 81 times
The inscription over the second horse is
thus rendered into English. THAT
llirpinus, the grandson of Aquilo, con-
Iucred 14O times, won the second prizes
81 times, ard the third 35 times
Hence we see they kept a regular pcdi-
gree of their horses as at the present
time. It's also observable, that the in
scriptions for the horses are placed
above that of his owner or rider, it be-
ing usual to pay more honour to their
race horses than to the men who rode
or drove them; for they erected monu.
mcnts to pcrpctuate their memory, as
may be seen in Hlian, Pliny, and 9th.
c:s; and in SPARTAN We find that Ha-
drian was so fond ofhis horses and dogs
that he built scpulchrcs for them, and
there is yet remaining an cpitaph which
Salmanasius has given, which begins
thus Bcrysthcncs, called Alanus,
from the country he was of, the Elnper-
ors racchorse,' &c. The epitaph under
the horse was made BY order of
Claudia Hclice for her husband Lucius
Av;tus Dionisius. There are abund-
ance Of proofs of these races from Ro.
man coins; upon many of Aurclian's
coins we find, Soil Miret' and 'Orlens
Avg Inscriptions often adopted by al
ter Emperors and generally for the
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