Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-11-21
The Roman Gladiatora

Originally, gladiatorial combats took.
place over the grave of deceased persons. as
it was supposed that the ghosts Of the dead
were rendered propitious by the cfIusion of
human blood. But afterward, as this Gus
tom became popular, it was not confined to
funerals, but was practiscd on almost every
occasion. At first, captivcs, criminals and
slaves were trained up rs gladiators, but in
the time of Nero, Roman Knights and SEN
ators of the highest rcspcctability, enlisted
AMONG the gladiators. Finally the mum
Der of gladiators increased to such decree
that they took up arms, and, headed by
Spartacus, onc CT their number, defeated
several Roman armies. When they first
came upon the arena, after marching round
with great pomp, they were divided into
pairs and at first fought with wooden files
only, called orma tttSorto. After this, a
deadly contest with swords and daggers
commenced This fight was generally long
and bloody, MS they were bound by oath to
give and receive no quarter without the
permission of the spectators. This per.
mission was signied by clcnching the fin
gers OF both hands between each other and
holding the thumbs upright close togcth-
er This was called polticem 1,remere.-
IT, however, the thumbs were bent back, it
was a sign for the victor to put his antago-
mist to death. This last was called ,,oyi-
Gem Uerterc. The combats were sometimes
different, eitherin weapons or dress, whence
the gladiators were divided into different
classes. The ScCGtorcs were armed with
sword and bucklcr. The Mreccs possessed
falchion and small round shield. The
gaI, or Gauls, were distinguished by their
'iallic dress. On the top of their helmet
they wore the figure of fish, embossed.-
The hopiomacht were completely armed
from head to foot. The sa1nnites fought
with kind of triangular shield. The es
sdddrii fought from a chariot. The anaa-
6dtoe contcnded on horseback, with a hcl-
met to defend their face and eyes. The
mcriaianH engaged in the afternoon. The
post"1at@ and the .fScalcs were generally
maintained by the empcrors The dima-
rh@rt fought with two swords in their
hands These cruel exhibitions lasted near
6O0 years before they were abolished by
Constantine the Great. They were, how
ever, revived after the death of this mon
arch but finally were cfectually stopped
by Hortensius.
a LITTLE FABLE FOR LITTLE MINps.-
There is a long, dull, hard season ahead, and
every dollar that the poor now possess will
be worth two, by-and-by, if they should keep
it so long. Everything that you do not abso-
luteiy need In these times is dear at any price,
and touching this we havea fable to relatc:
Once upon time, a young female squirrel
went to housekeeping in hole in the crotch
of the big elm tree which fends off from our
dwelling the assaults of the sun during the
summer solstice. 1t was late in the fall of
tho year, and winter was close at hand, and
hard and long winter the older and more
experienced squirrels knew it was going to
he, They raked and scraped together all the
nuts they could get and slowed them away in
their rcspectiy,ioncmcnts for future use and
still they thot ght they had not cnough. for
they forcsaw short comings in the SPRING
Some of the more crafty, who had stock of
hazlcnuts (esteened a delicacy by the SOUR
rel race) and a few kernels of corn which thcy
had imported from our barn, without paving
for it, offered them for sale to their less con-
sideratc brethren in exchange for butternuts
walnuts and acorns; but IT'S more corn could
be obtained only at the expense of being shot
by the farmers boy who was fond of squir
rcls too (squirrel-stew p and the hazel-bush-
es were bare, these luxuries ought to com
mand, they said, high prices However,, as
the times were herd, "thcy would be- sold at
q sacritico,P say one boautifai haalenut for a
dozen common acorns, two charming kernels
OF corn for four ordinary walnuts. and other
things at the same low rates. The young
squirrel who had just gone to housekeeping
with tolcrable good supply of the common
neccssarics of life, thought she had mover
heard of bargains" so tempting before and,
Notwithstanding that her aged mother be-
sought her to save her provisions for future
need, she exchanged half of her winters sun
ply for a handful of tho superfuities.. She
had enough, SHE thought, OF everything now,
and pridcd herself vastly upon her smssrt tra-
dingl Lone before spring. however. ali her
provisions were gone. and when the grass
was greenQgain she was thankful to nibble
it to save herself from starvation. ~ I
GEN. WALKER AND NIoARAGv.l.---k dis.
patch from Washington Informs us that
Gen. Walker has written n letter to the
Secretary of State inwhich lie saystlIat SO
far as any violation on his part of tho acts
of Congress is concerned, he denies the |
charge withscorn and indignation, and will
not so far forget his duties as ao officer of
Nicaragua as toyviolsio the laws efthe Uni-
ted States Willie enjoying hospitality
in its limits. BE also added thal as the
military Organization is abandoned, slbont
250o'me1 from various Southern Stmes,
baye enrolled as cmigfants to Nica1aguas
| mgMPiHs, Tenn, Nov. GA terrible tor
made occurred at Bro@nssille, on tive Mem
phis and Ohio Railroad, On Saturday last.
Stores and dwellings, were crushed, and
roofs ee the Baptist Cltweb abst The Female
Colh0e Blown OFF. There is great damage