Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-12-26
A Recent Cow-Fight in an old Roman
Amphitheatre at Mines.

Two of the gates of the old city still eX-
ist at Mines, Offering some fine marble
sculptures; but when one has been here
and there about the old city, and seen all
its antiquities, he returns again and again
with growing interest to a contemplation
of its magnificent amphitheatre. IL is
slightly elliptical in form, and smaller than
the amphitheatre of Aries, and perhaps in
feror to that in purity of style; but its sit
uation makes it. on the whole, more at
tractiye and cheerful, and it could once
seat twenty-five thousand spectators, which
Is quite an army. Each division of seats
one for the patricians. another for the
equitarii or knights. and two upper tiers
for the plcbeans--had It's own vomitorium,
or exit. with distinct corridors, and these
are all yet in good preservation. SO enor-
nous is the strength and so massive Is the
construction of this ediice that when
Charles Martel expelled the SaraceuS from
it, aud filled the corridors with wood and
tried To burn 1t down, he was unable To
make any perccptible impression. The
arena Is still used for bull-ti@hts on iete
days. | witnessed spectacle of this sort
in that place which IN a remote way served
to give me au idea OF the grandeur of a
gladiatoral day. or q fight with wild beasts.
IN those by-gOne times when those vast
tiers OF marble were thronged with myria1S
robed in purple and gold. There were
about six thousand present on this occa-
Sion. More, probably, would have at
tended if il had been a regular bull-tight
instead of cow-tight. which was offered
on the bills. But if less exciting. there
was nearly as much fun in the spectacle
saw there. l. was advertised aS "A "course
librc.' which meant that all who chose
could enter the arena and join in the sport
The IapUprnn- : lullls
were oI Spanish breed, and bp no means to
be- dr-pi,rd; il their horns had not been
bound tn tclt more than one champion
would have lost bis life in the arena that
afternoon. Between the horns rOSctte
was firmly bound. and the lucky fellow
who could tear it OF %on gold piece and
lots of applause. Macy Il daring youth
licked the dust that day. Several had their
shirts torn of. aud received very severe
blows in the blck, which doubtless carmel
for them plenty OF cheap and wholesome
advice when they got home. One was
pinned against the wall between toe cows
horns. and hal very narrow escape
sometimes there were nearly a hundred
men in the arena at once, and this was cne
reason why none were killed outright. fer
a. soon a, one sportsman was knocked
over, all the others rushed in aud diverted
the attention OF the poor iutufiated brute,
which womb finally ,,nr comrlct,Iv wo,-
ri.d ON, ana BAN .I from tba constant rusb
OF one aud smother. Thus the large mum
Der Of men in the arena served as pr"tcc-
ton rather thnn an increase Of the danger.
The priIr .yya, von thraa time. il, srcccs-
Sion hv ana ulun-vounv lifbe. handsome.
and nnuar,p,lv uadr 81 sta.l and Jndia
rubber. He had \ geninS tor that sort OF
thin. evidently. bur could not helm think
I'M, how like. thar wa. to the ramr of life
hpw many try. BOW few win
The view I'm rhr galleries WAS scarcely
les, ario,arr,l On rht. shady side of the.
arena the thrpo., was gathered from every
ci.>.. from EuyIi.h uoblrm-n To rh, lowest
caul,i. ,hp could muster a few sous t.
p,y tpr A bark ~eat. Brilliant co-tunr,
nud elegant toilets we're not wanting To re-
mind nn. of TIL. scarlet toga, ANA lGa.piH-
cent women or o!dpn times. Thr voluptu-