No. 109.

AMPHITHEATRE NEAR SYRACUSE.

The drawing in the annexed page, given for insertion in the Malta Penny Magazine by a recent visitor to Sicily, represents the Amphitheatre near Syracuse, as seen from one of its four entrances; the whole structure is partly masonry and partly hewn out of the solid rock. Under the south entrance is an aqueduct. Its diameter is one hundred and thirty four by eighty three English feet. Without entering into particulars on these remains, a proof of the splendour and luxury of the once famous SYRACUSE, We shall occupy our present number with a general description of the origin and intentions of these places of Public entertainment.

The form of the Amphitheatre in regard to its ground plan, was, generally speaking, that of an ellipsis, with a series of arcaded concentric walls, separating corridors which have constructions with stair cases and radiating passages between them. It encloses an open space called the Arena; and the first wall which bounds the arena rises from 10 to 15 feet above its level; from this wall an inclined plane runs upwards and outwards over the intermediate wall, staircases and corridor, and is covered with a graduated series of benches.

The Amphitheatre seems to have been contrived for the more convenient exhibition of such shows as were confined throughout to the same place, such as combats, which could not be seen advantageously along the length of the circus; and moreover the circus had not the lofty stereobate prodium, or cincture, to protect spectators from the savage and powerful brute animals which were frequently used in the public shows of the Romans. Indeed, it is reported that this defect was a cause of the abandonment of the circus for such exhibitions

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At first, and for some time, amphitheatres were constructed of timber. Several accidents occurred in consequence of the use of such, from fire, and from their incapacity to bear the weights they were subjected to; and, in one instance, it is related by Tacitus, (annal, iv. 62,) that an amphitheatre of this kind fell during the exhibition of the shows, in the town of Fidena, when 50,000 persons were either killed or hurt. Afterwards they were more securely and more permanently constructed of brick or stone, according to the facilities the place afforded, or the means of the people at whose expence the structures were laid.

It was in the latest period of the Republic that the Romans were debased by the gladiatorial and other shows which led to the use and construction of amphitheatres; and to the gratificaton of this passion for demoralizing public spectacles may be attributed, in some degree, its eventual overthrow, in all but form, and the establishment of the despotism of the empire. All the powerful men in the state who aimed still higher, sought favour with the people by these barbarous entertainments; and the sums expended and the numbers of men and beasts engaged, and for the most part destroyed, in furnishing them, seem almost incredible.

The Romans generally raised their Amphitheatres, within the town or city on the level plain, of costly magnificence, and

generally of enormous extent, while their theatres are in every respect secondary and of inferior importance. Indeed, theatres for music and the drama are seldom found among the remains of purely Roman cities, but almost every Roman colony, and even camp, bears indications of a constructed or excavated ampitheatre.

GLADIATORS were men who fought with swords or other weapons, endeavouring to wound or kill one another in Amphitheatres or other public places for the entertainment of the public.

The origin of this barbarous custom seems to have been derived from the practice of killing a certain number of slaves at the funerals of eminent persons for the benefit of the soul of the dead. In succeeding ages, it was reckoned less cruel to oblige them to kill one another like men, than to slaughter them like brutes, therefore the barbarity was covered by the specious shew of pleasure and voluntary combat. Originally only captives, criminals, or disobedient slaves, were trained up for combat; but when the diversion became more frequent, and was exhibited on the smallest occasion, to procure esteem and popularity, many of the Roman citizans enlisted themselves among the gladiators, and Nero, at one show, exhibited no less than 400 senators and 600 knights. The people were treated with these combats, not only by the great, the opulent, and the ambitious; but the very priests had their Ludi pontificales, and Ludi sacerdotales

It is supposed that there were no more than three pair of gladiators exhibited by the Bruti.

Their numbers, however, increased with the luxury and power of the city; and the gladiators became so formidable, that Spartacus, one of their body, had the courage to take up arms, and defeated the Roman armies, with a train of his fellow sufferers only. The more sagacious of the Romans were sensible of the dangers which threatened the state, by keeping such a number of desperate men in arms, and therefore, many salutary laws were proposed to limit their number, as well as to settle the time in which the show

could be exhibited with safety and convenience. Under the emperors, not only the. senators and knights, but even women engaged among the gladiators, and seemed to forget the delicacy as well as the calling of their sex. When there were to be any shows, hand-bills were circulated to give notice to the people, and to mention the place, number, time, and every circumstance requisite to be known. When the gladiators were first brought upon the arena, they walked round the place with great pomp and solemnity, and after that, they were matched in equal pairs with great nicety. They first had a skirmish with wooden files, called rudes or arma lusoria. After this the more effective weapons, such as swords daggers, &c. called arma decretoria, were given them, and the signal for the engagement was given by the sound of a trumpet. As they had all previously sworn to fight till death, or suffer death in the most excruciating torments, the fight was bloody and obstinate, and when one signified his submission by surrendering his arms, the victor was not permitted to grant him his life, without the leave and approbation of the surrounding multitude. This was done by clenching the fingers of both hands between each other, and holding the thumbs upright close together, or by bending back their thumbs. The first of these was called pollicem premere, and signified the wish of the people to spare the life of the conquered. The other sign, called pollicem vertere, signified their disapprobation, and ordered the victor to put his antagonist to death. The victor was generrally rewarded with a palm and other expressive marks of the people's favor. He was most commonly presented with a pileus and rudis. When one of the combatants received a remarkable wound the people exclaimed habet, and expressed their exultation by repeated shouts.

The weapons and dress of the gladiators were sometimes different, some were armed with sword and buckler and helmet, some with shield, and others were fighting from their chariots.

These cruel exhibitions were wisely abolished by Constantine the Great, nearly 600

years after their first institution. They were, however, revived for a while, under Constantius and his two successors, but Honorius for ever put an end to these cruel barbarities.*

Gladiators engaged not only with equals but fought also with beasts; Criminals were sometimes forced to enter into combats with lions, tigers and other ferocious animals, and were frequently successful in conquering the fierce enemy, having previously well studied the general way of attack of the encountering foe, but were not unfrequently overcome and devoured to the great amusement of the public. In the dawn of Christianity many of the Christians suffered death in this brutal manner; and in one of our last numbers we mentioned that Bishop Policarp was destined to a similar torture, but through compassion of the Proconsul had only to suffer death by fire!

* There are few nations which have not imitated this strange custom, in a greater or less degree, at different periods of their history; and less than a century ago there were gladiators even in London, who fought and bled, but never killed each other. Malcolms Anecdotes of the Manners and Customs of this great Metropolis contain numerous particulars relating to those modern swordsmen, whose exertions were rivalled by several females in the art of boxing and cutting. One of their challenges, from the publication alluded to, will be a proper appendage to this article, "In Islington Road, on Monday, being the 17th of July, 1727, will be performed a trial of skill by the following combatants: We, Robert Barker and Mary Welsh, from Ireland, having often contaminated our swords in the abdomnious corporations of such antagonists as have had the insolence to dispute our skill, do find ourselves once more necessitated to challenge, defy, and invite Mr. Stokes, and his bold Amazonian virago, to meet us on the stage; where we hope to give a satisfaction to the honorable lord of our nation, who has laid a wager of twenty guineas on our heads. They that give the most cuts to have the whole money, and the benefit of the house. And if swords, daggers, quarter-staff, fury, rage, and resolution will prevail, our friends shall not meet with a disappointment."- "We, James and Elizabeth Stokes, of the city of London, having already gained an universal approbation by our agility of body, dextrous hands, and courageous hearts, need not preambulate on this occasion, but rather choose to exercise the sword to their sorrow, and corroborate the general opinion of the town, than to follow the

custom of our repartee antagonists. This will be the last time of Mrs. Stokes performing on the stage. There will be a door on purpose for the reception of the gentlemen, where coaches may drive up to it, and the company come in without being crowded. Attendance will be given at three, and the combatants mount at six. They all fight in the same dresses as before." British Encyclop. of W. Nicholson.

THE DYING GLADIATOR.

I see before me the Gladiator lie ;
He leans upon his hand-his manly brow
Consents to death, but conquers agony,
And his drooped head sinks gradually low-
And through his side the last drops, ebbing slow
From the red gash, fall heavy, one by one,
Like the first of a thunder-shower; and now
The arena swims around him- he is gone
Ere ceased the inhuman shout which
Hail'd the wretch who won.

He heard it, but he heeds not- his eyes
Were with his heart, and that was far away;
He reck'd not of the life he lost nor prize,
But where his rude hut by the Danube lay
There were his young barbarians all at play,
There was the Dacian mother-he, their sire,
Butcherd to make a Roman holiday-

All this rush'd with his blood-Shall he expire
And unavenged? - Arise! ye Goths, and glut
your ire!
(From Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.)

Often remember that proverb; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing. Eccl. i. 8. Study therefore, to withdraw thy heart from the love of visible things, and to turn thyself to things invisible. For they that follow their sensuality, defile their conscience, and lose the grace of God. T. Kempis.

Venture not on the precipice of temptation; the ground may be firm as a rock under your feet, but a false step, or a sudden blast, may bring your destruction.

If you want to see a malancholy sight, look at a man professing Christianity, bristling up with anger twenty times a day, like a hedgehog. Old Humphrey.

The MALTA PENNY MAGAZINE is published and sent to Subscribers, in Valetta, every Saturday, Subscriptions at Is. per quarter received at No. 97. Str. Forni.

No. 110.

ST. JEAN D'ACRE.

Acre is perhaps the most remarkable place for historical associations in the East. It is celebrated for having been the stronghold of the Crusaders; for having been some time in the possession of the Knights of Malta; for its siege by General Bonaparte, when he contemplated the conquest of the East;-for having been recently besieged and taken by Mehemet Ali;—and more recently, for its reduction by the British, in whose partial possession it now is while we write.

It is our intention to produce two or three

views of this celebrated fortress of the Levant, and, as we give them, we shall relate succinctly some of the more interesting and remarkable facts and circumstances connected with its truly eventful and warlike annals, but previous to which we shall give a brief outline of its geography and general history.

St. Jean d' Acre is a town on the sea-coast (In Lat. 32° 54′ Long. 35° 4′.) situate on a small promontory, which, with Mount Carmel lying on the south, forms a circular bay; it is sometimes called Acra and Acca. Its oldest name was probably Acco, which was changed to that of Ptolemais, during the sovereignty of the Greeks in Syria: the name Acco was revived after it fell into the hands of the Saracens. Acre is well known in the history of the Crusades, having been taken in 1191 by Philip Augustus of France and Richard I. of England. It was for some time in possession of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, during whose occupation it was strongly fortified, and filled with churches. Acre was in a very ruinous condition in the midle of the seventeenth century, when Thevenot visited it, but it has since been improved, and is now said to contain 15,000, (some authorities say

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20,000) inhabitants. This restoration is due to Sheik Daher, who, in the middle of the eighteenth century, strengthened the town and revived its commerce, Jezzar Pasha, his successor, fortified the place very strongly, and built a new mosque, according to Turkish custom, adorning it with the columns that once belonged to the old Greek edifices of the neighbouring cities. The streets and houses are of true Oriental fashion, the former being narrow, and the latter having flat roofs. The port is small and deep, yet one of the best along this coast, very few of which are of any value in the winter season.

The term Acre is also applied to one of the district Pashalicks.

The following is, we believe, the most correct account of the final expulsion of the Knights of Malta from Acre, the last hold and strongest bulwork of the Crusaders in

Palestine.

On the 5th April 1291, Khalil, prince of the Saracens, whose army amounted to 60,000 horse, and 140,000 foot, drew his leaguer round Acre-the last leaguer that Christian chivalry was to endure within its walls. Many of the richest inhabitants fled to Cyprus, for the protection of the Christian king of that island. Peter de Beaujeu, Grandmaster of the Templars, a knight of tried valour, who had grown old in the command of armies, was called to the government by acclaim, and the scorn with which he rejected the bribes of the Sultan, to betray the city proved that he was worthy of the high and perilous honour. He made sortie after sortie, and the atmosphere was tainted with the effluvia of the bodies of the slaughtered Saracens who strewed the adjacent plain, but their host was too mighty to be effectually smitten by a few thousand Christian lances-which the valiant Templar could direct against it..

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