Thehuntingorexhibitionofwildbeastswasconductedwithamagnificencesuitabletoapeoplewhostyledthemselvesthemastersoftheworld；norwastheedificeappropriatedtothatentertainmentlessexpressiveofRomangreatness。Posterityadmires，andwilllongadmire，theawfulremainsoftheamphitheatreofTitus，whichsowelldeservedtheepithetofColossal。^91Itwasabuildingofanellipticfigure，fivehundredandsixty—fourfeetinlength，andfourhundredandsixty—seveninbreadth，foundedonfourscorearches，andrising，withfoursuccessiveordersofarchitecture，totheheightofonehundredandfortyfeet。^92Theoutsideoftheedificewasencrustedwithmarble，anddecoratedwithstatues。Theslopesofthevastconcave，whichformedtheinside，werefilledandsurroundedwithsixtyoreightyrowsofseatsofmarblelikewise，coveredwithcushions，andcapableofreceivingwitheaseaboutfourscorethousandspectators。^93Sixty—fourvomitoriesforbythatnamethedoorswereveryaptlydistinguishedpouredforththeimmensemultitude；andtheentrances，passages，andstaircaseswerecontrivedwithsuchexquisiteskill，thateachperson，whetherofthesenatorial，theequestrian，ortheplebeianorder，arrivedathisdestinedplacewithouttroubleorconfusion。^94Nothingwasomitted，which，inanyrespect，couldbesubservienttotheconvenienceandpleasureofthespectators。
Theywereprotectedfromthesunandrainbyanamplecanopy，occasionallydrawnovertheirheads。Theairwascontinallyrefreshedbytheplayingoffountains，andprofuselyimpregnatedbythegratefulscentofaromatics。Inthecentreoftheedifice，thearena，orstage，wasstrewedwiththefinestsand，andsuccessivelyassumedthemostdifferentforms。Atonemomentitseemedtoriseoutoftheearth，likethegardenoftheHesperides，andwasafterwardsbrokenintotherocksandcavernsofThrace。Thesubterraneouspipesconveyedaninexhaustiblesupplyofwater；andwhathadjustbeforeappearedalevelplain，mightbesuddenlyconvertedintoawidelake，coveredwitharmedvessels，andreplenishedwiththemonstersofthedeep。^95Inthedecorationofthesescenes，theRomanemperorsdisplayedtheirwealthandliberality；andwereadonvariousoccasionsthatthewholefurnitureoftheamphitheatreconsistedeitherofsilver，orofgold，orofamber。^96ThepoetwhodescribesthegamesofCarinus，inthecharacterofashepherd，attractedtothecapitalbythefameoftheirmagnificence，affirmsthatthenetsdesignedasadefenceagainstthewildbeasts，wereofgoldwire；thattheporticosweregilded；andthatthebeltorcirclewhichdividedtheseveralranksofspectatorsfromeachotherwasstuddedwithapreciousmosaicofbeautifulstones。^97
[Footnote91:SeeMaffei，VeronaIllustrata，p。iv。l。i。c。2。]
[Footnote92:Maffei，l。ii。c。2。Theheightwasverymuchexaggeratedbytheancients。Itreachedalmosttotheheavens，accordingtoCalphurnius，Eclog。vii。23，andsurpassedthekenofhumansight，accordingtoAmmianusMarcellinusxvi。10。YethowtriflingtothegreatpyramidofEgypt，whichrises500feetperpendicular]
[Footnote93:AccordingtodifferentcopiesofVictor，weread77，000，or87，000spectators；butMaffeil。ii。c。12findsroomontheopenseatsfornomorethan34，000。Theremainderwerecontainedintheuppercoveredgalleries。]
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