t was placed in the senate-chamber and
decked with the spoils of Egypt. The spoils were also employed at this
time for adorning the Julian hero-shrine, when it was consecrated. Many
of them were placed as offerings in it and others were dedicated to
Capitoline Jupiter and Juno and Minerva, while all the votive gifts that
were thought to have previously reposed there or were still reposing were
now by decree taken down as defiled. Thus Cleopatra, although defeated
and captured, was nevertheless glorified, because her adornments repose
in our temples and she herself is seen in gold in the shrine of Venus.

At the consecration of the hero-shrine there were all sorts of contests,
and the children of the nobles performed the Troy equestrian exercise.
Men who were their peers also contended on chargers and pairs and
three-horse teams. A certain Quintus Vitellius, a senator, fought as a
gladiator. All kinds of wild beasts and kine were slain by the wholesale,
among them a rhinoceros and a hippopotamus, then seen for the first time
in Rome. Many have described the appearance of the hippo and it has been
seen by many more. As for the rhinoceros, it is in most respects like
an elephant, but has a projecting horn at the very tip of its nose and
through this fact has received its name. Besides the introduction of
these beasts Dacians and Suebi fought in throngs with each other. The
latter are Celts, the former a species of Scythian. The Suebi, to be
exact, dwell across the Rhine (though many cities elsewhere claim their
name), and the Dacians on both sides of the Ister. Such of them, however,
as live on this side of it and near the Triballic country are reckoned in
with the district of Moesia and are called Moesi save among those who
are in the very neighborhood. Such as are on the other side are called
Dacians, and are either a branch of the Getae or Thracians belonging to
the Dacian race that once inhabited Rhodope. Now these Dacians had before
this time sent envoys to Caesar: but when they obtained none of their
requests, they turned away to follow Antony. To him, however, they were
of no great assistance, owing to disputes among themselves. Some were
consequently captured and later set to fight the Suebi.

The whole spectacle lasted naturally a number of days. There was no
intermission in spite of a sickness of Caesar's, but it was carried on
in his absence, under the direction of others. During its course the
senators on one d