ntests, and combats between men and wild
beasts; and they saw with delight many scenes of bloodshed and death,
too horrible for me to describe to you."

The children looked with him at the deep underground pits where the
animals--lions, tigers, elephants, and other savage beasts--were kept,
and at the places where two aqueducts led the water into the arena.

"Those old Romans were always trying to find some new way of pleasing
the people," he told them, "and sometimes they made a large lake of
the arena, and had boats on the lake fighting terrible battles, in
which many men were killed just for amusement. There are no walls now
standing which have seen so much of the splendor and cruelty of
ancient days," he added.

Edith sighed. "I shall never boast about the stadium at Cambridge
again," she said.

"This Colosseum was built in the early days of the Roman Empire," the
guide continued. "The first and greatest of the Roman emperors was
Augustus, for whom our month of August was named. During his reign
many buildings were repaired which had begun to crumble to ruins in
the days of the republic, when the Romans had devoted most of their
time and money to wars, and many other beautiful buildings were
erected. It was said of this emperor that he found Rome brick and left
it marble.

"It was during the reign of Augustus that the most important event in
the history of the world took place. Christ was born in Bethlehem.
Every event which happened before the birth of Christ is said to have
taken place so many years B. C. (before Christ). All dates after His
birth are given as so many years A. D.--Anno Domini--(two Latin words
which mean 'in the year of our Lord')."

"I was born in 1893 A. D.," said Edith, "and that means that it was
eighteen hundred and ninety-three years after the birth of Christ."

"Yes," said Rafael, "and Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B. C., and that
means forty-four years before Christ was born."

"True," said the professor, "and Julius Caesar was born in 100 B. C.,
which makes him fifty-six years old when he died. Can you puzzle that
out for yourselves?"

Then without waiting for a reply, he continued, "The Roman Empire was
very large, with vast provinces, but it also had powerful enemies.
Among these enemies were the barbarians in Central Europe, and it was
necessary for Augustus to protect his northern frontier with strong
forces, to keep them out of the country. This he did, but we shall
see