[137] BROKEN VOW. Concerning the broken vows of vestal virgins, see Suet. _Dom._ 8. If the crime was discovered, Domitian's government treated the culprit more harshly than those of Vitellius and Titus, indeed the severity increased at each instance. The vestals Ocellata and Varonilla were granted the choice of the manner of death, but their betrayers were exiled. In later times, however, Domitian ordered the vestal Cornelia to be buried alive, and her lovers--for she had several--to be flogged to death in the comitium. In contradiction to this is the (perhaps incorrect) remark of Dio Cassius (LXVII, 3) according to which Domitian, to his credit, ordered that vestal virgins convicted of breaking their vows, should not be buried alive, but sentenced to a less cruel death.
[138] PULVINAR. Here a superb seat resembling a divan, is meant. See Suet. A. 45, also see note 45, Vol. II.
[139] THE ENORMOUS CANVAS AWNING. The stone rings, into which these masts were fastened, are still visible at the present day in the walls of the Coliseum.
[140] TAUROMENIUM. A city on the eastern coast of Sicily, now Taormina.
[141] THE TENTH OR TWELFTH SEAT FROM YOU. My story here allows both sexes to be seated promiscuously, as was customary in the circus. At the exhibitions in the amphitheatre, women had places specially set apart. The license I have taken is the more easily justified, because the disposal of seats in the theatre was never strictly carried out, hence the frequency of the complaint that people who had no right to the places, crowded into those reserved for the knights.
[142] RHEGIUM. A city in the southern part of the Italian peninsula, in the country of the Bruttii; now Reggio.
[143] MOVED THE WORLD BY A WINK OF HIS EYELASH. See Hor. _Od._ III, 1, V. 8; "_cuncia supercilio moventis_." The words there refer to Jupiter; but Domitian's flatterers, especially Martial, never wearied of deifying the emperor as a second Jupiter. See Mart., _Ep._ V. 6, V. 9, and many others.
[144] AVE CAESAR! or _Ave Imperator_! (Hail to thee, oh Caesar!) The emperor was greeted with these words whenever he appeared in public, and replied by the phrase: _Avete vos_! (I greet you also!) The word _Ave_! (Be greeted! Be blessed!) was also in general use when persons met or took leave of each other.