DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.53553#0108
90
The Coliseum, or great theatre of Pozzuoli, stands at an
inconsiderable distance from the temple of Diana, in the
midst of a farm ; formerly it was situated in the center of the
town. Its exterior walls are of reticulated masonry, and ap-
pear to be greatly sunk in the ground ; and the arena,
which I should judge to be about eighty paces in length, and
somewhat less ill breadth, is, like the temple of Diana, con-
verted into a field, The interior is in too ruinous a state to
exhibit the usual gradation of seats.—“ Here it was,” ex-
claimed father Anselm, “ that otir holy protector, St. Janu-
arius, together with Proculus, Festus, Desiderius, and many
other godly martyrs, were exposed to the fury of savage
beasts, by the persecuting mandate of the heathen emperor
Diocletian, himself more ferocious than the lions and ti f<ers
he employed for that diabolical purpose. But instead of de-
vouring the saint and his companions, those very beasts
prostrated themselves at his feet, and with their tongues
fawningly licked the hands of the holy bishop; while Timo-
theus, the praefect and minister of the emperor’s cruelty, was
punished with the loss of his sight, which he only recovered
through the efficacy of St. Januarius’s prayers : and not-
withstanding this Christian act of generosity, still the heads
of the holy martyr and his friends at last fell by a pagan axe.
Here,” pointing to one of the arches of the amphitheatre,
“ he was confined previous to the execution of the infamous
sentence ! But the decrees of Heaven were not to be thwart-
ed by the vain efforts of heathen executioners. The super-
stition of paganism has vanished from the face of Europe,
and the mild tenets of our Redeemer have, without any
other aid than that of their divine truth, spread themselves
over every part of the globe.”
The enthusiastic fervency with which the venerable father
uttered these words, left no doubt, that he would be as ready
to shed his blood in the cause of his faith as his saint, and
greatly
The Coliseum, or great theatre of Pozzuoli, stands at an
inconsiderable distance from the temple of Diana, in the
midst of a farm ; formerly it was situated in the center of the
town. Its exterior walls are of reticulated masonry, and ap-
pear to be greatly sunk in the ground ; and the arena,
which I should judge to be about eighty paces in length, and
somewhat less ill breadth, is, like the temple of Diana, con-
verted into a field, The interior is in too ruinous a state to
exhibit the usual gradation of seats.—“ Here it was,” ex-
claimed father Anselm, “ that otir holy protector, St. Janu-
arius, together with Proculus, Festus, Desiderius, and many
other godly martyrs, were exposed to the fury of savage
beasts, by the persecuting mandate of the heathen emperor
Diocletian, himself more ferocious than the lions and ti f<ers
he employed for that diabolical purpose. But instead of de-
vouring the saint and his companions, those very beasts
prostrated themselves at his feet, and with their tongues
fawningly licked the hands of the holy bishop; while Timo-
theus, the praefect and minister of the emperor’s cruelty, was
punished with the loss of his sight, which he only recovered
through the efficacy of St. Januarius’s prayers : and not-
withstanding this Christian act of generosity, still the heads
of the holy martyr and his friends at last fell by a pagan axe.
Here,” pointing to one of the arches of the amphitheatre,
“ he was confined previous to the execution of the infamous
sentence ! But the decrees of Heaven were not to be thwart-
ed by the vain efforts of heathen executioners. The super-
stition of paganism has vanished from the face of Europe,
and the mild tenets of our Redeemer have, without any
other aid than that of their divine truth, spread themselves
over every part of the globe.”
The enthusiastic fervency with which the venerable father
uttered these words, left no doubt, that he would be as ready
to shed his blood in the cause of his faith as his saint, and
greatly