Jump to content

Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Catadromus

From Wikiversity

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

CATAD'ROMUS. A rope extended in a slanting position from the ground to some elevated point in a theatre, upon which rope-dancers ascended and descended; a feat which, however extraordinary it may appear, is also recorded to have been performed in the Roman amphitheatre by an elephant with a rider on its back. (Suet. Nero 11. compare Galb. 6. and Plin. H. N. viii. 2.) The illustration (Catadromus/1.1) is from a medal of Caracalla; the slanting ropes and the dancers on them are clearly indicated, while the baskets and palm branches on the top represent the prizes for those who succeed in reaching up to them.

References

[edit | edit source]