[58] Now the Pisatello; near Rimini. There was a very ancient law of
the republic, forbidding any general, returning from the wars, to cross
the Rubicon with his troops under arms.

[59] The ring was worn on the finger next to the little finger of the
left hand.

[60] Suetonius here accounts for the mistake of the soldiers with great
probability. The class to which they imagined they were to be promoted,
was that of the equites, or knights, who wore a gold ring, and were
possessed of property to the amount stated in the text. Great as was the
liberality of Caesar to his legions, the performance of this imaginary
promise was beyond all reasonable expectation.

[61] A.U.C. 706.

[62] Elephants were first introduced at Rome by Pompey the Great, in his
African triumph.

[63] VENI, VIDI, VICI.

[64] A.U.C. 708.

[65] Gladiators were first publicly exhibited at Rome by two brothers
called Bruti, at the funeral of their father, A.U.C. 490; and for some
time they were exhibited only on such occasions. But afterwards they
were also employed by the magistrates, to entertain the people,
particularly at the Saturnalia, and feasts of Minerva. These cruel
spectacles were prohibited by Constantine, but not entirely suppressed
until the time of Honorius.