競技場如此角斗賽

生死格斗﹐人對野獸
野獸對家畜﹐狼逐野豬﹑
野兔﹐獅子逐羚羊
這些肉搏戰都很尋常

雷古羅斯的角斗表演
別開生面﹗一直斗到場上﹑
場外﹐諾卡拉和龐培人
相互撕殺﹐遍體鱗傷

只為小事一樁﹐雙方
相互嘲諷﹐失去節制後
相互擲石頭﹐強龍怎敵過
地頭蛇﹖終演成械斗

龐培佔了上風﹐諾卡拉
死傷慘重﹕ 東家丟了兒子
西家沒了父親--傷殘
四肢不全﹐五官不辨

角斗士素為高官們寵幸
賽場失意﹐情場得意﹕
火山爆發時分倒還能幽會
珠光寶氣的貴族婦女

01/18/07

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此诗源自于塔西图的一段史述:

Sub idem tempus levi initio atrox caedes orta inter colonos Nucerinos Pompeianosque gladiatorio spectaculo quod Livineius Regulus, quem motum senatu rettuli, edebat. quippe oppidana lascivia in vicem incessentes probra, dein saxa, postremo ferrum sumpsere, validiore Pompeianorum plebe, apud quos spectaculum edebatur. ergo deportati sunt in urbem multi e Nucerinis trunco per vulnera corpore, ac plerique liberorum aut parentum mortis deflebant. cuius rei iudicium princeps senatui, senatus consulibus permisit. et rursus re ad patres relata, prohibiti publice in decem annos eius modi coetu Pompeiani collegiaque quae contra leges instituerant dissoluta; Livineius et qui alii seditionem conciverant exilio multati sunt.
(Tacitus, Annales 14.17)

About the same time a trifling beginning led to frightening bloodshed between the inhabitants of Nuceria and Pompeii, at a gladiatorial show exhibited by Livineius Regulus, who had been, as I have related, expelled from the Senate. With the unruly spirit of townsfolk, they began with abusive language of each other; then they took up stones and at last weapons, the advantage resting with the populace of Pompeii, where the show was being exhibited. And so there were brought to Rome a number of the people of Nuceria, with their bodies mutilated by wounds, and many lamented the deaths of children or of parents. The emperor entrusted the trial of the case to the Senate, and the Senate to the consuls, and then again the matter being referred back to the Senators, the inhabitants of Pompeii were forbidden to have any such public gathering for ten years, and all associations they had formed in defiance of the laws were dissolved. Livienius and the others who had excited the disturbance, were punished with exile.

庞培城还有一幅形像逼真的壁画:


Amphitheater at Pompeii