level
space, called the _arena_. All around the arena, and under the seats,
were immense galleries or passage ways among the arches, some of which
were below the level of the ground. Some of these galleries were for the
spectators to use in passing from one part of the building to another,
and others were used for the dens and cages of the wild beasts that were
kept there to fight in the arena, for the amusement of the people.

The guide led the way through all these places, and it was not until
after walking about through them for some time that Mrs. Gray and the
children obtained a full conception of the magnitude of the structure.
The guide told them that it contained room for forty thousand people.

"What a dreadful place it must have been!" said Rosie, as she followed
the guide round through the subterranean chambers.

"They used to hoist the cages that contained the wild beasts up through
these openings," said the guide, pointing to some large circular
openings in the masonry above, "and then open the gates, and let them
out into the arena. The cages were so contrived that when the keeper
opened the door to let the beast out, by the same motion he shut himself
in, so as to be safe out of his way. He then, afterwards, got out
behind, by another door."

There was a very wide and deep canal open in the centre of the arena,
with a communication for water connected with a vast reservoir a little
way off. By means of this canal the whole of the arena could be flooded
with water, so as to form a little lake for naval battles. The guide
took the party down to the bottom of this canal, and showed them a
large, circular opening in the masonry below, for drawing off water.
This opening connected with a conduit, which ran off towards the sea.

The spectacles which were exhibited by the ancients in such buildings as
these were real combats of beasts with one another, or of beasts with
men, and sometimes of men with one another. At first, the men who were
compelled to maintain these combats were convicts, who were condemned to
them as a punishment for their crimes. The beasts were lions, tigers,
and other ferocious animals that were caught in the forests in Africa,
or in other remote parts of the Roman empire, and brought to the great
cities for this special purpose.

A great many of the early Christians were compelled to meet these beasts
in such conflicts, in the persecutions which they endured. The rulers of
the count