GALLIA ROMANA

Bernard 1859, pp. 1-14 ; Fiches/Veyrac 1996, pp. 336-350 ; Gros 1996, pp. 335-336 ; Lemerle 2005, pp. 85-86 ; Lemerle 2013-2

« Palmarium omnium duco Amphitheatrum : in figura ovali 470. passus continens, 63. arcuum : quod Antonini opus esse non dubitatur, cui paternum genus ex Transalpinis Gallis & Nemauso fuerat. In istius amphitheatri structura observabis, I. Par gladiatorum saxo incisum. II. Lupam altricem Romuli & Remi. III. Vultures qui Romulo & Remo Vrbs fundamenta jacientibus olim apparuerunt. IV. Priapos duos alatos, vulgò les vits volants dictos, quibus insidet vetula freno illos regens. Variæ rei jactantur explicationes. Accesserim illis qui putant Romanos sub hac figura hieroglyphica, quod apertè rarò faciebant, victoriam Gallis suam tacite exprobrasse. 5. Capita duo taurorum aut urorum ad portam, quâ intrabatur olim. […] Hodie area interior domunculis ho[211]minum pauperculorum occupata est. »
= “The masterpiece is the amphitheatre. It is oval in shape, measures 470 paces and comprises 63 arches. It was certainly built by Antony, whose family, on his fathers side, were all from Transalpine Gaul and Nimes. One can see in this amphitheatre: 1) a pair of gladiators sculpted in stone; 2) the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus; 3) the vultures who were seen by Romulus and Remus when they were laying the foundations of the town [of Rome]; 4) two winged Priaps, locally known as 'les vits volants' (flying pintles), mounted by an old lady who reins and steers them. Various explanations exist concerning this image. I share the opinion of those who consider the Romans, who rarely did things openly, to be behind this symbolic image, which tacitly reproached the defeated Gauls; 5) the heads of two bulls or oxen which adorn the gateway through which entered [the amphitheatre] in the past. […] Today, the internal space is filled with the small houses of the poor.”