Etruscanprophecywhichsaith，\"Whenthemountainopens，thecityshallfall——whenthesmokecrownstheHilloftheParchedFields，thereshallbewoeandweepinginthehearthsoftheChildrenoftheSea。\"Dreadmaster，ereIleavethesewallsforsomemoredistantdwelling，Icometothee。Asthoulivest，knowIinmyheartthattheearthquakethatsixteenyearsagoshookthiscitytoitssolidbase，wasbuttheforerunnerofmoredeadlydoom。ThewallsofPompeiiarebuiltabovethefieldsoftheDead，andtheriversofthesleeplessHell。Bewarnedandfly！’
Theyhadplacedthemselvesattheonsetfacetoface，atthedistanceofmodernfencersfromeachother：buttheextremecautionwhichbothevincedatfirsthadpreventedanywarmthofengagement，andallowedthespectatorsfullleisuretointerestthemselvesinthebattlebetweenSporusandhisfoe。ButtheRomanswerenowheatedintofullandfierceencounter：theypushed——returned——advancedon——retreatedfromeachotherwithallthatcarefulyetscarcelyperceptiblecautionwhichcharacterizesmenwellexperiencedandequallymatched。Butatthismoment，Eumolpus，theeldergladiator，bythatdexterousback—strokewhichwasconsideredinthearenasodifficulttoavoid，hadwoundedNepimusintheside。Thepeopleshouted；
Lepidusturnedpale。
’Ho！’saidClodius，’thegameisnearlyover。IfEumolpusfightsnowthequietfight，theotherwillgraduallybleedhimselfaway。’
’But，thankthegods！hedoesnotfightthebackwardfight。See！——hepressesharduponNepimus。ByMars！butNepimushadhimthere！thehelmetrangagain！——Clodius，Ishallwin！’