ACTA Diurna, was a sort of Roman gazette, containing an authorized narrative of the transactions worthy of notice which happened at Rome. Petronius has given us a specimen of the acta diurna in his account of Trimalchis; and as it may not perhaps be uninteresting to see how exactly a Roman newspaper runs in the style of an English one, the following is an article or two out of it:
"On the 26th of July, 30 boys and 40 girls were born at Trimalchi's estate at Cuma.
"At the same time a slave was put to death for uttering disrespectful words against his lord.
"The same day a fire broke out in Pompey's gardens, which began in the night, in the steward's apartment."