in Antiquity, a public show or spectacle amongst the ancient Romans, representing a sea-fight. These mock fights are supposed to have originated at the time of the first Punic war, when the Romans first in- structed their men in the knowledge of naval affairs; but afterwards they were intended to entertain the populace, as well as to improve the seamen. They were often, like other shows, exhibited at the expense of individuals, who thus sought to increase their popularity.

In these spectacles they sometimes strove to excel each other in swiftness, and sometimes engaged in a warlike manner. The naumachia of Claudius, indeed, was a most sa- vage diversion, where the combatants used to destroy each other to amuse a tyrant and a cruel mob. As they passed before him, they used this melancholy greeting, "Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant." The emperor replied, "Avece vos." This they understood as an answer of kindness, and a grant of their lives; but they soon disco- vered that it proceeded from wanton cruelty and barba- rous insensibility. In the time of the Emperor Domitian, the number of vessels engaged would have nearly formed two regular fleets for a real fight, and the channel of wa- ter was equal in magnitude to a natural river. The Em- peror Heliogabalus is reported to have filled the channel where the vessels were to ride with wine instead of water. Tritons and sea-monsters were frequently exhibited dur- ing the engagement. Suetonius and Dion Cassius inform us, that at one of the sea-fights of Domitian there fell a violent shower of rain; the emperor, however, continued till the end of the engagement, often changing his clothes; nor would he suffer any one to depart, and as the rain continued to fall for several hours, many were seized with distempers, and some even died. (Sueton. cap. 4; Dio, lib. lxxvi.) Naumachie were also places fitted up for these shows, being a sort of circi or amphitheatres, with seats and porticoes. There were several of them at Rome, namely, three built by Augustus, one by Claudius, another by Do- mitian, and another by Nero, which served for the re- verse of his medals. Claudius used the Lake Fucinus as a naumachia.