Quintus Claudius: A Romance of Imperial Rome. Volume 1

part in the mighty fights in the Flavian amphitheatre.

Quintus and Aurelius lounged idly towards the cages, while Afranius
studied the movements of the crane, which was now beginning to lower
the grotesque monster. The two young men came to a stand in front of a
lion of unusual size, which was snorting at the bars of its cage, and
standing in a haughty and th...