three, but the one most commonly used began in November B.C. 49.--The Romans during the time of the republic reckoned their years by the names of the consuls, which were registered in the Fasti. Along with this era there existed another, used only by the historians. It reckoned the years from the foundation of the city (_ab urbe condita_); but the year of the foundation of the city was a question of uncertainty among the Romans themselves. M. Terentius Varro placed it on the 21st of April in the third year of the 6th Olympiad, that is, B.C. 753; and this is the era most commonly used. To find out the year B.C. corresponding to the year A.U.C., subtract the year A.U.C. from 754; thus 605 A.U.C. = 149 B.C. To find out the year A.D. corresponding to the year A.U.C., subtract 753 from the year A.U.C.; thus 767 A.U.C. = 14 A.D. CHRȲSENDĔTA, costly dishes used by the Romans at their entertainments, apparently made of silver, with golden ornaments. CIDĂRIS. [TIARA.] CINCTUS GABĪNUS. [TOGA.] CINGŬLUM. [ZONA.] CĬNĔRĀRĬUS. [CALAMISTRUM.] CĬNĔRES. [FUNUS.] CĬNĬFLO. [CALAMISTRUM.] CIPPUS, a low column, sometimes round, but more frequently rectangular. Cippi were used for various purposes; the decrees of the senate were sometimes inscribed upon them; and with distances engraved upon them, they also served as mile-stones. They were, however, more frequently employed as sepulchral monuments. It was also usual to place at one corner of the burying-ground a cippus, on which the extent of the burying-ground was marked, towards the road (_in fronte_), and backwards to the fields (_in agrum_). [Illustration: Cippus, in the Vatican.] CIRCENSES LŪDI. [CIRCUS.] CIRCĬTŌRES, or CIRCŬĬTŌRES. [CASTRA.] [Illustration: Ground Plan of the Circus.]