[192] See pp. 1, 8. That the amphitheatres were among the finest buildings of the Romans in all their cities it is hardly necessary to say; it seems clear that they were first built for the favourite amusement of the hunting of wild beasts, and that the first name for them was _Theatrum Venatorium_; but the gladiators were soon introduced, for the further amusement of the people in the same buildings. Both amusements are believed to have been used in Greece before they were introduced into Rome, but they were in use in Rome before the time of the Empire. At first, the amphitheatres were temporary buildings of wood only (as has been shewn), but there were several of these. After the great Flavian amphitheatre was completed, this seems to have been the only one in Rome; but those of several other cities, such as Capua and Verona (see the learned work of Scipio Maffei, _Verona Illustrata_, Milano, 1876, parte quarta) must have been nearly equal to it. [193] The following inscriptions, found upon the spot, agree with the construction, as is always the case when the true date can be ascertained. The first is of the time of Hadrian, A.D. 120, (No. 43 in chapter vii. of the work of Francesco Alvino, which contains the ancient inscriptions found upon the spot); the second (No. 48 of the same collection) appears to be of Septimius Severus and Pertinax, A.D. 192; the third in point of date (No. 16 in the collection) records restorations by Lampridius:— XLIII. IMP. CÆS. T. ÆLIO HADRIANO AVG PATRI PATRIÆ SVBLEVATORI ORBIS RESTITVTORI OPE RVM PVBLICORVM INDVLGENTISSIMO OPTIMAQ. PRINCIPI CAMPANI OB INSIGNEM ERGA EOS BE NIGNITATEM D. D. XLVIII. IMP. CÆS. DIVI M. ANTONINI GERM. SARM. FIL. DIVI COMMODI FRATRI DIVI ANTONINI PII NEPOTI DIVI HADRIANI PRONEPOTI DIVI TRAIANI PARTHICI ABNEPOTI DIVI NERVAE ADNEPOTI SEPTIMIO SEVERO PIO PERTINACI ARABICO ADIABENICO P.P. PONT. MAX TRIB. POT. I̅I̅I̅I̅. IMP. VIII. COS II. PROC COLONIA CAPVA XVI. POSTVMIO LAMPADIO V. C. ET INLVSTRI CON. CAMPANIAE RESTITVTORI PATRIAE ET REDINTEGRATORI OPERVM PVBLICORVM