The Hebrews held their cattle market at the gates of their cities; and from this circumstance, perhaps, is derived those expressions so frequent in the sacred writings: “The gates of the flocks,” “The sheep’s gate,” &c.,[XV-49] which no doubt designated the different quarters of Jerusalem where shepherds and cattle dealers were accustomed to congregate. Among the Greeks, vast, airy, public places, used to receive, under the orders, and with the authorisation of the _Epimeletes_, or curators, the animals and meat necessary for the subsistence of the citizens. At Rome, the horned cattle market was situated in the eighth region, behind the Capitoline Mount.[XV-50] It was a magnificent place, surrounded with beautiful galleries, in the midst of which stood on its pedestal, a gigantic brazen bull, at a little distance from the temple of Hercules--a round, mean edifice[XV-51]--where dealers and their customers went to adore this god, the patron of butchers. The way to reach the pig market was by going round the Quirinal Mount, near the bronze horses of Tyridates, in the seventh region of the town.[XV-52] This market was the most important of all, on account of the immense consumption of pork by the Romans. As soon as the officer of the Roman præfect appeared, the principal butchers gathered round him; he examined the cattle, regulated the sale, and fixed a price on the meat, from which they were not allowed to deviate,[XV-53] and then only was the market open. BUTCHERS. Nothing among the Greeks indicates that they had butchers in the heroic ages. The warriors of Homer had no want of them, so great was their skill in cutting up the enormous pieces placed before them.[XV-54] Ulysses acquired a reputation by his dexterity in this art; and it is more than probable that his martial companions also distinguished themselves by this kind of merit. As soon as luxury had introduced into Greece that effeminate kind of existence which only permits certain men to be engaged in the painful or repulsive details of every-day life, _bouthutes_, or bullock slaughterers, became indispensable; and of them the meat was bought by the pound--weighed in the scale as now.[XV-55] The Romans had, at first, butchers who dealt in the same way, and who continued to do so for a long time; but they afterwards employed the following most extravagant method. The buyer shut one of his hands; the seller did the same; each of them suddenly opened the whole or a few of his fingers. If the fingers were even on each side, the seller had the price he pleased; if they were odd, the buyer gave his own price. This was called _micare_.[XV-56] The mication was suppressed in the year 360, by a decree of Apronianus, which is worth quoting, because it points out in a clear and precise manner the attributions of the Roman butcher, and the system of sale since followed:--