It was an excellent place to be if you wanted to hear crowds of wretched philosophers heaping abuse on one another--an endless number of historians reading out their imbecilic writings--innumerable poets reciting their drivel to the wild applause of other poets--gaggles of magicians showing their tricks--throngs of fortune-tellers telling fortunes--countless lawyers perverting justice--or armies of peddlers hawking whatever rubbish came to hand. . . . --DIO THE GOLDEN-TONGUED, C. A.D. 100 ONCE