Book 17
4.14
After these provisions, the aforesaid emperor departed this life and the urgency of the enterprise waned, but at last the obelisk was loaded on the ship, after long delay, and brought over the sea and up the channel of the Tiber, which seemed to fear that it could hardly forward over the difficulties of its outward course to the walls of its foster-child the gift which the almost unknown Nile had sent. But it was brought to the vicus AlexandriThe origin of the name is unknown; it was obviously on the Tiber, below Rome. distant three miles from the city. There it was put on cradles Chamulcus, which occurs only here, is the Greek χαμουλκός glossed by Latin traha (cf. Virg. Georg. i. 164). Here, a kind of sledge or platform without wheels, on which ships were launched or drawn up on the shore. and carefully drawn through the Ostian Gate and by the Piscina PublicaOne of the regions of the city, a part of the Aventine Hill. and brought into the Circus Maximus.
