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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bing, post: 1783967, member: 44132&quot;]The type refers to some public games. It was in the Ludi Apollinares that contests took place in which a rider raced with two horses vaulting from one to the other.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The key here is The Ludi Apollinares. They were games which were first organized in 212 BC, when C. Sulla was Praetor. Initially a vow was made to hold them only once.There is some discussion as to who officially made them annual games.</p><p>One version of events proposes that L. Varus, the praetor urbanus at the time, renewed this vow and celebrated them again in 210 BC. They were made an annual festival by a law in 208 BC by L. Varus, who was then curule aedile. <span style="color: #ff0000">A severe plague in 208 BC</span> may have prompted the Senate to make them permanent, in honor of Apollo, who they regarded as a god of healing. From this day on, they were celebrated on July 13 and eventually grew to last 8 or 9 days.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I am surmising here that the rat refers to this plague.&nbsp; I may be wrong as I&#039;m not certain the Romans knew the rodents spread the disease.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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