IMMENSE WEALTH OF THE ROMANS.

Crassus’ landed estate was valued at$8,333,330
His house was valued at400,000
Cæcilius Isidorus, after having lost much, left5,235,800
Demetrius, a freedman of Pompey, was worth3,875,000
Lentulus, the augur, no less than16,666,666
Clodius, who was slain by Milo, paid for his house616,666
He once swallowed a pearl worth40,000
Apicius was worth more than4,583,350
And after he had spent in his kitchen, and otherwise squandered, immense sums, to the amount of4,166,666
He poisoned himself, leaving416,666
The establishment belonging to M. Scarus, and burned at Tusculum, was valued at4,150,000
Gifts and bribes may be considered signs of great riches: Cæsar presented Servilia, the mother of Brutus, with a pearl worth200,000
Paulus, the consul, was bribed by Cæsar with the sum of292,000
Curio contracted debts to the amount of2,500,000
Milo contracted a debt of2,915,666
Antony owed at the Ides of March, which he paid before the Calends of April1,666,666
He had squandered altogether735,000,000
Seneca had a fortune of17,500,000
Tiberius left at his death, and Caligula spent in less than twelve months,118,120,000
Caligula spent for one supper150,000
Heliogabalus in the same manner100,000
The suppers of Lucullus at the Apollo cost8,330
Horace says that Pegellus, a singer, could in five days spend40,000
Herrius’ fish-ponds sold for166,000
Calvinus Labinus purchased many learned slaves, none of them at a price less than4,165
Stage-players sold much higher.