Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-09-24


of Nero. was present. clad in n long robe
woven with golden wire. Artaxerxcs wore
upon his person gems and Jewels to the
amount of l0,332, 900. During tho reign of
Pmpey an Individual whose name was
Ptolcmy commanded and maintained eight
hundred horse at his own expense One
Thousand persons seated themselves daily mt
his table, each being furnished with golden
cup, which was changed at every courso-
| Pliny, also informs usof one Pythiasof Byth-
mia. who entertained one day. in the most
splendid manncr.'thc whole army of Xorxes
consisting h 100000. 10 this large army
he offered five months pay and provisions
for the whole campaign. At the present time
| such libcrality would not only ruin the for
tune of private persons. but would weaken
the commercial interest Of the most powerful
government.
~ ns in these hard times, when mems
souls seem centred in the round rotundi-
ty y of tic almighty dollar, the salaries of
modern 0rtists appear enormously large
Maocmosclle PiccOloniu, during ncr recent
engagement in Now York, received five thous-
and dollars per month in Rome. the salary
of Roscius was scventy-iive thousand dollars
per annum. lie finally became so wealthy
that he refused a sU|arv, and acted several
years without pay. Esopus, thecontempora-
ry OF Roscus, at an entertainment. produced
cost S2I,4l5: and at his death he left his son
one million of dollars
julius Caesar captured by the Ciiioian
! pirates, who demanded of him $2j 1913 3d.
Caesar laughed at them and gave them S43,-
| O5o.6O. Before he enjoyed any public Office,
he was in debt to the amount of Sl.l19,443. In
order to appcnsc the people, who demanded
| Cesar OF the Senate, Cato gave n distribution OF
bread corn, which increased the public expense
to i've million five hundred thousand drachn,s,
! winch ~ equivalent to seven hunlrcd and sew
cnty thousand dollars. When the Government
of Spain was allotted to Caesar, he was so. over
whclmcd with debt that nc could not depart to
take charge of his position. lie called upon
! Crassus the Riuh who stood security for him in
the sum of $7l4,12l. Iercwardod tho bravery
of Cassius Ccnva by n donation of seven thous-
and dollars He paid off the vast debts of the
tribune Curio; and presented the consul Paulus
with Sl,29l ,G65, which was employed in con-
! structing new hall near the Forum. lie COM
menccd a new building, the ground plot of
which was to have cost him above an hundred
! million OF scstcrces. In memory of his daugh-
Ter. he gave most extrayagnnt feast to the
people; doubled the pay of the legions forever;
! granted the people corn without measure, and
gave each soldiers slave, piece of land or n
! house. lie presented I'm actor for mimic piece
| OF his own, s. II 900. For his mistress Servil:
| mother of NJ Brntus, he purchased n pearl that
cost him S2lO,OOO. During his reign, gold and
silver became so abundant that 1t was exchanged
throughout Italy Mt three thousand sestcrces
per pound. lie also decorated the arms of his
soldiers with gold and silver, 50 TINT they should
be thc more unwilling TO part with them from
their great value. Yet with all his extraya-
Gancc, he bequcathed to each Roman citizen
! nine dollars.
| Ilberius Caesar rewarded his gladiator With
| three thousand five hundred dollars. To Sabi-
nus he gave scycn thousand dollars for ,Ga-
! logne between a mushroom and tig-peckcr,
and between an oyster and thrush He di-
yided his attendants into three classes: to tho
hrst he gave six, to the second four, and to the
third two hundred thousand sesterccs, which is
equal TO about forty-two Thousand dollars.
In many respects Caligua was as great ly-
rant ms Nero. The former was the cormorant
Win oil ITS vOracity; the latter was the eagle
without its bblcst qualities. There is some
th'ns sublime in the fact TINT Nero touched the
Tyre while Rome was wrnpt in flames. But in
the whole history of Caligum there is nothing
TO eX.he either our respect or admiration. lie
hvished thousands, not to make mankind better
and happier, but simply to gratfy his own evil
and vicious desires. lie practiscd incest with
his sisters; forced pnrcntsto witness the dying
agonies of, their children; exhibited his wife
naked to his friends, and dsgraced many noble
men by branding them in the face with hot
iron. lie Was reckless in the pr6fMson with
which he scattered money. lie gave to Antio
chus of Comaginc 50, 500,0 00O. He bathcd in IL
bath OF precious ungucnts; drank priceless
pearls, dissolved in vinegar, and ate of golden
bread At on auction he made his salesman
knock of twelve gladiotors to Sntmpinus, who
was 80 unfortunate as to nod. They amounted
| to three hundred and fifteen thousand dollars
In less than one year he lavished magniGcen.
estate, and all the treasures amnssed by Tibcri-
| us, amounting to twenty-se hundred million
OF dolarsf At another auction, he compelled
an individual to pny seven thousand dollars for
n mere baube. lie was so fond OF handlinr
1 gold that having spread ID ont upon the floor,
he would walk over it, and would even lie down
upon it.
Augustus Caesar left n legacy to the Roman
people of 81, ,G27, ,535, yet he complained that
| his heirs wonld only have $6. .25O000. Prior to
this he had expended upon the government four
hundred and ninety thousand dollars, beside his
TWO patetnal estates In addition to this, hc
wasted 81 .367 ,635. Nero gave Siridates eight
hundred thousand sestcrces every day nc re.
NAMED az Rome, and upon his departure pre-
sented him with n million more. lie also be-
sfowed upon tile harper, Menocfates and upon
the gladiator, SpicilluS,. the houses and estates
OF gentlemen who had becn once honored With
a triumph. We here present the reader with
the description of the new palace which Nero
erected after the banning of Rome Hisitaken
from the history Of that Emperor, by Suetonius.
"nc raised. an house, that reached from the
patace to the Esquilc, which he Mt first called
Fransitoria; but after it vas burnt down and
rebuilt, the Golden House. concerning the large
ness and furniture. of which, II NAV fsbftfce To
saythus mneb- The porch WAS SO high, That
there stood in il a monstroIfs statue of himsolf
an hundred and twenty feet in height. and the
extent of it such that it had triple poftfcos
mile in length, and pond like sea, surround.
al NDtth h,.tl.l 4