The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-12-23
J 78COLUMBIA.
Wednesday Morning. Dec. IS. 1868.
Ancient an,I modern weal.h.

AloCOt0kAdos VA suAhtu6 aP OhI AOcCc
at the anoients and imagining how
those old fogies would stare if they
could be permitted to take glimpse
Of this mundane sphere from which
they have been absent SO long. We
doubt very much whether their asto-
nishment would be as great as our
vanity wcrld have Il. I: is we!lil
known that an acquaintance with
Greek, Roman. and even Egyptian
antiquities, is. requisite in a certain
degree to the success of our staple
manufactures, and even to more COM
monplace domestic trades. There is
scarcely an article of furniture which
decorates our dwellings that may not
be traced to the walls of Egyptian
palaces and tombs. The most beau
tiful scroll ornaments observable on
Cashmere shawls, on silk and cotton
goods-from the gorgeous window
drapery to common silk handker-
chief-msy be traced to the same
source. Lost arts are evident among
the splendid testimonials of the luxu-
rious banquets of the Theban kings.
We boast, too, of our immense
wealth in gold and silver bullion.
Why, it was as nothing compared
with that of the ancient world. Of
the immense quantity of gold pos
sessed by the Egyptians, as well as
their elegant manufacture of it,
abundant testimony can be had of
writers sacred and profane. Diodo-
rus, describing the grand mausoleum
of Osymandyas, informs us that the
amount of gold and silver dug from
the mines of the Thebais. was 3,OOO,-
600, 600, of mine, or about $3.50, ,OOO,-
600 OF our money. In one voyage
from Sofala, on the African coast, the
Scripture Ophir, Solomon is report
ed, by Josephus, to have brought
home 450 talents in gold, about
800. 100000 of our money. King
David left in his treasury 100000
talents of gold and 100000 talents
of silver, according to the Book of
Chronicles-about $1,000, 900, 900 in
our money. In the great Temple Of
Belus, built by Semiramis, we have
an account of three prodigious sta
tues, representing Jupiter, Juno and
Rhea, all of beaten gold. The first
statue was forty feet high, the third
(of Rhea) sculptured sitting on q
throne of massive gold. The statue
of Juno was in an erect position, and
the same height with that of Jupiter.
s The colossal image beaten of solid
gold Nebuchadnezzar set up, was
ninety feet high, and has been COM
puted in value of our money at about
$50, 900, 900. Alexander carried away
from the Persian capital alone ,OOO,-
900, 600 of bullion, in the value Of
our money. On the funeral of one
of his fayorites he expended $40, 900, :
600 Of gold. But the lavishness of
Cleopatra unfolds to us q vision Of
the immense wealth of. the Eastern
monarchies. Having invited Anthony
to banquet, at which the vast num-
ber of gold cups set with Jewels ex-
cited his admiration, she Immediate
presented him with the whole assort-
ment. The next day, he was again
invited to royal banquet with all
the chief officers of his army, and
when that banquet was over, every
guest was presented with the gold
cup out of which he had drank. The
pearl that she dissolved and drank,
was worth about ES0,OOO, or $780,
600 of our money. The pearl that
Caesar presented to the mother of
Brutus, and which came from the
same quarter, was estimated at ESQ,
600 in value, or $3.50, 900.
But what shall we say of Roman
extravagance? Paulina, great
beauty in the time Of Caligula, wore
Jewels to the value of more than
50, 100000. The houses of Cassius
and Crassus were each valued at more
than $500,0 600, estimated by our
currency. They were externally
cased with marble, and had costly
marble pillars to support their cell
ings. They were internally decorat-
ed with rich fonactry xy;tl, roro bo,>o,