Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-08
A MERE TRIFLE.
Our MODERN POmP Compared Win
Ancient PrOdigality.


Ancient PrOdigalify.
What is Stewart, or Belmont, or the
Maronis of Westminster, to Ptolemy Pnli-
oJal5Ers. Of Egypt, who alnassed little
rronsr{v of $3.50. 100000? and which OF
6ur exirayagant young ladies in these
hoastsd times ever gave her lover as Geo
1otrs aid q pearl dissolved in vinegar Cor
pnJissolyedl worth 100000. Then there
Jvse PauIina. One of the ton in Rome, who
need IN wear Jewels when she returned her
vieits worth SSOJOO0. Well, they boast OF
M Stewards "narble palace" on Thirty
fourth street and Fifth avenue. We do
NOT supoose this house, which is about the
hast tbev have in New York, cost more
than half 3 million Of dollars. Cicero VINO
u1os a moor man, gave $4,000 for his
bo1sa and Clodius paid $50 900 for his
asfablishment on the Palatine, while Mas
saIa cave S2,OOO,O00 for the house at An
tinm1 Seneca, who was just plain philos-
onber. like Mr.. Greeley, was worth SlzO,-
n n 00O. WHY they talk about a mans
falling in New York for million as II u
was a big thing. Cesar, before he entered
any office-When be was q young geulle-
-1sn in nrivate lffe-oWed $l4,000,OO0 and
he purchased the friendship of QuGsor for
g. 5GODOO. Mark Anthony owed Sl,4Op
000 on the Ides of March, and he paid Ii
before tile Kalends of March. This was
nothing: he sduandered STZO,OOO,OOO OF
the nnblic money-MajOr Hodges detalca-
tion being for the contemplate sum OF
| $40 600. And these fellows lived well.
Esopus. who was play actor, paid S4oO,-
0OO for a single dish. C4lgulA spent
5000 600 on a supper. Their wines were
| nften kent for two ages, and some OF them
| .old for twenty dollars an ounce. Dlshes
were made of gold and silver, set with pre-
| cinus stones. The beds of HeliOgabulus
we're of solid silver, his tables and plates
vera of pure gold, and his mattresses, COW
arsd with carpets of cloth Of gold, were
stuffad with down from under the wing OF
| ,ba partridge. Il took $4,000 year TO
icon mn the dignity of q Roman senator,
and some of them spent 81 100000 a year
Cicero and Pcmpey' dropped" in one Gay
on Tncnllus-nobody at home but the lam
ilv--snd the family dinner cost S4OOO. But
we talk of population, We boast OF Lon
don ard New York. Rome lad pop'da-
tion of between three ard four melllons,
The wooden theater of Scarurus contained
81 0OO seats. the coliseum, built OF stone,
would seat y. 600 more, The circus nnSXi-
INNS. (thipk Of it, old John ROBINSON
would hold 3S5,OO0 spectators. Ihefe
were in the city 1900 public baths, t moss,
of Diocletian alone accommodating o0OU
bathers. Even in the sixth century, slI 5l
Rome had been sacked and p'undered .!
the Goths and Vandals, ZachaTia, 'ra'.
eler, asserts that there were 3o4 spacious
streets, so golden statues Of the gods, 40,
O07 palaces, 13, O52 fountains, 37o5 bronze
statues of the emperors and generals, Y
GREAT horses in bronze, two cOloss, Two
spiral columns, 81 thesters, IL amphishea'
tiers, 9O26 baths, 2800 shops CT perfumes
2O9l prisons. As set-offaO Mr.. Sprague's
"nonumental tombstone" We may merely
mention the mausoIeum of Augustus, IN
the northern part of the Campus Msrtlus
consisting at large tumulus OF earth
raised on lofty basement OF white marble
ard covered on the summit with evergreen
as in the same manner Of hanging garden
and the whole surmounted 10y bronz
J figure of Augustus. AT the entranc
: we're two Egyptian obelisks, fifty feet high
and all around was an extensive grove, Oil
, yided into walks and terraces.