Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-05-05
How the Ancients Spent Money.

Tacitus informs us that Nero, the Ro-
man emperor, gave away in presents to
his friends s97, 100000 The dresses of
Lolita Paulina, the rival of Agrippina,
were valued at Sl,6G4, ,4sO. This did
not include her jewels. She wore Mt
one supper 81, 500, 500 worth of jewels,
and it was plain citizens supper. She
was worth altogether 5000, 600, 900. The
luxury OF Pappe, beloved by Nero, was
at least equal to that of Lolita. Pallas,
the lover of Aggrippina, left an estate
in lands valued at S15,000,000. M.
Scaurus had villa worth S15, 600, 900,
and this was only small part of his
immense fortune. The villa was burned
by his slaves out OF revenge for some
injury.
The sums paid by the old Greeks and
Romans for works of art make the pres
ent price appear somewhat shabby.
Nicias, an artist, refused to sell one of
his pictures to King Attalus for S75, 900,
choosing rather to present it to his
country as gift. Nicias was n million
aire. For Il single figure by Aristides,
King Attalus gave Sl25,OO Muason,
tho tyrant of Elatus, paid 500, 900 for a
small picture by Aristides, representing
battle of the Persians. Cmsar was
generous patron Of art. He bought of
Timomachus, painter of Athens, two
figures, one represents Ajax and the
other Medea for which he paid
500, 900.
Apelles received 500, for n por-
trait of Alexander, which he painted on
the walls Of the temple Diana, at Ephe-
sus. Ptolemy paid Aratus 5000, 900
for some old pictures by Melanthus
and Pamphilus. NJ. Agrippa paid to the
people of Cyzicus $50, 900 for two small
paintings, and it was he who built and
bequcathed to his countrymen the mag
niiicent Thcrmm in the Campus Mar
thus, with their gardens, libraries and
porticos--one portion of which, tke
Pantheon, still remains. Lucius Mum
mius got a picture in Greece, represent
ing Father Bacchus, which King Attalus
valued at $3.50, 900, but Mummius said
that the price was too small, and re-
fused to sell.
The picture of " Venus Anadyomene, i"
| by Apelles, was sold for 1926, 600
Isocmtes received $1,000 for one ora
tion. Virgil, for his lines on Marcellus
was rewarded by gift of about $40, 600
For single dish Of pottery the tragic
actor of Esophus paid 1850. The
Emperor Vitellius ordered dish to be
made for him Tor which a furnace WAS
erected in the fields outside the city. for
$4,000. The colossal statue Of Mcr-
curry, made for the city Of the Averni, in
Gaul, by Zcnodorus, cost s1.G75,OOO
Nero paid s1Gl 900 for carpet. For
the famous statue Of the Diademenos.
which was bronze figure Of life size
representing youth tying a iillet round
his head, Polyclci;us received 1925. 600.
| And, again, dropping art Tor literature,
il is related that Tihcrius presented to
Asellius Sabinus 500, 900 for dialogue
he wrote between n mushroom. a cab
bage, an oyster and thrush. Regard
ing the immense wealth possessed by
fortunes favoritcs in ancient DAYS. the
mystery is what has become of all this
gold and silver, for the possessions of
these rich mon and women consisted
chiefly of the clean metal and precious
stones.
There is no accounting for its disap-
pearancc except on the theory that it
passed from sight as vessels laden with
precious cargocs sink to the bottom OF
the sea and are lost forever.