The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-04-15
wealthy Folks In Ancient Times.

control them. lhat anderbllt pays u
small fortune for picture, that Astor
wears diamonds worth 100000, and
that Mrs. Mackcy gives dinner at u
cost of $4,000, are facts which to the
popular mind have peculiar charm.
And undoubtedly there is an impression
in some quarters that the massing of
enormous wealth and the attendant cx-
travagance are things of comparatively
modern growth
How far this impression is from the
truth may be seen by glance at history,
which in this respect is really quite
comforting to us poor devils of the pres
ent day. Pythes or Pythius, the Lydian
lord of Celpnn, was worth $4,000, ,000
Cyrus returned from the conquest of
Asia with S500,000,000. Darius, during
his reign, had an income of S1O,50O,O00
year. The vote offering of Crpsus to
the Delphian god amounted to $4,000.
600. Alexander's daily meal cost Sl70O.
lie paid the debts of his soldiers amount
ing to Sl0,000,000, and made present
of S2,500,000 to the Thessaians. The
obsequies of HephUstion are said to
have cost 81 100000. Aristotle's inves-
tigations in natural history involved an
expense of 81 100000. He left behind n
treasure OF S50,000,000. The wealth of
his satraps was extraordinary One of
them, Harpalus, accumulated S5,000,000.
A festival of Ptolemy Philadelphus
cost not less than S2,239,000. The treas
ure of this king amounted to S675,O0O,-
OO0 There was immense wealth among
the Romans. The landed estate of Cr9-
sus was valued at SS,50O,000, and his
house at S4,000,000. Cpcilus Isidorus
lostmuch, but still left 50, $50, 200. Deme-
trus, freedman of Pompey was worth
$1,000. Lentulus, the augur, possessed
no less than $l7,000,00O. Clodius paid
S6lO,O00 for house, and he once swal-
lowed pearl worth 100000. Antony
squandered altogether S735,000, 600
Iiberius left at his death, Sl19,120,-
900, and Caligula spent it all in less than
year. The extravagant Caligula paid
Sl5O,OOO for one supper. Speaking of
OF suppers, one meal cost HeHogabalus
100000 and the supper of Luculus at
the Appollo cost $3.50. Pegelius,a singer
could and did spend $4,000 in five
days.
Seneca had fortune of S17, 100000
Apicius was worth about S5,00O,00O
and after he had spent in his kitchen
and otherwise squandered sums to the
amount of S4,l66,000 he poisoned him
self, leaving few hundred thousand That
Cesar was very comfortably fixed. is in
dicated by the fact that he presented
Servilia, the mother OF Brutus with n
pearl worth 5000, 900, and another is the
fact that ne gave for single pearl
S27, 900. Curio must have been at one
time pretty sound financially, as he was
able to contract debts to the amount of
S2,500,00O.
Iacltus informs .iis That Nero gave
away lR"presents to his friends, S97,
100000 The dresses of Lolita Paulina,
the rival OF Agrippna, were valued at
$l,664, 4,4S0. This did not include her
Jewels. She wole at one supper 81, ,562,-
500 worth OF jewels, and it was plain
citizens supper. She was worth alto
gether S200,000,0OO. The luxury of
Pappn, beloved by Nero, was at least
equal to that of LCllio. Pallas, the low
cr of Agrippina, left an estate in lands,
valued at Sl5,000,00O NJ. Scarrus had
"a villa worth $l5,OO0,OOO, and this was
only n small part of his fortune. The
villa was burned by his slaves out of re-
venge for some injury.
The sums paid by the old Greeks and
Romans for works of art make the pres
ent prices 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 rs a gift Nicias was million
aire. For single figure by Aristides
King Attalus gave $l25,00O. Muason,
the tyrant of Elates, paid $4,000 for
small picture by Aristides, representing
battle of the Persians. Caesar was a
generous patron of art He bought of
Tlmomachus, a painter of Athens, two
figures, one representing Ajax and the
other Medea, for which he paid $780,
600
Apelies received $4,000 fora portrait
OF Alexander, which he painted on the
wall Of the temple Diana, Ephesus. Pto.
lemy paid Aratus 100000 for some old
pictures by Melanthus and Pamphilus.
Nj. Agrippa paid to the people of Cyzi-
Gus $50,OO0,000 for two small paintings,
and it was he who built and bequeathed
to his countrymen the magnificent Their
mae in the Campus Martius, with their
gardens, libraries and porticos-one por-
tion of which, the Pantheon, still re-
mains. Lucius Mummius got picture
in Greece, representing Father Bacchus,
which King Attalus valued at S250,000,
but Mummius said that price was too
small and refused to sell
The picture of "Ncnus Anadyomenc"
by Apclles, was sold for S125,00O. Iso-
crates received $4,000 for one Grafton.
Virgil, for his lines Oh Marcellus, was re-
wardcd by gift Of about $4,000. For
ii single dish of pottery, the tragic actor
Of Esophus paid $4,000. The Emper-
or Nitellius ordered dish TO be made for
him for which a furnace was erected in
the fields outside the city, for $4,000.
The collosol statue of Mercury, made for
the city Of the Avtrni, in Gaul, by Zen
odorus, cost $l,G75,000. Nero paid $l6l,-
900 for a carpet For the famous stat
ne of the Diademonos, which was
bronze figure of life size representing
youth tying tilet round his head, |
Polycleitus received Sl25,000. And |
again, dropping art for literature,
it is related that Tberius presented to
Aselus Sabinus $4,000 for a dialogue
he wrote between Il mushroom, n cab |
bage, m oyster and thrush. Regard |
ing the immense wealth possessed by |
fortunes iayorites in ancient days, the
mystery is what has become of all this
gold and silver, for the possessions of
these rich men and women consisted |
chiefly of the clean metal and precious
stones.
There is no accounting for its disap-
pearance except on the theory that it
phsstd from sight as vessels laden with
precious cargoes sink to the bottom of
the sea and are lost forever. The fact re-
mains that i'm riches aVtroVnUnnca and