National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-05
MEN OF MANY MILLIONS.
Oar Astors and Yanderbiifs Compared
5sss, with Roman ArisfOcrats.

We occasionally read interesting ac-
counts of the wealth and extravagant expenditures
| of our railway kings, bonanza kings, and other
financial kings. There is certain fascination in
these descriptions of immense possessions and the
personal characteristics and habits of those who
control them. That Vanderbilt pays small for
tune for picture, that Mrs. Aston wears diamonds
worth 100000, and that Mrs. Mackey gives din
ner at cost of 000 are facts which to the pop
ular mind have peculiar charm And undoubt-
edly there is an impression in some quarters that
the amassing of enormous wealth and the at
tendant extraYaganees 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 comforting to us poor
devils of the present day. Pythes, or Pythius,
| the Lydian lord of Cel9na, was worth sl60OO,OOO.
Cyrus returned from the conquest of Asia with
s5o0,Ooo,00O Darius, during his reign, had an in
come of S14, 500 900 year. The yotive offerings OF
Cr9sns to the Delphian god amounted TO $780,
O8o Alexander's daily meal cost s, 200. He paid
the debts of his soldiers, amounting to at least
900, and made present of S250O,O0O to the
TheSsalians. The obsequies of Heph9stion are
said TO have cost s15O0O00 Aristotle's investiga
tions in natural history involved an expense OF
100000 Alexander left behind him a treasure
of $4,000 0OO The wealth of his satraps was ex-
traordinary. One of them, Harpalus, accumulated
a festival COsb
not less than So $4,000 The treasure of this king
amounted to: S375 OO9,n0e. There was immense
wealth among the Romans The landed estate of
Crassus was valued at $3.50 600 and his- house at
100000, Cacillus Isidorus lost much, still left
s., 235 900. Demetrius,-a freedman of Pompey
was worth S,0O0,O00. Lentulas the augur, pos
Eessed no less than s17O00,000. Clodius paid
$4,000 for his house, and he once swallowed a
pearl worth $4,000 Antony seuaRdered altogether
S735 000009. Tiberius left ct ais death Sis 40 CO.,
and Calgula spent it all in less than a year. The
extravagant CaEgula paid $4,000 for one supper.
Speaking of suppers, one meal cost Hen0gabalus
100000 and the suppers of Lucullus at the Apollo
cost $780, Pegellus, singer, could and did
spend $4,000 in five days. Seneca had a fortune
of S17 100000. Apicius worth about s., 600,
and after he had spent in his kitchen and other
he poisoned himself, leaving few hundred thou
sands.
Tacitus informs us that Nero gave away in pres
ents to his friends S97 100000 The dresses of Lolita
Pauline, the rival of Agrippina, were valued at
$1,664 4S0. This did not include her jewels. She
wore at one supper 81 Co., 500 worth of jewels and
it was plain citizens supper. She was worth al
together S20O,00O,00O The luxury of Pappe, be-
loved by Nero at least equal to that of Lolita
Pallas, the lover of Agrippina, left an estate in
lands valued at 100000. Mr.. scarus had villa
worth Sl5,0O09O0, and this was only q small
part of his immense fortune. The villa was
burned by his slaves out of revenge for some in
jury.-CtRciaRdtt SdT