Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-02-14
Had Money to Burn.

Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, TO
recall few of those Of ancient
times. 1t is known that ia Assyria
there were large masses Of gold and
that Darius received in tribute
from Persia as much as SIG, $50, 900.
The Sacred Writings tell that Solo,
mon was immensely rich, that silver
was abundant in Jerusalem and
that in one year the King received
from Hiram 800 talents of gold,
equal to SIG, $50, 900.
In Greece Croesus possessed in
landed property a fortune equal to
$3.50, 900, besides large sum of
money, slaves and furniture, which
amounted to an equal sum. He
used to say that citizen who had
not a fortune sufficient to support
an army or q legion did not deserve
the title of a rich man. The wealth
of Pytheno was estimated at sI5,-
900, 900.
The philosopher Seneca acquired
immense wealth under his pupil
Nero, but he was afterwards put to
death BY the tyrant and his fortune
OF $500, 900 confiscated. The
wealth of Lentullus, The soothsayer,
was estimated at 81, 100000.
The debts OF some of the great
personages of ancient times were
enormous. Those of Milon amount
ed to $4,000, 900. Julius Caesar
before he entered office owed &c.
600, 600: he purchased the friend
ship of Curio for 81, 500, 900, and
that Of Lucius Paulus for 81, $780,
900, At the time of Casar's assas-
sination, Anthony was in debt to
the amount Of s7,5OO,OOO. This
sum, which he owed in the Ides of
March, was paid before the Kalends
of April, and he squandered s147,-
900, 900 of the public treasury.
Augustus obtained by testament
tary disposition as much as $780,
600, 900. The Roman Emperor
(Tiberius) at his death left s11S,-
100000, which Caligula spent in
less than twelve months. We have
no such instance of a modern spend
thrift. One supper alone cost him
$4,000. Vespasian, on ascending
the throne, estimated his expenses
at SIT, 100000.
Appicus, a noted epicure, who
lived in the time of Augustus, ex-
pended s2,5OO,OO in debauchery,
and finding on an examination of
his state of affairs that he had no
more than $4,000 left, he poison
ed himself because he considered
that sum insufficient for his MAN.
tenance. The efforts of our nine
tenth century "plungers" pale be-
fore such instances.
Julius Caesar gave Servida,, the
mother of Brutus, pearl valued at
100000, and Anthony, at an en-
tertainment given to him by Cleo
patra, is said to have swallowed
one of equal value, which she dis
solved in vinegar.
Claudius Aesopus, the comedian,
accumulated an immense fortune,
and was very expensive in his man.
ner of living. His son Claudius
was noted for his luxury, extrava-
gance and prodigality, and not be-
ing able to get rid Of his money fast
enough, he swallowed a pearl worth
$40, 200. The Emperor Helioga-
balus spent 100000 on one supper.
The fish from the fish pond of Luz
cullus, Roman general remarkable
for his great wealth and magnifi-
cence, sold for $175, 900.
Misala gave 100000 for the
house of Anthony. Scaurus was
immensely rich his country house
was destroyed by fire and the loss
estimated at s4,25O, 900. Ohio, to
finish part of Nero's palace, spent
81, 100000. Cicero had a great
number of fine houses in various
parts Of Italy, some reckon up to
eighteen all. with the exception of
the family seat at Arpinum, built
by himself. Besides these be had
several small inns or resting places
in passing from one villa to another.
Immense sums were sometimes
spent by the wealthy Romans on
their funeral professions. No fewer
than six hundred couches, bearing
the images of the deceased's ances-
tors and statues of other great
men, were carried before the corpse
of Marcellus, and one thousand be-