ite horse and the sterns of his ships, and when Nero used them
to add lustre to the panels of mother-of-pearl in his " Golden
Palace." Herodotus describes a golden vine, bearing grapes of
precious stones, placed over the couch of Pytheas, the Lydian
king, and Quintus Curtius, in a glowing picture of oriental
luxury, says persons of rank and wealth are conspicuous
for their ornaments of precious stones, and when the king
appears in public, he is borne on a litter adorned with magnificent pearls, while his palace is enriched with columns of
gold, garnished with golden vines bearing fruit of brilliant gems,
and supporting silver birds. The troops of Darius, called
the "Immortals," when equipped for battle, wore jewels of gold
and precious stones, while the king's chariot and armor were
literally covered with them.
The excessive use of gems for personal ornament was severely criticised by contemporary writers. Pliny says Lollia
Paulina, wife of the Emperor Caligula, sometimes appeared
adorned with jewels worth immense fortunes. On one occasion,
an ordinary wedding dinner, she was nearly covered with them,
— head, ears, neck, and fingers glistened with costly jewels,
valued at two million dollars. Writing of the extravagance of
Roman ladies, Tertullian says : "The slight lobes of their ears
outweigh a whole year's income, and their left hands squander a
money-bag on every joint." A ring worn by Faustina, consort
of Heliogabalus, was estimated at two hundred thousand dollars, and a pair of garters, with cameo fastenings, at nearly the
same price ; while the ear-rings of Calpurnia, the wife of Julius
Caesar, were valued at the sum of one million two hundred
thousand dollars. The other sex displayed their extravagant
tastes in a different way, as when the Emperor Heliogabalus
entertained his guests with dishes served up with gold and precious stones, intended, it is presumed, as gifts to the company.
Flickr
Stumbleupon
Scribd
