222 NATURAL HISTORY OF PRECIOUS METALS, &c.
caused all the tributa of
the year to be poured on the floor in one room, and, stripping himself
naked, wallowed " super immensos aureorum acervos," and literally
bathed in gold ; a freak befitting an imperial lunatic, and a fancy
full of a certain insane magnificence. From this time, too, we find all
the legal fines estimated in aurei, at first simply named as such ; but
when pieces of different weight came to be in circulation together, the
assessments are made in ounces or pounds of gold. The ancient method of
reckoning by Sestertia was retained by the historians, who
affected the antiquated mode of expression, and perhaps to a certain
extent in ordinary life, for it happened to be convenient enough, a
Sestertium (1000 nummi) being exactly ten aurei. In fact, this old way
of reckoning had now a more tangible representative existing in the
curÂrency than before, for the Sestertius (or Nummus), the unit, was
issued in abundance by the Cassare following Tiberius, being what
numismatists call the First Brass, whereas, under the Eepublic, it may
be said to have been only a money of account, the few sestertii coined
in silver being rare to an excess. Even this custom expired in the
interval between Suetonius and the writers of the Augustan History (who
flourished under Diocletian and Constan-tine),* for, in their
reckonings of sums, the " Antoniniani " and " Philippeii," are counted
by tale, and the silver by weight. But theorists unacquainted with this
fact attempt by long and intricate calculations to give the value of
the Sestertium, " HS," in the terms of the silver standard, long
