Naturalis historia 9.117

9.117

Lolliam Paulinam, quae fruit Gai principis matrona, ne serio quidem aut sollemni caerimoniarum aliquo apparatu , sed mediocrium etiam sponsalium cena, vidi smaragdis margaritisque opertam, alterno textu fulgentibus toto capite , crinibus [spira], auribus, collo [monilibus] , digitis. quae summa quadringentiens HS colligebat, ipsa confestim parata mancupationem tabulis probare. nec dona prodigi principis fuerant, sed avitae opes, provinciarum scilicet spoliis partae.

CHAP. 58.—INSTANCES OF THE USE OF PEARLS. I once saw Lollia Paulina, the wife of the Emperor Caius —it was not at any public festival, or any solemn ceremonial, but only at an ordinary wedding entertainment—covered with emeralds and pearls, which shone in alternate layers upon her head, in her hair, in her wreaths, in her ears, upon her neck, in her bracelets, and on her fingers, and the value of which amounted in all to forty millions of sesterces; indeed she was prepared at once to prove the fact, by showing the receipts and acquittances. Nor were these any presents made by a prodigal potentate, but treasures which had descended to her from her grandfather, and obtained by the spoliation of the provinces. Such are the fruits of plunder and extortion! It was for this reason that M. Lollius was held so infamous all over the East for the presents which he extorted from the kings; the result of which was, that he was denied the friendship of Caius Cæsar, and took poison; and all this was done, I say, that his grand-daughter might be seen, by the glare of lamps, covered all over with jewels to the amount of forty millions of sesterces!