[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Foreign](https://indike.org/pramana/inf) › [Latin](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la) › [Principate (31 BCE – 300 CE)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial) › [Naturalis historia](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial.pliny-elder) › 9.118 # Naturalis historia 9.118 Naturalis historia 9.118 - **Language:** Latin ### [9.118](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial.pliny-elder.9.118) hic est rapinarum exitus, hoc fuit quare M. Lollius infamatus regum muneribus in toto oriente interdicta amicitia a Gaio Caesare Augusti filio venenum biberet, ut neptis eius quadringentiens HS operta spectaretur ad lucernas ! computet nunc aliquis ex altera parte quantum Curius aut Fabricius in triumphis tulerint, imaginetur illorum fercula, ex altera parte Lolliam, unam imperii mulierculam , accubantem: non illos curru detractos quam in hoc vicisse malit ? > 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! > — John Bostock & Henry Thomas Riley 1855, The Natural History of Pliny > Now let a person only picture to himself, on the one hand, what was the value of the habits worn by Curius or Fabricius in their triumphs, let him picture to himself the objects displayed to the public on their triumphal litters, and then, on the other hand, let him think upon this Lollia, this one bit of a woman, the head of an empire, taking her place at table, thus attired; would he not much rather that the conquerors had been torn from their very chariots, than that they had conquered for such a result as this? Nor, indeed, are these the most supreme evidences of luxury. There were formerly two pearls, the largest that had been ever seen in the whole world: Cleopatra, the last of the queens of Egypt, was in possession of them both, they having come to her by descent from the kings of the East. When Antony had been sated by her, day after day, with the most exquisite banquets, this queenly courtesan, inflated with vanity and disdainful arrogance, affected to treat all this sumptuousness and all these vast preparations with the greatest contempt; upon which Antony enquired what there was that could possibly be added to such extraordinary magnificence. To this she made answer, that on a single entertainment she would expend ten millions of sesterces. Antony was extremely desirous to learn how that could be done, but looked upon it as a thing quite impossible; and a wager was the result. > — John Bostock & Henry Thomas Riley 1855, The Natural History of Pliny - [Previous: 9.117](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial.pliny-elder.9.117) - [Next: 9.119](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial.pliny-elder.9.119) - [Up: 9](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial.pliny-elder.9) ## Translations (1) - [The Natural History of Pliny](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial.pliny-elder~en-bostock-riley.9.58.1) — John Bostock & Henry Thomas Riley 1855, English --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial.pliny-elder.9.118](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.la.imperial.pliny-elder.9.118) · Pramāṇa