The first day witnessed a procession of 250 chariots bearing
pictures and statues, the second the trophies of weapons and 25 casks
of silver, the third the vases of gold and 120 sacrificial bulls. At
the rear walked King Perseus, clad in black, surrounded by his
followers in chains and his three young children who extended their
hands to the people to implore their pity.
=Booty.=--In the wars of antiquity the victor took possession of
everything that had belonged to the vanquished, not only of the arms
and camp-baggage, but of the treasure, the movable property, beasts of
the hostile people, the men, women, and children. At Rome the booty
did not belong to the soldiers but to the people. The prisoners were
enslaved, the property was sold and the profits of the sale turned
into the public chest. And so every war was a lucrative enterprise.
The kings of Asia had accumulated enormous treasure and this the Roman
generals transported to Rome. The victor of Carthage deposited in the
treasury more than 100,000 pounds of silver; the conqueror of
Antiochus 140,000 pounds of silver and 1,000 pounds of gold without
counting the coined metals; the victor over Persia remitted
120,000,000 sesterces.
Pages:
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340