226 pltny's natural htstokt. [Book XXXV. 



— for that had been their surname — to the disgrace of the 

 Africani, had surreptitiously contrived to assume the name of 

 the Scipios. But the Messalas must pardon me if I remark, 

 that to lay a claim, though an untruthful one, to the statues 

 of illustrious men, shows some love for their virtues, and is 

 much more honourable than to have such a character as to 

 merit that no one should wish to claim themt 



There is a new invention too, which we must not omit to 

 notice. Not only do we consecrate in our libraries, in gold 

 or silver, or at all events, in bronze, those whose immortal 

 spirits hold converse with us in those places, but we even go 

 so far as to reproduce the ideal of features, all remembrance of 

 which has ceased to exist ; and our regrets give existence to 

 likenesses that have not been transmitted to us, as in the case 

 of Homer, for example.-" And indeed, it is my opinion, that 

 nothing can be a greater proof of having achieved success in 

 life, than a lasting desire on the part of one's fellow-men, to 

 know what one's features were. This practice of grouping 

 portraits was first introduced at Rome by Asinius Pollio, 

 who was also the first to establish a public library, and so 

 make the works of genius the property of the public. 

 "Whether the kings of Alexandria and of Pergamus, who had 

 so energetically rivalled each other in forming libraries, had 

 previously introduced this practice, I cannot so easily say. 



That a strong passion for portraits formerly existed, is 

 attested both by Atticus, the friend of Cicero, who wrote a 

 work on this subject,*' and by M. Varro, who conceived the 

 very liberal idea of inserting, by some means^^ or other, in his 

 numerous volumes, the portraits of seven hundred individuals ; 

 as he could not bear the idea that all traces of their features 

 should be lost, or that the lapse of centuries should get the 



Suetonius speaks in very derogatory terras of a member of this family, who 

 accompanied Julius Caesar in his Spanish campaign against the Pompeiaa 

 party. 



'''0 In the Greek Anthology, B. v., we have the imaginary portrait of 

 Homer described at considerable length. — B. 



2* Hardouin supposes that this work was written by Cicero, and that he 

 named it after his friend Atticus ; but, as Delafosse remarks, it is clear 

 from the context that it was the work of Atticus. — B. 



2- M. Deville is of opinion that these portraits were made in relief upon 

 plates of metal, perhaps bronze, and coloured with minium, a red tint much 

 esteemed by the Romans. 



