288 pliny's natural htstoey. [Book XXXV. 



ordered a dish, to be made, which was to cost a million of 

 sesterces, and for the preparation of which a furnace had to 

 be erected out in the fields ! luxury having thus arrived at 

 such a pitch of excess as to make earthenware even sell at 

 higher prices than murrhine^^ vessels. It was in reference to 

 this circumstance, that Mucianus, in his second' consulship, 

 when pronouncing one of his perorations, reproached the 

 memory of Vitellius with his dishes as broad as the Pomptiue 

 Marsh ; not less deserving to be execrated than the poisoned 

 dish of Asprenas, which, according to the accusation brought 

 against him by Cassius Severus, caused the death of one 

 hundred and thirty guests."'^ 



These works of artistic merit have conferred celebrity on 

 some cities even, Ehegium for example, and Cumae. The 

 priests of the Mother of the gods, known as the Galli, deprive 

 themselves of their virility with a piece of Samian''* pottery, 

 the only means, if we believe M. Cgelius,'^ of avoiding dangerous 

 results. He it was, too, who recommended, when inveighng 

 against certain abominable practices, that the person guilty of 

 them should have his tongue cut out, in a similar manner ; 

 a reproach which would appear to have been levelled by anti- 

 cipation against this same Vitellius. 



What is there that human industry will not devise ? Even 

 broken pottery has been utilized ; it being found that, beaten 

 to powder, and tempered with lime, it becomes more solid and 

 durable than other substances of a similar nature ; forming the 

 cement known as the " Signine"'"'^ composition, so extensively 

 employed for even making the pavements of houses." 



CHAP. 47. (13.) — VARIOUS KINDS OF EAllTH. THE PUTE0LA.N DUST, 

 AND OTHER EAKTnS OF WHICH CEMENTS LIKE STONE AKE MADE. 



But there are other resources also, which are derived imme- 

 diately from the earth. Who, indeed, cannot but be surprised 



■^2 See Note 60 above. " gee B. xxiii. c. 47, and the end of this Book. 



'1 Martial speaks of this practice, B. iii. Epigr. 81. 



"^5 Nothing further seems to be known of this personage, or of the 

 grounds of liis invective. Pliny may possibly allude to some abominable 

 practices, with which Vitellius is charged by Suetonius also. 



'"' The " Opus Signinum " was a plaster or cement ranch used for making 

 pavements. It took its name from Signia, in Italy, celebrated for its tile*. 

 See B. iii. c. 9. 



''' The floors of the Roman houses were seldom boarded. 



