186 PLINY's NATUEAL HISTORY. [Book VII. 



Ihe army coramissary'^^ in the Armenian war, which was of late 

 years undertaken in favour of Tiridates ; which officer, in our 

 own time, received his manumission from ]S^ero for the sum of 

 thirteen million sesterces f^ but, in this case, the consideration 

 was the profit to be derived from the war,^^ and it was not 

 the value of the man that was paid for. And so, too, when 

 Lutorius Priscus bought of Sejanus, the eunuch, Psezon, for fifty 

 million sesterces,^'^ the price was given, by Hercules ! rather to 

 gratify the passion of the purchaser, than in commendation of 

 the beauty of the slave. Universal sorrow and consternation 

 then reigning, the public were too much pre-occupied with it 

 to put a stop to a bargain of so scandalous a nature. ^^ 



CHAP. 41. (40.) SUPREME HAPPINESS. 



Of all nations of the earth, the Romans have, without doubt, 

 excelled every other in the display of vtdour.^ The human 

 judgment cannot, however, possibly decide what man has en- 

 joyed the highest degree of happiness, seeing that every one 

 defines a state of prosperity in a way different from another, 

 and entirely in conformity with his own notions. If we wish 

 to form a true judgment and come to a decision, casting aside 

 all the allurements and illusions of fortune, we are bound to 

 say that no mortal is happy. Fortune has dealt well, and, in- 

 deed, indulgently, to him who feels that he has a right to say 

 that he is not unhappy. Por if there is nothing else, at all 

 events, there is the fear lest fortune should fail at last ; which 

 fear itself, when it has once fastened upon us, our happiness is 

 no longer unalloyed. And then, too, is it not the case that there 

 is no mortal who is always wise ? Would that there were 



^1 " Dispensator ;" we have an explanation of this term, B. xxxiii. c. 

 13.— B. 



^2 Holland estimates the sum paid for the enfranchisement of this man 

 at 120,000 sesterces, vol. i. p. 175.— B. 



^3 In his capacity, probably, of contractor for provisions and stores. 



^^ Holland estimates the price paid on this occasion at 3,500 sesterces, 

 tibi supra, thus differing exceedingly from Ajasson's estimate. — B. 



<^5 " Quara quidam injuriam lucri fecit ille mercatus in luctu civitatis, 

 quoniam arguere nulli vacabat." We can see the meaning of this passage, 

 but a literal translation of it, as it stands, is out of the question. 



^' "Virtus" — "manliness," that being esteemed by the Romans the 

 ideal of true virtue. 



