390 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTOBT. 



on the part of those who received these missives, that the 

 Sphinx always brought its enigmas 20 with it. The frog, too, 

 on the seal of Maecenas, was held in great terror, by reason of 

 the monetary imposts which it announced. At a later period, 

 with the view of avoiding the sarcasms relative to the Sphinx, 

 Augustus made use of a signet with a figure upon it of Alex- 

 ander the Great. 



CHAP. 5. THE FIBST DACTYLIOTUECJE AT HOME. 



A collection of precious stones bears the foreign name of 

 " aactyliotheca." 21 The first person who possessed one at Home 

 was Scaurus, 2 - the step-son of Sylla; and, for a long time, 

 there was no other such collection there, until at length Pom- 

 pcius Magnus consecrated in the Capitol, among other dona- 

 tions, one that had belonged to King Mithridates; and which, 

 a? M. Varro and other authors of that period assure us, was 

 greatly superior to that of Scaurus. Following his example, 

 the Dictator Ca?sar consecrated six dactyliotheca) in the Temple 

 of Venus Genetrix; and Marcellus, the son of Octavia, 23 pre- 

 sented one to the Temple of the Palatine Apollo. 



CHAP. G. JEWKLS DISPLAYED AT ROME IN THE TRIUMPH OF 



POM PEI US t M AO N US. 



But it was this conquest by Pompeius Magmis that first 

 introduced so general a taste for pearls and precious stones; 

 just as the victories, gained by L. Scipio 24 and Cneius Man- 

 lius, 25 had first turned the public attention to chased silver, 

 Attalic tissues, and banquett ing-couches decorated with bronze; 

 and the conquests of L. Minnmius had brought Corinthian 

 bronzes and pictures into notice. 



(2.) To prove more fully that this was the case, I will here 

 give the very words of the public llcgisters* with reference 

 to the triumphs of Pompeius Magnus. On the occasion of his 

 third triumph, over the Pirates and over the Kings and nations 

 of Asia and Pontus that have been already enumerated in the 

 Seventh Book 27 of this work, M. Piso and M. Messala being 



20 In reference to the story of OEdipus and the Sphinx. 



21 A Greek word, signifying a "repository of kin^s." " J V : 

 82 See B. xxxvi. c. 'Jl. 2J Tl.c Bister of Augustus. ; 



! See B. xxxiii c. 53. ^ Sec B. xxxiv. c. 8. '* Acta." 



27 



