164 RISE OF PRICES IN ROME. CHAP. VI. 



peratum, at twenty shillings and four-pence the 

 quarter. Cicero's charge against Verres was for 

 exacting duodenos sestertios in modios singulos, 

 which would make the modius or peck cost one 

 shilling and ten-pence* three farthings, and con- 

 sequently the quarter three pounds one shilling. 

 " By the great access of riches and increase 

 of money that happened afterwards, especially 

 in the reign of Augustus, the price of corn 

 as well as of every thing else was raised in 

 Rome V We learn from Suetonius, that " the 

 royal treasures of Egypt being brought to Rome 

 at the triumph after the war of Alexandria, there 

 was such an abundance of money that, the rate 

 of interest being lowered, a very great increase 

 took place in the price of land. After this, when 

 money flowed in from the confiscations, Au- 

 gustus allowed the gratuitous use of it, for a 

 fixed time, to those who could give security to 

 double the amount 2 ." Tacitus relates 3 that 

 after the burning of Rome by Nero, it was a 

 great consolation to the people to have corn re- 

 duced to three nummi the modius, or to about 

 sixteen shillings the quarter, which had been 

 the ancient price. It does not appear how long 

 this comparatively cheap rate was continued ; 

 but it could not be of long duration, for when 

 Pliny wrote, the prices had again risen, and 



1 Arbuthnot, p. 122. 2 Sueton. de August, c. 41. 



3 Tacitus Annal. xv. 



