206 BRIBERY CHAP. IX. 



Similar specimens of enormous expenditure 

 in procuring votes for different public offices, as 

 well as for acting as spies on public bodies or 

 individuals, are to be found in the ancient 

 authors. Thus Milo,*who proposed himself for 

 consul, gave to each of the voters 321. 8s. Wd. 1 

 Sabinus Nymphidius promised to each soldier 

 of the provincial legions who would support the 

 choice of Galba as emperor 40/. ^s. 3d. 2 Clau- 

 dius promised to each soldier 1 IS/, for his vote 3 , 

 and Julian 2017. 16*. 4 Otho promised to the 

 assassins of Galba a reward of 4031. 12*. each, 

 and paid them in advance 80/. 14*. 5 ; and bribed 

 one of his servants with SOJQl. 18*. 6 The 

 bribes given in the courts of law to influence 

 the decisions were enormous, and there is rea- 

 son to believe of frequent and usual occur- 

 rence. 



This large expenditure, and the power of 



1 Asconius Pedianus. 2 Plutarch in Galba. 



? Philippus, lib. iii. 4 Dio. 



* Sueton. in Othone. 



6 Sallust. In stating the amount of the sums in the text the 

 estimation of Arbuthnot in his tables of ancient coins has 

 been implicitly adopted. If subsequent writers have shown 

 that all of them are not minutely accurate, yet nothing has 

 tended to prove any such deviation from exactness as can 

 affect the view intended to be exhibited here, of the large 

 masses of coin which must have been accumulated in the 

 hands of a few of the most wealthy families. 



