BOOK VIII. Lxxiv. 196-LXXV1. 200 



800,000 sesterces," which lately cost the Emperor 

 Nero 4,000,000. The state robes of Servius TulHus, 

 with which the statue of Fortune dedicated by 

 him was draped, lasted till the death ^ of Sejanus, and 

 it was remarkable that they had not rotted away 

 or suffered damage from moths in 560 years. We 

 have before now seen the fleeces even of hving 

 animals ''■ dyed with purple, scarlet, crimson . . .,^ 

 as though luxury forced them to be born hke that. 



LXXV. In the sheep itself breed is sufficiently sheep- 

 shown by shortness of the legs and a well-clothed '"■^'^"'?- 

 belly. Sheep \vith the belly bare used to be called 

 ' misfits ' * and turned down. The sheep of Syria have 

 tails 18 inches long, and a great deal of wool on that 

 part. It is considered too soon for lambs to be gelt 

 unless five months old. 



In Spain, but particularly in Corsica, there is an 

 animal not unhke the sheep, the moufflon. with hair 

 nearer the goat's than the sheep's; these when 

 crossed with sheep produce what in old days were 

 called Umbrians. Sheep are very weak in the 

 head, and consequently must be made to graze with 

 their backs to the sun. The fleecy sheep is the 

 stupidest of animals ; if afraid to go into a place they 

 will follow one of the flock that is taken by the horn. 

 Their longest term of hfe is 10 years, in Ethiopia 13; 

 goats in Ethiopia hve 11 years, but in other parts of 

 the world at most eight. In breeding with either 

 kind to couple three times at most is sufficient. 



LXXVI. Goats bear as many as four kids at once, Ooat- 

 but rather seldom ; they carry their young for ^afc*"^/ 

 5 months, hke sheep. He-goats are made sterile by soats. 



' From aTTeiKws, Lewis and Short ; or perhaps niore prob- 

 ably ' aplcas ' {ttokos, TTiKco) ' without fleece.* 



