The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 (of 6)

Chapter 153: CHAP. 38.—PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THE SERVILIAN TRIENS.

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About This Book

An encyclopedic survey that first catalogs marine animals, algae, and shellfish, describing habitats, curious behaviors, reported antipathies, and numerous folk remedies and practical uses attributed to specific species, organized by ailments and applications. The later portion treats metals and their ores—including gold, silver, mercury, copper, and brass—describing modes of occurrence, extraction, alloying, testing, gilding, and decorative and monetary uses, alongside technical observations and medicinal remedies derived from metallic substances, with systematic lists and practical instructions interwoven throughout.

CHAP. 38.—PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THE SERVILIAN TRIENS.

We must not neglect to mention one other very remarkable fact relative to copper. The Servilian family, so illustrious in our annals, nourishes with gold and silver a copper triens,1657 which devours them both. The origin and nature of this coin is to me incomprehensible;1658 but I will quote the very words of the story, as given by old Messala 1659 himself—“The family of the Servilii is in possession of a sacred triens, to which they offer every year a sacrifice, with the greatest care and magnificence; the triens itself, they say, appears sometimes to increase in size and sometimes to diminish; changes which indicate the coming advancement or decadence of the family.”