or the
purchase of luxuries, equally expensive and superfluous; and in another
place, he estimates the rate of profit made at Rome, by the importation and
sale of oriental luxuries at 100 per cent.

Arabia furnished diamonds, but these were chiefly of a small size, and
other gems and pearls. At Rome the diamond possessed the highest value; the
pearl, the second; and the emerald, the third. Nero used an emerald as an
eye-glass for short sight. But though large and very splendid diamonds
brought a higher price at Rome than pearls, yet the latter, in general,
were in much greater repute; they were worn in almost every part of the
dress, by persons of almost every rank. The famous pearl ear-rings of
Cleopatra were valued at 161,458_l_., and Julius Caesar presented the
mother of Brutus with a pearl, for which he paid 48,457_l_.
Frankincense, myrrh, and other precious drugs, were also brought to Rome
from Arabia, through the port of Alexandria. There was a great demand at
Rome for spices and aromatics, from the custom of the Romans to burn their
dead, and also from the consumption of frankincense, &c. in their temples.
At the funeral of Sylla 210 bundles of spices were used. Nero burnt, at the
funeral of Poppaea, more cinnamon and cassia than the countries from which
they were imported produced in one year. In the reign of Augustus,
according to Horace, one whole street was occupied by those who dealt in
frankincense, pepper, and other aromatics. Frankincense was also imported
into Rome from Gaza, on the coast of Palestine; according to Pliny, it was
brought to this place by a caravan, that was sixty-two days on its journey:
the length of the journey, frauds, impositions, duties; &c. brought every
camel's load to upward of 22_l_.; and a pound of the best sort sold at
Rome for ten shillings. Alexandria, however, was the great emporium for
this, as well as all the other produce of India and Arabia. Pliny is
express and particular on this point, and takes notice of the precautions
employed by the merchants there, in order to guard against adulteration and
fraud. Cinnamon, another of the exports of Arabia to Rome, though not a
production of that country, was also in high repute, and brought an
extravagant price. Vespasian was the first who dedicated crowns of
cinnamon, inclosed in gold filagree, in the Capitol and the Temple of
Peace; and Livia dedicated the root in the Palatine Temple of Augustus. The
plant itself was brought to