t can not be denied. But to have those who
were in the slightest degree still prosperous, not only of the senators
or knights but even among the freedmen, and men and women alike,
bulletined on the tablets and another tenth of their wealth confiscated
disturbed all beyond measure. For it was only nominally that a tenth of
his property was exacted from each one: in reality not so much as a tenth
was left. They were not ordered to contribute a stated amount according
to the value of their possessions, but they had the duty of estimating
their own goods and then, being accused of not having made a fair
estimate, they lost the rest besides.

[-17-] If any still escaped this somehow, yet they were brought into
straits by the assessments, and as they were terribly destitute of money
they too were in a way deprived of everything. Moreover, the following
device, distressing to hear but most distressing in practice, was put
into operation. Whoever of them wished was allowed by abandoning his
property afterward to make a requisition for one-third of it, which meant
getting nothing and also having trouble. For when they were being
openly and violently despoiled of two-thirds, how should they get back
one-third, especially since goods were being sold for an infinitesimal
price? In the first place, since many wares were being advertised for
sale at once and the majority of men were without gold or silver, and the
rest did not dare to buy because it would look as if they had something
and they would place in jeopardy the remnant of their wealth, the prices
were relaxed: in the second place, everything was sold to the soldiers
far below its value. Hence no one of the private citizens saved anything
worth mentioning. In addition to other drains they surrendered servants
for the fleet, buying them if they had none, and the senators repaired
the roads at their individual expense. Only those who wielded arms
enjoyed superlative wealth. _They_, to be sure, were not satisfied with
their pay, though it was in full, nor with their outside perquisites,
though of vast extent, nor with the very large prizes bestowed for the
murders, nor with the acquisition of lands, which was made almost without
cost to them. But in addition some would ask for and receive all the
property of the dying, and others still forced their way into the
families of such as were old and childless. To such an extent were they
filled with greed and shamelessness that one ma