jugators,
and have retained through every century of change since then.

As the luxury of Rome increased, the wearing of rings increased also,
and the emperors relaxed the law of restraint. Thus Tiberias, in A.D.
22, gave permission for gold rings to be worn by all persons whose
fathers and grandfathers possessed property to the value of 200,000
sesterciae. The Emperors Severus and Aurelian ultimately gave the right
of wearing gold rings to all soldiers of the empire; and the Emperor
Justinian at length gave a similar right to all who had legal claims to
Roman citizenship. Distinction once broken through, and wealth
increasing, ring-wearing became general. Seneca, describing the luxury
and ostentation of his time, says, "We adorn our fingers with rings, and
a jewel is displayed on every joint." The ridiculous excess to which the
custom was carried may be understood from Martial's description of
Charinus, who wore as many as sixty rings on his hands at one time, and
so fond was he of his jewellery that he kept them upon his fingers when
in bed. They were decorated with a vast variety of subjects, originally
cut in the metal of which the ring was made, whether gold, silver, or
brass; ultimately the devices were cut upon stones and gems,
occasionally representing the tutelar deity of the wearer. Thus Julius
Caesar wore one with Venus Victrix upon it, and his partisans did the
same. Pompey's ring was engraved with three trophies, indicating his
victories in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Many used merely fanciful or
emblematic devices; thus Maecenas had a frog upon his ring. Others wore
the portraits of their ancestors or friends. Publius Lentulus had that
of his grandfather. Cornelius Scipio Africanus, younger son of the great
Africanus, wore the portrait of his father; but, as he was a degenerate
son of an illustrious sire, the people gave expression to their disgust
at his conduct by depriving him of his ring, saying he was unworthy to
wear the portrait of so great a man.

[Illustration: Fig. 95.]

This ring-wearing became one of the troubles of the wealthy, and as the
Sybarite complained of the folded rose-leaf inconveniencing his bed, the
rich Roman was fatigued with his rings. Hence came the custom of wearing
light or heavy rings, or as they termed them, summer or winter rings,
according to the season. That there really was some reason in the
complaint, will be granted by the reader who looks on Fig. 95, copied
from Mon