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CONSUMPTION OF

CHAP. V.

CHAPTER V.

On the consumption of the precious metals before the acces-sion of Augustus to the imperial dignity in Rome .

When considering the consumption of goldand silver in the earlier ages of the world, it isnecessary to bear in mind the great differencebetween the state which society then displayed,and that which it has since assumed. Thegovernments at first were strictly patriarchal.The head of each family provided for the pro-tection of the whole against hostile aggressionsfrom the neighbouring tribes; and it thus be-came necessary that he should have the meansof providing such weapons as the defence of thecommunity required. The metals of whichweapons were formed, at first brass and after-wards iron, were scarce, and, as compared withthe common food and clothing then used, ex-cessively costly ; and though coined money ofthe precious metals was scarcely known, yet goldand silver had acquired the faculty of beingmore easily and conveniently exchanged for theother metals, than such commodities as corn andcattle. The gold and silver then would most