A TURNING POINT WAS THUS CROSSED during the second century B.C. Whereas the Roman aristocrats of the early Republic competed in who could die for patria in the most glorious way, in the late Republic they competed in who could throw the most sumptuous banquet. In 275 B.C., possession of 10 pounds of silver plate was considered as “anti-social behavior,” two centuries later possession of 10,000 pounds of silver was a source of pride for the owner.
