CHAP. 48.—AT WHAT PERIOD THE ROMAN PEOPLE FIRST MADE
VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS.
The Roman people first began to make voluntary contributions [Note]
in the consulship of Spurius Posthumius and Quintus
Marcius. [Note] So abundant was money at that period, that the
people assessed themselves for a contribution to L. Scipio, to
defray the expenses of the games which he celebrated. [Note] As
to the contribution of the sixth part of an as, for the purpose
of defraying the funeral expenses of Agrippa Menenius, I look
upon that to have been a mark of respect paid to him, an
honour, too, that was rendered necessary by his poverty,
rather than in the light of a largess.
