CHAP. 38.—PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THE SERVILIAN TRIENS.
We must not neglect to mention one other very remarkable
fact relative to copper. The Servilian family, so illustrious in
our annals, nourishes with gold and silver a copper triens, [Note]
which devours them both. The origin and nature of this coin is
to me incomprehensible; [Note] but I will quote the very words of
the story, as given by old Messala [Note] himself—"The family of
the Servilii is in possession of a sacred triens, to which they
offer every year a sacrifice, with the greatest care and magnificence;
the triens itself, they say, appears sometimes to increase
in size and sometimes to diminish; changes which indicate the
coming advancement or decadence of the family."
