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,1 which devours them both. The origin and nature of this coin is to me incomprehensible;2 but I will quote the very words of the story, as given by old Messala3 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."
