A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

CHAPTER XXXVIII
THE FOUNDING OF THE PRINCIPATE; AUGUSTUS
AND TIBERIUS
I. Personal Traits or Augustus
His diet. He ate sparingly (for I must not omit even this), and
Suetonius, commonly used a plain diet. He was particularly fond of
Augustus, 76.
(.Q^j-sg bread, small fishes, new cheese made of cow's milk,
He
and green figs of the sort which bear fruit twice a year.
did not wait for supper, but took food at any time and in
Ancient any place when he had an appetite. The following pas-
'"^^^
Use of wine.
'
sages relative to this subject, I have transcribed from his
" I ate a little bread and some small dates in my
letters.
carriage."
Again: " On returning home from the pontifical
palace in my litter, I ate an ounce of bread and a few
raisins." Again :
" Not even a Jew, my dear Tiberius, ever
keeps such strict fast on the Sabbath as I have to-day; for
while in the bath, and after the first hour of the night, I
only ate two biscuits before I began to be rubbed with
oil." From this great indifference about his diet, he sometimes
supped by himself, before the banquet began or after
it had finished, and would not touch a morsel at table
with his guests.
He was by nature extremely sparing in the use of wine.
Suet. Aug. 77. Cornelius Nepos says that he used to drink only three
times at supper in the camp at Mutina; and when he indulged
himself the most, he never exceeded a pint. . . .
During the whole course of his Hfe, he suffered at times
dangerous fits of sickness, especially after the conquest of
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