When Ausonius was appointed Consul at Rome A. D. 379, his friend and former pupil, the Emperor Gratian, sent him as a present a toga in which was inserted a figure of Constantius II., wrought in gold.—Ausonii Gratiarum Actio, § 53.
CLAUDIAN
mentions with delight the use of gold in dress as well as of silk. His testimony has been given in chapter III. of this Part.
SIDONIUS APOLLINARIS
mentions the gold in the dress of Prince Sigismer. His testimony is also given in chapter III.
CORIPPUS,
describing the accession of Justin II. to the Empire (A. D. 565), mentions (L. ii.) his tunic enriched with gold as part of his imperial costume.
PAULINUS.
Misceturque ostro mollitum in fila metellum.
De Vita Martini, L. iii.
We find the following law in the Codex Justinianus:
Nemo vir auratas in tunicis aut in lincis habeat paragaudas: nisi hi tantummodo,
quibus hoc propter Imperiale ministerium concessum est.
Corpus Juris Civilis, tom. v. tit. viii. leg. 2.
The "aurata paragauda" was a border of gold lace or thread. It appears that ladies might wear it on their tunics, while men were only permitted to use it in token of their official character as being in the service of the emperor. In allusion to these or similar regulations, Ælius Lampridius (34) says of the emperor Alexander Severus,
- [Footnote: Gaul. Metellus Scipio brought it as an accusation against Cato, that even in his
time Babylonian coverlets for triclinia were sold for 800,000 sesterces (about $30,000), although the emperor Nero lately gave for them no less than 4,000,000 sesterces (about $150,000). The prætextæ of Servius Tullius, covering the statue of Fortune which he dedicated, remained until the death of Sejanus, and it is wonderful that they had neither decayed of themselves nor been injured by moths during the space of 560 years."—Plin. H. N. viii. 64. (See Appendix A.)]
