Famous and Notorious Rich Men

A procession of famous examples of the wealthy from antiquity. At the front of the procession is Pythius, holding a wine vine made of gold and precious stones. Next is Lucullus, the rich Roman magistrate and glutton. He carries a banner with a chicken pie. Behind him comes Crassus, drinking from a cup. This is an allusion to his thirst for money and his death (choked on molten gold). After Crassus come the dictator Sulla with a sword and a spear, Croesus as a richly dressed king, and Midas with Midas ears under his crown. The print has a Latin inscription and is part of a series on the theme of the misery that wealth brings.