Believe me, those statues from Syracuse were brought into this city with hostile effect.

I already hear too many commending and admiring the decorations of Athens and Corinth, and ridiculing the earthen images of our Roman gods that stand on the fronts of their temples.

For my part I prefer these gods,--propitious as they are, and I hope will continue to be, if we allow them to remain in their own mansions.

In the memory of our fathers, Pyrrhus, by his ambassador Cineas, made trial of the dispositions, not only of our men, but of our women also, by offers of presents: at that time the Oppian law, for restraining female luxury, had not been made; and yet not one woman accepted a present.

What, think you, was the reason?
That for which our ancestors made no provision by law on this subject: there was no luxury existing which needed to be restrained.