Hortensius, the orator, not daring directly to undertake the
defence of Verres, was yet persuaded to appear for him at the
laying on of the fine, and received an ivory sphinx for his
reward; and when Cicero, in some passage of his speech, obliquely
reflected on him, and Hortensius told him he was not skilful in
solving riddles, "No," said Cicero, "and yet you have the Sphinx
in your house!"
Verres was thus convicted; though Cicero, who set the fine at
seventy-five myriads, lay under the suspicion of being corrupted
by bribery to lessen the sum. But the Sicilians, in testimony of
their gratitude, came and brought him all sorts of presents from
the island, when he was aedile; of which he made no private profit
himself, but used their generosity only to reduce the public price
of provisions.
He had a very pleasant seat at Arpi, he had also a farm near
Naples, and another near Pompeii, but none were of any great
value. The portion of his wife, Terentia, amounted to ten myriads,
and he had a bequest valued at nine myriads of denarii: upon these
he lived in a liberal but temperate style, with the learned Greeks
and Romans that were his familiars. He rarely, if at any time, sat
down to meat till sunset, and that not so much on account of
business as for his health and the weakness of his stomach.
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