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Friday 05 Oct 2007: Vespasian's urinals II |
Although there is no evidence for the literal quote, the Roman emperor Vespasian is often said to be the originator of the phrase "Pecunia non olet" ("Money doesn't smell", but undoubtedly you all new that): According to the historian Suetonius, when Vespasian's son Titus objected to the new tax on urinals, Vespasian handed him a coin from those taxes and asked if it smelled. Titus said "No", and Vespasian replied "Yet it comes from urine". |