Notice must be taken of a theory proposed by Belot,[540] that at the time of the First Punic War, owing to an economic revolution which enhanced prices, and to the decrease in the weight of the _as_, the five ratings as stated by Dionysius for the earlier period were multiplied by ten, giving for the future 1,000,000, 750,000, 500,000, 250,000, 125,000 asses for the five classes respectively.[541] The theory is supported with remarkable learning and skill. There can be no doubt as to the lowering of the weight of the _as_ or of the economic revolution which increased prices. Large valuations of estates such as he mentions are found in the sources. For example in 214 the government ordered[542] that— Those rated at 50,000- 100,000 asses should furnish one sailor. Those rated at 100,000- 300,000 asses should furnish three sailors. Those rated at 300,000-1,000,000 asses should furnish five sailors. Those rated at above 1,000,000 asses should furnish seven sailors. Senators should furnish eight sailors. Belot’s attempt to identify the highest of these appraisements with the rating of the first class is unsuccessful, as will immediately appear. The object of the order issued by the government in 214 was to provide crews for the fleet of that year. Although the hundred and fifty ships to be manned[543] seem to have been triremes, we may consider them quinqueremes so as not to underestimate the number of men necessary. Reckoning 375 men to the ship,[544] we should have 56,250 men for the entire fleet. But according to Belot[545] there were 22,000 knights at this time, whose census rating was 1,000,000 asses, and who accordingly would have to furnish seven men each for the navy, which would amount to 154,000, or more than enough to man three such fleets as that of the year under consideration. But as the knights constituted only a twelfth of the total number of registered citizens of that period,[546] most if not all of whom must according to Belot have been assessed at 50,000 or above, we shall be obliged at least to double the 154,000 sailors furnished by the knights to obtain the whole number demanded by the government. The absurdity of the result condemns the premises. The minimal census of the knight could not have been materially if at all above 100,000 asses,[547] and the great mass of citizens must have been rated below that sum. Other features of his theory need not be considered here. The truth is that the great accumulation of wealth benefited but few; and notwithstanding the advance in the money value of property, the mass of people remained so poor that the state could not disturb the census ratings, however out of harmony with the new conditions they seem to have become. No suspicion should be thrown on the continuance of these small valuations by the circumstance that occasionally the state compelled the wealthy to