Among the Romans, Orbilis, Corvinus, Fabius, and Cato, the enemy
of the physicians, approximated the century mark.
A valuable collection relative to the duration of life in the
time of the Emperor Vespasian has been preserved for us by Pliny
from the records of a census, a perfectly reliable and creditable
source. In 76 A. D. there were living in that part of Italy which
lies between the Apennines and the Po 124 persons who had
attained the age of one hundred and upward. There were 54 of one
hundred; 57 of one hundred and ten; 2 of one hundred and
twenty-five; 4 of one hundred and thirty; 4 of from one hundred
and thirty-five to one hundred and thirty-seven, and 3 of one
hundred and forty. In Placentia there was a man of one hundred
and thirty and at Faventia a woman of one hundred and thirty-two.
According to Hufeland, the bills of mortality of Ulpian agree in
the most striking manner with those of our great modern cities.
Among hermits and ecclesiastics, as would be the natural
inference from their regular lives, many instances of longevity
are recorded. John was supposed to be ninety-three; Paul the
hermit was one hundred and thirteen; Saint Anthony lived to one
hundred and five; James the hermit to one hundred and four; Saint
Epithanius lived to one hundred and fifteen; Simeon Stylites to
one hundred and twelve; Saint Mungo was accredited with one
hundred and eighty-five years (Spottiswood), and Saint David
attained one hundred and forty-six.
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