Texte grec :
| [14,11] Ἐν Ῥώμῃ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα
θεόπεμπτα γέγονε, μέγιστον δ´ ἁπάντων τόδε· τῆς
ἀγορᾶς κατὰ τὸ μέσον μάλιστα διαρραγῆναι τι τῆς γῆς
εἰς βάθος ἄβυσσον καὶ τοῦτ´ ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας διαμεῖναι.
ψηφισαμένης δὲ τῆς βουλῆς οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν Σιβυλλείων
χρησμῶν ἐπισκεψάμενοι τὰ βιβλία εἶπον, ὅτι
τὰ πλείστου ἄξια τῷ Ῥωμαίων δήμῳ λαβοῦσα ἡ γῆ
συνελεύσεταί τε καὶ πολλὴν ἀφθονίαν εἰς τὸν λοιπὸν
χρόνον ἁπάντων ἀγαθῶν ἀνήσει. τοιαῦτα τῶν ἀνδρῶν
ἀποφηναμένων ἀπαρχὰς ἕκαστος εἰς τὸ χάσμα ἔφερεν,
ὧν ᾤετο δεῖν ἀγαθῶν τῇ πατρίδι, ἀπό τε καρπῶν
πελάνους καὶ ἀπὸ χρημάτων ἀπαρχάς. Μάρκος
δέ τις Κούρτιος ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις τῶν νέων ἀριθμούμενος
σωφροσύνης ἕνεκα καὶ τῆς κατὰ πολέμους ἀρετῆς
ἔφοδον αἰτησάμενος ἐπὶ τὴν βουλὴν εἶπεν, ὅτι
τῶν πάντων ἐστὶν ἀγαθῶν χρῆμα κάλλιστον καὶ πόλει
Ῥωμαίων ἀναγκαιότατον ἀνδρῶν ἀρετή· εἰ δὴ καὶ ταύτης
ἀπαρχήν τινα ἡ γῆ λάβοι καὶ γένοιτο ἑκὼν ὁ
τοῦτο χαριούμενος τῇ πατρίδι, πολλοὺς ἀνήσει ἡ γῆ
ἄνδρας ἀγαθούς. ταῦτ´ εἰπὼν καὶ μηδενὶ παραχωρήσειν
ἑτέρῳ τῆς φιλοτιμίας ταύτης ὑποσχόμενος τά τε
ὅπλα περιέθετο καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν πολεμιστὴν ἵππον ἀνέβη·
συναχθέντος δ´ ἐπὶ τὴν θέαν τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν
ὄχλου πρῶτον μὲν ηὔξατο τοῖς θεοῖς ἐπιτελῆ ποιῆσαι
τὰ μαντεύματα καὶ πολλοὺς ἄνδρας ὁμοίους αὐτῷ δοῦναι
τῇ πόλει τῇ Ῥωμαίων γενέσθαι· ἔπειτ´ ἐφεὶς τῷ ἵππῳ
τὰς ἡνίας καὶ τὰ κέντρα προσβαλὼν ἔρριψε κατὰ τοῦ
χάσματος ἑαυτόν. ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτῷ πολλὰ μὲν ἱερεῖα, πολλοὶ
δὲ καρποί, πολλὰ δὲ χρήματα, πολὺς δὲ κόσμος ἐσθῆτος,
πολλαὶ δὲ ἀπαρχαὶ συμπασῶν τεχνῶν δημοσίᾳ κατὰ τοῦ
χάσματος ἐρρίφησαν· καὶ αὐτίκα ἡ γῆ συνῆλθεν.
|
|
Traduction française :
| [14,11] In Rome there were many other heaven-sent portents, but the greatest
of all was this: Near the middle of the Forum, they say, a cleft in the earth
appeared of fathomless depth and it remained for many days. Pursuant to a decree
of the senate, the men in charge of the Sibylline oracles consulted the books
and reported that when the earth had received the things of greatest value to
the Roman people it would not only close up, but would also send up a great
abundance of all blessings for the future. 2 When the emotion had made this
announcement, everyone brought to the chasm the first-fruits of all the good
things he thought the father land needed, not only cakes made of grain, but also
the first-fruits of his money. 3 Then a certain Marcus Curtius, who was
accounted among the first of the youths because of his prudence and his prowess
in war, sought admission to the senate and declared that of all blessings the
finest thing number the one most essential to the Roman state was the valour of
its men; if, therefore, the earth should receive some first-fruits of this and
the one who offered it to the fatherland should do so voluntarily, the earth
would send up many good men. 4 Having said this and promised (p279) that he would
not yield this distinction to anyone else, he girded on his arms and mounted his
war-horse. And when the multitude in the city had gathered to witness the
spectacle, he first prayed to the gods to fulfil the oracles and grant that many
men like himself should be born to the Roman state; then, giving the horse free
rein and applying the spurs, he hurled himself down the chasm. 5 And after him
were thrown down the chasm many victims, many fruits, much money, much fine
apparel, and many first-fruits of all the different crafts, all at the public
expense. And straightway the earth closed up.
|
|
