§10.1πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὑπὸ Νομᾶ καθιερωθῆναι λέγουσι Γεγανίαν καὶ Βερηνίαν, δεύτερον δὲ Κανουληΐαν καὶ Ταρπηΐαν· ὕστερον δὲ Σερβίου δύο προσθέντος ἄλλας τῷ ἀριθμῷ διατηρεῖσθαι μέχρι τῶν χρόνων τούτων τὸ πλῆθος, ὡρίσθη δὲ ταῖς ἱεραῖς παρθένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἁγνεία τριακονταέτις, ἐν ᾗ τὴν μὲν πρώτην δεκαετίαν ἃ χρὴ δρᾶν μανθάνουσι, τὴν δὲ μέσην ἃ μεμαθήκασι δρῶσι, τὴν δὲ τρίτην ἑτέρας αὐταὶ διδάσκουσιν.
First, then, they say that Gegania and Verenia were consecrated by Numa, and second, Canuleia and Tarpeia; and later, when Servius added two others to the number, this quantity has been maintained until these times. And a thirty-year period of chastity was ordained for the holy virgins by the king, in which during the first decade they learn what they must do, during the middle decade they do what they have learned, and during the third decade they themselves teach others.
§10.2εἶτα ἀνεῖται τῇ βουλομένῃ μετὰ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον ἤδη καὶ γάμου μεταλαμβάνειν καὶ πρὸς ἕτερον τραπέσθαι βίον, ἀπαλλαγείσῃ τῆς ἱερουργίας, λέγονται δὲ οὐ πολλαὶ ταύτην ἀσπάσασθαι τὴν ἄδειαν, οὐδὲ ἀσπασαμέναις χρηστὰ πράγματα συντυχεῖν, ἀλλὰ μετανοίᾳ καὶ κατηφείᾳ συνοῦσαι τὸν λοιπὸν βίον ἐμβαλεῖν τὰς ἄλλας εἰς δεισιδαιμονίαν, ὥστε μέχρι γήρως καὶ θανάτου διατελεῖν ἐγκαρτερούσας καὶ παρθενευομένας.
Thereafter, it is permitted for any who wishes, after this time, already to share in marriage and to turn to another life, having been released from the sacred ministry. But they say that not many welcomed this freedom, nor did good things happen to those who did welcome it; on the contrary, spending the remainder of their lives in repentance and dejection, they cast the other women into superstition, so that they continue enduring and remaining virgins until old age and death.
§10.3τιμὰς δὲ μεγάλας ἀπέδωκεν αὐταῖς, ὧν ἔστι καὶ τὸ διαθέσθαι ζῶντος ἐξεῖναι πατρὸς καὶ τἆλλα πράττειν ἄνευ προστάτου διαγούσας, ὥσπερ αἱ τρίπαιδες.
And he granted great privileges to them, among which is the permission to make a will even while the father is living, and to manage all other affairs without a guardian, just like women who have three children.
ῥαβδουχοῦνται δὲ προϊοῦσαι· κἂν ἀγομένῳ τινὶ πρὸς θάνατον αὐτομάτως συντύχωσιν, οὐκ ἀναιρεῖται, δεῖ δὲ ἀπομόσαι τὴν παρθένον ἀκούσιον καὶ τυχαίαν καὶ οὐκ ἐξεπίτηδες γεγονέναι τὴν ἀπάντησιν.
And they are preceded by lictors when they go out; and if they happen to meet by chance someone being led to death, he is not executed, but the virgin must swear that the meeting occurred involuntarily and by chance, and not on purpose.
ὁ δὲ ὑπελθὼν κομιζομένων ὑπὸ τὸ φορεῖον ἀποθνήσκει.
But anyone who passes under the litter when they are being carried is put to death.
§10.4κόλασις δὲ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἁμαρτημάτων πληγαὶ ταῖς παρθένοις ἰς, τοῦ μεγίστου Ποντίφικος κολάζοντος ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ γυμνὴν τὴν πλημμελήσασαν, ὀθόνης ἐν παλινσκίῳ παρατεινομένης·
And the punishment for other offenses is scourging for the virgins, with the chief Pontifex punishing the one who has transgressed, sometimes even naked, while a curtain is stretched out in a dark place.
ἡ δὲ τὴν παρθενίαν καταισχύνασα ζῶσα κατορύττεται παρὰ τὴν Κολλίνην λεγομένην πύλην ἐν ᾗ τις ἔστιν ἐντὸς τῆς πόλεως ὀφρὺς γεώδης παρατείνουσα πόρρω·
But she who has disgraced her virginity is buried alive near the gate called Collina, where there is a certain ridge of earth extending far inside the city.
§10.5καλεῖται δὲ χῶμα διαλέκτῳ τῇ Λατίνων, ἐνταῦθα κατασκευάζεται κατάγειος οἶκος οὐ μέγας, ἔχων ἄνωθεν κατάβασιν.
This is called "mound" (agger) in the language of the Latins; there a small underground chamber is constructed, having an entrance from above.
κεῖται δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ κλίνη τε ὑπεστρωμένη καὶ λύχνος καιόμενος, ἀπαρχαί τε τῶν πρὸς τὸ ζῆν ἀναγκαίων βραχεῖαί τινες, οἷον ἄρτος, ὕδωρ ἐν ἀγγείῳ, γάλα, ἔλαιον, ὥσπερ ἀφοσιουμένων τὸ μὴ λιμῷ διαφθείρειν σῶμα ταῖς μεγίσταις καθιερωμένον ἁγιστείαις.
And in it lies a bed spread with covers, a burning lamp, and some small first-fruits of the necessities of life, such as bread, water in a vessel, milk, and oil, as if they were clearing themselves of the impiety of destroying by hunger a body consecrated to the greatest sacred rites.
§10.6αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν κολαζομένην εἰς φορεῖον ἐνθέμενοι καὶ καταστεγάσαντες ἔξωθεν καὶ καταλαβόντες ἱμᾶσιν, ὡς μηδὲ φωνὴν ἐξάκουστον γενέσθαι, κομίζουσι διʼ ἀγορᾶς, ἐξίστανται δὲ πάντες σιωπῇ καὶ παραπέμπουσιν ἄφθογγοι μετά τινος δεινῆς κατηφείας οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἕτερον θέαμα φρικτότερον, οὐδʼ ἡμέραν ἡ πόλις ἄλλην ἄγει στυγνοτέραν ἐκείνης.
And putting the one who is being punished into a litter, covering it from the outside, and binding it with straps so that not even a voice can be heard, they carry her through the forum. All step aside in silence and escort her without a word with a certain dreadful dejection, nor is there any other spectacle more terrifying, nor does the city pass any other day more gloomy than that one.
§10.7ὅταν δὲ πρὸς τὸν τόπον κομισθῇ τὸ φορεῖον, οἱ μὲν ὑπηρέται τοὺς δεσμοὺς ἐξέλυσαν, ὁ δὲ τῶν ἱερέων ἔξαρχος εὐχάς τινας ἀπορρήτους ποιησάμενος καὶ χεῖρας ἀνατείνας θεοῖς πρὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης, ἐξάγει συγκεκαλυμμένην καὶ καθίστησιν ἐπὶ κλίμακος εἰς τὸ οἴκημα κάτω φερούσης.
But when the litter is brought to the place, the attendants loosen the bonds, and the chief of the priests, having made certain secret prayers and stretched his hands to the gods before the inescapable end, leads her out veiled and sets her upon a ladder that leads down into the chamber.
εἶτα αὐτὸς μὲν ἀποτρέπεται μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἱερέων τῆς δὲ καταβάσης ἥ τε κλίμαξ ἀναιρεῖται καὶ κατακρύπτεται τὸ οἴκημα γῆς πολλῆς ἄνωθεν ἐπιφορουμένης, ὥστε ἰσόπεδον τῷ λοιπῷ χώματι γενέσθαι τὸν τόπον, οὕτω μὲν αἱ προέμεναι τὴν ἱερὰν παρθενίαν κολάζονται.
Then he himself turns away with the other priests, and when she has gone down, the ladder is removed and the chamber is hidden by much earth thrown over it from above, so that the place becomes level with the rest of the mound. In this way, those who have surrendered their sacred virginity are punished.