§1.67.1ἐν δὲ τῇ κτίσει τῆς πόλεως θαῦμα μέγιστον λέγεται γενέσθαι.
At the founding of the city, a very great wonder is said to have occurred.
κατασκευασθέντος τοῖς ἕδεσι τῶν θεῶν, οὓς Αἰνείας ἐκ τῆς Τρωάδος ἠνέγκατο καὶ καθίδρυσεν ἐν τῷ Λαουϊνίῳ, ναοῦ χωρίον ἔχοντος ἄβατον καὶ τῶν ἱδρυμάτων ἐκ τοῦ Λαουϊνίου μετακομισθέντων εἰς τοῦτον τὸν μυχόν, ὑπὸ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν νύκτα κεκλεισμένων τε ὡς μάλιστα τῶν θυρῶν καὶ οὐδὲν παθόντων οὔτε περιβόλων οὔτε ὀροφῶν διαμείψαντα τὰ βρέτη τὴν στάσιν ἐπὶ τῶν §1.67.2ἀρχαίων εὑρεθῆναι κείμενα βάθρων·
When a temple having an inaccessible sanctuary had been constructed for the images of the gods whom Aeneas had brought from the Troad and established in Lavinium, and the objects of worship had been removed from Lavinium into this innermost shrine, during the following night, although the doors were shut as securely as possible and neither the walls nor the roofs had suffered any damage, the images, having changed their position, were found lying upon their ancient pedestals.
μετακομισθέντα δὲ αὖθις ἐκ τοῦ Λαουϊνίου σὺν ἱκετείαις καὶ θυσίαις ἀρεστηρίοις εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ χωρίον ὁμοίως ἀνελθεῖν.
And when they were removed again from Lavinium to the same place with supplications and propitiatory sacrifices, they returned in like manner.
τοὺς δὲ ἀνθρώπους τέως μὲν ἀπορεῖν ὅ τι χρήσονται τοῖς πράγμασιν οὔτε δίχα τῶν πατρῴων θεῶν οἰκεῖν ἀξιοῦντας οὔτε ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκλειφθεῖσαν οἴκησιν αὖθις ἀναστρέφειν, τελευτῶντας δὲ γνώμην εὑρέσθαι, ἣ ἔμελλεν ἀποχρώντως πρὸς ἀμφότερα ἕξειν· τὰ μὲν ἕδη κατὰ χώραν ἐᾶσαι μένειν, ἄνδρας δὲ τοὺς ἐπιμελησομένους αὐτῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἄλβας εἰς τὸ Λαουΐνιον αὖθις ἐποίκους μεταγαγεῖν.
For some time, indeed, the people were at a loss as to what they should do with the matter, since they neither thought it right to dwell without their ancestral gods nor wished to return again to the abandoned home; but at last they found a plan which was likely to be sufficient for both purposes: to leave the images in their place, but to send men from Alba back to Lavinium as colonists to take care of them.
καὶ ἐγένοντο οἱ πεμφθέντες ἑξακόσιοι μελεδωνοὶ τῶν ἱερῶν αὐτοῖς μεταναστάντες ἐφεστίοις· ἡγεμὼν δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ἐτάχθη Αἴγεστος.
And those who were sent amounted to six hundred, who migrated with their own hearths and became caretakers of the sacred things; and Aegestus was appointed leader over them.
§1.67.3τοὺς δὲ θεοὺς τούτους Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν Πενάτας καλοῦσιν· οἱ δʼ ἐξερμηνεύοντες εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα γλῶσσαν τοὔνομα οἱ μὲν Πατρῴους ἀποφαίνουσιν, οἱ δὲ Γενεθλίους, εἰσὶ δʼ οἳ Κτησίους, ἄλλοι δὲ Μυχίους, οἱ δὲ Ἑρκείους.
These gods the Romans call Penates; and of those who translate the name into the Greek tongue, some declare them to be Patrooi, others Genethlioi, some Ktesioi, others Mychioi, and some Herkeioi.
ἔοικε δὲ τούτων ἕκαστος κατά τινος τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτοῖς ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπίκλησιν κινδυνεύουσί τε πάντες ἁμως2γέπως τὸ αὐτὸ §1.67.4λέγειν.
It seems that each of these makes the appellation according to some attribute belonging to them, and they all run the risk of saying somehow the same thing.
σχήματος δὲ καὶ μορφῆς αὐτῶν πέρι Τίμαιος μὲν ὁ συγγραφεὺς ὧδε ἀποφαίνεται· κηρύκια σιδηρᾶ καὶ χαλκᾶ καὶ κέραμον Τρωικὸν εἶναι τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἀδύτοις τοῖς ἐν Λαουϊνίῳ κείμενα ἱερά, πυθέσθαι δὲ αὐτὸς ταῦτα παρὰ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων.
Concerning their shape and form, Timaeus the historian declares thus: that the sacred objects lying in the sanctuaries at Lavinium are iron and bronze herald's staffs and Trojan earthenware; and that he himself learned these things from the inhabitants.
ἐγὼ δὲ ὅσα μὲν ὁρᾶν ἅπασιν οὐ θέμις οὔτε παρὰ τῶν ὁρώντων ἀκούειν οὔτε ἀναγράφειν οἴομαι δεῖν, νεμεσῶν δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅσοι πλείω τῶν συγχωρουμένων ὑπὸ νόμου ζητεῖν ἢ γινώσκειν ἀξιοῦσιν.
But for my part, I think it is not lawful to hear from those who have seen, nor to write about, things which it is not permitted for all to see, and I feel indignation also at all others who think it right to inquire into or know more than what is permitted by law.