§14.11.1ἐν Ῥώμῃ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα θεόπεμπτα γέγονε, μέγιστον δʼ ἁπάντων τόδε· τῆς ἀγορᾶς κατὰ τὸ μέσον μάλιστα διαρραγῆναι τι τῆς γῆς εἰς βάθος ἄβυσσον καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας διαμεῖναι.
In Rome, many other signs sent by the gods occurred, but the greatest of all was this: namely, that near the center of the forum a part of the earth split open to a bottomless depth, and this remained so for many days.
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.
When the senate passed a decree, those in charge of the Sibylline oracles, having examined the books, said that if the earth received what was of the highest value to the Roman people, it would close and would send up a great abundance of all good things for the time to come.
§14.11.2τοιαῦτα τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀποφηναμένων ἀπαρχὰς ἕκαστος εἰς τὸ χάσμα ἔφερεν, ὧν ᾤετο δεῖν ἀγαθῶν τῇ πατρίδι, ἀπό τε καρπῶν πελάνους καὶ ἀπὸ χρημάτων ἀπαρχάς.
When these men had declared this, each person brought to the chasm first-fruits of the goods he thought the fatherland needed, both sacrificial cakes of the crops and first-fruits of their wealth.
§14.11.3Μάρκος 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 §14.11.4ἄνδρας ἀγαθούς.
But a certain Marcus Curtius, who was numbered among the foremost of the youths on account of his moderation and his valor in wars, having requested access to the senate, said that of all good things the most beautiful possession and the most necessary for the city of the Romans is the valor of men; and if the earth should receive some first-fruits of this also, and he who grants this to his fatherland should do so willingly, the earth would send up many brave men.
ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν καὶ μηδενὶ παραχωρήσειν ἑτέρῳ τῆς φιλοτιμίας ταύτης ὑποσχόμενος τά τε ὅπλα περιέθετο καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν πολεμιστὴν ἵππον ἀνέβη·
Having said this and having promised that he would yield this honor to no other, he put on his armor and mounted his war-horse.
συναχθέντος δʼ 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· ἔπειτʼ ἐφεὶς τῷ ἵππῳ τὰς ἡνίας καὶ τὰ κέντρα προσβαλὼν ἔρριψε κατὰ τοῦ χάσματος ἑαυτόν.
While the crowd of the city gathered to watch, he first prayed to the gods to bring the prophecies to fulfillment and to grant that many men like him should arise for the city of the Romans; then, giving the horse its head and applying the spurs, he cast himself down into the chasm.
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.
And after him, many sacrificial victims, many crops, much money, many ornaments of clothing, and many first-fruits of all the arts were thrown into the chasm by public act; and immediately the earth closed up.