Greek and Roman Parallel Stories (5)

At the city of Celaenae in Phrygia the earth yawned open, together with a heavy rain, and dragged down many homesteads with their inhabitants into the depths. Midas the king received an oracle that if he should throw his most precious possession into the abyss, it would close. He cast in gold and silver, but this availed nothing. But Anchurus, the son of Midas, reasoning that there is nothing in life more precious than a human life, embraced his father and his wife Timothea, and rode on his horse into the abyss. When the earth had closed, Midas made an altar of Idaean Zeus golden

by a touch of his hand.[*] This altar becomes stone at that time of the year when this yawning of the earth occurred; but when this limit of time has passed, it is seen to be golden.[*] So Callisthenes in the second book of his Metamorphoses.

Because of the wrath of Jupiter Tarpeius[*] the Tiber coursed through the middle of the Forum, broke open a very large abyss and engulfed many houses. An oracle was given that this would end if they threw in their precious possession. As they were casting in gold and silver. Curtius, a youth of noble family, apprehended the meaning of the oracle, and, reasoning that human life is more precious, he hurled himself on horseback into the abyss, and saved his people from their miseries.[*] So Aristeides in the fortieth book of his Italian History.