Saturday, October 29, 2022
An Oracle
Dio Cassius 57.18.4-5 (tr. Earnest Cary):
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They were furthermore disturbed not a little by an oracle, reputed to be an utterance of the Sibyl, which, although it did not fit this period of the city's history at all, was nevertheless applied to the situation then existing. It ran:"When thrice three hundred revolving years have run their course,λόγιόν τέ τι ὡς καὶ Σιβύλλειον, ἄλλως μὲν οὐδὲν τῷ τῆς πόλεως χρόνῳ προσῆκον, πρὸς δὲ τὰ παρόντα ᾀδόμενον, οὐχ ἡσυχῇ σφας ἐκίνει· ἔλεγε γὰρ ὅτι·
Civil strife upon Rome destruction shall bring, and the folly, too,
Of Sybaris . . ."τρὶς δὲ τριηκοσίων περιτελλομένων ἐνιαυτῶν
Ῥωμαίους ἔμφυλος ὀλεῖ στάσις, χἁ Συβαρῖτις
ἀφροσύνα.
