Works and Other Worthy Writings (Aldine Edition)

...image they think it was made. For there, at the beginning, it is said to have appeared—although I find in others that the Phrygian Ilus and the Lydian Tantalus joined battle there, whether arising from a journey or rather because of the rape of Ganymede. And when it had been fought for a long time with equal strength, and many had fallen on both sides, a name was given to the place from that slaughter. Fame also says that Ganymede himself was deprived of life there by the hands of his brother and his lover pulling him in different directions, and having been removed from the middle, the story was related to Jupiter the ravisher as a consolation for the calamity, and he was accorded divine honors. In this Pessinus, which we have mentioned, the Phrygians once celebrated orgies at the river Gallus, from which the castrated priests of the goddess are also named. But when the Roman state grew, after a response was received that the empire would remain and would be increased to the highest level if they transferred the Pessinuntian goddess to themselves, legates were sent into Phrygia to request the image of the goddess, which was indeed easily granted, the people declaring themselves kinsmen and descendants of Aeneas the Phrygian. When, therefore, the ship carrying the image had arrived at the very mouth of the Tiber, which the Romans then used in place of ports, immediately the ship stopped by some divine force, nor could it be moved by any efforts of the Roman people pulling it in competition, until a Vestal virgin was present. She, being falsely accused of having defiled the virginity that was to be kept perpetually, fearing condemnation, begged as a suppliant from the people that they should leave the judgment of her to the Pessinuntian goddess. When this was granted, she unfastened her girdle and prayed clearly that if the goddess knew her to be chaste and a virgin, she should command the ship to proceed. When she said these things, the ship began to follow the hand-led girdle immediately. Thus, the Romans together admired both the manifest divinity of the deity and the innocence of the virgin. But so much for the Pessinuntian goddess, perhaps even more prolixly than was fitting, yet bringing not unpleasant knowledge to those who may have less knowledge of Roman affairs. Commodus, however, having escaped the maternal treachery, was arming himself with greater guards. He rarely went out in public, mostly spending his time in suburban villas or in imperial estates far from the city, abstaining entirely from jurisdiction and every imperial act. During the same time, it happened that a huge pestilence occupied the whole of Italy. But it raged even more vehemently in the Roman city, as it was already abundant with people in itself and received newcomers flowing in from the whole world. Wherefore a great slaughter of both beasts and men followed. Then Commodus (for so certain experts in medicine had persuaded him) retreated to Lauretum, since that region is cooler and shaded by many laurel woods, from which the name was given to the region. For they said that it was most valuable for avoiding the contagion of the air.