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
[p. 267]
by a touch of his hand.1 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.2 So Callisthenes in
the second book of his Metamorphoses.
Because of the wrath of Jupiter Tarpeius3 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.4 So Aristeides in the
fortieth book of his Italian History.