2.36
It so happened that
preparations were being made for a repetition of the
"Great Games." The reason for their repetition was
that early in the morning, prior to the commencement
of the Games, a householder after flogging his slave
had driven him through the middle of the Circus
Maximus. Then the Games commenced, as though the
incident had no religious significance. Not long
afterwards, Titus Latinius, a member of the plebs,
had a dream. Jupiter appeared to him and said that
the dancer who commenced the Games was displeasing
to him, adding that unless those Games were repeated
with due magnificence, disaster would overtake the
City, and he was to go and report this to the
consuls. Though he was by no means free from
religious scruples, still his fears gave way before
his awe of the magistrates, lest he should become an
object of public ridicule. This hesitation cost him
dear, for within a few days he lost his son. That he
might have no doubt as to the cause of this sudden
calamity, the same form again appeared to the
distressed father in his sleep, and demanded of him
whether he had been sufficiently repaid for his
neglect of the divine will, for a more terrible
recompense was impending if he did not speedily go
and inform the consuls. Though the matter was
becoming more urgent, he still delayed, and while
thus procrastinating he was attacked by a serious
illness in the form of sudden paralysis. Now the
divine wrath thoroughly alarmed him, and wearied out
by his past misfortune and the one from which he was
suffering he called his relations together and
explained what he had seen and heard, the repeated
appearance of Jupiter in his sleep, the threatening
wrath of heaven brought home to him by his
calamities. On the strong advice of all present he
was carried in a litter to the consuls in the Forum,
and from there by the consuls' order into the
Senate-house. After repeating the same story to the
senators, to the intense surprise of all, another
marvel occurred. The tradition runs that he who had
been carried into the Senate-house paralysed in
every limb, returned home, after performing his
duty, on his own feet.
