Tantum autem studium antiquis non solum servandae sed etiam amplificandae religionis fuit ut florentissima tum et opulentissima civitate decem principum filii senatus consulto singulis Etruriae populis percipiendae sacrorum disciplinae gratia traderentur, Cererique, quam more Graeco venerari instituerant, sacerdotem a Velia, cum id oppidum nondum civitatis accepisset nomen, Calliphanam peterent, ne deae vetustis ritibus perita deesset antistes.
Such was the zeal of the ancients not only for the observance but for the expansion of religion that when Rome was highly flourishing and wealthy, ten sons of leading men were handed over to each of the peoples of Etruria by decree of the senate to learn sacred lore. Also they sought a priestess named Calliphana for Ceres, whom they had commenced to worship after the Greek fashion, from Velia, before that town had been given citizenship, so that the ancient rites of the goddess should not want for a skilled ministrant.
final_alignments\Valerius_Memorable_Book1.json