Kitap 2
20
Dionysius of Syracuse, being desirous of collecting funds, called a public assembly, and declared that Demeter had appeared to him, and bade him convey all the women’s ornaments into her temple. That he himself had done so with the ornaments of his own household; and the others must now follow his example, and thereby avoid any visitation of the goddess’s anger. Anyone who failed to comply would, he declared, be guilty of sacrilege. Through fear of the goddess as well as of the despot, all the citizens brought in whatever they had. Then Dionysius, after sacrificing to the goddess, removed the ornaments to his own treasury as a loan which he had borrowed from her. As time went on, the women again appeared with precious ornaments. Dionysius thereupon issued a decree that any woman who desired to wear gold should make an offering of a fixed amount in the temple.
