Saturnalia

Ambrosius Theodosius Macrobius

Illud non omiserim, Tritonas cum bucinis fastigio Saturni aedis superpositos, quoniam ab eius commemoratione ad nostram aetatem historia clara et quasi vocalis est, ante vero muta et obscura et incognita, quod testantur caudae Tritonum humi mersae et absconditae.

And I should not omit this, that Tritons with trumpets were placed on the facade of the temple of Saturn, since from its commemoration to our day, history is clear and as it were speaking aloud, but before it was mute and obscure and unknown, because the tails of the Tritons are attested to have been buried and hidden in the ground.

Translation by Jane W. Crawford, © 2001.

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