But now the gods are spurn’d, their altars cold,
All reverence forgot in thirst of gold:
Gold buys the judge, and honour yields to pelf,
Shame weeps o’er Justice dead, then dies herself.[At nunc desertis cessant sacraria lucis:
aurum omnes victa iam pietate colunt.
Auro pulsa fides, auro venalia iura,
aurum lex sequitur, mox sine lege pudor.]Propertius (50–16 BC) Roman elegiac poet [Sextus Propertius]
Elegies, Book 3, Elegy 13, l. 47ff (3.13.47–50) [tr. Moore (1870), 4.13]
(Source)
Because of the corruption of the manuscripts of Propertius and speculating from internal references, some 19th Century scholars (e.g., Lachmann) argued for a different division of the elegies into books, thus the translations noted which instead label this as Book 4, Elegy 13.
(Source (Latin)). Other translations:[...] All men now worship gold, all other reverence being done away. By gold all good faith has been banished; by gold our rights are abused: the law itself follows gold, and soon there will be an end of every modest restraint.
[tr. Macdonnel (1826 ed.); a, b]Now groves and shrines are visited by none,
All worship gold since Piety is gone:
Honour, right, law, are bartered now for gold,
And soon will decency itself be sold.
[tr. Cranstoun (1875), 4.13]But now the groves are deserted and sacrifices are abandoned: all follow gold, piety being now conquered. Honesty is driven out by gold: right can be bought by gold: law follows gold, and decency will soon follow it when law is gone.
[tr. Gantillon (1884), 4.13]But nowadays the sanctuaries are cold and dull in forsaken groves; devotion is beaten from the field and they all worship gold. Gold has hounded out faith, gold makes a market of right and wrong; the law runs after gold, and, the law once gone, cleanness of heart soon goes the same way.
[tr. Phillimore (1906)]But now the shrines lie neglected in deserted groves: piety is vanquished and all men worship gold. Gold has banished faith, gold has made judgment to be bought and sold, gold rules the law, and, law once gone, rules chastity as well.
[tr. Butler (Loeb) (1912)][...] By gold all good faith has been banished; by gold our rights are abused; the law itself is influenced by gold, and soon there will be an end of every modest restraint.
[ed. Hoyt (1922)]But now these shrines lie empty and forgotten.
Piety’s lost, and gold’s the dream of man.
Gold's banished faith, and made of Roman justice
a mockery, a thing that's bought and sold.
Greed jeers at law, and, with the law corrupted,
chastity's gone as well, the pawn of gold.
[tr. Carrier (1963)]But now the shrines are idle, the groves deserted;
True religion is vanquished; all worship gold.
For gold good faith is banished and justice sold;
To gold the law now truckles, and conscience
That owns no law.
[tr. Musker (1972)]But now shrines suffer neglect in forsaken groves: gold commands the worship of all, with piety trampled underfoot. Gold has banished faith, for gold judgements can be bought, gold is courted by the law, and soon the conscience that requires no law goes the same way.
[tr. Goold (Loeb) (1990)]But now the shrines are idle in forsaken groves;
Religion conquered, all men worship gold.
Gold drives out honesty, justice is sold for gold,
Law goes for gold, next lawless, honour too.
[tr. Lee (1992)]But now the shrines decay in deserted groves: all worship money, now piety is vanquished. Money drives out loyalty, justice is bought for money, money rules the law, and, without the law, then shame.
[tr. Kline (2001)]But now the shrines are empty, groves deserted: gold
is worshipped, piety dismissed.
Gold has banished faith and buys all judgements: gold’s
now law, and conscience follows
[tr. Holcombe (2009)]

