τούτους ἀνάγκη ὁμολογεῖν ὑμῶν εὐδαιμονεστέρους,  τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ὑμᾶς, πλὴν 
ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπων ἔτι  γένους, τῶν πολυχρυσοτάτων. τὸ δὲ χρυσίον λαμβάνουσι 
παρὰ μυρμήκων. οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν ἀλωπέκων μείζονες, τἄλλα δὲ ὅμοιοι τοῖς παρ´ 
ἡμῖν. ὀρύττουσι δὲ κατὰ γῆς, ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ μύρμηκες. ὁ δὲ χοῦς αὐτοῖς ἐστι 
χρυσίον καθαρώτατον πάντων χρυσίων καὶ στιλπνότατον. εἰσὶν οὖν πλησίον 
ἐφεξῆς, ὥσπερ κολωνοὶ τοῦ ψήγματος, καὶ τὸ πεδίον ἅπαν ἀστράπτει. χαλεπὸν 
οὖν ἰδεῖν ἐστι πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἐπιχειρούντων ἰδεῖν τὰς ὄψεις
 διεφθάρησαν.
 

It must be admitted that the people of India are more fortunate than you are, but that 
you are more fortunate than all others—with the exception of just one more race of 
mortals, namely, those most rich in gold. And their gold is obtained from ants. 
These ants are larger than foxes, though in other respects similar to the ants we have. 
And they burrow in the earth, just as do all other ants. And that which is thrown out 
by their burrowing is gold, the purest of all gold and the most resplendent. Now 
there are close to one another a series of what might be called hills of gold dust, and 
the whole plain is agleam. Therefore it is difficult to look thereon in the sunlight, and 
many of those who have made the attempt have lost their sight.

Trad. anglaise : J.W. COHOON - H. Lamar CROSBY, Dio Chrysostom.  
Vol. III. London, Heinemann, 1940