Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79)

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [57] Aeneas sacrificed the sow with her young to his household gods in the place where now stands the chapel, which the Lavinians looking as sacred and preserve inaccessible to all but themselves. Then, having ordered the Trojans to remove their camp to the hill, he placed the images of the gods in the best part of it and immediately addressed himself to the building of the town with the greatest zeal. And making descents into the country round about, he took from there such things as were of use to him in building and the loss of which was likely to be the most grievous to the owners, such as iron, timber and agricultural implements.

  [2] Λατίνῳ δὲ, ὃς ἦν τότε βασιλεύς, πολεμοῦντι πρὸς ἔθνος ὅμορον τοὺς καλουμένους Ῥοτόλους καὶ δυσημεροῦντι κατὰ τὰς μάχας ἀγγέλλεται τὰ γινόμενα ἐπὶ τὸ φοβερώτατον, ὡς ἀνάστατος αὐτοῦ γίνεται πᾶσα ἡ παράλιος ὑπερορίῳ στρατιᾷ, καὶ εἰ μὴ σὺν τάχει κωλύσει τὰ δρώμενα χρυσὸς αὐτῷ φανήσεται ὁ πρὸς τοὺς ἀστυγείτονας ἀγών. ἀκούσαντι δὲ τῷ ἀνδρὶ δέος εἰσέρχεται καὶ αὐτίκα τοῦ παρόντος πολέμου μεθέμενος ἐπὶ τοὺς Τρῶας ἐλαύνει πολλῇ στρατιᾷ.

  [2] But Latinus, the king of the country at that time, who was at war with a neighbouring people called the Rutulians and had fought some battles with ill success, received an account of what had passed in the most alarming form, to the effect that all his coast was being laid waste by a foreign army and that, if he did not immediately put a stop to their depredations, the war with his neighbours would seem to him a joy in comparison. Latinus was struck with fear at this news, and immediately abandoning the war in which he was then engaged, he marched against the Trojans with a great army.

  [3] ὁρῶν δὲ αὐτοὺς ὡπλισμένους τε ὡς Ἕλληνας καὶ ἐν τάξει εὐκόσμῳ ἀκαταπλήκτως τὸ δεινὸν ὑπομένοντας, τῆς μὲν αὐτίκα παρακινδυνεύσεως, ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἐξ ἐφόδου αὐτοὺς ἔτι χειρωσάμενος, ἣν ἔσχε διάνοιαν οἴκοθεν ὁρμώμενος, ἀποτρέπεται: στρατοπεδευσάμενος δ᾽ ἐπὶ λόφου τινὸς τὸ πρῶτον ἀναλαβεῖν ᾤετο δεῖν τὴν δύναμιν ἐκ τοῦ παρόντος κόπου, ὃς πολὺς ἐκ μακρᾶς ὁδοῦ καὶ συντόνου διώξεως αὐτοῖς ἐγένετο.

  [3] But seeing them armed like Greeks, drawn up in good order and resolutely awaiting the conflict, he gave up the idea of hazarding an immediate engagement, since he saw no probability now of defeating them at the first onset, as he had expected when he set out from home against them. And encamping on a hill, he thought he ought first to let his troops recover from their present fatigue, which from the length of the march and the eagerness of the pursuit was very great;

  [4] αὐλισάμενος δὲ διὰ νυκτὸς αὐτόθι γνώμην [p. 93] ἐποιεῖτο ἀρχομένης ἕω συμφέρεσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις. ἐγνωκότι δὲ αὐτῷ ταῦτα λέγει τις ἐπιστὰς καθ᾽ ὕπνον ἐπιχώριος δαίμων δέχεσθαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας τῇ χώρᾳ συνοίκους: ἥκειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς μέγα ὠφέλημα Λατίνῳ καὶ κοινὸν Ἀβοριγίνων ἀγαθόν: Αἰνείᾳ τε οἱ πατρῷοι θεοὶ τῆς αὐτῆς νυκτὸς φανέντες παρακελεύονται πείθειν Λατῖνον ἑκόντα παρασχεῖν σφίσι τὴν οἴκησιν ἐν ᾧ βούλονται χωρίῳ, καὶ χρήσασθαι δυνάμει Ἑλληνικῇ συμμάχῳ μᾶλλον ἢ διαφόρῳ: ἀμφοτέρους δὲ τὸ ὄναρ ἐκώλυεν ἄρχειν μάχης. ὡς δὲ ἡμέρα τε ἐγένετο, καὶ διεκοσμήθησαν εἰς μάχην αἱ δυνάμεις, κήρυκες ἧκον ὡς τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἑκατέρωθεν τὸ αὐτὸ ἀξιοῦντες, συνελθεῖν ἀλλήλοις εἰς λόγους: καὶ ἐγένετο τοῦτο.

  [4] and passing the night there, he was resolving to engage the enemy at break of day. But when he had reached this decision, a certain divinity of the place appeared to him in his sleep and bade him receive the Greeks into his land to dwell with his own subjects, adding that their coming was a great advantage to him and admonished him to persuade Latinus to grant them of his own accord a settlement in the part of the country they desired and to treat the Greek forces rather as allies than as enemies. Thus the dream hindered both of them from beginning an engagement. And as soon as it was day and the armies were drawn up in order of battle, heralds came to each of the commanders from the other with the same request, that they should meet for a parley; and so it came to pass.

  [1] πρῶτος δὲ ὁ Λατῖνος ἔγκλημα ποιούμενος τὸν αἰφνίδιόν τε καὶ ἀκατάγγελτον πόλεμον ἠξίου τὸν Αἰνείαν λέγειν, ὅστις ὢν καὶ τί βουλόμενος ἄγει καὶ φέρει τὰ χωρία πεπονθώς τε οὐδὲν δεινὸν πρότερος καὶ οὐκ ἀγνοῶν ὅτι τὸν ἄρχοντα πολέμου πᾶς ὁ προπαθὼν ἀμύνεται: παρασχόν τε ἂν αὐτῷ πᾶν, εἴ τινος ἐδεῖτο μετρίου, πρὸς φιλίαν καὶ παρ᾽ ἑκόντων εὑρίσκεσθαι τῶν ἐγχωρίων, παρελθὼν τὴν ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων δικαίωσιν αἴσχιον ἢ κάλλιον ἠξίωσε βίαν προσφέρων τὰ αὐτὰ λαμβάνειν.

  [58.1] And first Latinus complained of the sudden war which they had made upon his subjects without any previous declaration and demanded that Aeneas tell him who he was and what he meant by plundering the country without any provocation, since he could not be ignorant that every one who is attacked in war defends himself against the aggressor; and he complained that when Aeneas might have obtained amicably and with the consent of the inhabitants whatever he could reasonably desire, he had chosen to take it by force, contrary to the universal sense of justice and with greater dishonour than credit to himself.

  [2] τοιαῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ διαλεχθέντος ἀπεκρίνατο Αἰνείας: ἡμεῖς γένος μὲν Τρῶές ἐσμεν, πόλεως δὲ οὐ τῆς ἀφανεστάτης ἐν Ἕλλησιν ἐγενόμεθα: ἣν ἀφαιρεθέντες ὑπ᾽ Ἀχαιῶν δεκαετεῖ πολέμῳ χειρωθεῖσαν, ἀλῆται περιερχόμενοι [p. 94] πόλεώς τε καὶ χώρας ἐν ᾗ τὸ λοιπὸν οἰκήσομεν ἀπορίᾳ, θεοῖς δὲ κελεύουσι πειθόμενοι δεῦρ᾽ ἀφίγμεθα: καὶ ἡμῖν ὡς τὰ θέσφατα λέγει λιμὴν τῆς πλάνης ἥδε ἡ γῆ μόνη λείπεται. ποριζόμεθα δὲ ἐκ τῆς χώρας ὧν ἡμῖν δεῖ δυστυχέστερον μᾶλλον ἢ εὐπρεπέστερον, ὡς ἥδιστα νεωστὶ ἐβουλόμεθα.

  [2] After he had spoken thus Aeneas answered: “We are natives of Troy, not the least famous city among the Greeks; but since this has been captured and taken from us by the Achaeans after a ten-years’ war, we have been wanderers, roving about for want both of a city and a country where we may henceforth live, and are come hither in obedience to the commands of the gods; and this land alone, as the oracles tell us, is left for us as the haven of our wandering. We are indeed taking from the country the things we need, with greater regard to our unfortunate situation than to propriety, — a course which until recently we by no means wished to pursue.

  [3] ἀμειψόμεθα δὲ αὐτὰ πολλαῖς καὶ ἀγαθαῖς ἔργων ἀμοιβαῖς παρέχοντες ὑμῖν καὶ
σώματα καὶ ψυχὰς εὖ πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ πεπαιδευμένας χρῆσθαι ὁπόσα βούλεσθε, τὴν ὑμετέραν γῆν φυλάττοντες ἀδῄωτον, τὴν δὲ τῶν πολεμίων προθύμως συγκατακτώμενοι. ἱκέται δὲ ὑμῶν γινόμεθα μὴ πρὸς ὀργὴν τὰ πεπραγμένα λαμβάνειν, ἐνθυμηθέντας ὡς οὐ σὺν ὕβρει, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἀνάγκης ταῦτα βιασθέντες ἐποιοῦμεν: ἅπαν δὲ σύγγνωμον τὸ ἀκούσιον.

  [3] But we will make compensation for them with many good services in return, offering you our bodies and our minds, well disciplined against dangers, to employ as you think proper in keeping your country free from the ravages of enemies and in heartily assisting you to conquer their lands. We humbly entreat you not to resent what we have done, realizing, as you must, that we did it, not out of wantonness, but constrained by necessity; and everything that is involuntary deserves forgiveness.

  [4] καὶ δεῖ ὑμᾶς μηδὲν ἐναντίον βουλεῦσαι περὶ ἡμῶν χεῖρας προεχομένων, εἰ δὲ μή, θεοὺς καὶ δαίμονας οἳ κατέχουσι τήνδε τὴν γῆν παραιτούμενοι συγγνώμονας ἡμῖν γενέσθαι καὶ ὧν ἠναγκασμένοι δρῶμεν πειρασόμεθα πολέμου ἄρχοντας ὑμᾶς ἀμύνεσθαι. οὐ γὰρ ἂν νῦν πρώτου οὐδὲ μεγίστου πολέμου τοῦδε ἀπολαύσαιμεν.

  [4] And you ought not to take any hostile resolution concerning us as we stretch forth our hands to you; but if you do so, we will first beg the gods and divinities who possess this land to forgive us even for what we do under the constraint of necessity and will then endeavour to defend ourselves against you who are the aggressors in the war; for this will not be the first nor the greatest war that we have experienced.”

  [5] ὡς δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Λατῖνος ἤκουσεν ἀπεκρίνατο πρὸς αὐτόν: ἀλλ᾽ ἔγωγε εὔνοιάν τε πρὸς ἅπαν τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν γένος ἔχω καὶ συμφοραῖς ἀνθρώπων [p. 95] ἀναγκαίαις πάνυ ἄχθομαι, σώζεσθαί τε ὑμᾶς περὶ πολλοῦ ἂν ποιησαίμην, εἴ μοι δῆλοι γένοισθε οἰκήσεως δεόμενοι ἥκειν ἐν ἀποχρώσῃ τε γῆς μοίρᾳ καὶ πρὸς φιλίαν τῶν δοθησομένων μεθέξοντες, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τὴν ἐμὴν δυναστείαν ἀφαιρησόμενοι πρὸς βίαν. εἰ δ᾽ ἐπαληθεύεται ὑμῖν ὅδ᾽ ὁ λόγος πίστεις τούτων ἀξιῶ δοῦναι καὶ λαβεῖν, αἳ φυλάξουσιν ἡμῖν ἀδόλους τὰς ὁμολογίας.

  [5] When Latinus heard this he answered him: “Nay, but I cherish a kindly feeling towards the whole Greek race and am greatly grieved by the inevitable calamities of mankind. And I should be very solicitous for your safety if it were clear to me that you have come here in search of a habitation and that, contented with a suitable share of the land and enjoying in a spirit of friendship what shall be given you, you will not endeavour to deprive me of the sovereignty by force; and if the assurances you give me are real, I desire to give and receive pledges which will preserve our compact inviolate.”

  [1] Αἰνείου δὲ ἐπαινέσαντος τὰ λεγόμενα γίνονται συνθῆκαι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐφ᾽ ὁρκίων τοιαίδε: Ἀβοριγῖνας μὲν Τρωσὶ δοῦναι χώραν ὅσην ἠξίουν ἀμφὶ τοὺς τετταράκοντα σταδίους πανταχοῦ πορευομένοις ἀπὸ τοῦ λόφου: Τρῶας δὲ Ἀβοριγῖσι τοῦ τ᾽ ἐν χερσὶ πολέμου συλλαβέσθαι καὶ ὅπου ἂν ἄλλῃ παρακαλῶνται συστρατεύειν: κοινῇ δὲ ἀμφοτέρους τὰ κράτιστα ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων πράττειν καὶ χειρὶ καὶ γνώμῃ.

  [59.1] Aeneas having accepted this proposal, a treaty was made between the two nations and confirmed by oaths to this effect: the Aborigines were to grant to the Trojans as much land as they desired, that is, the space of about forty stades in every direction from the hill; the Trojans, on their part, were to assist the Aborigines in the war they were then engaged in and also to join them with their forces upon every other occasion when summoned; and, mutually, both nations were to aid each other to the utmost of their power, both with their arms and with their counsel.

  [2] συνθέμενοι δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τέκνων ὁμηρείαις τὰς πίστεις βεβαιώσαντες κοινῇ στρατεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις τῶν Ῥοτόλων: δι᾽ ὀλίγου δὲ τἀκεῖ πάντα χειρωσάμενοι παρῆσαν ἐπὶ τὸ πόλισμα τὸ Τρωικὸν ἡμιτελὲς ἔτ᾽ ὂν καὶ μιᾷ προθυμίᾳ πάντες χρώμενοι τειχίζουσιν αὐτό.

  [2] After they had concluded this treaty and had given pledges by handing over children as hostages, they marched with joint forces against the cities of the Rutulians; and having soon subdued all opposition there, they came to the town of the Trojans, which was still but half-finished, and all working with a common zeal, they fortified the town with a wall.

  [3] ὄνομα δὲ τῷ κτίσματι Αἰνείας τίθεται Λαουΐνιον, ὡς μὲν αὐτοὶ Ῥωμαῖοι λέγουσιν ἀπὸ τῆς Λατίνου θυγατρός, ᾗ Λαῦναν εἶναί φασι τοὔνομα: ὡς δ᾽ ἄλλοι [p. 96] τινὲς τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν μυθογράφων ἔλεξαν, ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀνίου τοῦ Δηλίων βασιλέως θυγατρός, Λαύνας καὶ τῆς2δε ὀνομαζομένης, ἧς ἀποθανούσης νόσῳ περὶ τὸν οἰκισμὸν τῆς πόλεως πρώτης καὶ ἐν ᾧ ἔκαμε χωρίῳ ταφείσης μνῆμα γενέσθαι τὴν πόλιν. συμπλεῦσαι δ᾽ αὐτὴν τοῖς Τρωσὶ λέγεται δοθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς Αἰνείᾳ δεηθέντι μαντικὴν οὖσαν καὶ σοφήν.

  [3] This town Aeneas called Lavinium, after the daughter of Latinus, according to the Romans’ own account; for her name, they say, was Lavinia. But according to some of the Greek mythographers he named it after the daughter of Anius, the king of the Delians, who was also called Lavinia; for as she was the first to die of illness at the time of the building of the city and was buried in the place where she died, the city was made her memorial.

  [4] λέγεται δὲ κατὰ τὸν πολισμὸν τοῦ Λαουϊνίου σημεῖα τοῖς Τρωσὶ γενέσθαι τοιάδε: πυρὸς αὐτομάτως ἀναφθέντος ἐκ τῆς νάπης λύκον μὲν κομίζοντα τῷ στόματι τῆς ξηρᾶς ὕλης ἐπιβάλλειν ἐπὶ τὸ πῦρ, ἀετὸν δὲ προσπετόμενον ἀναρριπίζειν τῇ κινήσει τῶν πτερύγων τὴν φλόγα: τούτοις δὲ τἀναντία μηχανωμένην ἀλώπεκα τὴν οὐρὰν διάβροχον ἐκ τοῦ ποταμοῦ φέρουσαν ἐπιρραπίζειν τὸ καιόμενον πῦρ, καὶ τοτὲ μὲν τοὺς ἀνάπτοντας ἐπικρατεῖν, τοτὲ δὲ τὴν ἀποσβέσαι βουλομένην: τέλος δὲ νικῆσαι τοὺς δύο, καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν οἴχεσθαι μηδὲν ἔτι ποιεῖν δυναμένην.

  [4] She is said to have embarked with the Trojans after having been given by her father to Aeneas at his desire as a prophetess and a wise woman. While Lavinium was building, the following omens are said to have appeared to the Trojans. When a fire broke out spontaneously in the forest, a wolf, they say, brought some dry wood in his mouth and threw it upon the fire, and an eagle, flying thither, fanned the fla
me with the motion of his wings. But working in opposition to these, a fox, after wetting his tail in the river, endeavoured to beat out the flames; and now those that were kindling it would prevail, and now the fox that was trying to put it out. But at last the two former got the upper hand, and the other went away, unable to do anything further.

  [5] ἰδόντα δὲ τὸν Αἰνείαν εἰπεῖν ὡς ἐπιφανὴς μὲν ἔσται καὶ θαυμαστὴ καὶ γνώσεως ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἥξουσα ἡ ἀποικία, ἐπίφθονος δὲ τοῖς πέλας αὐξομένη καὶ λυπηρά, κρατήσει δ᾽ ὅμως τῶν ἀντιπραττόντων κρείττονα τὴν ἐκ τοῦ θείου τύχην λαβοῦσα τοῦ παρ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἐναντιωσομένου φθόνου. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οὕτω περιφανῆ μηνύματα [p. 97] λέγεται γενέσθαι τῶν συμβησομένων τῇ πόλει, καὶ ἔστιν αὐτῶν μνημεῖα ἐν τῇ Λαουϊνιατῶν ἀγορᾷ χαλκᾶ εἴδωλα τῶν ζῴων ἐκ πολλοῦ πάνυ χρόνου διατηρούμενα.

  [5] Aeneas, on observing this, said that the colony would become illustrious and an object of wonder and would gain the greatest renown, but that as it increased it would be envied by its neighbours and prove grievous to them; nevertheless, it would overcome its adversaries, the good fortune that it had received from Heaven being more powerful than the envy of men that would oppose it. These very clear indications are said to have been given of what was to happen to the city; of which there are monuments now standing in the forum of the Lavinians, in the form of bronze images of the animals, which have been preserved for a very long time.