[1] ὁ δὲ Ῥωμύλος ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα διεκόσμησε βουλευτὰς εὐθὺς ἔγνω καταστήσασθαι, μεθ᾽ ὧν πράττεῖν τὰ κοινὰ ἔμελλεν, ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων ἄνδρας ἑκατὸν ἐπιλεξάμενος. ἐποιεῖτο δὲ αὐτῶν τοιάνδε τὴν διαίρεσιν: αὐτὸς μὲν ἐξ ἁπάντων ἕνα τὸν ἄριστον ἀπέδειξεν, ᾧ τὰς κατὰ πόλιν ᾤετο δεῖν ἐπιτρέπειν οἰκονομίας, ὅτε αὐτὸς ἐξάγοι στρατιὰν ὑπερόριον:
[12.1] As soon as Romulus had regulated these matters he determined to appoint senators to assist him in administering the public business, and to this end he chose a hundred men from among the patricians, selecting them in the following manner. He himself appointed one, the best out of their whole number, to whom he thought fit to entrust the government of the city whenever he himself should lead the army beyond the borders.
[2] τῶν δὲ φυλῶν ἑκάστῃ προσέταξε τρεῖς ἄνδρας ἑλέσθαι τοὺς ἐν τῇ φρονιμωτάτῃ τότε ὄντας ἡλικίᾳ καὶ δι᾽ εὐγένειαν ἐπιφανεῖς. μετὰ δὲ τοὺς ἐννέα τούτους ἑκάστην φράτραν πάλιν ἐκέλευσε τρεῖς ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων ἀποδεῖξαι τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους: ἔπειτα τοῖς πρώτοις ἐννέα τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν φυλῶν ἀποδειχθεῖσι τοὺς ἐνενήκοντα προσθείς, οὓς αἱ φρᾶτραι προεχειρίσαντο, καὶ τούτων, ὃν αὐτὸς προέκρινεν, ἡγεμόνα ποιήσας τὸν τῶν ἑκατὸν ἐξεπλήρωσε βουλευτῶν ἀριθμόν.
[2] He next ordered each of the tribes to choose three men who were then at the age of greatest prudence and were distinguished by their birth. After these nine were chosen he ordered each curia likewise to name three patricians who were the most worthy. Then adding to the first nine, who had been named by the tribes, the ninety who were chosen by the curiae, and appointing as their head the man he himself had first selected, he completed the number of a hundred senators.
[3] τοῦτο τὸ συνέδριον Ἑλληνιστὶ ἑρμηνευόμενον γερουσίαν δύναται δηλοῦν καὶ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων οὕτως καλεῖται. πότερον δὲ διὰ γῆρας τῶν [p. 171] καταλεγέντων εἰς αὐτὸ ἀνδρῶν ἢ δι᾽ ἀρετὴν ταύτης ἔτυχε τῆς ἐπικλήσεως οὐκ ἔχω τὸ σαφὲς εἰπεῖν. καὶ γὰρ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους γέροντας εἰώθεσαν οἱ παλαιοὶ καλεῖν. οἱ δὲ μετέχοντες τοῦ βουλευτηρίου πατέρες ἔγγραφοι προσηγορεύθησαν καὶ μέχρις ἐμοῦ ταύτης ἐτύγχανον τῆς προσηγορίας.
[3] The name of this council may be expressed in Greek by gerousia or “council of elders,” and it is called by the Romans to this day; but whether it received its name from the advanced age of the men who were appointed to it or from their merit, I cannot say for certain. For the ancients used to call the older men and those of greatest merit gerontes or “elders.” The members of the senate were called Conscript Fathers, and they retained that name down to my time. This council, also, was a Greek institution.
[4] Ἑλληνικὸν δὲ ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔθος ἦν. τοῖς γοῦν βασιλεῦσιν, ὅσοι τε πατρίους ἀρχὰς παραλάβοιεν καὶ ὅσους ἡ πληθὺς αὐτὴ καταστήσαιτο ἡγεμόνας, βουλευτήριον ἦν ἐκ τῶν κρατίστων, ὡς Ὅμηρός τε καὶ οἱ παλαιότατοι τῶν ποιητῶν μαρτυροῦσι: καὶ οὐχ ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς χρόνοις αὐθάδεις καὶ μονογνώμονες ἦσαν αἱ τῶν ἀρχαίων βασιλέων δυναστεῖαι.
[4] At any rate, the Greek kings, both those who inherited the realms of their ancestors and those who were elected by the people themselves to be their rulers, had a council composed of the best men, as both Homer and the most ancient of the poets testify; and the authority of the ancient kings was not arbitrary and absolute as it is in our days.
[1] ὡς δὲ κατεσκευάσατο καὶ τὸ βουλευτικὸν τῶν γερόντων συνέδριον ἐκ τῶν ἑκατὸν ἀνδρῶν, ὁρῶν ὅπερ εἰκὸς ὅτι καὶ νεότητος αὐτῷ δεήσει τινὸς συντεταγμένης, ᾗ χρήσεται φυλακῆς ἕνεκα τοῦ σώματος καὶ πρὸς τὰ κατεπείγοντα τῶν ἔργων ὑπηρεσίᾳ, τριακοσίους ἄνδρας ἐκ τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων οἴκων τοὺς ἐρρωμενεστάτους τοῖς σώμασιν ἐπιλεξάμενος, οὓς ἀπέδειξαν αἱ φρᾶτραι τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον, ὅνπερ τοὺς βουλευτὰς ἑκάστη φράτρα δέκα νέους, τούτους τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀεὶ περὶ αὑτὸν εἶχεν:
[13.1] After Romulus had also instituted the senatorial body, consisting of the hundred men, he perceived, we may suppose, that he would also require a body of young men whose services he could use both for the guarding of his person and for urgent business, and accordingly he chose three hundred men, the most robust of body and from the most illustrious families, whom the curiae named in the same manner that they had named the senators, each curia choosing ten young men; and these he kept always about his person.
[2] ὄνομα δὲ κοινὸν ἅπαντες οὗτοι ἔσχον κελέριοι, ὡς μὲν οἱ πλείους γράφουσιν [p. 172] ἐπὶ τῆς ὀξύτητος τῶν ὑπηρεσιῶν, ῾τοὺς γὰρ ἑτοίμους καὶ ταχεῖς περὶ τὰ ἔργα κέλερας οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσιν᾽ ὡς δὲ Οὐαλέριος ὁ Ἀντιεύς φησιν ἐπὶ τοῦ
[2] They were all called by one common name, celeres; according to most writers this was because of the “celerity” required in the services they were to perform (for those who are ready and quick at their tasks the Romans call celeres), but Valerius Antias says that they were thus named after their commander.
[3] ἡγεμόνος αὐτῶν τοῦτ᾽ ἔχοντος τοὔνομα. ἦν γὰρ καὶ τούτων ἡγεμὼν ὁ διαφανέστατος, ᾧ τρεῖς ὑπετάγησαν ἑκατόνταρχοι καὶ αὖθις ὑπ᾽ ἐκείνοις ἕτεροι τὰς ὑποδεεστέρας ἔχοντες ἀρχάς, οἳ κατὰ πόλιν μὲν αἰχμοφόροι τε αὐτῷ παρηκολούθουν καὶ τῶν κελευομένων ὑπηρέται, κατὰ δὲ τὰς στρατείας πρόμαχοί τε ἦσαν καὶ παρασπισταί: καὶ τὰ πολλὰ οὗτοι κατώρθουν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι πρῶτοί τε ἄρχοντες μάχης καὶ τελευταῖοι τῶν ἄλλων ἀφιστάμενοι, ἱππεῖς μὲν ἔνθα ἐπιτήδειον εἴη πεδίον ἐνιππομαχῆσαι, πεζοὶ δὲ ὅπου τραχὺς εἴη καὶ ἄνιππος τόπος.
[3] For among them, also, the most distinguished man was their commander; under him were three centurions, and under these in turn were others who held the inferior commands. In the city these celeres constantly attended Romulus, armed with spears, and executed his orders; and on campaigns they charged before him and defended his person. And as a rule it was they who gave a favourable issue to the contest, as they were the first to engage in battle and the last of all to desist. They fought on horseback where there was level ground favourable for cavalry manoeuvres, and on foot where it was rough and inconvenient for horses.
[4] τοῦτό �
�οι δοκεῖ παρὰ Λακεδαιμονίων μετενέγκασθαι τὸ ἔθος μαθὼν ὅτι καὶ παρ᾽ ἐκείνοις οἱ γενναιότατοι τῶν νέων τριακόσιοι φύλακες ἦσαν τῶν βασιλέων, οἷς ἐχρῶντο κατὰ τοὺς πολέμους παρασπισταῖς, ἱππεῦσί τε οὖσι καὶ πεζοῖς.
[4] This custom Romulus borrowed, I believe, from the Lacedaemonians, having learned that among them, also, three hundred of the noblest youths attended the kings as their guards and also as their defenders in war, fighting both on horseback and on foot.
[1] καταστησάμενος δὴ ταῦτα διέκρινε τὰς τιμὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, ἃς ἑκάστους ἐβούλετο ἔχειν. βασιλεῖ μὲν οὖν ἐξῄρητο τάδε τὰ γέρα: πρῶτον μὲν ἱερῶν καὶ θυσιῶν ἡγεμονίαν ἔχειν καὶ πάντα δι᾽ ἐκείνου πράττεσθαι τὰ πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς ὅσια, ἔπειτα νόμων τε καὶ πατρίων ἐθισμῶν φυλακὴν ποιεῖσθαι καὶ παντὸς τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἢ κατὰ συνθήκας δικαίου προνοεῖν τῶν τε ἀδικημάτων τὰ μέγιστα μὲν αὐτὸν [p. 173] δικάζειν, τὰ δ᾽ ἐλάττονα τοῖς βουλευταῖς ἐπιτρέπειν προνοούμενον ἵνα μηδὲν γίγνηται περὶ τὰς δίκας πλημμελές, βουλήν τε συνάγειν καὶ δῆμον συγκαλεῖν καὶ γνώμης ἄρχειν καὶ τὰ δόξαντα τοῖς πλείοσιν ἐπιτελεῖν. ταῦτα μὲν ἀπέδωκε βασιλεῖ τὰ γέρα καὶ ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις ἡγεμονίαν ἔχειν αὐτοκράτορα ἐν πολέμῳ.
[14.1] Having made these regulations, he distinguished the honours and powers which he wished each class to have. For the king he had reserved these prerogatives: in the first place, the supremacy in religious ceremonies and sacrifices and the conduct of everything relating to the worship of the gods; secondly, the guardianship of the laws and customs of the country and the general oversight of justice in all cases, whether founded on the law of nature or the civil law; he was also the judge in person the greatest crimes, leaving the lesser to the senators, but seeing to it that no error was made in their decisions; he was to summon the senate and call together the popular assembly, to deliver his opinion first and carry out the decision of the majority. These prerogatives he granted to the king and, in addition, the absolute command in war.
[2] τῷ δὲ συνεδρίῳ τῆς βουλῆς τιμὴν καὶ δυναστείαν ἀνέθηκε τοιάνδε: περὶ παντὸς ὅτου ἂν εἰσηγῆται βασιλεὺς διαγινώσκειν τε καὶ ψῆφον ἐπιφέρειν, καὶ ὅ τι ἂν δόξῃ τοῖς πλείοσι τοῦτο νικᾶν: ἐκ τῆς Λακωνικῆς πολιτείας καὶ τοῦτο μετενεγκάμενος. οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλεῖς αὐτοκράτορες ἦσαν ὅ τι βούλοιντο πράττειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ γερουσία πᾶν εἶχε τῶν κοινῶν τὸ κράτος.
[2] To the senate he assigned honour and authority as follows: to deliberate and give their votes concerning everything the king should refer to them, the decision of the majority to prevail. This also Romulus took over from the constitution of the Lacedaemonians; for their kings, too, did not have arbitrary power to do everything they wished, but the gerousia exercised complete control of public affairs.
[3] τῷ δὲ δημοτικῷ πλήθει τρία ταῦτα ἐπέτρεψεν: ἀρχαιρεσιάζειν τε καὶ νόμους ἐπικυροῦν καὶ περὶ πολέμου διαγινώσκειν, ὅταν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐφῇ, οὐδὲ τούτων ἔχοντι τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἀνεπίληπτον, ἂν μὴ καὶ τῇ βουλῇ ταὐτὰ δοκῇ. ἔφερε δὲ τὴν ψῆφον οὐχ ἅμα πᾶς ὁ δῆμος, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὰς φράτρας συγκαλούμενος: ὅ τι δὲ ταῖς πλείοσι δόξειε φράτραις τοῦτο ἐπὶ τὴν βουλὴν ἀνεφέρετο. ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν δὲ μετάκειται τὸ ἔθος: οὐ γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ διαγινώσκει τὰ ψηφισθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου, τῶν δ᾽ ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς γνωσθέντων ὁ δῆμός ἐστι κύριος: πότερον δὲ τῶν ἐθῶν κρεῖττον, ἐν κοινῷ τίθημι τοῖς βουλομένοις σκοπεῖν.
[3] To the populace he granted these three privileges: to choose magistrates, to ratify laws, and to decide concerning war whenever the king left the decision to them; yet even in these matters their authority was not unrestricted, since the concurrence of the senate was necessary to give effect to their decisions. The people did not give their votes all at the same time, but were summoned to meet by curiae, and whatever was resolved upon by the majority of the curiae was reported to the senate. But in our day this practice is reversed, since the senate does not deliberate upon the resolutions passed by the people, but the people have full power over the decrees of the senate; and which of the two customs is better I leave it open to others to determine.
[4] ἐκ δὲ τῆς διαιρέσεως ταύτης οὐ μόνον τὰ πολιτικὰ πράγματα σώφρονας ἐλάμβανε καὶ τεταγμένας τὰς διοικήσεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ ταχείας καὶ [p. 174] εὐπειθεῖς. ὁπότε γὰρ αὐτῷ φανείη στρατιὰν ἐξάγειν, οὔτε χιλιάρχους τότε ἔδει ἀποδείκνυσθαι κατὰ φυλὰς οὔτε ἑκατοντάρχους κατὰ λόχους οὔτε ἱππέων ἡγεμόνας οὔτε ἐξαριθμεῖσθαί τε καὶ λοχίζεσθαι καὶ τάξιν ἑκάστους τὴν προσῄκουσαν λαμβάνειν: ἀλλὰ βασιλεὺς μὲν τοῖς χιλιάρχοις παρήγγελλεν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τοῖς λοχαγοῖς: παρὰ δὲ τούτων οἱ δεκάδαρχοι μαθόντες ἐξῆγον τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους ἑαυτοῖς ἕκαστοι, ἀφ᾽ ἑνός τε κελεύσματος εἴτε πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις εἴτε μοῖρά τις ἐξ αὐτῆς κληθείη τὰ ὅπλα ἔχουσα παρῆν εἰς τὸν ἀποδειχθέντα τόπον εὐτρεπής.
[4] By this division of authority not only were the civil affairs administered in a prudent and orderly manner, but the business of war also was carried on with dispatch and strict obedience. For whenever the king thought proper to lead out his army there was then no necessity for tribunes to be chosen by tribes, or centurions by centuries, or commanders of the horse appointed, nor was it necessary for the army to be numbered or to be divided into centuries or for every man to be assigned to his appropriate post. But the king gave his orders to the tribunes and these to the centurions and they in turn to the decurions, each of whom led out those who were under his command; and whether the whole army or part of it was called, at a single summons they presented themselves ready with arms in hand at the designated post.
[1] τεταγμένην μὲν οὖν καὶ κεκοσμημένην πρὸς εἰρήνην τε ἀποχρώντως καὶ πρὸς τὰ πολέμια ἐπιτηδείως ἐκ τούτων τῶν πολιτευμάτων τὴν πόλιν ὁ Ῥωμύλος ἀπειργάσατο, μεγάλην δὲ καὶ πολυάνθρωπον ἐκ τῶνδε:
[15.1] By these institutions Romulus sufficiently regulated and suitably disposed the city both for peace and for war: and he made it large and populous by the following means.
[2] πρῶτον μὲν εἰς ἀνάγκην κατέστησε τοὺς οἰκήτορας αὐτῆς ἅπασαν ἄρρενα γενεὰν ἐκτρέφειν καὶ θυγα
τέρων τὰς πρωτογόνους, ἀποκτιννύναι δὲ μηδὲν τῶν γεννωμένων νεώτερον τριετοῦς, πλὴν εἴ τι γένοιτο παιδίον ἀνάπηρον ἢ τέρας εὐθὺς ἀπὸ γονῆς. ταῦτα δ᾽ οὐκ ἐκώλυσεν ἐκτιθέναι τοὺς γειναμένους ἐπιδείξαντας πρότερον πέντε ἀνδράσι τοῖς ἔγγιστα οἰκοῦσιν, ἐὰν κἀκείνοις συνδοκῇ. κατὰ δὲ [p. 175] τῶν μὴ πειθομένων τῷ νόμῳ ζημίας ὥρισεν ἄλλας τε καὶ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῶν τὴν ἡμίσειαν εἶναι δημοσίαν.
[2] In the first place, he obliged the inhabitants to bring up all their male children and the first-born of the females, and forbade them to destroy any children under three years of age unless they were maimed or monstrous from their very birth. These he did not forbid their parents to expose, provided they first showed them to their five nearest neighbours and these also approved. Against those who disobeyed this law he fixed various penalties, including the confiscation of half their property.
[3] ἔπειτα καταμαθὼν πολλὰς τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν πόλεων πονηρῶς ἐπιτροπευομένας ὑπὸ τυραννίδων τε καὶ ὀλιγαρχιῶν, τοὺς ἐκ τούτων ἐκπίπτοντας τῶν πόλεων συχνοὺς ὄντας, εἰ μόνον εἶεν ἐλεύθεροι, διακρίνων οὔτε συμφορὰς οὔτε τύχας αὐτῶν ὑποδέχεσθαι καὶ μετάγειν ὡς ἑαυτὸν ἐπεχείρει, τήν τε Ῥωμαίων δύναμιν αὐξῆσαι βουληθεὶς καὶ τὰς τῶν περιοίκων ἐλαττῶσαι: ἐποίει δὲ ταῦτα πρόφασιν ἐξευρὼν εὐπρεπῆ καὶ εἰς θεοῦ τιμὴν τὸ ἔργον ἀναφέρων.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 451