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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [6] After he had made these regulations, he ordered all the Romans to register their names and give in a monetary valuation of their property, at the same time taking the oath required by law that they had given in a true valuation in good faith; they were also to set down the names of their fathers, with their own age and the names of their wives and children, and every man was to declare in what tribe of the city or in what district of the country he lived. If any failed to give in their valuation, the penalty he established was that their property should be forfeited and they themselves whipped and sold for slaves. This law continued in force among the Romans for a long time.

  [1] τιμησαμένων δὲ πάντων ἀναλαβὼν τὰ γραμματεῖα καὶ διαγνοὺς τό τε πλῆθος αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ μεγέθη τῶν βίων σοφώτατον ἁπάντων πολιτευμάτων εἰσηγήσατο καὶ μεγίστων Ῥωμαίος ἀγαθῶν αἴτιον, ὡς 3 τὰ ἔργα ἐδήλωσε.

  [16.1] After all had given in their valuations, Tullius took the registers and the size of their estates, introduced the wisest of all measures, and one which has been the source of the greatest advantages to the Romans, as the results have shown.

  [2] τὸ δὲ πολίτευμα τοιόνδε ἦν: μίαν ἀφεῖλεν ἐξ ἁπάντων μοῖραν, ἧς τὸ μέγιστον ἦν τίμημα τῆς οὐσίας οὐκ ἔλαττον ἑκατὸν μνῶν. τούτους δὲ συντάξας εἰς ὀγδοήκοντα λόχους ὅπλα φέρειν ἐπέταξεν ἀσπίδας Ἀργολικὰς καὶ δόρατα καὶ κράνη χάλκεα καὶ θώρακας καὶ κνημῖδας καὶ ξίφη. διελὼν δ᾽ αὐτοὺς [p. 31] διχῇ, τετταράκοντα μὲν ἐποίησε νεωτέρων λόχους, οἷς τὰς ὑπαιθρίους ἀπέδωκε στρατείας, τετταράκοντα δὲ πρεσβυτέρων, οὓς ἔδει τῆς νεότητος εἰς πόλεμον ἐξιούσης ὑπομένοντας ἐν τῇ πόλει τὰ ἐντὸς τείχους φυλάττειν.

  [2] The measure was this: He selected from the whole number of the citizens one part, consisting of those whose property was rated the highest and amounted to no less than one hundred minae. Of these he formed eighty centuries, whom he ordered to be armed with Argolic bucklers, with spears, brazen helmets, corslets, greaves and swords. Dividing these centuries into two groups, he made forty centuries of younger men, whom he appointed to take the field in time of war, and forty of older men, whose duty it was, when the youth went forth to war, to remain in the city and guard everything inside the walls.

  [3] αὕτη πρώτη σύνταξις ἦν: χώραν δὲ κατεῖχεν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις τὴν προαγωνιζομένην τῆς φάλαγγος ὅλης. ἔπειτ᾽ ἐκ τῶν ὑπολειπομένων ἑτέραν ἀφῄρει μοῖραν, οἷς ἦν ἐντὸς μὲν μυρίων δραχμῶν, οὐ μεῖον δὲ πέντε καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα μνῶν τὸ τίμημα. συντάξας δὲ τούτους εἰς εἴκοσι λόχους τὰ μὲν ἄλλα φορεῖν ὅπλα προσέταξεν, ὅσα τοὺς προτέρους, τοὺς δὲ θώρακας αὐτῶν ἀφεῖλε, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν ἀσπίδων ἀνέδωκε θυρεούς. διελὼν δὲ καὶ τούτων τοὺς ὑπὲρ τετταράκοντα καὶ πέντε ἔτη γεγονότας ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχόντων τὴν στρατεύσιμον ἡλικίαν, δέκα μὲν ἐποίησε λόχους νεωτέρων, οὓς ἔδει προπολεμεῖν τῆς πόλεως, δέκα δὲ πρεσβυτέρων, οἷς ἀπέδωκε τειχοφυλακεῖν. αὕτη δευτέρα σύνταξις ἦν, ἐκοσμεῖτο δ᾽

  [3] This was the first class; in wars it occupied a position in the forefront of the whole army. Next, from those who were left he took another part whose rating was under ten thousand drachmae but not less than seventy-five minae. Of these he formed twenty centuries and ordered them to wear the same armour as those of the first class, except that he took from them the corslets, and instead of the bucklers gave them shields. Here also he distinguished between those who were over forty-five years old and those who were of military age, constituting ten centuries of the younger men, whose duty it was to serve their country in the field, and ten of the older, to whom he committed the defence of the walls. This was the second class; in engagements they were drawn up behind those fighting in the front ranks.

  [4] ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι μετὰ τοὺς προμάχους. τὴν δὲ τρίτην ἐποίει σύνταξιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπολειπομένων, ὅσοι τίμησιν εἶχον ἐλάττονα μὲν τῶν ἑπτακισχιλίων καὶ πεντακοσίων δραχμῶν, οὐ μείονα δὲ μνῶν πεντήκοντα. τούτων δ᾽ ἐμείωσε τὸν ὁπλισμὸν οὐ μόνον τοῖς θώραξιν,

  [4] The third class he constituted out of those who were left, taking such as had a rating of less than seven thousand five hundred drachmae but not less than fifty minae. The armour of these he diminished not only by taking away the corslets, as from the second class, but also the greaves.

  [5] ὥσπερ τῶν δευτέρων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς περικνημῖσι. συνέταξε δὲ καὶ τούτους εἰς εἴκοσι λόχους καὶ διεῖλε τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τοῖς προτέροις καθ᾽ ἡλικίας, δέκα λόχους ἀποδοὺς τοῖς νεωτέροις καὶ δέκα τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις. [p. 32] χώρα δὲ καὶ στάσις ἦν τούτων τῶν λόχων ἐν ταῖς μάχαις ἡ μετὰ τοὺς ἐφεστῶτας τοῖς προμάχοις.

  [5] He formed likewise twenty centuries of these, dividing them, like the former, according to their age and assigning ten centuries to the younger men and ten to the older. In battles the post and station of these centuries was in the third line from the front.

  [1] ἀφελὼν δὲ πάλιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπολειπομένων τοὺς ἐλάττω πεντακισχιλίων δραχμῶν ἔχοντας οὐσίαν ἄχρι πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι μνῶν, τετάρτην ἐποίησε μοῖραν. διέταξε δὲ καὶ τούτους εἰς εἴκοσι λόχους, καὶ δέκα μὲν ἐποίησε τῶν ἐν ἀκμῇ, δέκα δὲ τῶν ὑπερηλίκων κατὰ ταὐτὰ τοῖς προτέροις. ὅπλα δὲ φέρειν ἔταξεν αὐτοὺς θυρεοὺς καὶ ξίφη καὶ δόρατα καὶ στάσιν ἔχειν 4 ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι τὴν ὑστάτην.

  [17.1] Again taking from the remainder those whose property amounted to less than five thousand drachmae but was as much as twenty-five minae, he formed a fourth class. This he also divided into twenty centuries, ten of which he composed of such as were in the vigour of their age, and the other ten of those who were just past it, in the same manner as with the former classes. He ordered the arms of these to be shields, swords and spears, and their post in engagements to be in the last line.

  [2] τὴν δὲ πέμπτην μοῖραν, οἷς ἐντὸς εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε μνῶν ἄχρι δώδεκα καὶ ἡμίσους μνῶν ὁ βίος ἦν, εἰς τριάκοντα συνέταξε λόχους. διῄρηντο δὲ καὶ οὗτοι καθ᾽ ἡλικίαν: πεντεκαίδεκα μὲν γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῶν λόχοι τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους εἶχον, πεντεκαίδεκα δὲ τοὺς νεωτέρους. τούτους ἔταξε σαυνία καὶ

  [2] The fifth class, consisting of those whose property was between twenty-five minae and twelve minae and a half, he divided into thirty centuries. These were also distinguished according to their age, fifteen of the centuries being composed of the older men and fifteen of the younger. These he armed with
javelins and slings, and placed outside the line of battle.

  [3] σφενδόνας ἔχοντας ἔξω τάξεως συστρατεύεσθαι. τέτταρας δὲ λόχους οὐδὲν ἔχοντας ὅπλον ἀκολουθεῖν ἐκέλευσε τοῖς ἐνόπλοις: ἦσαν δὲ τῶν τεττάρων τούτων δύο μὲν ὁπλοποιῶν τε καὶ τεκτόνων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν κατασκευαζόντων τὰ εἰς τὸν πόλεμον εὔχρηστα: δύο δὲ σαλπιστῶν τε καὶ βυκανιστῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλοις τισὶν ὀργάνοις ἐπισημαινόντων τὰ παρακλητικὰ τοῦ πολέμου. προσέκειντο δ᾽ οἱ μὲν χειροτέχναι τοῖς τὸ δεύτερον ἔχουσι τίμημα διῃρημένοι καθ᾽ ἡλικίαν, ὁ μὲν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις, ὁ δὲ τοῖς νεωτέροις ἀκολουθῶν

  [3] He ordered four unarmed centuries to follow those that were armed, two of them consisting of armourers and carpenters and of those whose business it was to prepare everything that might be of use in time of war, and the other two of trumpeters and horn-blowers and such as sounded the various calls with any other instruments. The artisans were attached to the second class and divided according to their age, one of their centuries following the older centuries, and the other the younger centuries;

  [4] λόχος. οἱ δὲ σαλπισταί τε καὶ οἱ βυκανισταὶ τῇ τετάρτῃ [p. 33] συνετάττοντο μοίρᾳ. ἦν δὲ καὶ τούτων εἷς μὲν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων λόχος, εἷς δὲ τῶν νεωτέρων: λοχαγοὶ δ᾽ ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐπιλεχθέντες οἱ γενναιότατοι τὰ πολέμια τοὺς ἰδίους ἕκαστοι λόχους εὐπειθεῖς τοῖς παραγγελλομένοις παρείχοντο.

  [4] the trumpeters and horn-blowers were added to the fourth class, and one of their centuries also consisted of the older men and the other of the younger. Out of all the centuries the bravest men were chosen as centurions, and each of these commanders took care that his century should yield a ready obedience to orders.

  [1] αὕτη μὲν ἡ διακόσμησις ἦν ἡ τὸ πεζικὸν ἐκπληροῦσα τῶν τε φαλαγγιτῶν καὶ τῶν ψιλῶν στράτευμα: τὸ δὲ τῶν ἱππέων πλῆθος ἐπέλεξεν ἐκ τῶν ἐχόντων τὸ μέγιστον τίμημα καὶ κατὰ γένος ἐπιφανῶν: συνέταξε δ᾽ εἰς ὀκτωκαίδεκα λόχους καὶ προσένειμεν αὐτοὺς τοῖς πρώτοις τῶν φαλαγγιτῶν ὀγδοήκοντα λόχοις: εἶχον δὲ καὶ οὗτοι τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους λοχαγούς.

  [18.1] This was the arrangement he made of the entire infantry, consisting of both the heavy-armed and light-armed troops. As for the cavalry, he chose them out of such as had the highest rating and were of distinguished birth, forming eighteen centuries of them, and added them to the first eighty centuries of the heavy-armed infantry; these centuries of cavalry were also commanded by persons of the greatest distinction.

  [2] τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς πολίτας, οἳ τίμησιν εἶχον ἐλάττονα δώδεκα καὶ ἡμίσους μνῶν, πλείους τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὄντας τῶν προτέρων, ἅπαντας εἰς ἕνα συντάξας λόχον στρατείας τ᾽ ἀπέλυσε καὶ πάσης εἰσφορᾶς ἐποίησεν ἀτελεῖς. ἐγένοντο δὴ συμμορίαι μὲν ἕξ, ἃς Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσι κλάσσεις, κατὰ τὰς Ἑλληνικὰς κλήσεις παρονομάσαντες: ὃ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ῥῆμα προστακτικῶς σχηματίσαντες ἐκφέρομεν, κάλει, τοῦτ᾽ ἐκεῖνοι λέγουσι κάλα καὶ τὰς κλάσσεις τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐκάλουν καλέσεις:

  [2] The rest of the citizens, who had a rating of less than twelve minae and a half but were more numerous than those already mentioned, he put into a single century and exempted them from service in the army and from every sort of tax. Thus there were six divisions which the Romans call classes, by a slight change of the Greek word klêseis (for the verb which we Greeks pronounce in the imperative mood kalei, the Romans call cala, and the classes they anciently called caleses),

  [3] λόχοι δ᾽, οὓς αἱ συμμορίαι περιελάμβανον, ἑκατὸν καὶ ἐνενηκοντατρεῖς. ἐπεῖχον δὲ τὴν μὲν πρώτην συμμορίαν ὀκτὼ καὶ ἐνενήκοντα λόχοι σὺν τοῖς ἱππεῦσι: τὴν δὲ [p. 34] δευτέραν εἴκοσι καὶ δύο σὺν τοῖς χειροτέχναις: τὴν δὲ τρίτην εἴκοσι: τὴν δὲ τετάρτην πάλιν εἴκοσι καὶ δύο σὺν τοῖς σαλπισταῖς καὶ βυκανισταῖς: τὴν δὲ πέμπτην τριάκοντα: τὴν δ᾽ ἐπὶ πάσαις τεταγμένην εἷς λόχος ὁ τῶν ἀπόρων.

  [3] and the centuries included in these divisions amounted to one hundred and ninety-three. The first class contained ninety-eight centuries, counting the cavalry; the second, twenty-two, counting the artificers; the third, twenty; the fourth, again, contained twenty-two, counting the trumpeters and horn-blowers; the fifth, thirty; and the last of all, one century, consisting of the poor citizens.

  [1] ταύτῃ τῇ διακοσμήσει χρησάμενος τὰς μὲν τῶν στρατιωτῶν καταγραφὰς κατὰ τὴν διαίρεσιν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν τῶν λόχων, τὰς δὲ τῶν εἰσφορῶν ἐπιταγὰς κατὰ τὰ τιμήματα τῶν βίων. ὁπότε γὰρ αὐτῷ δεήσειε μυρίων ἢ δισμυρίων, εἰ τύχοι, στρατιωτῶν, καταδιαιρῶν τὸ πλῆθος εἰς τοὺς ἑκατὸν ἐνενηκοντατρεῖς λόχους τὸ ἐπιβάλλον ἑκάστῳ λόχῳ πλῆθος ἐκέλευε παρέχειν ἕκαστον λόχον: τὴν δὲ δαπάνην τὴν εἰς τὸν ἐπισιτισμὸν τῶν στρατευομένων καὶ εἰς τὰς ἄλλας χορηγίας τὰς πολεμικὰς ἐπιτελεσθησομένην συμμετρησάμενος, ὁπόση τις ἀρκοῦσα ἔσται, διαιρῶν τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον εἰς τοὺς ἑκατὸν ἐνενηκοντατρεῖς λόχους, τὸ ἐκ τῆς τιμήσεως ἐπιβάλλον ἑκάστῳ διάφορον ἅπαντας ἐκέλευεν εἰσφέρειν.

  [19.1] In pursuance of this arrangement he levied troops according to the division of the centuries, and imposed taxes in proportion to the valuation of their possessions. For instance, whenever he had occasion to raise ten thousand men, or, if it should so happen, twenty thousand, he would divide that number among the hundred and ninety-three centuries and then order each century to furnish the number of men that fell to its share. As to the expenditures that would be needed for the provisioning of soldiers while on duty and for the various warlike supplies, he would first calculate how much money would be sufficient, and having in like manner divided that sum among the hundred and ninety-three centuries, he would order every man to pay his share towards it in proportion to his rating.

  [2] συνέβαινεν οὖν τοῖς τὰς μεγίστας ἔχουσιν οὐσίας ἐλάττοσι μὲν οὖσιν, εἰς πλείονας δὲ λόχους μεμερισμένοις, στρατεύεσθαί τε πλείους στρατείας οὐδέποτε ἀναπαυομένους καὶ χρήματα πλείω τῶν ἄλλων εἰσφέρειν: τοῖς δὲ τὰ μέτρια καὶ μικρὰ κεκτημένοις πλείοσιν οὖσιν ἐν ἐλάττοσι λόχοις, στρατεύεσθαί τ᾽ ὀλιγάκις καὶ ἐκ διαδοχῆς καὶ βραχείας συντελε
ῖν εἰσφοράς: [p. 35] τοῖς δ᾽ ἐλάττω τῶν ἱκανῶν κεκτημένοις ἀφεῖσθαι πάντων ὀχληρῶν.

  [2] Thus it happened that those who had the largest possessions, being fewer in number but distributed into more centuries, were obliged to serve oftener and without any intermission, and to pay greater taxes than the rest; that those who had small and moderate possessions, being more numerous but distributed into fewer centuries, serve seldom and in rotation and paid small taxes, and that those whose possessions were not sufficient to maintain them were exempt from all burdens.

  [3] ἐποίει δὲ τούτων ἕκαστον οὐκ ἄτερ αἰτίας, ἀλλὰ πεπεισμένος, ὅτι πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἆθλα τῶν πολέμων ἐστὶ τὰ χρήματα καὶ περὶ τῆς τούτων φυλακῆς ἅπαντες κακοπαθοῦσιν: ὀρθῶς οὖν ἔχειν ᾤετο τοὺς μὲν περὶ μειζόνων κινδυνεύοντας ἄθλων μείζονας ὑπομένειν κακοπαθείας τοῖς τε σώμασι καὶ τοῖς χρήμασι, τοὺς δὲ περὶ ἐλαττόνων ἧττον ἐνοχλεῖσθαι κατ᾽ ἀμφότερα, τοὺς δὲ περὶ μηδενὸς δεδοικότας μηδὲν κακοπαθεῖν, τῶν μὲν εἰσφορῶν ἀπολυομένους διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν, τῶν δὲ στρατειῶν διὰ τὴν ἀνεισφορίαν. οὐ γὰρ ἐλάμβανον ἐκ τοῦ δημοσίου τότε Ῥωμαῖοι στρατιωτικοὺς μισθούς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἰδίοις τέλεσιν ἐστρατεύοντο.