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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [1] Ταρκύνιος δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἀναπαύσας τὸν λεὼν τῶν στρατειῶν καὶ πολέμων περὶ τὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν ἱερῶν ἐγίνετο τὰς τοῦ πάππου προθυμούμενος εὐχὰς ἐπιτελέσαι. ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἐν τῷ τελευταίῳ πολέμῳ μαχόμενος πρὸς Σαβίνους εὔξατο τῷ Διὶ καὶ τῇ Ἥρᾳ καὶ τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ, ἐὰν κρατήσῃ τῇ μάχῃ, ναοὺς αὐτοῖς κατασκευάσειν: καὶ τὸν μὲν σκόπελον, ἔνθα ἱδρύσεσθαι τοὺς θεοὺς ἔμελλεν, ἀναλήμμασί τε καὶ χώμασι μεγάλοις ἐξειργάσατο, καθάπερ ἔφην ἐν τῷ πρὸ τούτου λόγῳ, τὴν δὲ τῶν ναῶν κατασκευὴν οὐκ ἔφθη τελέσαι. τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ἔργον ὁ Ταρκύνιος ἀπὸ τῆς δεκάτης τῶν ἐκ Συέσσης λαφύρων ἐπιτελέσαι προαιρούμενος ἅπαντας τοὺς τεχνίτας ἐπέστησε ταῖς ἐργασίαις.

  [59.1] After this achievement Tarquinius gave the people a respite from military expeditions and wars, and being desirous of performing the vows made by his grandfather, devoted himself to the building of the sanctuaries. For the elder Tarquinius, while he was engaged in an action during his last war with the Sabines, had made a vow to build temples to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva if he should gain the victory; and he had finished off the peak on which he proposed to erect the temples to these gods by means of retaining walls and high banks of earth, as I mentioned in the preceding Book; but he did not live long enough to complete the building of the temples. Tarquinius, therefore, proposing to erect this structure with the tenth part of the spoils taken at Suessa, set all the artisans at the work.

  [2] ἔνθα δὴ λέγεται τέρας τι θαυμαστὸν ὑπόγειον ὀρυττομένων τε τῶν θεμελίων καὶ τῆς ὀρυγῆς εἰς πολὺ βάθος ἤδη προϊούσης, εὑρῆσθαι κεφαλὴ νεοσφαγοῦς ἀνθρώπου τό τε πρόσωπον ἔχουσα [p. 100] τοῖς ἐμψύχοις ὅμοιον καὶ τὸ καταφερόμενον ἐκ τῆς ἀποτομῆς αἷμα θερμὸν ἔτι καὶ νεαρόν.

  [2] It was at this time, they say, that a wonderful prodigy appeared under ground; for when they were digging the foundations and the excavation had been carried down to a great depth, there was found the head of a man newly slain with the face like that of a living man and the blood which flowed from the severed head warm and fresh.

  [3] τοῦτο τὸ τέρας ἰδὼν ὁ Ταρκύνιος τοῦ μὲν ὀρύγματος ἐπισχεῖν ἐκέλευσε τοὺς ἐργαζομένους: συγκαλέσας δὲ τοὺς ἐπιχωρίους μάντεις ἐπυνθάνετο παρ᾽ αὐτῶν, τί βούλεται σημαίνειν τὸ τέρας. οὐδὲν δ᾽ αὐτῶν ἀποφαινομένων, ἀλλὰ Τυρρηνοῖς ἀποδιδόντων τὴν περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπιστήμην ἐξετάσας παρ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ μαθὼν τὸν ἐπιφανέστατον τῶν ἐν Τυρρηνοῖς τερατοσκόπων, ὅστις ἦν, πέμπει τῶν ἀστῶν τοὺς δοκιμωτάτους πρέσβεις πρὸς αὐτόν.

  [3] Tarquinius, seeing this prodigy, ordered the workmen to leave off digging, and assembling the native soothsayers, inquired of them what the prodigy meant. And when they could give no explanation but conceded to the Tyrrhenians the mastery of this science, he inquired of them who was the ablest soothsayer among the Tyrrhenians, and when he had found out, sent the most distinguished of the citizens to him as ambassadors.

  [1] τούτοις τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἀφικομένοις εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ τερατοσκόπου περιτυγχάνει τι μειράκιον ἐξιόν, ᾧ φράσαντες, ὅτι Ῥωμαίων εἰσὶ πρέσβεις τῷ μάντει βουλόμενοι συντυχεῖν, παρεκάλουν ἀπαγγεῖλαι πρὸς αὐτόν. καὶ ὁ νεανίας, Πατὴρ ἐμός ἐστιν, ἔφησεν, ᾧ χρῄζετε συντυχεῖν: ἀσχολεῖται δὲ κατὰ τὸ παρόν: ἔσται δ᾽ ὑμῖν ὀλίγου χρόνου παρελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν.

  [60.1] When these men came to the house of the soothsayer they met by chance a youth who was just coming out, and informing him that they were ambassadors sent from Rome who wanted to speak with the soothsayer, they asked him to announce them to him. The youth replied: “The man you wish to speak with is my father. He is busy at present, but in a short time you may be admitted to him.

  [2] ἐν ᾧ δ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ἐκδέχεσθε, πρὸς ἐμὲ δηλώσατε, περὶ τίνος ἥκετε. περιέσται γὰρ ὑμῖν, εἴ τι μέλλετε διὰ τὴν ἀπειρίαν σφάλλεσθαι κατὰ τὴν ἐρώτησιν, ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ διδαχθεῖσι μηδὲν ἐξαμαρτεῖν: μοῖρα δ᾽ οὐκ ἐλαχίστη τῶν ἐν μαντικῇ θεωρημάτων ἐρώτησις ὀρθή. ἐδόκει τοῖς ἀνδράσιν οὕτω ποιεῖν, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ τὸ τέρας. ὁ δ᾽ ὡς ἤκουσε μικρὸν ἐπισχὼν χρόνον, ἀκούσατ᾽, ἔφησεν, ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι: τὸ μὲν τέρας ὑμῖν ὁ πατὴρ [p. 101] διελεῖται καὶ οὐδὲν ψεύσεται: μάντει γὰρ οὐ θέμις: ἃ δὲ λέγοντες ὑμεῖς καὶ ἀποκρινόμενοι πρὸς τὰς ἐρωτήσεις ἀναμάρτητοί τε καὶ ἀψευδεῖς ἔσεσθε: διαφέρει γὰρ ὑμῖν προεγνωκέναι ταῦτα: παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ μάθετε.

  [2] And while you are waiting for him, acquaint me with the reason of your coming. For if, through inexperience, you are in danger of committing an error in phrasing your question, when you have been informed by me you will be able to avoid any mistake; for the correct for of question is not the least important part of the art of divination.” The ambassadors resolved to follow his advice and related the prodigy to him. And when the youth had heard it, after a short pause he said: “Hear me, Romans. My father will interpret this prodigy to you and will tell you no untruth, since it is not right for a soothsayer to speak falsely; but, in order that you may be guilty of no error or falsehood in what you say or in the answers you give to his questions (for it is of importance to you to know these things beforehand), be instructed by me.

  [3] ὅταν ἀφηγήσησθε αὐτῷ τὸ τέρας, οὐκ ἀκριβῶς μανθάνειν φήσας ὅ τι λέγετε περιγράψει τῷ σκήπωνι τῆς γῆς μέρος ὅσον δή τι: ἔπειθ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐρεῖ, Τουτὶ μέν ἐστιν ὁ Ταρπήιος λόφος, μέρος δ᾽ αὐτοῦ τουτὶ μὲν τὸ πρὸς τὰς ἀνατολὰς βλέπον, τουτὶ δὲ τὸ πρὸς τὰς δύσεις,

  [3] After you have related the prodigy to him he will tell you that he does not fully understand what you say and will circumscribe with his staff some piece of ground or other; then he will say to you: ‘This is the Tarpeian Hill, and this is part of it that faces the east, this the part that faces the west, this point is north and the opposite is south.’

  [4] βόρειον δ᾽ αὐτοῦ τόδε καὶ τοὐναντίον νότιον. ταῦτα τῷ σκήπωνι δεικνὺς πεύσεται παρ᾽ ὑμῶν, ἐπὶ ποίῳ τῶν μερῶν τούτων εὑρέθη ἡ κεφαλή. τί οὖν ὑμῖν ἀποκρίνασθαι παραινῶ; μὴ συγχωρεῖν ἐν μηδενὶ τῶν τόπων τούτων, οὓς ἂν ἐκεῖνος τῷ σκήπωνι δεικνὺς πυνθάνηται, τὸ τέρας εὑρεθῆναι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν Ῥώμῃ φάναι παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐν Τ�
�ρπηίῳ λόφῳ. ταύτας ἐὰν φυλάττητε τὰς ἀποκρίσεις καὶ μηδὲν παράγησθε ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, συγγνούς, ὅτι τὸ χρεὼν οὐκ ἔνεστι μετατεθῆναι, διελεῖται τὸ τέρας ὑμῖν ὅ τι βούλεται σημαίνειν καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύψεται.

  [4] These parts he will point out to you with his staff and then ask you in which of these parts the head was found. What answer, therefore, do I advise you to make? Do not admit that the prodigy was found in any of these places he shall inquire about when he points them out with his staff, but say that it appeared among you at Rome on the Tarpeian Hill. If you stick to these answers and do not allow yourselves to be misled by him, he, well knowing that fate cannot be changed, will interpret to you without concealment what the prodigy means.”

  [1] ταῦτα μαθόντες οἱ πρέσβεις, ἐπειδὴ σχολὴν ὁ πρεσβύτης ἔσχε καὶ προῆλθέ τις αὐτοὺς μετιών, εἰσελθόντες φράζουσι τῷ μάντει τὸ τέρας. σοφιζομένου δ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ διαγράφοντος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς περιφερεῖς [p. 102] τε γραμμὰς καὶ ἑτέρας αὖθις εὐθείας καὶ καθ᾽ ἓν ἕκαστον χωρίον ποιουμένου τὰς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὑρέσεως ἐρωτήσεις οὐδὲν ἐπιταραττόμενοι τὴν γνώμην οἱ πρέσβεις τὴν αὐτὴν ἐφύλαττον ἀπόκρισιν, ὥσπερ αὐτοῖς ὁ τοῦ μάντεως ὑπέθετο υἱός, τὴν Ῥώμην καὶ τὸν Ταρπήιον ὀνομάζοντες ἀεὶ λόφον καὶ τὸν ἐξηγητὴν ἀξιοῦντες μὴ σφετερίζεσθαι τὸ σημεῖον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τοῦ

  [61.1] Having received these instructions, the ambassadors, as soon as the old man was at leisure and a servant came out to fetch them, went in and related the prodigy to the soothsayer. He, craftily endeavouring to mislead them, drew circular lines upon the ground and then other straight lines, and asked them with reference to each place in turn whether the head had been found there; but the ambassadors, not at all disturbed in mind, stuck to the one answer suggested to them by the soothsayer’s son, always naming Rome and the Tarpeian Hill, and asked the interpreter not to appropriate the omen to himself, but to answer in the most sincere and just manner.

  [2] κρατίστου καὶ τοῦ δικαιοτάτου λέγειν. οὐ δυνηθεὶς δὲ παρακρούσασθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ὁ μάντις οὐδὲ σφετερίσασθαι τὸν οἰωνὸν λέγει πρὸς αὐτούς, Ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι, λέγετε πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν πολίτας, ὅτι κεφαλὴν εἵμαρται γενέσθαι συμπάσης Ἰταλίας τὸν τόπον τοῦτον, ἐν ᾧ τὴν κεφαλὴν εὕρετε. ἐξ ἐκείνου καλεῖται τοῦ χρόνου Καπιτωλῖνος ὁ λόφος ἐπὶ τῆς εὑρεθείσης ἐν αὐτῷ κεφαλῆς: κάπιτα γὰρ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσι τὰς κεφαλάς.

  [2] The soothsayer, accordingly, finding it impossible for him either to impose upon the men or to appropriate the omen, said to them: “Romans, tell your fellow citizens it is ordained by fate that the place in which you found the head shall be the head of all Italy.” Since that time the place is called the Capitoline Hill from the head that was found there; for the Romans call heads capita.

  [3] ταῦτα παρὰ τῶν πρεσβευσάντων ἀκούσας ὁ Ταρκύνιος ἐπέστησε τοῖς ἔργοις τοὺς τεχνίτας: καὶ τὰ μὲν πολλὰ ἐξειργάσατο τοῦ ναοῦ, τελειῶσαι δ᾽ οὐκ ἔφθασεν ἅπαν τὸ ἔργον ἐκπεσὼν τάχιον ἐκ τῆς δυναστείας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τῆς τρίτης ὑπατείας ἡ Ῥωμαίων πόλις αὐτὸν εἰς συντέλειαν ἐξειργάσατο. ἐποιήθη δ᾽ ἐπὶ κρηπῖδος ὑψηλῆς βεβηκὼς ὀκτάπλεθρος τὴν περίοδον, διακοσίων ποδῶν ἔγγιστα τὴν πλευρὰν ἔχων ἑκάστην: ὀλίγον δέ τι τὸ διαλλάττον εὕροι τις ἂν τῆς ὑπεροχῆς τοῦ μήκους παρὰ τὸ πλάτος οὐδ᾽ ὅλων πεντεκαίδεκα ποδῶν.

  [3] Tarquinius, having heard these things from the ambassadors, set the artisans to work and built the greater part of the temple, though he was not able to complete the whole work, being driven from power too soon; but the Roman people brought it to completion in the third consulship. It stood upon a high base and was eight hundred feet in circuit, each side measuring close to two hundred feet; indeed, one would find the excess of the length over the width to be but slight, in fact not a full fifteen feet.

  [4] ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς αὐτοῖς θεμελίοις ὁ μετὰ τὴν [p. 103] ἔμπρησιν οἰκοδομηθεὶς κατὰ τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν εὑρέθη τῇ πολυτελείᾳ τῆς ὕλης μόνον διαλλάττων τοῦ ἀρχαίου, ἐκ μὲν τοῦ κατὰ πρόσωπον μέρους τοῦ πρὸς μεσημβρίαν βλέποντος τριπλῷ περιλαμβανόμενος στοίχῳ κιόνων, ἐκ δὲ τῶν πλαγίων ἁπλῷ: ἐν δ᾽ αὐτῷ τρεῖς ἔνεισι σηκοὶ παράλληλοι κοινὰς ἔχοντες πλευράς, μέσος μὲν ὁ τοῦ Διός, παρ᾽ ἑκάτερον δὲ τὸ μέρος ὅ τε τῆς Ἥρας καὶ ὁ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ὑφ᾽ ἑνὸς ἀετοῦ καὶ μιᾶς στέγης καλυπτόμενοι.

  [4] For the temple that was built in the time of our fathers after the burning of this one was erected upon the same foundations, and differed from the ancient structure in nothing but the costliness of the materials, having three rows of columns on the front, facing the south, and a single row on each side. The temple consists of three parallel shrines, separated by party walls; the middle shrine is dedicated to Jupiter, while on one side stands that of Juno and on the other that of Minerva, all three being under one pediment and one roof.

  [1] λέγεται δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον ἐπὶ τῆς Ταρκυνίου δυναστείας πάνυ θαυμαστὸν εὐτύχημα τῇ Ῥωμαίων ὑπάρξαι πόλει εἴτε θεῶν τινος εἴτε δαιμόνων εὐνοίᾳ δωρηθέν: ὅπερ οὐ πρὸς ὀλίγον καιρόν, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς ἅπαντα τὸν βίον πολλάκις αὐτὴν ἔσωσεν ἐκ μεγάλων κακῶν.

  [62.1] It is said that during the reign of Tarquinius another very wonderful piece of good luck also came to the Roman state, conferred upon it by the favour of some god or other divinity; and this good fortune was not of short duration, but throughout the whole existence of the country it has often saved it from great calamities.

  [2] γυνή τις ἀφίκετο πρὸς τὸν τύραννον οὐκ ἐπιχωρία βύβλους ἐννέα μεστὰς Σιβυλλείων χρησμῶν ἀπεμπολῆσαι θέλουσα. οὐκ ἀξιοῦντος δὲ τοῦ Ταρκυνίου τῆς αἰτηθείσης τιμῆς πρίασθαι τὰς βύβλους ἀπελθοῦσα τρεῖς ἐξ αὐτῶν κατέκαυσε: καὶ μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺν χρόνον τὰς λοιπὰς ἓξ ἐνέγκασα τῆς αὐτῆς ἐπώλει τιμῆς. δόξασα δ᾽ ἄφρων τις εἶναι καὶ γελασθεῖσα ἐπὶ τῷ τὴν αὐτὴν τιμὴν αἰτεῖν περὶ τῶν ἐλαττόνων, ἣν οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν πλειόνων ἐδυνήθη λαβεῖν, ἀπελθοῦσα πάλιν τὰς ἡμισείας τῶν ἀπολειπομένων κατέκαυσε καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς [p. 104]

  [2] A certain woman who was not a native of the country came to the tyrant wishing to sell him nine books filled with Si
bylline oracles; but when Tarquinius refused to purchase the books at the price she asked, she went away and burned three of them. And not long afterwards, bringing the remaining six books, she offered to sell them for the same price. But when they thought her a fool and mocked at her for asking the same price for the smaller number of books that she had been unable to get for even the larger number, she again went away and burned half of those that were left; then, bringing the remaining books, she asked the same amount of money for these.

  [3] τρεῖς ἐνέγκασα τὸ ἴσον ᾔτει χρυσίον. θαυμάσας δὴ τὸ βούλημα τῆς γυναικὸς ὁ Ταρκύνιος τοὺς οἰωνοσκόπους μετεπέμψατο καὶ διηγησάμενος αὐτοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα, τί χρὴ πράττειν, ἤρετο. κἀκεῖνοι διὰ σημείων τινῶν μαθόντες, ὅτι θεόπεμπτον ἀγαθὸν ἀπεστράφη, καὶ μεγάλην συμφορὰν ἀποφαίνοντες τὸ μὴ πάσας αὐτὸν τὰς βύβλους πρίασθαι, ἐκέλευσαν ἀπαριθμῆσαι τῇ γυναικὶ τὸ χρυσίον, ὅσον ᾔτει καὶ τοὺς περιόντας τῶν χρησμῶν λαβεῖν.

  [3] Tarquinius, wondering at the woman’s purpose, sent for the augurs and acquainting them with the matter, asked them what he should do. These, knowing by certain signs that he had rejected a god-sent blessing, and declaring it to be a great misfortune that he had not purchased all the books, directed him to pay the woman all the money she asked and to get the oracles that were left.

  [4] ἡ μὲν οὖν γυνὴ τὰς βύβλους δοῦσα καὶ φράσασα τηρεῖν ἐπιμελῶς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφανίσθη, Ταρκύνιος δὲ τῶν ἀστῶν ἄνδρας ἐπιφανεῖς δύο προχειρισάμενος καὶ δημοσίους αὐτοῖς θεράποντας δύο παραζεύξας ἐκείνοις ἀπέδωκε τὴν τῶν βιβλίων φυλακήν, ὧν τὸν ἕτερον Μάρκον Ἀτίλιον ἀδικεῖν τι δόξαντα περὶ τὴν πύστιν καταμηνυθέντα ὑφ᾽ ἑνὸς τῶν δημοσίων, ὡς πατροκτόνον εἰς ἀσκὸν ἐνράψας βόειον ἔρριψεν εἰς τὸ πέλαγος.