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

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Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 519

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus


  [3] If, however, you endeavour to resist from a desire to preserve your virtue, I will kill you and then slay one of your slaves, and having laid both your bodies together, will state that I had caught you misbehaving with the slave and punished you to avenge the dishonour of my kinsman; so that your death will be attended with shame and reproach and your body will be deprived both of burial and every other customary rite.”

  [4] ὡς δὲ πολὺς ἦν ἀπειλῶν θ᾽ ἅμα καὶ ἀντιβολῶν καὶ διομνύμενος ἀληθεύειν τῶν λεγομένων ἑκάτερον, εἰς ἀνάγκην ἦλθεν ἡ Λουκρητία φοβηθεῖσα τὴν περὶ τὸν θάνατον ἀσχημοσύνην εἶξαί τε καὶ περιιδεῖν αὐτὸν ἃ προῃρεῖτο διαπραξάμενον.

  [4] And as he kept urgently repeating his threats and entreaties and swearing that he was speaking the truth as to each alternative, Lucretia, fearing the ignominy of the death he threatened, was forced to yield and to allow him to accomplish his desire.

  [1] ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀπῄει πονηρὰν καὶ ὀλέθριον ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκπεπληρωκώς, ἡ δὲ Λουκρητία δεινῶς φέρουσα τὸ συμβεβηκὸς ὡς εἶχε τάχους ἐπιβᾶσα τῆς ἀπήνης εἰς Ῥώμην ᾤχετο, μέλαιναν ἐσθῆτα περιβαλομένη καὶ ξιφίδιόν τι [p. 110] κρύπτουσα ὑπὸ τῇ στολῇ, οὔτε προσαγορεύουσα κατὰ τὰς συναντήσεις οὐδένα τῶν ἀσπαζομένων οὔτ᾽ ἀποκρινομένη τοῖς μαθεῖν βουλομένοις, ὅ τι πέπονθεν, ἀλλὰ σύννους καὶ κατηφὴς καὶ μεστοὺς ἔχουσα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς 21 δακρύων.

  [66.1] When it was day, Sextus, having gratified his wicked and baneful passion, returned to the camp. But Lucretia, overwhelmed with shame at what had happened, got into her carriage in all haste, dressed in black raiment under which she had a dagger concealed, and set out for Rome, without saying a word to any person who saluted her when they met or making answer to those who wished to know what had befallen her, but continued thoughtful and downcast, with her eyes full of tears.

  [2] ὡς δ᾽ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσῆλθε τοῦ πατρός: ἔτυχον δὲ συγγενεῖς ὄντες τινὲς παρ᾽ αὐτῷ: τῶν γονάτων αὐτοῦ λαβομένη καὶ περιπεσοῦσα τέως μὲν ἔκλαιε φωνὴν οὐδεμίαν προϊεμένη, ἔπειτ᾽ ἀνιστάντος αὐτὴν τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τί πέπονθεν ἀξιοῦντος λέγειν: ἱκέτις ἔφη γίνομαί σου πάτερ δεινὴν καὶ ἀνήκεστον ὑπομείνασα ὕβριν, τιμωρῆσαί μοι καὶ μὴ περιιδεῖν τὴν σεαυτοῦ

  [2] When she came to her father’s house, where some of his relations happened to be present, she threw herself at his feet and embracing his knees, wept for some time without uttering a word. And when he raised her up and asked her what had befallen her, she said: “I come to you as a suppliant, father, having endured terrible and intolerable outrage, and I beg you to avenge me and not to overlook your daughter’s having suffered worse things than death.”

  [3] θυγατέρα θανάτου χείρονα παθοῦσαν. θαυμάσαντος δ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων καὶ τίς ὕβρικεν αὐτὴν καὶ ποδαπὴν ὕβριν ἀξιοῦντος λέγειν: ἀκούσῃ τὰς ἐμάς, ἔφη, συμφοράς, ὦ πάτερ, οὐκ εἰς μακράν: χάρισαι δέ μοι ταύτην πρῶτον αἰτουμένῃ τὴν χάριν: κάλεσον ὅσους δύνασαι πλείστους φίλους τε καὶ συγγενεῖς, ἵνα παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ τῆς τὰ δεινὰ παθούσης ἀκούσωσι καὶ μὴ παρ᾽ ἑτέρων. ὅταν δὲ μάθῃς τὰς κατασχούσας αἰσχρὰς καὶ δεινὰς ἀνάγκας, βούλευσαι μετ᾽ αὐτῶν, ὅντινα τιμωρήσεις ἐμοί τε καὶ σεαυτῷ τρόπον καὶ μὴ πολὺν ποίει χρόνον τὸν διὰ μέσου.

  [3] When her father as well as all the others was struck with wonder at hearing this and he asked her to tell who had outraged her and in what manner, she said: “You will hear of my misfortunes very soon, father; but first grant me this favour I ask of you. Send for as many of your friends and kinsmen as you can, so that they may hear the report from me, the victim of terrible wrongs, rather than from others. And when you have learned to what shameful and dire straits I was reduced, consult with them in what manner you will avenge both me and yourself. But do not let the time between be long.”

  [1] ταχείᾳ δὲ καὶ κατεσπουδασμένῃ παρακλήσει τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων ἀνδρῶν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν συνελθόντων ὥσπερ ἠξίου, λέγει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἅπαν τὸ πρᾶγμα [p. 111] ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀναλαβοῦσα. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτ᾽ ἀσπασαμένη τὸν πατέρα καὶ πολλὰς λιτανείας ἐκείνου τε καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ παρόντων ποιησαμένη θεοῖς τε καὶ δαίμοσιν εὐξαμένη ταχεῖαν αὐτῇ δοῦναι τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦ βίου σπᾶται τὸ ξιφίδιον, ὃ κατέκρυπτεν ὑπὸ τοῖς πέπλοις, καὶ μίαν ἐνέγκασα διὰ τῶν στέρνων πληγὴν ἕως τῆς καρδίας ὠθεῖ τὸ ξίφος.

  [67.1] When, in response to his hasty and urgent summons, the most prominent men had come to his house as she desired, she began at the beginning and told them all that had happened. Then, after embracing her father and addressing many entreaties both to him and to all present and praying to the gods and other divinities to grant her a speedy departure from life, she drew the dagger she was keeping concealed under her robes, and plunging it into her breast, with a single stroke pierced her heart.

  [2] κραυγῆς δὲ καὶ θρήνου καὶ τυπετοῦ γυναικείου τὴν οἰκίαν ὅλην κατασχόντος ὁ μὲν πατὴρ περιχυθεὶς τῷ σώματι περιέβαλλε καὶ ἀνεκαλεῖτο καὶ ὡς ἀνοίσουσαν ἐκ τοῦ τραύματος ἐτημελεῖτο, ἡ δ᾽ ἐν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις αὐτοῦ σπαίρουσα καὶ ψυχορραγοῦσα ἀποθνήσκει. τοῖς δὲ παροῦσι Ῥωμαίων οὕτω δεινὸν ἔδοξεν εἶναι καὶ ἐλεεινὸν τὸ πάθος, ὥστε μίαν ἁπάντων γενέσθαι φωνήν, ὡς μυριάκις αὐτοῖς κρεῖττον εἴη τεθνάναι περὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἢ τοιαύτας ὕβρεις ὑπὸ τῶν τυράννων γενομένας περιορᾶν.

  [2] Upon this the women beat their breasts and filled the house with their shrieks and lamentations, but her father, enfolding her body in his arms, embraced it, and calling her by name again and again, ministered to her, as though she might recover from her wound, until in his arms, gasping and breathing out her life, she expired. This dreadful scene struck the Romans who were present with so much horror and compassion that they all cried out with one voice that they would rather die a thousand deaths in defence of their liberty than suffer such outrages to be committed by the tyrants.

  [3] ἦν δέ τις ἐν αὐτοῖς Πόπλιος Οὐαλέριος ἑνὸς τῶν ἅμα Τατίῳ παραγενομένων εἰς Ῥώμην Σαβίνων ἀπόγονος, δραστήριος ἀνὴρ καὶ φρόνιμος. οὗτος ἐπὶ στρατόπεδον ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν πέμπεται τῷ τ᾽ ἀνδρὶ τῆς Λουκρητίας τὰ συμβεβηκότα φράσων καὶ σὺν ἐκείνῳ πρά
ξων ἀπόστασιν τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ πλήθους ἀπὸ τῶν τυράννων.

  [3] There was among them a certain man, named Publius Valerius, a descendant of one of those Sabines who came to Rome with Tatius, and a man of action and prudence. This man was sent by them to the camp both to acquaint the husband of Lucretia with what had happened and with his aid to bring about a revolt of the army from the tyrants.

  [4] ἄρτι δ᾽ αὐτῷ τὰς πύλας ἐξεληλυθότι συναντᾷ κατὰ δαίμονα παραγινόμενος εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὁ Κολλατῖνος ἀπὸ στρατοπέδου, [p. 112] τῶν κατεσχηκότων τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ κακῶν οὐδὲν εἰδὼς καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Λεύκιος Ἰούνιος, ᾧ Βροῦτος ἐπωνύμιον ἦν: εἴη δ᾽ ἂν ἐξερμηνευόμενος ὁ Βροῦτος εἰς τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν διάλεκτον ἠλίθιος: ὑπὲρ οὗ μικρὰ προειπεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτον ἀποφαίνουσι Ῥωμαῖοι τῆς καταλύσεως τῶν τυράννων αἰτιώτατον γενέσθαι, τίς τ᾽ ἦν καὶ ἀπὸ τίνων καὶ διὰ τί τῆς ἐπωνυμίας ταύτης ἔτυχεν οὐδὲν αὐτῷ προσηκούσης.

  [4] He was no sooner outside the gates than he chanced to meet Collatinus, who was coming to the city from the camp and knew nothing of the misfortunes that had befallen his household. And with him came Lucius Junius, surnamed Brutus, which, translated into the Greek language, would be êlithios or “dullard.” Concerning this man, since the Romans say that he was the prime mover in the expulsion of the tyrants, I must say a few words before continuing my account, to explain who he was and of what descent and for what reason he got his surname, which did not at all describe him.

  [1] τῷ ἀνδρὶ τούτῳ πατὴρ μὲν ἦν Μάρκος Ἰούνιος ἑνὸς τῶν σὺν Αἰνείᾳ τὴν ἀποικίαν στειλάντων ἀπόγονος, ἐν τοῖς ἐπιφανεστάτοις Ῥωμαίων ἀριθμούμενος δἰ ἀρενήν, μήτηρ δὲ Ταρκυνία τοῦ προτέρου βασιλέως Ταρκυνίου θυγάτηρ: αὐτὸς δὲ τροφῆς τε καὶ παιδείας τῆς ἐπιχωρίου πάσης μετέλαβε καὶ φύσιν 22 εἶχε πρὸς οὐδὲν τῶν καλῶν ἀντιπράττουσαν.

  [68.1] The father of Brutus was Marcus Junius, a descendant of one of the colonists in the company of Aeneas, and a man who for his merits was ranked among the most illustrious of the Romans; his mother was Tarquinia, a daughter of the first King Tarquinius. He himself enjoyed the best upbringing and education that his country afforded and he had a nature not averse to any noble accomplishment.

  [2] ἐπεὶ δὲ Τύλλιον ἀποκτείνας Ταρκύνιος σὺν ἄλλοις ἀνδράσι πολλοῖς καὶ ἀγαθοῖς καὶ τὸν ἐκείνου πατέρα διεχρήσατο ἀφανεῖ θανάτῳ δι᾽ οὐδὲν μὲν ἀδίκημα, τοῦ δὲ πλούτου προαχθεὶς εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν, ὃν ἐκ παλαιᾶς τε καὶ προγονικῆς παραλαβὼν εὐτυχίας ἐκέκτητο, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τὸν πρεσβύτερον υἱὸν εὐγενές τι φρόνημα διαφαίνοντα καὶ τὸ μὴ τιμωρῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ τοῦ πατρὸς οὐκ ἂν ὑπομείναντα, νέος ὢν ὁ Βροῦτος ἔτι καὶ κομιδῇ βοηθείας συγγενικῆς ἔρημος ἔργον ἐπεχείρησε ποιῆσαι πάντων φρονιμώτατον, ἐπίθετον ἑαυτοῦ καταψεύσασθαι μωρίαν: καὶ διέμεινεν ἅπαντα τὸν ἐξ ἐκείνου [p. 113] χρόνον, ἕως οὗ τὸν ἐπιτήδειον ἔδοξε καιρὸν ἔχειν, φυλάττων τὸ προσποίημα τῆς ἀνοίας, ἐξ οὗ ταύτης ἔτυχε τῆς ἐπωνυμίας: τοῦτ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐρρύσατο μηδὲν δεινὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ τυράννου παθεῖν πολλῶν καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀπολλυμένων.

  [2] Tarquinius, after he had caused Tullius to be slain, put Junius’ father also to death secretly, together with many other worthy men, not for any crime, but because he was in possession of the inheritance of an ancient family enriched by the good fortune of his ancestors, the spoils of which Tarquinius coveted; and together with the father he slew the elder son, who showed indications of a noble spirit unlikely to permit the death of his father to go unavenged. Thereupon Brutus, being still a youth and entirely destitute of all assistance from his family, undertook to follow the most prudent of all courses, which was to feign a stupidity that was not his; and he continued from that time to maintain this pretence of folly from which he acquired his surname, till he thought the proper time had come to throw it off. This saved him from suffering any harm at the hands of the tyrant at a time when many good men were perishing.

  [1] καταφρονήσας γὰρ ὁ Ταρκύνιος τῆς δοκούσης εἶναι περὶ αὐτόν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ κατ᾽ ἀλήθειαν ὑπαρχούσης μωρίας, ἀφελόμενος ἅπαντα τὰ πατρῷα, μικρὰ δ᾽ εἰς τὸν καθ᾽ ἡμέραν βίον ἐπιχορηγῶν, ὡς παῖδα ὀρφανὸν ἐπιτρόπων ἔτι δεόμενον ἐφύλαττεν ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτῷ διαιτᾶσθαί τε μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων παίδων ἐπέτρεπεν, οὐ διὰ τιμήν, ὡς ἐσκήπτετο πρὸς τοὺς πέλας οἷα δὴ συγγενής, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα γέλωτα παρέχῃ τοῖς μειρακίοις λέγων τ᾽ ἀνόητα πολλὰ καὶ πράττων ὅμοια τοῖς κατ᾽ ἀλήθειαν ἠλιθίοις.

  [69.1] For Tarquinius, despising in him this stupidity, which was only apparent and not real, took all his inheritance from him, and allowing him a small maintenance for his daily support, kept him under his own authority, as an orphan who still stood in need of guardians, and permitted him to live with his own sons, not by way of honouring him as a kinsman, which was the pretence he made to his friends, but in order that Brutus, by saying many stupid things and by acting the part of a real fool, might amuse the lads.

  [2] καὶ δὴ καὶ ὅτε τῷ Δελφικῷ μαντείῳ χρησομένους ἀπέστελλε τοὺς δύο τῶν παίδων Ἄρροντα καὶ Τίτον ὑπὲρ τοῦ λοιμοῦ: κατέσκηψε γάρ τις ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκείνου βασιλείας οὐκ εἰωθυῖα νόσος εἰς παρθένους τε καὶ παῖδας, ὑφ᾽ ἧς πολλὰ διεφθάρη σώματα, χαλεπωτάτη δὲ καὶ δυσίατος εἰς τὰς κυούσας γυναῖκας αὐτοῖς βρέφεσιν ἀποκτείνουσα τὰς μητέρας ἐν ταῖς γοναῖς: τήν τ᾽ αἰτίαν τῆς νόσου γνῶναι παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν λύσιν βουλόμενος συνέπεμψε κἀκεῖνον ἅμα τοῖς μειρακίοις δεηθεῖσιν, ἵνα κατασκώπτειν τε καὶ περιυβρίζειν ἔχοιεν.

  [2] And when he sent two of his sons, Arruns and Titus, to consult the Delphic oracle concerning the plague (for some uncommon malady had in his reign descended upon both maids and boys, and many died of it, but it fell with the greatest severity and without hope of cure upon women with child, destroying the mothers in travail together with their infants), desiring to learn from the god both the cause of this distemper and the remedy for it, he sent Brutus along with the lads, at their request, so that they might have somebody to laugh at and abuse.

  [3] ὡς δὲ παρεγενήθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ μαντεῖον οἱ νεανίσκοι καὶ τοὺς χρησμοὺς ἔλαβον ὑπὲρ ὧν [p. 114] ἐπέμφθησαν, ἀναθήμασι δωρησάμενοι τὸν θεὸν κα
ὶ τοῦ Βρούτου πολλὰ καταγελάσαντες, ὅτι βακτηρίαν ξυλίνην ἀνέθηκε τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι: ὁ δὲ διατρήσας αὐτὴν ὅλην ὥσπερ αὐλὸν χρυσῆν ῥάβδον ἐνέθηκεν οὐδενὸς ἐπισταμένου: μετὰ τοῦτ᾽ ἠρώτων τὸν θεόν, τίνι πέπρωται τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν παραλαβεῖν, ὁ δὲ θεὸς αὐτοῖς ἀνεῖλε, τῷ πρώτῳ τὴν μητέρα φιλήσαντι.

  [3] When the youths had come to the oracle and had received answers concerning the matter upon which they were sent, they made their offerings to the god and laughed much at Brutus for offering a wooden staff to Apollo; in reality he had secretly hollowed the whole length of it like a tube and inserted a rod of gold. After this they inquired of the god which of them was destined to succeed to the sovereignty of Rome; and the god answered, “the one who should first kiss his mother.”

  [4] οἱ μὲν οὖν νεανίσκοι τοῦ χρησμοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀγνοήσαντες συνέθεντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἅμα φιλῆσαι τὴν μητέρα βουλόμενοι κοινῇ τὴν βασιλείαν κατασχεῖν, ὁ δὲ Βροῦτος συνεὶς ὃ βούλεται δηλοῦν ὁ θεός, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα τῆς Ἰταλίας ἐπέβη, προσκύψας κατεφίλησε τὴν γῆν, ταύτην οἰόμενος ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων εἶναι μητέρα. τὰ μὲν οὖν προγενόμενα τῷ ἀνδρὶ τούτῳ τοιαῦτ᾽ ἦν.

 

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