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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [5] After learning this, Valerius sent his legate Larcius to the other camp to acquaint Lucretius, who had the command of it, with weight intention of the enemy and to advise him in what way they ought to attack the enemy. He himself summoned the tribunes and the centurions, and informing them of what he had learned both from the deserter and from the prisoners, exhorted them to acquit themselves as brave men, confident that they had got the best opportunity they could wish for to take a glorious revenge upon their enemies; and after advising them what each of them should do and giving the watchword, he dismissed them to their commands.

  [1] οὔπω μέσαι νύκτες ἦσαν, καὶ ὁ τῶν Σαβίνων ἡγεμὼν ἀναστήσας τοῦ στρατοῦ τὸ κράτιστον μέρος ἦγεν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα σιωπᾶν ἅπασι παραγγείλας καὶ μὴ ποιεῖν ψόφον τῶν ὅπλων, ἵνα μὴ γνοῖεν ἥκοντας αὐτοὺς οἱ πολέμιοι, πρὶν ἐπὶ τῷ ἐρύματι γένωνται. ὡς δὲ πλησίον ἐγένοντο τοῦ χάρακος οἱ πρῶτοι πορευόμενοι καὶ οὔτε φέγγη λαμπτήρων ἑώρων οὔτε φωνὰς φυλάκων κατήκουον, πολλὴν μωρίαν τῶν Ῥωμαίων καταγνόντες ὡς ἀφεικότων ἐρήμους τὰς φυλακὰς καὶ ἐντὸς τοῦ χάρακος καθευδόντων, ἐνεπίμπλασαν ὕλης [p. 200] τὰς τάφρους κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη καὶ διέβαινον οὐδενὸς σφίσιν ἐμποδὼν γινομένου.

  [42.1] It was not yet midnight when the Sabine general roused up the flower of his army and led them to the enemy’s camp, after ordering them all to keep silence and to make no noise with their arms, that the enemy might not be apprised of their approach till they arrived at the entrenchments. When those in front drew near the camp and neither saw the lights of watch-fires nor heard the voices of sentinels, they thought the Romans guilty of great folly in leaving their sentry-posts unguarded and sleeping inside their camp; and they proceeded to fill up the ditches in many places with brushwood and to cross over without opposition.

  [2] παρεκάθηντο δὲ μεταξὺ τῶν τάφρων καὶ τῶν περισταυρωμάτων οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι κατὰ σπείρας ἀφανεῖς διὰ τὸ σκότος, καὶ τοὺς διαβαίνοντας αὐτῶν, ὅτε γένοιντο ἐν χερσίν, ἐφόνευον. μέχρι μὲν οὖν τινος ἐλάνθανε τοὺς ὑστέρους προσιόντας ὁ τῶν προηγουμένων ὄλεθρος: ἐπεὶ δὲ φῶς ἐγένετο σελήνης ἀνισχούσης οἱ πλησιάζοντες τῇ τάφρῳ σωρούς θ᾽ ὁρῶντες οἰκείων νεκρῶν παρ᾽ αὐτῇ καὶ στίφη πολεμίων καρτερὰ ὁμόσε χωροῦντα, ῥίψαντες τὰ

  [2] But the Romans were lying in wait by companies between the ditches and the palisades, being unperceived by reason of the darkness; and they kept killing those of the enemy who crossed over, as soon as they came within reach. For some time the destruction of those who led the way was not perceived by their companions in the rear; but when it became light, upon the rising of the moon, and those who approached the ditch saw not only heaps of their own men lying dead near it but also strong bodies of the enemy advancing to attack them, they threw down their arms and fled.

  [3] ὅπλα τρέπονται πρὸς φυγήν. οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι μέγα ἀναβοήσαντες: ἦν δὲ τοῦτο σύνθημα τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς ἑτέρας παρεμβολῆς: ἐκτρέχουσιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἅπαντες ἀθρόοι. καὶ ὁ Λουκρήτιος ὡς ἤκουσε τῆς κραυγῆς τοὺς ἱππεῖς προαποστείλας διερευνησομένους, μή τις ἐγκάθηται πολεμίων λόχος, ὀλίγον ὕστερον ἠκολούθει τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους τῶν πεζῶν ἐπαγόμενος.

  [3] Thereupon the Romans, giving a great shout, which was the signal to those in the other camp, rushed out upon them in a body. Lucretius, hearing the shout, sent the horse ahead to reconnoitre, lest there might be an ambuscade of the enemy, and he himself followed presently with the flower of the foot.

  [4] καὶ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον οἵ θ᾽ ἱππεῖς τοῖς ἐκ τῆς Φιδήνης λοχῶσι περιτυχόντες τρέπουσιν εἰς φυγὴν καὶ οἱ πεζοὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν παρεμβολὴν σφῶν ἀφικομένους κτείνοντες ἐδίωκον οὔτε ὅπλα οὔτε κόσμον σώζοντας. ἐν ταύταις ταῖς μάχαις Σαβίνων τε καὶ τῶν συμμάχων ἀπέθανον μὲν ἀμφὶ τοὺς μυρίους καὶ τρισχιλίους καὶ πεντακοσίους, αἰχμάλωτοι δ᾽ ἐλήφθησαν τετρακισχίλιοι καὶ διακόσιοι: καὶ ὁ μὲν χάραξ αὐθημερὸν ἑάλω. [p. 201]

  [4] And at one and the same time the horse, meeting with those from Fidenae who were lying in ambush, put them to flight, and the foot pursued and slew those who had come to their camp but were now keeping neither their arms nor their ranks. In these actions about 13,500 of the Sabines and their allies were slain and 4200 were made prisoners; and their camp was taken the same day.

  [1] ἡ δὲ Φιδήνη πολιορκηθεῖσα οὐ πολλαῖς ἡμέραις, καθ᾽ ὃ μάλιστα δυσάλωτος εἶναι μέρος ἐδόκει καὶ ὑπ᾽ ὀλίγων ἐφυλάσσετο, κατὰ τοῦτ᾽ ἐλήφθη. οὐ μὴν ἀνδραποδισμοῦ γ᾽ ἢ κατασκαφῆς ἐπειράθη φόνος τ᾽ ἀνθρώπων οὐ πολὺς ἐγένετο μετὰ τὴν ἅλωσιν: ἀποχρῶσα γὰρ ἐφάνη ζημία τοῖς ὑπάτοις πόλεως ὁμοεθνοῦς ἁμαρτούσης ἁρπαγὴ χρημάτων τε καὶ ἀνδραπόδων καὶ ὁ τῶν κατὰ τὴν μάχην ἀπολομένων ὄλεθρος: τοῦ δὲ μὴ προχείρως ἔτι τοὺς ἑαλωκότας ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα χωρῆσαι φυλακὴ γενήσεσθαι μετρία καὶ συνήθης Ῥωμαίοις,

  [43.1] Fidenae after a few days’ siege was taken in that very part which was thought to be the most difficult of capture and was for that reason guarded by only a few men. Nevertheless, the inhabitants were not made slaves nor was the city demolished; nor were many people put to death after the city was taken. For the consuls thought that the seizing of their goods and their slaves and the loss of their men who had perished in the battle was a sufficient punishment for an erring city belonging to the same race, and that to prevent the captured from lightly resorting to arms again, a moderate precaution and one customary with the Romans would be to punish the authors of the revolt.

  [2] ἡ τῶν αἰτίων τῆς ἀποστάσεως κόλασις. συγκαλέσαντες δὴ Φιδηναίων τοὺς ἁλόντας εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν καὶ πολλὰ τῆς ἀνοίας αὐτῶν κατηγορήσαντες ἀξίους τ᾽ εἶναι φήσαντες ἅπαντας ἡβηδὸν ἀπολωλέναι μήτε ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις χάριν εἰδότας μήτε τοῖς κακοῖς σωφρονιζομένους, ῥάβδοις αἰκισάμενοι τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους ἁπάντων ὁρώντων ἀπέκτειναν: τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς εἴασαν οἰκεῖν ὡς πρότερον ᾤκουν φρουροὺς συγκατοικίσαντες αὐτοῖς, ὅσους ἔκρινεν ἡ βουλή, καὶ τῆς χώρας ἀφελόμενοί τινα μοῖραν τοῖς φρουροῖς ἔδωκαν. ταῦτα διαπραξάμενοι τὴν δύναμιν ἀπῆγον ἐκ τῆς τῶν πολεμίων καὶ τὸν ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς ψηφισθέντα θρίαμβον κατήγαγον. ταῦ�
�α μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς τούτων ὑπατείας ἐπράχθη.

  [2] Having, therefore, assembled all the captured Fidenates in the forum and inveighed strongly against their folly, declaring that all of them, from youths to old men, deserved to be put to death, since they neither showed gratitude for the favours they received nor were chastened by their misfortunes, they ordered the most prominent of them to be scourged with rods and put to death in the sight of all; but the rest they permitted to live in the city as before, though they left a garrison, as large as the senate decided upon, to live in their midst; and taking away part of their land, they gave it to this garrison. After they had settled these matters, they returned home with the army from the enemy’s country and celebrated the triumph which the senate had voted to them. These were the achievements of their consulship.

  [1] Ποπλίου δὲ Ποστομίου τοῦ καλουμένου Τουβέρτου τὸ δεύτερον ἄρχειν αἱρεθέντος καὶ [p. 202] Ἀγρίππα Μενηνίου τοῦ λεγομένου Λανάτου τρίτη γίνεται Σαβίνων εἰσβολὴ μείζονι στρατιᾷ, πρὶν αἰσθέσθαι Ῥωμαίους αὐτῶν τὴν ἔξοδον, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ τείχους τῆς Ῥώμης ἔλασις: ἐν ᾗ πολὺς ἐγένετο Ῥωμαίων φόνος οὐ μόνον τῶν γεωργῶν, οἷς οὐδὲν προσδεχομένοις αἰφνιδίως ἐπέστη τὸ δεινόν, πρὶν εἰς τὰ φρούρια τὰ πλησίον ἑκάστους καταφυγεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ

  [44.1] When Publius Postumius, who was called Tubertus, had been chosen consul for the second time, and with him Agrippa Menenius, called Lanatus, the Sabines made a third incursion into the Roman territory with a larger army, before the Romans were aware of their setting out, and advanced up to the walls of Rome. In this incursion there was great loss of life on the side of the Romans, not only among the husbandmen, on whom the calamity fell suddenly and unexpectedly, before they could take refuge in the nearest fortresses, but also among those who were living in the city at the time.

  [2] τῶν κατὰ πόλιν τηνικαῦτα διατριβόντων. ὁ γὰρ ἕτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Ποστόμιος οὐκ ἀνεκτὴν εἶναι τὴν ὕβριν τῶν πολεμίων ἡγησάμενος ἐξεβοήθει κατὰ σπουδὴν τοὺς ἐπιτυγχάνοντας ἄγων προχειρότερον μᾶλλον ἢ φρονιμώτερον. οὓς ἰδόντες οἱ Σαβῖνοι σὺν πολλῇ καταφρονήσει χωροῦντας ἐπὶ σφᾶς ἀσυντάκτους τε καὶ διεσπασμένους ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων, ἔτι μᾶλλον αὐξῆσαι τὸ καταφρονοῦν αὐτῶν βουλόμενοι θᾶττον ἢ βάδην ἀνεχώρουν ὡς δὴ φεύγοντες ὀπίσω, τέως εἰς δρυμοὺς ἀφίκοντο βαθεῖς, ἔνθα ὁ λοιπὸς αὐτῶν στρατὸς ὑπεκάθητο: ἔπειθ᾽ ὑποστρέψαντες ἐχώρουν τοῖς διώκουσιν ὁμόσε, καὶ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ δρυμοῦ μέγα ἀλαλάξαντες ἵενται 16 ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς.

  [2] For Postumius, one of the consuls, looking upon this insolence of the enemy as intolerable, hastily took the first men he came upon and marched out to the rescue with greater eagerness than prudence. The Sabines, seeing the Romans advance against them very contemptuously, without order and separated from one another, and wishing to increase their contempt, fell back at a fast walk, as if fleeing, till they came into thick woods where the rest of their army lay in wait. Then, facing about, they engaged with their pursuers, and at the same time the others came out of the wood with a great shout and fell upon them.

  [3] ἀσυντάκτοις δ᾽ ἀνθρώποις καὶ τεταραγμένοις καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ δρόμου συγκεκομμένοις τὰ πνεύματα πολλοὶ καὶ σὺν κόσμῳ ἐπελθόντες, καταβάλλουσί τε τοὺς ὁμόσε χωροῦντας καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς εἰς φυγὴν ὁρμήσαντας ὑποτεμόμενοι τὰς εἰς τὴν πόλιν φερούσας ὁδοὺς εἰς ὀρεινήν τινα κατακλείουσι ῥάχιν ἔρημον. θέμενοι δὲ πλησίον αὐτῶν τὰ ὅπλα: νὺξ γὰρ ἤδη [p. 203] κατελάμβανε: φυλακὰς ἐποιοῦντο δι᾽ ὅλης νυκτός, ἵνα μὴ λάθοιεν σφᾶς ἀποδράντες.

  [3] The Sabines, who were very numerous and were advancing in good order against men who were not keeping their ranks but were disordered and out of breath with running, killed such of them as came to close quarters, and when the rest turned to flight, they barred the roads leading to the city and hemmed them in on the unfortified ridge of a hill. Then, encamping near them (for night was now coming on), they kept guard throughout the whole night to prevent them from stealing away undiscovered.

  [4] ὡς δ᾽ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην τὸ πάθος ἀπηγγέλθη ταραχή τ᾽ ἦν πολλὴ καὶ δρόμος ἐπὶ τὰ τείχη καὶ δέος ἁπάντων, μὴ διὰ νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἔλθοιεν οἱ πολέμιοι τῷ κατορθώματι ἐπαρθέντες, τῶν τ᾽ ἀπολωλότων οἶκτος καὶ τῶν περιλειπομένων ἔλεος, ὡς ἀναρπασθησομένων αὐτίκα μάλα δι᾽ ἀπορίαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων, εἰ μή τις αὐτοῖς ἐπικουρία ἔλθοι ταχεῖα.

  [4] When the news of this misfortune was brought to Rome, there was a great tumult and a rush to the walls, and fear on the part of all lest the enemy, elated by their success, should enter the city in the night. There were lamentations for the slain and compassion for the survivors, who, it was believed, would be promptly captured for want of provisions unless some assistance should reach them quickly.

  [5] ἐκείνην μὲν οὖν τὴν νύκτα πονηρὰς ἔχοντας τὰς ψυχὰς ἄγρυπνοι διῆγον: τῇ δ᾽ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ πάντας τοὺς ἐν ἀκμῇ καθοπλίσας ὁ ἕτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Μενήνιος ἦγεν ἐπικούρους τοῖς ἐν τῷ ὄρει κόσμον καὶ τάξιν φυλάττοντας. ἰδόντες δ᾽ αὐτοὺς οἱ Σαβῖνοι προσιόντας οὐκέτι παρέμειναν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναστήσαντες τὸν αὑτῶν στρατὸν ἦγον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ἀποχρῆν οἰόμενοι σφίσι τὴν παροῦσαν εὐτυχίαν: καὶ οὐ πολὺν ἔτι διατρίψαντες χρόνον ἀπῄεσαν ἐπὶ τὰ σφέτερα σὺν αὐχήματι μεγάλῳ βοσκημάτων τε καὶ ἀνδραπόδων καὶ χρημάτων ἀφθόνους ἄγοντες ὠφελείας.

  [5] That night, accordingly, they passed in a sorry state of mind and without sleep; but the next day the other consul, Menenius, having armed all the men of military age, marched out with them in good order and discipline to the assistance of those upon the hill. When the Sabines saw them approaching, they remained no longer, but roused up their army and withdrew from the hill, feeling that their present good fortune was enough; and without tarrying much longer, they returned home in great elation, taking with them a rich booty in cattle, slaves, and money.

  [1] Ῥωμαῖοι δ᾽ ἀγανακτοῦντες ἐπὶ τῇ συμφορᾷ καὶ τὸν ἕτερον τῶν ὑπάτων Ποστόμιον ἐν αἰτίαις ἔχοντες ἔγνωσαν ἁπάσαις δυνάμεσι στρατεύειν κατὰ τάχος ἐπὶ τὴν Σαβίνων γῆν, τήν τε ἧτταν αἰσχρὰν καὶ ἀνέλπιστον γενομένην ἐπανορθῶσαι προθυμούμενοι, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ νεωστὶ ἀφικομένῃ παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων πρεσβείᾳ πολλὴν ὕβρις ἐχούσῃ καὶ αὐθάδειαν ἀχ
θόμενοι. [p. 204]

  [45.1] The Romans, resenting this defeat, for which they blamed Postumius, one of the consuls, resolved to make an expedition against the territory of the Sabines speedily with all their forces; they were not only eager to retrieve the shameful and unexpected defeat they had received, but were also angered at the very insolent and haughty embassy that had recently come to them from the enemy.

  [2] ὡς γὰρ δὴ κρατοῦντες ἤδη καὶ δίχα πόνου τὴν Ῥώμην αἱρήσοντες αὐτῶν μὴ βουλομένων τὰ κελευόμενα ποιεῖν, Ταρκυνίοις τε διδόναι τὴν κάθοδον ἐκέλευον καὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας σφίσι παραχωρεῖν πολιτείαν τε καταστήσασθαι καὶ νόμους, οὓς ἂν οἱ κεκρατηκότες τάξωσιν. ἀποκρινάμενοι δὲ τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς ἀπαγγέλλειν πρὸς τὸ κοινόν, ὅτι Ῥωμαῖοι κελεύουσι Σαβίνους ὅπλα τ᾽ ἀποθέσθαι καὶ παραδοῦναι σφίσι τὰς πόλεις ὑπηκόους τ᾽ εἶναι πάλιν, ὥσπερ πρότερον ἦσαν, ταῦτα δὲ ποιήσαντας αὐτοὺς ἥκειν τότε περὶ ὧν ἠδίκησαν ἢ κατέβλαψαν αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς πρότερον εἰσβολαῖς δεησομένους, εἰ βούλονται τυχεῖν εἰρήνης καὶ φιλίας: ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ποιῶσι τὰ κελευόμενα προσδέχεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον ἥξοντα ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν 17 οὐκ εἰς μακράν.

  [2] For, as if already victorious and having it in their power to take Rome without any trouble if the Romans refused to do as they commanded, they had ordered them to grant a return to the Tarquinii, to yield the leadership to the Sabines, and to establish such a form of government and such laws as the conquerors should prescribe. Replying to the ambassadors, they bade them report to their general council that the Romans commanded the Sabines to lay down their arms, to deliver up their cities to them, and to be subject to them once more as they had been before, and after they had complied with these demands, then to come and stand trial for the injuries and damage they had done them in their former incursions, if they desired to obtain peace and friendship: and in case they refused to carry out these orders, they might expect to see the war soon brought home to their cities.