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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [3] Against our foreign enemies let us not only march out ourselves with all possible alacrity, but let us take along all our clients and such plebeians as remain; and in order that they may be eager for the struggle, let us grant them an abolition of their debts, not to all collectively, but to each one individually. For if we must yield to the times and show some moderation, let not that moderation be extended toward such of the citizens as are our enemies, but towards such as are our friends, on whom we shall then seem to be bestowing favours, not under compulsion, but as the result of persuasion. And if still other assistance shall be needed, this being thought insufficient, let us send for the garrisons of the fortresses and recall the men from the colonies.

  [4] τοῦτο δ᾽ ὅσον ἐστὶ πλῆθος ἐκ τῆς ἔγγιστα γενομένης τιμήσεως μαθεῖν ῥᾴδιον ἂν εἴη. τρισκαίδεκα μυριάδες εἰσὶ Ῥωμαίων τῶν ἐν ἥβῃ τετιμημένων, ὧν οὐκ ἂν εἴη μέρος ἕβδομον τὸ φυγαδικόν. οὐ λέγω δὲ τὰς Λατίνων τριάκοντα πόλεις, αἳ μετὰ πολλῆς εὐχῆς δέξαιντ᾽ ἂν τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀγῶνας διὰ [p. 358] τὸ συγγενές, ἐὰν ψηφίσησθε αὐταῖς ἰσοπολιτείαν μόνον, ἧς αἰεὶ διατελοῦσι δεόμεναι.

  [4] How large the number of these is may be easily learned from the last census, when there were assessed 130,000 Romans of military age, of which the fugitives would not make a seventh part. I say nothing of the thirty cities of the Latin nation, which would be only too glad to fight our battles by reason of their kinship, if you would but grant them equal rights of citizenship, which they have constantly sought.

  [1] ὃ δὲ πάντων ἐστὶ κράτιστον ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις, καὶ οὔτε ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἐνεθυμήθητέ πω, οὔτε τῶν συμβούλων οὐδεὶς λέγει, τοῦτο προσθεὶς παύσομαι. οὐδενὸς οὕτω δεῖ τοῖς μέλλουσιν εὐτυχὲς ἕξειν τὸ τῶν ἀγώνων τέλος, ὡς στρατηγῶν ἀγαθῶν. τούτων ἡ μὲν ἡμετέρα πλουτεῖ πόλις, αἱ δὲ τῶν ἀντιπάλων σπανίζουσιν.

  [64.1] “But the greatest advantage in war is one which neither you yourselves have yet thought of nor any of your advisers mentions. This I will add to those I have named, and then make an end. There is nothing so essential to those who are to have their wars crowned with success as good generals. In these our commonwealth is rich, while there is a scarcity of them among our enemies.

  [2] αἱ μὲν οὖν πολυοχλοῦσαι δυνάμεις, ὅταν λάβωσιν ἡγεμόνας οὐκ εἰδότας ἄρχειν, ἀσχημονοῦσι καὶ περὶ αὑταῖς σφάλλονται τὰ πλεῖστα, καὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον κακοπαθοῦσιν, ὅσῳπερ ἂν μείζονα ἔχωσι πόνον. οἱ δ᾽ ἀγαθοὶ στρατηλάται, κἂν μικρὰς λάβωσι δυνάμεις, ταχέως ποιοῦσιν αὐτὰς μεγάλας. ὥστ᾽ ἄχρις ἂν ἡγεῖσθαι δυναμένους ἄνδρας ἔχωμεν, οὐκ ἀπορήσομεν τῶν ἄρχεσθαι βουλομένων.

  [2] For very numerous armies, when led by generals who know not how to command, disgrace themselves and bring about their own defeat as a rule, and the larger their bulk is, the more liable they are to this fate; whereas good generals, even though the armies they receive are small, soon make them large. Hence, as long as we have generals able to command, we shall never lack men ready to obey.

  [3] ἐνθυμούμενοι δὴ ταῦτα καὶ τῶν ἔργων τῆς πόλεως μεμνημένοι μηδὲν ταπεινὸν μηδ᾽ ἀγεννὲς μηδ᾽ ἀνάξιον ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ψηφίσησθε. τί οὖν, εἴ τις ἔροιτό με, τι πράττειν ὑμῖν παραινῶ; τουτὶ γὰρ ἴσως πάλαι γνῶναι σπεύδετε. μηδένα μήτε πρεσβείαν πέμπειν πρὸς τοὺς ἀφεστηκότας, μήτε ἄφεσιν ψηφίσασθαι τῶν χρεῶν, μήτ᾽ ἄλλο ποιεῖν μηδέν, ὅ τι δόξειεν ἂν φόβου τεκμήριον εἶναι καὶ ἀμηχανίας: ἐὰν δὲ καταθέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα κατέλθωσιν [p. 359] εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ παράσχωσιν ὑμῖν βουλεύσασθαι περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν, καθ᾽ ἡσυχίαν ἐξετάσαντας τότε χρῆσθαι μετριότητι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰδότας, ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἀνόητον, ἄλλως τε κἂν ὄχλος ᾖ, πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ταπεινοὺς αὔθαδες γίνεσθαι φιλεῖ, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς αὐθάδεις ταπεινοῦσθαι.

  [3] Bearing these things in mind, therefore, and recalling the achievements of the commonwealth, vote for nothing mean, ignoble, or unworthy of yourselves. What course of action, then, if anyone should ask me, do I advise you to take? For this is what you have probably long been eager to know. My advice, then, is neither to send ambassadors to the seceders nor to decree an abolition of their debts, nor to do anything else that might seem to betray fear or perplexity. But if they lay down their arms, return to the city, and leave it to you to consult about them at leisure, I advise you first to examine the situation and then to treat them with moderation, knowing as you do that all senseless creatures, particularly a rabble, behave themselves with arrogance toward the meek and with meekness toward the arrogant.”

  [1] παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ Κλαυδίου μεγάλη φωνὴ καὶ θόρυβος ἐξαίσιος ἄχρι πολλοῦ χρόνου κατεῖχε τὸ συνέδριον. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀριστοκρατικοὶ δοκοῦντες εἶναι καὶ τὰ δικαιότερα πρὸ τῶν ἀδίκων οἰόμενοι δεῖν σκοπεῖν τῇ Κλαυδίου γνώμῃ προσετίθεντο καὶ τοὺς ὑπάτους ἠξίουν μάλιστα μὲν τῇ κρείττονι προσχωρῆσαι μερίδι διαλογιζομένους, ὅτι βασιλικὸν ἔχουσι τὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς κράτος, οὐ δημοτικόν: εἰ δὲ μή γε, φυλάττειν αὑτοὺς ἴσους καὶ μὴ κατισχύειν μηδετέραν τῶν στάσεων, διαριθμησαμένους δὲ τὰς γνώμας τῶν συνέδρων ταῖς πλείοσι γνώμαις στοιχεῖν.

  [65.1] When Claudius had done speaking, a great clamour and prodigious tumult filled the senate-chamber for a long time. For those who were reputed to be of the aristocratic party and thought they ought to consider the more just course in preference to the unjust concurred in the opinion of Claudius, and asked the consuls preferably to join the better side, considering that the power of the magistracy they held derived from the kings, not from the people; but if they could not do this, then to keep themselves neutral and not bring pressure to bear upon either faction, but after counting the opinions of the senators, to align themselves with the majority.

  [2] εἰ δὲ τούτων ἀμφοτέρων ὑπεριδόντες αὐτοκράτορας αὑτοὺς ποιήσουσι τῶν διαλύσεων, οὐκ ἐπιτρέψειν αὐτοῖς ἔλεγον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐναντιώσεσθαι πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ λόγοις τ᾽ ἄχρις ἂν ἐξῇ, χρώμενοι καὶ ὅπλοις, ὅταν ἀναγκαῖον γένηται: ἦν δὲ τοῦτο στῖφος καρτερὸν καὶ σχεδὸν ἅπασα τῶν πατρικίων ἡ νεότης ταύτης εἴχετο τῆς προαιρέσεως.

  [2] And if they scorned both these courses and themselves assumed the sole power of concluding the accommodation, they said they would not permit it, but would oppose them with the utmost vigour, with words as far as they could, and, if it should prove necessary, with arms. These were a powerful
group, and almost all the young patricians adhered to this policy.

  [3] οἱ δὲ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπιθυμοῦντες τῇ Μενηνίου τε καὶ Οὐαλερίου γνώμῃ προσέκειντο καὶ μάλιστα οἱ προβεβηκότες ταῖς ἡλικίαις ἐνθυμούμενοι τὰς συμφοράς, ὅσαι καταλαμβάνουσι τὰς πόλεις ἐκ τῶν ἐμφυλίων πολέμων. [p. 360] ἐξηττώμενοι δὲ τῆς κραυγῆς τῶν νέων καὶ τῆς ἀκοσμίας τό τε φιλότιμον αὐτῶν ὑφορώμενοι καὶ τὸν ἐπιπολασμόν, ὃν ἐποιοῦντο κατὰ τῶν ὑπάτων, δεδιότες, ὡς οὐ πρόσω χειροκρασίας ἐλευσόμενον, εἰ μή τις αὐτοῖς εἴξειεν, εἰς δάκρυα καὶ δεήσεις τῶν ἐναντιουμένων τελευτῶντες ἐτράποντο.

  [3] But all the lovers of peace espoused the opinion of Menenius and Valerius, particularly those who were advanced in years and remembered all the calamities which come upon states as the result of civil wars. Nevertheless, being overborne by the clamour and disorderly behaviour of the young men and viewing with concern their spirit of rivalry and fearing lest the insolence with which they treated the consuls might come close to violence unless some concession were made to them, they at last had recourse to weeping and entreating their opponents.

  [1] λωφήσαντος δὲ τοῦ θορύβου καὶ σιωπῆς γενομένης σὺν χρόνῳ διαλεχθέντες τι πρὸς αὑτοὺς οἱ ὕπατοι τέλος ἐξήνεγκαν τῆς ἑαυτῶν γνώμης τοιόνδε: ἡμεῖς, ὦ βουλή, μάλιστα μὲν ἠξιοῦμεν ἅπαντας ὑμᾶς ὁμογνωμονεῖν, ἄλλως τε καὶ ταῦτα περὶ κοινῆς σωτηρίας βουλευομένους: εἰ δὲ μή, τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις ὑμῶν εἴκειν τοὺς νεωτέρους καὶ μὴ φιλονεικεῖν ἐνθυμουμένους, ὅτι κἀκείνοις εἰς ταύτην ἐλθοῦσι τὴν ἡλικίαν τῆς ἴσης ὑπάρξει τυγχάνειν τιμῆς παρὰ τῶν ἐγγόνων. ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ὁρῶμεν εἰς ἔριν ὑμᾶς ἐκπεπτωκότας ὀλεθριωτάτην τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων νόσων καὶ πολλὴν τὴν αὐθάδειαν ὁμιλοῦσαν ὑμῶν τοῖς νέοις, νῦν μὲν ἐπεὶ βραχὺ τὸ λειπόμενόν ἐστι τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο τέλος ἐν τούτῳ λαβεῖν τὰ δόξαντα ὑμῖν, ἄπιτ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου: εἰς δὲ τὸν ἐπιόντα σύλλογον ἥξετε μετριώτεροι γενόμενοι καὶ γνώμας ἔχοντες ἀμείνους.

  [66.1] The tumult being appeased and silence restored at last, the consuls after some consultation together pronounced their decision, as follows: “As for us, senators, what we desired most was that you should all be of one mind, particularly when you were deliberating about the public safety; but if that could not be, then we desired that the younger senators should yield to the older men among you and not contend with them, bearing in mind that when they have come to the same age they will received the same deference from their juniors. But since we observe that you have fallen into strife, the most baneful of all human maladies, and that the arrogance dwelling in the young men among you is great, for the present, since the remaining part of the day is short and there is not time for you to reach a final decision, leave the senate-chamber and go home; and you will come to the next session more moderate in spirit and with better counsels.

  [2] εἰ δὲ παραμενεῖ τὸ φιλόνεικον ὑμῖν, νέοις μὲν οὔτε δικασταῖς οὔτε συμβούλοις ἔτι τῶν συμφερόντων χρησόμεθα, [p. 361] ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀνείρξομεν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀκοσμίαν νόμῳ τάξαντες ἀριθμὸν ἐτῶν, ὃν δεήσει τοὺς βουλεύσοντας ἔχειν: τοῖς δὲ πρεσβυτέροις ἀποδόντες λόγον αὖθις, ἐὰν μηδὲν συμφέρωνται ταῖς γνώμαις, ταχείᾳ τὴν φιλονεικίαν αὐτῶν λύσομεν ὁδῷ, ἣν ἄμεινόν ἐστιν ὑμᾶς προακοῦσαι καὶ μαθεῖν.

  [2] But if your contentiousness shall persist, we will no longer make use of young men either as judges or counsellors concerning what is advantageous, but for the future shall restrain their disorderly behaviour by fixing a legal age that senators must have reached. As to the older members, we shall again give them an opportunity of delivering their opinions; and if they do not agreed, we shall put an end to their strife by a speedy method which it is better you should hear of and learn beforehand.

  [3] ἴστε δήπου νόμον ἡμῖν ὑπάρχοντα, ἐξ οὗ τήνδε οἰκοῦμεν τὴν πόλιν, πάντων εἶναι κυρίαν τὴν βουλήν, πλὴν ἀρχὰς ἀποδεῖξαι καὶ νόμους ψηφίσαι καὶ πόλεμον ἐξενεγκεῖν ἢ τὸν συνεστῶτα καταλύσασθαι: τούτων δὲ τῶν τριῶν τὸν δῆμον ἔχειν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ψῆφον ἐπιφέροντα. ἐν δὲ τῷ παρόντι οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἑτέρου τινὸς ἢ πολέμου καὶ εἰρήνης βουλευόμεθα, ὥστε πολλὴ ἀνάγκη τὸν δῆμον ἐπικυρῶσαι τὰς ἡμετέρας γνώμας ψήφου γενόμενον κύριον.

  [3] You are doubtless aware that we have had a law, as long as we have inhabited this city, by which the senate is invested with sovereign power in everything except the appointing of magistrates, the enacting of laws, and declaring or terminating of wars, and that the power of determining these three matters rests with the people, by their votes. Now at the present time we are discussing nothing other than war or peace, so that there is every necessity that the people should be given the opportunity to vote and confirm our resolutions.

  [4] παραγγείλαντες δὴ τῷ πλήθει παρεῖναι κατὰ τόνδε τὸν νόμον εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν, ἐπειδὰν ὑμεῖς ἀποδείξησθε τὰς γνώμας, ἀποδώσομεν αὐτῷ τὴν ψῆφον, οὕτως ἂν μάλιστα νομίσαντες ἀρθῆναι τὴν ἔριν ὑμῶν: ὅ τι δ᾽ ἂν οἱ πλείους ψηφίσωνται, τοῦθ᾽ ἡγησόμεθα κύριον. ἄξιοι δὲ δήπου ταύτης εἰσὶ τῆς τιμῆς τυγχάνειν οἱ διαμένοντες εὖνοι τῇ πόλει καὶ μέλλοντες ἰσομοιρεῖν ἡμῖν κακῶν τε καὶ ἀγαθῶν.

  [4] We shall therefore summon them to present themselves in the Forum pursuant to this law, and after you have delivered your opinions, we shall take their votes, believing this to be the best means of putting an end to your strife; and whatever the majority of the people shall determine, we shall regard that as valid. This honour, I presume, is deserved by those who have remained loyal to the commonwealth and are to share both our good and bad fortune.”

  [1] ταῦτ᾽ εἰπόντες διέλυσαν τὸν σύλλογον: ταῖς δ᾽ ἑξῆς ἡμέραις παραγγεῖλαι κελεύσαντες ἅπασι τοῖς κατὰ τοὺς ἀγροὺς καὶ τὰ φρούρια παρεῖναι καὶ τῇ βουλῇ προαγορεύσαντες ἥκειν εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμέραν, ἐπειδὴ κατέμαθον ὄχλου μεστὴν οὖσαν τὴν πόλιν [p. 362] καὶ τὰς γνώμας τῶν πατρικίων ἐξηττωμένας τῶν δεήσεων, ἃς ἐποιοῦντο σὺν οἰμωγῇ καὶ ὀδυρμῷ πατέρες τε καὶ παιδία νήπια τῶν ἀποστατῶν, τῇ κυρίᾳ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐξῄεσαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν στενοχωρουμένην ἐκr />
  [67.1] Having said this, they dismissed the session; and during the following days they ordered proclamation to be made that all who were in the country and in the fortresses should present themselves, and they gave notice to the senate to assemble on the same day. When they found the city was thronged with people and that the sentiments of the patricians had yielded to the entreaties, tears and lamentations both of the parents and infant children of the seceders, they went on the appointed day to the Forum, which was completely packed with a concourse of all sorts of people who had been there from far back in the night.

  [2] 8 πολλῆς ἔτι νυκτὸς ἅπασαν ὄχλῳ παντοδαπῷ. καὶ παρελθόντες ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἡφαίστου, ἔνθα ἦν ἔθος αὐτοῖς τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐπιτελεῖν, πρῶτον μὲν ἐπῄνεσαν τὸν δῆμον ἐπὶ τῇ σπουδῇ καὶ προθυμίᾳ τῆς κατὰ πλῆθος ἀφίξεως: ἔπειτα παρεκάλεσαν ἐκδέχεσθαι μεθ᾽ ἡσυχίας, ἕως ἂν γένηται τὸ προβούλευμα τῆς βουλῆς: τοῖς δ᾽ οἰκείοις τῶν ἀποστατῶν ἀγαθὰς παρῄνουν ἐλπίδας ἔχειν, ὡς οὐ διὰ μακροῦ κομιουμένοις τὰ φίλτατα, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο παρελθόντες εἰς τὸ συνέδριον αὐτοί τε διελέχθησαν ἐπιεικεῖς καὶ μετρίους λόγους, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἠξίουν χρηστὰς καὶ φιλανθρώπους ἀποδείκνυσθαι γνώμας. πρῶτον δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἐκάλουν τὸν Μενήνιον: ὃς ἀναστὰς τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐχρήσατο λόγοις οἷς καὶ πρότερον ἐπὶ τὰς διαλλαγὰς τὴν βουλὴν παρακαλῶν καὶ γνώμην ἀπεφήνατο τὴν αὐτὴν ἀξιῶν πρεσβείαν ἀποστέλλειν πρὸς τοὺς ἀφεστηκότας διὰ ταχέων αὐτοκράτορα τῶν διαλλαγῶν.