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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [6] After the tribunes had caused this law to be passed, they dismissed the assembly; and the people departed full of joy and very grateful to Brutus, whom they looked upon as the author of the law.

  [1] μετὰ τοῦτο πολλαὶ καὶ περὶ πολλῶν ἐγίνοντο τοῖς δημάρχοις πρὸς τοὺς ὑπάτους ἀντιλογίαι, καὶ οὔθ᾽ ὁ δῆμος ὁπόσα ἡ βουλὴ ψηφίσαιτο κύρια ἡγεῖτο, οὔθ᾽ ὧν ὁ δῆμος γνοίη τῇ βουλῇ φίλον τι ἦν: ἀντιπαρατεταγμένοι δὲ καὶ δι᾽ ὑποψίας ἔχοντες ἀλλήλους διετέλουν. οὐ μὴν τό γε μῖσος αὐτῶν εἰς ἔργον τι ἀνήκεστον ἐχώρησεν, οἷα ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις φιλεῖ

  [18.1] After this the tribunes had many controversies with the consuls over various matters, and not only did the people refuse to recognize as valid the decrees of the senate, but the senate also did not find acceptable anything that the people determined; and both of them continued to be arrayed in hostile camp s and to be suspicious of one another. However, their hatred did not lead to any irreparable mischief, as often happens in like disorders.

  [2] γίνεσθαι ταραχαῖς. οὔτε γὰρ οἱ πένητες ἐπὶ τὰς οἰκίας ὥρμησαν τῶν πλουσίων, ἔνθα ὑπελάμβανόν τινας εὑρήσειν ἀποκειμένας τροφάς, ἢ τὴν ἐν τῷ φανερῷ ἀγορὰν ἁρπάζειν ἐπεβάλοντο, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπομένοντες ὠνεῖσθαι πολλοῦ διαφόρου μικρά, καὶ ὁπότ᾽ ἐξαπορηθεῖεν ἀργυρίου τὰς ἐκ γῆς ῥίζας τε καὶ βοτάνας σιτούμενοι ἠνείχοντο: οὔθ᾽ οἱ πλούσιοι βιασάμενοι τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους τῇ τ᾽ οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει καὶ τῇ παρὰ τῶν πελατῶν πολλῇ οὔσῃ κατασχεῖν αὐτοὶ τὴν πόλιν ἠξίωσαν τοὺς μὲν ἐξελάσαντες ἐξ αὐτῆς, τοὺς δ᾽ ἀποκτείναντες, ἀλλὰ διέμενον ὥσπερ οἱ σωφρονέστατα πολιτευόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς πατέρες εὐνοούσῃ καὶ κηδομένῃ τῇ ὀργῇ πρὸς τὰς ἁμαρτάδας αὐτῶν χρώμενοι.

  [2] For, on the one hand, the poor did not attack the houses of the rich, where they suspected they should find stores of provisions laid up, nor attempt to raid the public markets, but consented to buy small quantities for a high price, and when they lacked money, they sustained life by using roots and grass for food. Nor, on the other hand, did the rich, in the confidence of their own strength and that afforded by their clients, who were very numerous, offer violence to the weaker citizens and aim at making themselves masters of the city by driving out some of the poor and putting others to death, but, like those fathers who conduct themselves most prudently toward their sons, they continued to display toward their errors the kind of displeasure that is benevolent and solicitous.

  [3] τοιαύτης δὲ καταστάσεως οὔσης περὶ τὴν Ῥώμην αἱ πλησιόχωροι πόλεις ἐκάλουν τοὺς βουλομένους οἰκεῖν παρὰ σφίσι Ῥωμαίων πολιτείας τε μεταδόσει καὶ ἄλλων φιλανθρώπων ἐλπίσιν ὑπαγόμεναι, αἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ βελτίστου δι᾽ εὔνοιάν τε [p. 31] καὶ ἔλεον τῆς συμφορᾶς, αἱ δὲ πλείους διὰ φθόνον τῆς πάλαι ποτὲ εὐτυχίας. καὶ ἦσαν οἱ ἀπαναστάντες πανοικεσίᾳ καὶ μεταθέμενοι τὰς οἰκήσεις ἑτέρωσε πολλοὶ πάνυ: ὧν οἱ μὲν ἀνέστησαν αὖθις, ἐπειδὴ κατέστη τὰ πράγματα τῆς πόλεως, οἱ δὲ καὶ διέμειναν.

  [3] While Rome was in this situation, the neighbouring cities invited any of the Romans who so desired to live among them, luring them by the offer of citizenship and the hopes of other kind treatment, some from the best of motives, because of good will and compassion for their misfortune, but the greater part through envy of their former prosperity. And very great numbers did remove with their whole families to live elsewhere, some of whom returned when the affairs of the city were composed, while others remained where they were.

  [1] ταῦτα δ᾽ ὁρῶσι τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐδόκει τῆς βουλῆς ἐπιτρεπούσης στρατοπέδου ποιεῖσθαι καταγραφὴν καὶ ἐξάγειν ἔξω τὴν δύναμιν: εἰλήφεσαν δ᾽ ἀφορμὴν τῷ ἐγχειρήματι πρέπουσαν ἐπιδρομάς τε καὶ λεηλασίας κακουμένης τῆς χώρας ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων θαμινά, τά τ᾽ ἄλλα, ὅσα ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος χρηστὰ ἦν, ἐπιλογιζομένοις, ὑπερορίου στρατιᾶς ἐκπεμφθείσης ὡς εὐπορωτέρᾳ μὲν ἕξουσι τῇ ἀγορᾷ χρῆσθαι οἱ ὑπολειφθέντες ἐλάττους γενόμενοι, ἐν ἀφθονωτέροις δὲ διάξουσι τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις οἱ τὰ ὅπλα ἔχοντες ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων ἐπισιτιζόμενοι, λωφήσει δ᾽ ἡ στάσις, ὅσον ἂν ἡ στρατεία κατέχῃ χρόνον: μάλιστα δ᾽ ἐφαίνετο ἔργῳ βεβαιώσειν αὐτῶν τὰς διαλλαγὰς συστρατευόντων ἀλλήλοις πατρικίων καὶ δημοτῶν ἡ γενησομένη παρὰ τοὺς κινδύνους κακῶν τε καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἰσομοιρία.

  [19] The consuls, observing these things, thought fit, with the approval of the senate, to levy an army and to march with the forces out of the city (they had found a plausible excuse for their plan in the frequent incursions and depredations of their enemies by which the country was being laid waste); and they also considered the other advantages that would result from this action, namely, that by sending an army into the field those, on the one hand, who were left, becoming fewer in number, would enjoy a greater plenty of provisions, while those under arms, by supplying themselves from the enemy’s stores, would live in greater abundance, and the sedition would be in abeyance as long as the expedition lasted. But, above all, it seemed that if the patricians and plebeians served together, their sharing equally in both good and ill fortune amid the dangers of the war would effectually confirm their reconciliation.

  [2] ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἦν τὸ πλῆθος ὑπήκοον αὐτοῖς οὐδ᾽ ὥσπερ πρότερον ἑκούσιον ὑπήντα πρὸς τὴν καταγραφήν: ἀνάγκην δὲ προσφέρειν τοῖς μὴ βουλομένοις οὐκ ἐδικαίουν τὴν ἐκ τῶν νόμων οἱ ὕπατοι: ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων ἐθέλονταί τινες κατεγράφησαν [p. 32] ἅμα τοῖς πελάταις, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐξιοῦσιν ὀλίγον τι ἀπὸ

  [2] But the plebeians were not inclined to obey them, nor willingly, as before, to offer themselves to enlist in the service; and the consuls did not think it wise to enforce the law against those who were unwilling to serve. But some patrician volunteers together with their clients were enlisted, and when they marched out of the city they were joined by a small number of plebeians.

  [3] τοῦ δήμου μέρος συνεστράτευεν. ἡγεμὼν δὲ τῶν ἐξελθόντων ἦν Γάιος Μάρκιος ὁ τὴν Κοριολάνων πόλιν ἑλὼν κἂν τῇ πρὸς Ἀντιάτας ἀριστεύσας μάχῃ, καὶ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἀραμένων τὰ ὅπλα δημοτῶν τοῦτον ἐξιόντα ὁρῶντες ἐπερρώσθησαν, οἱ μὲν δι᾽ εὔνοιαν, οἱ δὲ τοῦ κατορθώσειν ἐλπίδι: περιβόητος γὰρ ἦν ἤδη ὁ ἀνήρ, κα�
�� δέος αὐτοῦ μέγα παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐγεγόνει.

  [3] The army was commanded by Gaius Marcius, who had taken the city of Corioli and distinguished himself above all others in the battle against the Antiates; and the greater part of the plebeians who now took up arms were encouraged to do so upon seeing him take the field, some of them out of affection for him, and others in the hope of a successful campaign; for he was already famous and the enemy had come to have great fear of him.

  [4] αὕτη προελθοῦσα ἡ στρατιὰ μέχρι πόλεως Ἀντίου δίχα πόνου σίτου πολλοῦ καταληφθέντος ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς καὶ ἀνδραπόδων καὶ βοσκημάτων συχνῶν ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο, καὶ μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ παρῆν εὐπορωτέρα γεγονυῖα τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον, ὥστε τοῖς ὑπομείνασι πολλὴν κατήφειαν καὶ κατάμεμψιν τῶν δημαγωγῶν ἐμπεσεῖν, δι᾽

  [4] This army, having advanced as far as the city of Antium without any trouble, captured a great deal of corn that they found in the fields, and many slaves and cattle; and after a short time it returned better supplied than before with all the necessaries of life, so that those who had remained at home were greatly dejected and blamed their demagogues, through whom they felt they had been deprived of the same good fortune.

  [5] οὓς ἀποστερεῖσθαι ἐδόκουν τῆς ὁμοίας εὐτυχίας. ὁ μὲν δὴ Γεγάνιος καὶ Μηνύκιος οἱ τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ὑπατεύοντες ἐν μεγάλοις καὶ παντοδαποῖς χειμῶσι γενόμενοι καὶ πολλάκις ἀνατρέψαι κινδυνεύσαντες τὴν πόλιν οὐθὲν δεινὸν εἰργάσαντο, ἀλλὰ διέσωσαν τὰ κοινὰ φρονιμώτερον μᾶλλον ἢ εὐτυχέστερον τοῖς συμβαίνουσι χρησάμενοι.

  [5] Thus Geganius and Minucius, the consuls of this year, though involved in great and various storms and often in danger of wrecking the state, caused it no harm, but brought it safely through its perils by dealing with events rather with prudence than with good fortune.

  [1] οἱ δὲ μετ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἀποδειχθέντες ὕπατοι Μάρκος Μηνύκιος Αὐγουρῖνος καὶ Αὖλος Σεμπρώνιος Ἀτρατῖνος δεύτερον καταστάντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχήν, ἄνδρες [p. 33] οὔθ᾽ ὅπλων οὔτε λόγων ἄπειροι, προνοίᾳ μὲν ἐχρήσαντο πολλῇ σίτου τε καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀγορᾶς ἐμπλῆσαι τὴν πόλιν, ὡς ἐν τῇ κατ᾽ αὐτὴν εὐετηρίᾳ τῆς ὁμονοίας τοῦ πλήθους κειμένης: οὐ μὴν ἐξεγένετό γ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἀμφοτέρων ἅμα τούτων τυχεῖν, ἀλλὰ συνεισῆλθεν ἅμα τῷ κόρῳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ τῶν χρησαμένων αὐτοῖς ὕβρις.

  [20.1] The consuls appointed to succeed them, Marcus Minucius Augurinus and Aulus Sempronius Atratinus, who were both invested with this magistracy for the second time, being men not unskilled either in arms or in debate, took great care to supply the city plentifully with both corn and all other provisions, believing that the harmony of the masses depended on their well-being in this respect. Nevertheless, it was not their good fortune to obtain both these ends at the same time, but the surfeit of good things was accompanied by the insolence of those who had the benefit of them.

  [2] καὶ τότε δὴ μέγιστος κατέλαβε τὴν Ῥώμην κίνδυνος ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ὅτε ἥκιστ᾽ ἐδόκει. οἵ τε γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν σιτωνίαν ἀποσταλέντες ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν πρέσβεις πολὺν ἐκ τῶν παραθαλαττίων τε καὶ μεσογείων ἐμπορίων σῖτον ὠνησάμενοι κατήγαγον δημοσίᾳ, οἵ τε διαμείβεσθαι τὰς ἀγορὰς εἰωθότες ἐκ παντὸς τόπου συνῆλθον, παρ᾽ ὧν ἡ πόλις ὠνησαμένη τὸν φόρτον ἐκ τῶν κοινῶν χρημάτων εἶχεν ἐν φυλακῇ.

  [2] And then it was that Rome was exposed once more to a very grave danger from a most unlikely source. For the ambassadors sent to buy corn, having purchased a large quantity at the public expense in both the maritime and the inland markets, brought it to the city; and the merchants also who used to trade in the markets flocked thither from all parts, of whom the commonwealth bought their lading with the public funds and kept it under guard.

  [3] ἦλθον δὲ καὶ οἱ πρότερον ἀποσταλέντες πρέσβεις εἰς Σικελίαν Γεγάνιος καὶ Οὐαλέριος πολλὰς ἄγοντες ὁλκάδας, ἐν αἷς ἐκομίζοντο πυρῶν πέντε μυριάδες μεδίμνων Σικελικῶν, ὧν τὸ μὲν ἥμισυ μέρος ὠνητὸν ἦν βραχείας πάνυ τιμῆς, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ὁ τύραννος ἀπεστάλκει προῖκα δοὺς καὶ τέλεσι παρακομίσας τοῖς ἰδίοις.

  [3] Then too Geganius and Valerius, who had been sent earlier as ambassadors to Sicily, arrived with many merchantmen in which they brought fifty thousand Sicilian bushels of wheat, one half of it purchased at a very low price and the rest sent by the tyrant as a free gift to the Romans and conveyed at his own expense.

  [4] ὡς δ᾽ ἀπηγγέλθη τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει ὁ κατάπλους τῶν σιτηγῶν ὁλκάδων τῶν ἀπὸ Σικελίας, πολλὴ ζήτησις ἐνέπιπτε τοῖς πατρικίοις ὑπὲρ τῆς διαθέσεως αὐτοῦ. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιεικέστατοι αὐτῶν καὶ φιλοδημότατοι πρὸς τὰς κατεχούσας τὸ κοινὸν ἀνάγκας ἀποβλέποντες τήν τε παρὰ τοῦ τυράννου δωρεὰν παρῄνουν ἅπασαν διανεῖμαι τοῖς δημοτικοῖς, καὶ τὸν ὠνηθέντα ἐκ τῶν δημοσίων [p. 34] χρημάτων σῖτον ὀλίγης αὐτοῖς ἀπεμπολῆσαι τιμῆς, διδάσκοντες ὡς ἐκ τούτων ἂν γένοιντο μάλιστα τῶν χαρίτων ἐπιεικέστεραι πρὸς τοὺς εὐπόρους αἱ τῶν πενήτων ὀργαί: οἱ δ᾽ αὐθαδέστεροι καὶ ὀλιγαρχικώτεροι πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ τε καὶ μηχανῇ κακοῦν ᾤοντο δεῖν τοὺς δημοτικοὺς καὶ συνεβούλευον τιμίας ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα ποιεῖν αὐτοῖς τὰς ἀγοράς, ἵνα σωφρονέστεροι διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην γένοιντο καὶ πρὸς τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς πολιτείας δίκαια νομιμώτεροι.

  [4] When word was brought to the people in Rome that the ships had arrived from Sicily laden with corn, a long debate arose among the patricians concerning the disposal of it. For those among them who were the most reasonable and the greatest friends of the people, having in view the public necessary, advised them to distribute all the corn given by the tyrant among the plebeians, and to sell to them at a low price that which had been purchased with the public funds, pointing out that by these favours more than by any other means the animosity of the poor against the rich would be moderated. On the other hand, those who were more arrogant and more zealous for the oligarchy thought that they ought to use every effort and every means to oppress the plebeians; and they advised making the provisions as costly as possible to them in order that they might through necessity become more moderate and more observant in general of the principles of justice prescribed by the constitution.

  [1] τούτων ἦν τῶν ὀλιγαρχικῶν καὶ ὁ Μάρκιος ἐκεῖνος ὁ Κοριολάνος ἐπικληθείς, οὐχ ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ κρ�
�φα καὶ δι᾽ εὐλαβείας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην ἀποφαινόμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ἄντικρυς καὶ θρασέως, ὥστε πολλοὺς ἀκοῦσαι καὶ τῶν δημοτικῶν. εἶχε γάρ τινας ἔξω τῶν κοινῶν ἐγκλημάτων καὶ ἰδίας προφάσεις νεωστὶ γενομένας, ἐξ ὧν εἰκότως ἐδόκει μισεῖν τοὺς δημοτικούς.

  [21.1] One of this oligarchic party was that Marcius, surnamed Coriolanus, who did not, like the rest, deliver his opinion with secrecy and caution, but with so much openness and boldness that many even of the plebeians heard him. It seems that, besides the general grievance against them which he shared with the others, he had lately received some private provocations that seemed to justify his hatred of the plebeians.

  [2] ὑπατείαν γὰρ αὐτῷ μετιόντι ταῖς ἔγγιστα γενομέναις ἀρχαιρεσίαις καὶ τοὺς πατρικίους ἔχοντι συναγωνιζομένους ὁ δῆμος ἐναντιωθεὶς οὐκ εἴασε δοῦναι τὴν ἀρχὴν τήν τε λαμπρότητα τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ τὴν τόλμαν δἰ εὐλαβείας ἔχων, μή τι διὰ ταῦτα νεωτερίσῃ περὶ τὴν τῶν δημάρχων κατάλυσιν, καὶ μάλιστα δεδιώς, ὅτι συνελάμβανεν αὐτῷ πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ τὸ τῶν πατρικίων πλῆθος ὡς οὐδενὶ τῶν πρότερον.

  [2] For when he had stood for the consulship at the last election, in which he had been supported by the patricians, the people had opposed him and would not permit that magistracy to be conferred on him, since his brilliant reputation and daring inclined them to caution, lest he might make some move to overthrow the tribuneship, and they were particularly apprehensive because the whole body of the patricians promoted his interest with a zeal they had never before shown for any other candidate.