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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [7.1] “Come now, what kind of man should I be if, deprived as I am of the glory and honours I ought to be receiving from my fellow citizens to whom I have rendered great services, and, in addition to this, driven away from my country, my family, my friends, from the gods and sepulchres of my ancestors and from every enjoyment, and if, finding all these things among you against whom I made war for their sake, I should not become harsh toward those whom have found enemies instead of fellow citizens, and helpful to those whom I have found friends instead of enemies? For my part, I could not count as a real man anyone who feels neither anger against those who make war upon him nor affection for those who seek his preservation. And I regard as my fatherland, not that state which has renounced me, but the one of which I, an alien, have become a citizen; and as a friendly land, not the one in which I have been wronged, but that in which I find safety.

  [2] ὢν πολίτης γέγονα, γῆν τ᾽ οὐκ ἐν ᾗ ἠδίκημαι φίλην, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ᾗ τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἔχω. καὶ ἂν θεός τε συλλαμβάνῃ καὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα ὡς εἰκὸς πρόθυμα ᾖ, μεγάλην καὶ ταχεῖαν [p. 134] ἐλπίζω γενήσεσθαι τὴν μεταβολήν. εὖ γὰρ ἴστε, ὅτι πολλῶν ἤδη πολεμίων πειραθέντες Ῥωμαῖοι οὐθένας μᾶλλον ἔδεισαν ὑμῶν, οὐδ᾽ ἐστίν, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ μᾶλλον σπουδάζοντες διατελοῦσιν ἢ ὅπως τὸ ὑμέτερον ἔθνος ἀσθενὲς ἀποδείξουσι.

  [2] And if Heaven lends a hand and your assistance is as eager as I have reason to expect, I have hopes that there will be a great and sudden change. For you must know that the Romans, having already had experience of many enemies, have feared none more than you, and that there is nothing they continue to seek more earnestly than the means of weakening your nation.

  [3] καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰς μὲν πολέμῳ λαβόντες ὑμῶν ἔχουσι πόλεις, τὰς δὲ φιλίας ἐλπίδι παρακρουσάμενοι, ἵνα μὴ καθ᾽ ἓν ἅπαντες γενόμενοι κοινὸν ἐξενέγκητε κατ᾽ αὐτῶν πόλεμον. ἐὰν οὖν τἀναντία ὑμεῖς ἀντιφιλοτιμούμενοι διατελῆτε καὶ μίαν ἅπαντες ἔχητε περὶ τοῦ πολέμου γνώμην, ὃ ποιεῖτε νυνί, ῥᾳδίως αὐτῶν τὸ κράτος παύσετε.

  [3] And for this reason they hold a number of your cities which they have either taken by war or deluded with the hope of their friendship, in order that you may not all unite and engage in a common war against them. If, therefore, you will strive unceasingly to counteract their designs and will all be of one mind about war, as you are now, you will easily put an end to their power.

  [1] ὃν δὲ τρόπον ἀγωνιεῖσθε καὶ πῶς χρήσεσθε τοῖς πράγμασιν, ἐπειδὴ γνώμην ἀξιοῦτέ με ἀποφήνασθαι, εἴτ᾽ ἐμπειρίαν μοι μαρτυροῦντες εἴτ᾽ εὔνοιαν εἴτε καὶ ἀμφότερα, φράσω καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὑμῖν παραινῶ σκοπεῖν, ὅπως εὐσεβῆ καὶ δικαίαν πορίσησθε τοῦ πολέμου πρόφασιν. εὐσεβὴς δὲ καὶ δικαία τοῦ πολέμου πρόφασις, ἥτις ἂν γένοιτο καὶ

  [8.1] “As to the manner in which you will wage the contest and how you will handle the situation, since you ask me to express my opinion — whether this be a tribute to my experience or to my goodwill or to both — I shall give it without concealing anything. In the first place, therefore, I advise you to consider how you may provide yourselves with a righteous and just pretext for the war. And what pretext for war will be not only righteous and just but also profitable to you at the same time, you shall now learn from me.

  [2] ἅμα συμφέρουσα ὑμῖν, ἀκούσατέ μου. Ῥωμαίοις ἡ μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπάρξασα γῆ βραχεῖά ἐστι καὶ λυπρά, ἡ δ᾽ ἐπίκτητος, ἣν τοὺς περιοίκους ἀφελόμενοι ἔχουσι, πολλὴ καὶ ἀγαθή: καὶ εἰ τῶν ἠδικημένων ἕκαστοι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀξιοῖεν ἀπολαβεῖν, οὐδὲν οὕτως μικρὸν οὐδ᾽ ἀσθενὲς οὐδ᾽ ἄπορον, ὡς τὸ Ῥωμαίων ἄστυ γενήσεται. [p. 135]

  [2] The land which originally belonged to the Romans is of small extent and barren, but the acquired land which they possess as a result of robbing their neighbours is large and fertile; and if each of the injured nations should demand the return of the land that is theirs, nothing would be so insignificant, so weak, and so helpless as the city of Rome. In doing this I think you ought to take the lead.

  [3] τούτου δ᾽ οἴομαι δεῖν ὑμᾶς ἄρξαι. πέμπετε οὖν πρέσβεις ὡς αὐτοὺς ἀπαιτοῦντες ἃς κατέχουσιν ὑμῶν πόλεις καὶ ὅσα τείχη ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ γῇ ἐνετειχίσαντο ἀξιοῦντες ἐκλιπεῖν, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο βίᾳ σφετερισάμενοι τῶν ὑμετέρων ἔχουσι πείθοντες ἀποδιδόναι. πολέμου δὲ μήπω ἄρχετε, πρὶν ἢ λαβεῖν τὰς παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ἀποκρίσεις. ἐὰν γὰρ ταῦτα ποιήσητε, δυεῖν ὧν βούλεσθε ὑπάρξει θάτερον ὑμῖν: ἢ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀπολήψεσθε ἄνευ κινδύνων καὶ δαπάνης, ἢ καλὴν καὶ δικαίαν πρόφασιν εἰληφότες ἔσεσθε τοῦ πολέμου. τὸ γὰρ μὴ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυμεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀπαιτεῖν καὶ μὴ τυγχάνοντας τούτου πολεμεῖν, ἅπαντες ἂν ὁμολογήσουσιν εἶναι καλόν.

  [3] Send ambassadors to them, therefore, to demand back your cities which they are holding, to ask that they evacuate all the forts they have erected in your country, and to persuade them to restore everything else belonging to you which they have appropriated by force. But do not begin war till you have received their answer. For if you follow this advice, you will obtain one of two things you desire: you will either recover all that belongs to you without danger and expense or will have found an honourable and a just pretext for war. For not to covet the possessions others, but to demand back what is one’s own and, failing to obtain this, to declare war, will be acknowledged by all men to be an honourable proceeding.

  [4] φέρε δή, τί ποιήσειν οἴεσθε Ῥωμαίους ταῦθ᾽ ὑμῶν προελομένων; πότερον ἀποδώσειν τὰ χωρία ὑμῖν; καὶ τί κωλύσει πάντων αὐτοὺς ἀποστῆναι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων; ἥξουσι γὰρ Αἰκανοί τε καὶ Ἀλβανοὶ καὶ Τυρρηνοὶ καὶ πολλοὶ ἄλλοι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστοι γῆν ἀποληψόμενοι. ἢ καθέξειν τὰ χωρία καὶ μηθὲν τῶν δικαίων ποιήσειν; ὅπερ ἐγὼ νομίζω. οὐκοῦν ἀδικεῖσθαι πρότεροι λέγοντες ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα χωρήσετε καὶ συμμάχους ἕξετε, ὅσοι τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀφαιρεθέντες ἀπεγνώκασιν ἄλλως ἂν ἔτι αὐτὰ

  [4] Well then, what do you think the Romans will do if you choose this course? Do you think they will restore the places to you? And if they do, what is to hinder them from relinquishing everything that belongs to others? For the Aequians, the Albans, the Tyrrhenians, and many others will come each to get back their own land. Or do you think they will retain these places and refuse all your just demands? That is my opinion. Protesting, therefore, that they wronged you first, you will of necessity have recourse to arms, and you will have
for your allies all who, having been deprived of their possessions, despair of recovering them by any other means than by war.

  [5] ἢ πολεμοῦντες οὐκ ἀπολήψεσθαι. κράτιστος δ᾽ ὁ καιρὸς καὶ οἷος οὐκ ἕτερος ἐπιθέσθαι Ῥωμαίοις, ὃν ἡ [p. 136] τύχη τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἐλπισθέντα παρεσκεύασεν, ἐν ᾧ στασιάζουσι καὶ ὑποπτεύουσιν ἀλλήλους καὶ ἡγεμόνας ἔχουσιν ἀπείρους πολέμου. ἃ μὲν οὖν ὑποτίθεσθαι ἔδει λόγοις καὶ παραινεῖν φίλοις, μετὰ πάσης εὐνοίας καὶ πίστεως εἰρημένα ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ταῦτ᾽ ἐστίν, ἃ δὲ παρ᾽ αὐτὰ τὰ ἔργα ἑκάστοτε προορᾶσθαί τε καὶ μηχανᾶσθαι δεήσει, τοῖς ἡγεμόσι τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπιτρέψατε διανοεῖσθαι.

  [5] This is a most favourable and a unique opportunity which Fortune has provided for the wronged nations, an opportunity for which they could not even have hoped, of attacking the Romans while they are divided and suspicious of one another and while they have generals who are inexperienced in war. These, then, Rome the considerations which it was fitting to suggest in words and urge upon friends, and I have offered them in all goodwill and sincerity. But when it comes to the actual deeds, what it will be necessary to foresee and contrive upon each occasion, leave the consideration of those matters to the commanders of the forces.

  [6] πρόθυμον γὰρ καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται, ἐν ᾧ ἄν με τάττητε τόπῳ, καὶ πειράσομαι μηδενὸς εἶναι χείρων μήτε στρατιώτου μήτε λοχαγοῦ μήτε ἡγεμόνος: ἀλλὰ καταχρῆσθέ μοι λαβόντες, ὅπου ἂν μέλλω τι ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσειν, καὶ εὖ ἴστε ὅτι, εἰ πολεμῶν ὑμῖν μεγάλα βλάπτειν δυνατὸς ἦν, καὶ σὺν ὑμῖν ἀγωνιζόμενος μεγάλα δυνήσομαι ὠφελεῖν.

  [6] For my zeal also shall not be wanting in whatever post you may place me, and I shall endeavour to do my duty with no less bravery than any common soldier or captain or general. Pray take me and use me wherever I may be of service to you, and be assured that if, when I fought against you, I was able to do you great mischief, I shall also be able, when I fight on your side, to be of great service to you.”

  [1] τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ Μάρκιος εἶπεν. οἱ δὲ Οὐολοῦσκοι λέγοντός τε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἔτι δῆλοι ἦσαν ἀγάμενοι τοὺς λόγους, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐπαύσατο μεγάλῃ βοῇ πάντες ἐπεσήμηναν ὡς τὰ κράτιστα ὑποθεμένῳ λόγον τ᾽ οὐθενὶ προθέντες ἐπικυροῦσι τὴν γνώμην. γραφέντος δὲ τοῦ δόγματος εὐθὺς ἐξ ἑκάστης πόλεως τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους ἄνδρας ἑλόμενοι πρεσβευτὰς εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀπέστειλαν: τῷ δὲ Μαρκίῳ ψηφίζονται βουλῆς τε μετουσίαν ἐν ἁπάσῃ πόλει καὶ ἀρχὰς ἐξεῖναι πανταχόσε μετιέναι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὁπόσα τιμιώτατα ἦν παρ᾽

  [9.1] Thus Marcius spoke. And the Volscians not only made it clear while he was yet speaking that they were pleased with his words, but, after he had done, they all with a great shout signified that they found his advice most excellent; and permitting no one else to speak, they adopted his proposal. After the decree had been drawn up they at once chose the most important men out of every city and sent them to Rome as ambassadors. As for Marcius, they voted that he should be a member of the senate in every city and have the privilege of standing for the magistracies everywhere, and should share in all the other honours that were most highly prized among them.

  [2] αὐτοῖς, μετέχειν. καὶ πρὶν ἢ τὰς Ῥωμαίων ἀποκρίσεις [p. 137] ἀναμεῖναι, πάντες ἔργου εἴχοντο παρασκευαζόμενοι τὰ πολέμια: ὅσοι τ᾽ ἦσαν αὐτῶν ἄθυμοι τέως κακωθέντες ἐν ταῖς προτέραις μάχαις, τότε πάντες ἐπερρώσθησαν ὡς τὴν Ῥωμαίων καθαιρήσοντες ἰσχύν.

  [2] Then, without waiting for the Romans’ answer, they all set to work and employed themselves in warlike preparations; and all of them who had hitherto been dejected because of their defeats in the previous battles now took courage, feeling confident that they would overthrow the power of the Romans.

  [3] οἱ δ᾽ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀποσταλέντες ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν πρέσβεις καταστάντες ἐπὶ τὴν βουλὴν ἔλεγον: ὅτι Οὐολούσκοις περὶ πολλοῦ ἐστι καταλύσασθαι τὰ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἐγκλήματα καὶ τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον εἶναι φίλοις καὶ συμμάχοις ἄνευ δόλου καὶ ἀπάτης. ἔσεσθαι δὲ τὸ πιστὸν αὐτοῖς τῆς φιλίας βέβαιον ἀπέφαινον, εἰ κομίσαιντο γῆν τε τὴν ἑαυτῶν καὶ πόλεις, ἃς ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἀφῃρέθησαν: ἄλλως δ᾽ οὔτ᾽ εἰρήνην οὔτε φιλότητα βεβαίαν ὑπάρξειν αὐτοῖς: τὸ γὰρ ἀδικούμενον ἀεὶ πολέμιον εἶναι τῷ πλημμελοῦντι φύσει. ἠξίουν τε μὴ καταστῆσαι σφᾶς εἰς ἀνάγκην πολέμου τῶν δικαίων ἀποτυγχάνοντας.

  [3] In the mean time the ambassadors they had sent to Rome, upon being introduced into the senate, said that the Volscians were very desirous that their complaints against the Romans should be settled and that for the future they should be friends and allies without fraud or deceit. And they declared that it would be a sure pledge of friendship if they received back the lands and the cities which had been taken from them by the Romans; otherwise there would be neither peace nor secure friendship between them, since the injured party is always by nature an enemy to the aggressor. And they asked the Romans not to reduce them to the necessity of making war because of their failure to obtain justice.

  [1] ὡς δὲ ταῦτ᾽ εἶπον οἱ πρέσβεις, ἐβουλεύοντο κατὰ σφᾶς οἱ σύνεδροι μεταστησάμενοι τοὺς ἄνδρας, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἔκριναν ἃς χρὴ ἀποκρίσεις ποιήσασθαι, καλέσαντες αὐτοὺς πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸν σύλλογον ταύτην ἔδοσαν τὴν ἀπόφασιν. οὐ λανθάνετε ἡμᾶς, ὦ Οὐολοῦσκοι, φιλίας μὲν οὐδὲν δεόμενοι, πρόφασιν δ᾽ εὐπρεπῆ λαβεῖν βουλόμενοι τοῦ πολέμου. ἃ γὰρ ἥκετε παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀπαιτοῦντες, καλῶς ἐπίστασθε οὐδέποτε ληψόμενοι: χρῄζετε γὰρ ἀδίκων τε καὶ ἀδυνάτων.

  [10.1] When the ambassadors had thus spoken, the senators ordered them to withdraw, after which they consulted by themselves. Then, when they had determined upon the answer they ought to make, they called them back into the senate and gave this decision: “We are not unaware, Volscians, that it is not friendship you want, but that you wish to find a specious pretext for war. For you well know that you will never obtain what you have come to demand of us, since you desire things that are unjust and impossible.

  [2] εἰ μὲν οὖν δόντες ἡμῖν τὰ χωρία ἔπειτα μεταδόξαν ὑμῖν νῦν ἀπαιτεῖτε, ἀδικεῖσθε [p. 138] μὴ κομιζόμενοι, εἰ δὲ πολέμῳ ἀφαιρεθέντες οὐκέτι αὐτῶν ὄντες κύριοι, ἀδικεῖτε τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐφιέμενοι. ἡμεῖς δὲ κρατίστας ἡγούμε�
�α κτήσεις, ἃς ἂν πολέμῳ κρατήσαντες λάβωμεν, οὔτε πρῶτοι καταστησάμενοι νόμον τόνδε οὔτε αὐτὸν ἀνθρώπων ἡγούμενοι εἶναι μᾶλλον ἢ οὐχὶ θεῶν: ἅπαντάς τε καὶ Ἕλληνας καὶ βαρβάρους εἰδότες αὐτῷ χρωμένους οὐκ ἂν ἐνδοίημεν ὑμῖν μαλακὸν οὐδὲν οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἀποσταίημεν ἔτι τῶν δορικτήτων.

  [2] If, indeed, having made a present to us of these places, you now, having changed your minds, demand them back, you are suffering a wrong if you do not recover them; but if, having been deprived of them by war and no longer having any claim to them, you demand them back, you are doing wrong in coveting the possessions of others. As for us, we regard as in the highest degree our possessions those that we gain through victory in war. We are not the first who have established this law, nor do we regard it as more a human than a divine institution. Knowing, too, that all nations, both Greeks and barbarians, make use of this law, we will never show any sign of weakness to you or relinquish any of our conquests hereafter.

  [3] πολλὴ γὰρ ἂν εἴη κακότης, εἴ τις ἃ μετ᾽ ἀρετῆς καὶ ἀνδρείας ἐκτήσατο, ταῦθ᾽ ὑπὸ μωρίας τε καὶ δειλίας ἀφαιρεθείη. πολεμεῖν τ᾽ οὔτε μὴ βουλομένους ὑμᾶς ἀναγκάζομεν, οὔτε προθυμουμένους παραιτούμεθα, ἂν δ᾽ ἄρξησθε ἀμυνούμεθα. ταῦτα Οὐολούσκοις ἀπαγγέλλετε καὶ λέγετε, ὅτι λήψονται μὲν πρότεροι τὰ ὅπλ᾽ ἐκεῖνοι, θήσομεν δ᾽ ἡμεῖς ὕστεροι.