[7] ταῦτά σοι περί τε ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, ὦ Μάρκιε, τῶν ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν, οὓς ἀπολέσαι προθυμῇ κακὸν οὐδὲν ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν πεπονθώς, τάφων τε καὶ ἱερῶν καὶ πόλεως τῆς γειναμένης τε καὶ θρεψαμένης τὰ δίκαια εἰρήσθω.
[7] Let these considerations of justice suffice, Marcius, both in behalf of us of the senate and of the other citizens whom you are eager to destroy, even though you have suffered no wrong at their hands, and in behalf of the sepulchres, the sanctuaries and the city to which you owe both your birth and your rearing.
[1] φέρε, εἰ δὲ δὴ πάντας μὲν ἀνθρώπους καὶ τοὺς μηδὲν ἀδικοῦντάς σε γυναιξὶν ὁμοῦ καὶ τέκνοις δίκας σοι δοῦναι προσῆκε, πάντας δὲ θεούς τε καὶ ἥρωας καὶ δαίμονας πόλιν τε καὶ χώραν ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς τῶν δημάρχων ἀνοίας, καὶ μηδὲν ἐξαίρετον μηδ᾽ ἀτιμώρητον ἀφεῖσθαι μέρος ὑπὸ σοῦ, οὐχ ἱκανὰς ἤδη παρὰ πάντων εἰσπέπραξαι δίκας τοσοῦτον μὲν φόνον ἐργασάμενος ἀνθρώπων, τοσαύτην δὲ χώραν πυρὶ καὶ σιδήρῳ λωβησάμενος, τοσαύτας δὲ πόλεις ἐκ βάθρων ἀναστήσας, ἑορτὰς δὲ καὶ θυσίας καὶ σεβασμοὺς θεῶν καὶ δαιμόνων ἐν πολλοῖς τόποις ἀνεόρτους ἀναγκάσας [p. 159] γενέσθαι καὶ ἀθύτους καὶ τιμῶν νομίμων ἀμοίρους;
[25.1] “Come now, even if it were fitting that all men, even those who have not wronged you at all, together with their wives and children should make atonement to you, and that all the gods, the heroes and the lesser divinities, the city and the country, should reap the benefit of the tribunes’ folly, and that nothing whatever should be exempted, nothing go unrevenged by you, have you not already exacted sufficient punishment from us all you slaying so many people, ravaging so much territory by fire and sword, razing to the ground so many cities, and doing away in many places with the festivals, the sacrifices and the worship of the gods and other divinities and compelling them to go without their festivals and sacrifices and to have no part in their customary honours?
[2] ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἠξίουν ἄνδρα, ὅτῳ φροντὶς ὁποσηοῦν ἀρετῆς ἐστιν, οὔτε συναναιρεῖν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τὰ φίλια οὔτε χαλεπὸν ὀργὴν εἶναι καὶ ἀπαραίτητον εἰς τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντάς τι περὶ αὐτόν, ἄλλως τε καὶ δίκας παρ᾽
[2] For my part, I should have refused to believe that a man who had the least regard for virtue would either destroy his friends along with his enemies or show himself harsh and inexorable in his anger toward those who offend him in any way, especially after he has already exacted from them many severe retributions.
[3] αὐτῶν εἰληφότα πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας. ἃ μὲν οὖν ἀπολογεῖσθαί τε περὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν εἴχομεν καὶ παραιτεῖσθαί σε περὶ τῶν δημοτικῶν, ταῦτ᾽ ἐστιν, ἃ δ᾽ ὑποτίθεσθαί σοι δι᾽ εὔνοιαν οἱ τιμιώτατοι φίλων ἥκοντες καὶ ὑπισχνεῖσθαι διαλλαττομένῳ πρὸς τὴν πατρίδα, ταυτί: ἐν ᾧ τὸ δύνασθαί σοι μάλιστα ὑπάρχει καὶ τὸ θεῖον ἔτι συλλαμβάνει μετριάσαι καὶ ταμιεύεσθαι τὴν τύχην ἐνθυμηθέντα, ὅτι μεταβολὰς ἔχει πάντα τὰ πράγματα καὶ οὐδὲν ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν φιλεῖ διαμένειν, νεμεσᾶταί τε πάντα ὑπὸ θεῶν τὰ ὑπερέχοντα, ὅταν εἰς ἄκρον ἐπιφανείας ἀφίκηται, καὶ τρέπεται πάλιν εἰς τὸ μηδέν. μάλιστα δὲ τοῦτο πάσχει τὰ σκληρὰ καὶ μεγάλαυχα φρονήματα καὶ τοὺς ὅρους ἐκβαίνοντα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως.
[3] These, then, are the considerations we had to offer you by way of both clearing ourselves and asking to be lenient toward the plebeians; and the advice which we, your most valued friends, were ready to give you out of goodwill if you were bent on strife, and the promises we could make if you were ready to be reconciled to your country, are as follows: While your power is greatest and Heaven still assists you, we advise you to act with moderation and to husband your good fortune, bearing in mind that all things are subject to change and that nothing is apt to continue long in the same state. All things that wax too great, when they reach the peak of eminence, incur the displeasure of the gods and are brought to naught again. And this is the fate which comes especially to stubborn and haughty spirits and those that overstep the bounds of human nature.
[4] ὑπάρχει δέ σοι νῦν ἁπάντων κράτιστα καταλύσασθαι τὸν πόλεμον: ἥ τε γὰρ βουλὴ πᾶσα ὥρμηται τὴν κάθοδον ψηφίσασθαί σοι, καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἕτοιμός ἐστι νόμῳ κυρωθέντι λῦσαι τὴν ἀειφυγίαν. τί οὖν ἔτι κωλύει σε τὰς ἡδίστας καὶ τιμιωτάτας ὄψεις τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων σωμάτων ἀπολαβεῖν καὶ κεκομίσθαι τὴν περιμάχητον πατρίδα ἄρχειν τε ὥσπερ σοι προσῆκεν [p. 160] ἀρχόντων καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι ἡγεμόνων παισί τε καὶ ἐγγόνοις μέγιστον αὔχημα καταλιπεῖν; τούτων μέντοι τῶν ὑποσχέσεων ἡμεῖς ἐγγυηταὶ πασῶν ἐσμεν ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα γενησομένων. νῦν μὲν γὰρ οὐχὶ καλῶς εἶχε ψηφίσασθαί
[4] It is in your power now to put an end to the war on the best possible terms; for the whole senate is eager to pass a vote for your return, and the populace is ready by a law ratifying the senate’s vote to annul your sentence of perpetual banishment. What is there, then, to prevent you any longer from enjoying once more the most dear and precious sight of your nearest of kin, from recovering your fatherland that is so well worth fighting for, from ruling, as you ought, over rulers and commanding those who cdm others, and from bequeathing to children and descendants the greatest glory?
[5] σοι τὴν βουλὴν ἢ τὸν δῆμον οὐθὲν ἐπιεικὲς ἢ μέτριον, ἕως ἀντιπαρεστρατοπέδευκας ἡμῖν καὶ τὰ πολεμίων ἔργα δρᾷς: εἰ δ᾽ ἀποσταίης τῶν ὅπλων, ἥξει σοι τὸ περὶ τῆς καθόδου ψήφισμα φερόμενον ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν οὐκ εἰς μακράν.
[5] Moreover, we are the sureties that all these promises will be performed forthwith. For though at present it would not be well for the senate or the people to pass any mild or lenient vote in your favour while you are encamped against us and are committing hostile acts, yet if you lay down your arms, the decree for your return will soon come to you, brought by us.
[1] ἀγαθὰ μὲν δὴ ταῦτα ὑπάρξει σοι διαλλαττομένῳ, μένοντι δ᾽ ἐπὶ τῆς ὀργῆς καὶ μὴ διαλυομένῳ τὸ μῖσος πρὸς ἡμᾶς πολλὰ καὶ χαλεπά, ἐξ ὧν ἐγὼ δύο τὰ μέγιστα νυνὶ καὶ φανερώτατα ἐρῶ. πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι δυσκόλου γενέσθαι, μᾶλλον δ᾽ ἀδυνάτου πράγματος πονηρὸν ἔρωτα ἔχεις, πόλεως τῆς Ῥωμαίων καθελεῖν τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς Οὐολούσκων ὅπλοις: ἔπειθ᾽ ὅτι σοι κατ�
�ρθώσαντί τε καὶ δὴ τυχόντι πάντων ἀνθρώπων ὑπάρξει δυστυχεστάτῳ νομίζεσθαι. ἐξ ὧν δὲ ταῦτα παρίσταταί μοι περὶ σοῦ φρονεῖν, ἄκουσον, ὦ Μάρκιε, μηθὲν πρὸς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν μου τῶν λόγων τραχυνόμενος. σκόπει δὲ πρῶτον ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀδυνάτου.
[26.1] “These, then, are the advantages you will reap by becoming reconciled; whereas, if you psi in your resentment and do not give up your hatred toward us, many disagreeable things will befall you, of which I shall now mention two as the most important and the most obvious. The first is that you have an evil passion for a thing that is difficult of accomplishment, or rather, impossible — the overthrow of the power of Rome, and that too by the arms of the Volscians; the second is that, alike if you succeeded and if you fail, it will be your lot to be looked upon as the most unfortunate of all men. Hear now, Marcius, the reasons that induce me to entertain this opinion concerning you, and take no offence at my frankness of speech.
[2] Ῥωμαίοις, ὡς οἶσθα καὶ σύ, πολλὴ μέν ἐστι νεότης ἐπιχώριος, ἧς εἰ τὸ στασιάζον ἐξαιρεθείη: γενήσεται δὲ τοῦτο κατὰ πολλὴν ἀνάγκην νυνὶ διὰ τόνδε τὸν πόλεμον, πάντα γὰρ ὑπὸ δέους κοινοῦ συνίστασθαι φιλεῖ τὰ διάφορα: οὐχ ὅτι Οὐολοῦσκοι κρατήσουσιν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἄλλο τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐθνῶν οὐθέν: πολλὴ [p. 161] δ᾽ ἡ Λατίνων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων συμμάχων τε καὶ ἀποίκων τῆς πόλεως ἰσχύς, ἣν ὀλίγου πᾶσαν ἐπίκουρον ἥξειν προσδέχου: στρατηγοί τε οἷος σὺ καὶ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ νέοι τοσοῦτοι τὸ πλῆθος, ὅσοι παρὰ πάσαις οὐκ εἰσὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσι.
[2] Consider, first, the impossibility of the thing. The Romans, as you yourself know, have a numerous body of youth of their own nation, whom, if the sedition is once banished from among them — and banished it will now inevitably be by this war, since a common fear is wont to reconcile all differences — surely not the Volscians, nay, no other Italian nation either, will ever overcome. Great also is the power of the Latins and of our other allies and colonies, and that power, be assured, will soon come to our assistance. We have generals too of the same ability as yourself, both older men and young, in greater number than are to be found in any other states.
[3] μεγίστη δὲ πασῶν βοήθεια καὶ τὰς ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς ἐλπίδας οὐδέποθ᾽ ἡμῶν ψευσαμένη συμπάσης τ᾽ ἀμείνων ἀνθρωπίνης ἰσχύος, ἡ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν εὔνοια, δι᾽ οὓς οὐ μόνον ἐλευθέραν εἰς τόδε χρόνου τὴν πόλιν τήνδε οἰκοῦμεν ὀγδόην ἤδη τὴν νῦν γενεάν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐδαίμονα καὶ πολλῶν ἐθνῶν ἄρχουσαν.
[3] But the greatest assistance of all, and one which in times of danger has never betrayed our hopes, and better too than all human strength combined, is the favour of the gods, by whom this city which we inhabit not only continues to this day to preserve her liberty for already the eighth generation, but is also flourishing and the ruler over many nations.
[4] μὴ δὲ Πεδανοῖς ἡμᾶς εἰκάσῃς μηδὲ Τολερίνοις μηδὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις μικροπολίταις, ὧν κατέσχες τὰ πολίχνια: καὶ γὰρ ἥττων ἄν τίς σου στρατηγὸς καὶ ἀπ᾽ ἐλάττονος ἢ τοσαύτης στρατιᾶς ὀλιγανθρωπίαν καὶ φαυλότητα ἐρυμάτων ἐβιάσατο: ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθυμοῦ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς πόλεως καὶ τὴν λαμπρότητα τῶν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις πράξεων καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ θείου παροῦσαν αὐτῇ τύχην,
[4] And do not liken us to the Pedani, the Tolerienses, or the peoples of the other petty towns you have seized; for a general less able than yourself and with a smaller army than this great host of yours could have reduced small garrisons and slight defences. But consider the greatness of our city, the brilliance of her achievements in war, and the good fortune that abides with her through the favour of the gods, by which she has been raised from a small beginning to her present grandeur.
[5] δἰ ἣν ἐκ μικρᾶς τοσαύτη γέγονε. καὶ τὴν σεαυτοῦ δύναμιν, ἣν ἄγων ἔργῳ τοσῷδε ἐπιχειρεῖς, μὴ νόμιζε ἠλλάχθαι, ἀλλὰ μέμνησο ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι Οὐολούσκων τε καὶ Αἰκανῶν στρατιὰν ἐπάγῃ, οὓς ἡμεῖς οἵδε οἱ νῦν ὄντες ἐν πολλαῖς ἐνικῶμεν μάχαις, ὁσάκις ἡμῖν ἐτόλμησαν εἰς πόλεμον καταστῆναι: ὥστε σὺν τοῖς χείροσιν ἀγωνίζεσθαι μέλλων ἴσθι πρὸς τοὺς κρείττονας καὶ σὺν τοῖς ἡττωμένοις διὰ παντὸς πρὸς τοὺς νικῶντας ἀεί.
[5] As for your own forces, at the head of which you are undertaking so great an enterprise, do not imagine that they have changed, but bear clearly in mind that you are leading against us an army of mere Volscians and Aequians, whom we here who are still living were wont to defeat in many battles, yes, as often as they dared to come to an engagement with us. Know, then, that you are going to fight with inferior troops against those that are superior to them, and with troops that are accustomed to defeat every time against those that are always victorious.
[6] εἰ δὲ δὴ τἀναντία τούτων ἦν, ἐκεῖνό γέ τοι θαυμάζειν [p. 162] ἄξιον, πῶς λέληθέ σε πολεμικῶν ὄντα πραγμάτων ἔμπειρον, ὅτι τὸ παρὰ τὰ δεινὰ εὔτολμον οὐκ ἐξ ἴσου παραγίνεσθαι φιλεῖ τοῖς θ᾽ ὑπὲρ οἰκείων ἀγαθῶν ἀγωνιζομένοις καὶ τοῖς ἐπὶ τἀλλότρια πορευομένοις: οἱ μέν γ᾽ οὐδέν, ἐὰν μὴ κατορθώσωσι, βλάπτονται, τοῖς δ᾽ οὐδέν, ἐὰν πταίσωσι, καταλείπεται: καὶ τοῦ σφάλλεσθαι τὰς μεγάλας δυνάμεις ὑπὸ τῶν ἐλαττόνων καὶ τὰς κρείττους ὑπὸ τῶν φαυλοτέρων τοῦτ᾽ ἐν τοῖς μάλιστ᾽ αἴτιον ἦν. δεινὴ γὰρ ἡ ἀνάγκη, καὶ ὁ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων κίνδυνος ἱκανὸς θάρσος ἐνθεῖναί τινι καὶ μὴ προϋπάρχον φύσει. εἶχον ἔτι πλείω λέγειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀδυνάτου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦθ᾽ ἱκανά.
[6] Yet even if the contrary of this were true, it would still be a matter for wonder how you, who are experienced in warfare, could have failed to observe that courage in the face of danger is not apt to be felt in equal measure by those who fight for their own blessings and by those who set out after what belongs to others. For the latter, if they do not succeed, suffer no loss, whereas the others, if they are defeated, have nothing left. And this is the chief reason why large armies have often been beaten by smaller ones and superior forces by inferior ones. For necessity is formidable, and a struggle in which life itself is at stake is capable of inspiring boldness in a man which was not already his by nature. I had many other things to say concerning the impossibility of your undertaking, but this is enough.
[1] εἷς ἔτι μοι καταλείπεται λόγος, ὃν εἰ μὴ μετ᾽ ὀργῆς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ λογισμοῦ κρινεῖς, ὀρθῶς τ᾽ εἰρῆσθαι δόξει καὶ παραστήσεταί σοι μεταμέλεια τῶν πραττομένων. τίς δ�
�� ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ λόγος; οὐδενὶ θνητῷ φύντι θεοὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἔσεσθαι βεβαίαν ἐπιστήμην ἔδωκαν ἔχειν, οὐδ᾽ ἂν εὕροις ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος, ὅτῳ πάντα κατὰ νοῦν ἐχώρησε τὰ πράγματα μηδὲν ἐναντιωθείσης τῆς τύχης.
[27.1] “I still have one argument left which, if you will judge of it by reason rather than in anger, will not only seem to you to have been well made, but will also cause you to repent of what you are doing. What is this argument? That the gods have not given it to any mortal creature to possess sure knowledge of future events, and you will not find in all past time a man for whom all his undertakings succeeded according to his plan and whom Fortune thwarted in none.
[2] καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οἱ φρονήσει προὔχοντες ἑτέρων, ἣν ὁ μακρὸς βίος καὶ τὰ πολλὰ μαθήματα φέρει, πρὶν ἐγχειρεῖν ὁτῳδήποτε ἔργῳ, τὸ τέλος αὐτοῦ πρῶτον οἴονται δεῖν σκοπεῖν, οὐ θάτερον μόνον, ὃ βούλονται γενέσθαι σφίσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ παρὰ [p. 163] γνώμην ἐκβησόμενον: μάλιστα δ᾽ οἱ τῶν πολέμων ἡγεμόνες, ὅσῳ μειζόνων τε γίνονται πραγμάτων κύριοι, καὶ τὰς αἰτίας τῶν κατορθωμάτων ἢ σφαλμάτων ἅπαντες ἐπὶ τούτους ἀναφέρουσιν. ἔπειτ᾽ ἂν μὲν εὕρωσι μηδεμίαν ἐνοῦσαν ἢ μικρὰς καὶ ὀλίγας ἐν τῷ μὴ κατορθῶσαι βλάβας, ἅπτονται τῶν ἔργων, ἐὰν δὲ πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας,
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 610