[4] For you see to what lengths the unruliness of the populace has gone and that they no longer care to be governed by the consuls; indeed, they were so far from repenting of what they did here that they showed the same unruliness in the field too, throwing away their arms, quitting their posts, abandoning their standards to the enemy and resorting to disgraceful flight before ever coming to grips with them, as if they could rob me alone of the glory of the victory without robbing the fatherland at the same time of the renown it would gain at the expense of their enemies.
[5] καὶ νῦν Οὐολούσκοις κατὰ Ῥωμαίων ἵσταται τρόπαια, καὶ κοσμεῖται τοῖς ἡμετέροις λαφύροις τἀκείνων ἱερὰ καὶ ἐν αὐχήμασιν, ἡλίκοις οὐπώποτε αἱ πόλεις αὐτῶν εἰσιν τέως ὑπὲρ ἀνδραποδισμοῦ τε καὶ κατασκαφῆς τῶν ἡμετέρων δεόμεναι ἡγεμόνων.
[5] And now trophies are being erected by the Volscians over the Romans, their temples are being adorned with spoils taken from us and their cities vaunt themselves as never before — those cities which were wont aforetime to beseech our generals to save them from slavery and total destruction.
[6] ἆρά γε δίκαιον ἢ καλὸν ἐπὶ τοιούτοις κατορθώμασι χάριν αὐτοῖς ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι, καὶ δημοσίαις ἐπικοσμεῖν δωρεαῖς κληρουχήσαντας τὴν γῆν, ἧς πολέμιοι κρατοῦσι τὸ κατὰ τούτους εἶναι μέρος; ἀλλὰ τί δεῖ τούτοις ἐγκαλεῖν, οἷς δι᾽ ἀπαιδευσίαν τε καὶ δυσγένειαν ὀλίγος ἐστὶ τῶν καλῶν λόγος, ὁρῶντας, ὡς οὐδ᾽ ἐν τοῖς ὑμετέροις ἤθεσι πᾶσιν ἔτι τὸ ἀρχαῖον οἰκεῖ φρόνημα, ἀλλ᾽ αὐθάδεια μὲν ἡ σεμνότης καλεῖται πρὸς ἐνίων, μωρία δ᾽ ἡ δικαιοσύνη, μανικὸν δὲ τὸ ἀνδρεῖον, καὶ ἠλίθιον τὸ σῶφρον; ἃ δὲ μισητὰ παρὰ τοῖς προτέροις ἦν, ταῦτα πυργοῦταί τε νῦν καὶ θαυμάσια ἡλίκα φαίνεται τοῖς διεφθαρμένοις ἀγαθά, ἀνανδρία καὶ βωμολοχία καὶ κακοήθεια καὶ τὸ πανούργως σοφὸν καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἅπαντα ἰταμὸν καὶ τὸ μηδενὶ τῶν κρειττόνων εὐπειθές: ἃ πολλὰς ἤδη πόλεις [p. 369]
[6] Is it just, then, or becoming in you to feel gratitude to you for such successes and to honour them with public grants by dividing up the land which, so far as they are concerned, is in the enemy’s possession? Yet why should we accuse those who because of their lack of education and because of their low birth pay little regard to matters of honour, when we see that no longer in the character of all even of your own number does the ancient proud spirit dwell, but, on the contrary, some call gravity haughtiness, justice folly, courage madness, and modesty stupidity? On the other hand, those qualities that were held in detestation by the men of former times are now extolled and appear to the corrupt as wonderful virtues, such as cowardice, buffoonery, malignity, crafty wisdom, rashness in undertaking everything and unwillingness to listen to any of one’s betters — vices which ere now have laid hold on and utterly overthrown many strong states.
[7] ἰσχυρὰς λαβόντα ἐκ βάθρων ἀνέτρεψε. ταῦθ᾽ ὑμῖν, ὦ βουλή, εἴθ᾽ ἡδέα ἐστὶν ἀκούειν εἴτ᾽ ἀνιαρά, μετὰ πάσης ἀληθείας καὶ παρρησίας εἴρηται, τοῖς μὲν πεισθησομένοις ὑμῶν, ἐὰν ἄρα πεισθῆτε, ἔν τε τῷ παρόντι χρήσιμα καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἀσφαλῆ: ἐμοὶ δ᾽, ὃς ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινῇ συμφέροντος ἰδίας ἀπεχθείας ἀναιροῦμαι, πολλῶν ἐσόμενα κινδύνων αἴτια. προορᾶν γὰρ ἱκανός εἰμι τὰ συμβησόμενα ἐκ λογισμοῦ, καὶ παραδείγματα ποιοῦμαι τἀλλότρια πάθη τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ.
[7] These words, senators, whether they are pleasing to you to hear or vexatious, have been uttered in all sincerity and frankness. To those among you who will be persuaded — if indeed you will be persuaded — they will prove both useful at the present time and a source of security for the future; but to me, who in the interest of the public good am bringing private hatreds upon myself, they will be the cause of great dangers. For reason enables me to foresee what will happen; and I take the misfortunes of others as examples of my own.”
[1] ταῦτ᾽ εἰπόντος Ἀππίου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὀλίγου δεῖν πάντων τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἀποφηναμένων ἡ μὲν βουλὴ διελύετο. οἱ δὲ δήμαρχοι δι᾽ ὀργῆς ἔχοντες τὴν ἀποτυχίαν ἀπῄεσαν καὶ μετὰ τοῦτ᾽ ἐσκόπουν, ὅπως τιμωρήσονται τὸν ἄνδρα: ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ βουλευσαμένοις δίκῃ τὸν Ἄππιον ὑπαγαγεῖν θάνατον ἐχούσῃ τὸ τίμημα. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτ᾽ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς κατηγορήσαντες παρεκάλουν ἥκειν ἅπαντας εἰς τὴν ἀποδειχθησομένην ἡμέραν ὡς διοίσοντας ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ
[54.1] After Appius had spoken thus and almost all the others had expressed the same opinion, the senate was dismissed. The tribunes, angry at their failure, departed and after that considered how they might take revenge on the man; and they decided, after long deliberation, to bring him to trial on a capital charge. Then, having accused him before the popular assembly, they asked all to be present on the day they should appoint in order to give their votes concerning him.
[2] ψῆφον. ἃ δὲ κατηγορεῖν ἔμελλον, ταῦτ᾽ ἦν: ὅτι πονηρὰς ἐτίθει κατὰ τοῦ δήμου γνώμας, καὶ στάσιν εἰσῆγεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ δημάρχῳ χεῖρας ἐπήνεγκε παρὰ τοὺς ἱεροὺς νόμους, καὶ στρατιᾶς ἡγησάμενος σὺν βλάβῃ τε καὶ αἰσχύνῃ μεγάλῃ ἀνέστρεψε. ταῦτα προειπόντες ἐν τῷ πλήθει, καὶ ῥητήν τινα ἀποδεἰξαντες ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τέλος ἔφησαν ἐπιθήσειν τῇ δίκῃ, παρήγγειλαν αὐτῷ παρεῖναι τότ᾽ ἀπολογησομένῳ.
[2] The charges they planned to bring against him were these: that he had been spring mischievous opinions against the populace and introducing sedition into the commonwealth, that he had laid hands on a tribune contrary to the sacred laws, and that after taking command of the army he had returned home with great loss and disgrace. After announcing these accusations to the populace and appointing a definite day on which they said they would hold the trial, they summoned him to appear on the day named and make his defence.
[3] ἀγανακτούντων δ᾽ ἁπάντων τῶν πατρικίων καὶ παρεσκευασμένων [p. 370] ἁπάσῃ προθυμίᾳ σώζειν τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ τὸν Ἄππιον παρακαλούντων εἶξαι τῷ καιρῷ καὶ σχῆμα ταῖς παρούσαις τύχαις ἁρμόττον μεταλαβεῖν, οὐδὲν ἔφη ποιήσειν ὁ ἀνὴρ οὔτ᾽ ἀγεννὲς οὔτε τῶν προγεγονότων ἔργων ἀνάξιον, μυρίους δ᾽ ἂν ὑπομεῖναι θανάτους πρότερον ἢ γονάτων ἅψασθαί τινος: τούς θ᾽ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ δεῖσθαι παρεσκευασμένους διεκώλυεν εἰπών, ὡς διπλασίως ἂν αἰδεσθείη ταῦθ᾽ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ποιοῦντας ἑτέρους ὁρῶν, ἃ μηδ᾽
αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ πράττειν πρέποντα ἡγεῖται.
[3] All the patricians resented this proceeding and were prepared to use every effort to save Appius, and they urged him to yield to the occasion and to assume a bearing suitable to his present fortunes; but he declared that he would do nothing ignoble or unworthy of his former conduct, and that he would rather die a thousand deaths than cling to the knees of any man. And though his friends were prepared to make entreaties in his behalf, he would not permit it, saying that he would be doubly ashamed to see others doing for him things which he thought unbecoming even for him to do for himself.
[4] ταῦτά τε δὴ καὶ πολλὰ ὅμοια τούτοις λέγων, καὶ οὔτ᾽ ἐσθῆτα ἀλλάξας οὔτε τὸ τῆς ὄψεως γαῦρον ἀλλοιώσας οὔτε φρονήματός τι ὑφέμενος, ὡς εἶδεν ὀρθὴν καὶ μετέωρον ἐπὶ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τοῦ ἀγῶνος τὴν πόλιν, ὀλίγων ἔτι λειπομένων ἡμερῶν ἑαυτὸν διεχρήσατο.
[4] After he had said this and many other things of like nature and neither changed his dress, altered the haughtiness of his looks nor abated anything of his proud spirit, when now he saw the whole city intent upon his trial and on tiptoe with expectation, and only a few days were left, he made away with himself;
[5] οἱ μὲν δὴ προσήκοντες αὐτῷ νόσον ἐσκήπτοντο γενέσθαι τοῦ θανάτου αἰτίαν: προενεχθέντος δὲ τοῦ σώματος εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ὁ μὲν υἱὸς αὐτοῦ προσιὼν τοῖς δημάρχοις καὶ τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἠξίου τὴν νόμιμον ἐκκλησίαν αὐτῷ συναγαγεῖν καὶ τὸν ἐν ἔθει Ῥωμαίοις ὄντα ἐπὶ ταῖς ταφαῖς ἀγορεύεσθαι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν λόγον ἐπιτρέψαι περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς διελθεῖν.
[5] his relations, however, pretended that he had died a natural death. When his body was brought into the Forum, his son went to the tribunes and consuls and asked them to assemble the people for him in the manner usual upon such occasions and give him leave to deliver the eulogy over his father according to the practice of the Romans at the funerals of worthy men.
[6] οἱ δὲ δήμαρχοι καλουμένης ἔτι τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων ἐνίσταντο, καὶ παρήγγελλον τῷ μειρακίῳ τὸν νεκρὸν ἀποφέρειν. οὐ μὴν ὁ δῆμός γ᾽ ἠνέσχετο οὐδὲ περιεῖδε τὴν ὕβριν, ἄτιμον ἐκβληθῆναι τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπέτρεψε τῷ μειρακίῳ [p. 371] τὰς νομιζομένας ἀποδοῦναι τῷ πατρὶ τιμάς. Ἄππιος μὲν οὖν τοιαύτης τελευτῆς ἔτυχεν.
[6] But the tribunes, even while the consuls were calling the assembly, vetoed it and bade the youth take away the body. However, the people would not permit this nor allow the body to be cast out in dishonour and ignominy, but gave leave to the youth to render the customary honours to his father. Such was the end of Appius.
[1] οἱ δ᾽ ὕπατοι καταγράψαντες τὰς δυνάμεις ἐξῆγον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως: Λεύκιος μὲν Οὐαλέριος Αἰκανοῖς πολεμήσων, Τιβέριος δ᾽ Αἰμίλιος Σαβίνοις. καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι κατὰ τὸν τῆς στάσεως καιρὸν ἐνέβαλον εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων χώραν καὶ πολλὴν αὐτῆς κακώσαντες ἀπῆλθον λείαν ἄφθονον περιβαλόμενοι. Αἰκανοὶ μὲν οὖν πολλάκις εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθόντες καὶ πολλὰς πληγὰς λαβόντες εἰς τὸν χάρακα ἐν ἐχυρῷ χωρίῳ κείμενον κατέφυγον καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐκέτι προῄεσαν εἰς μάχην.
[55.1] The consuls, having enrolled the armies, led them out of the city, Lucius Valerius to fight against the Aequians and Tiberius Aemilius against the Sabines; for these nations had made an incursion into the Romans’ country on the occasion of the sedition and after plundering much of it had returned home with rich booty. The Aequians came to an engagement repeatedly; but after receiving many wounds they fled to their camp, which was situated in a strong place, and from that time no longer came out to fight.
[2] ὁ δὲ Οὐαλέριος ἐπεχείρησε μὲν ἐκπολιορκεῖν αὐτῶν τὸ στρατόπεδον, ἐκωλύθη δ᾽ ὑπὸ τοῦ δαιμονίου. προιόντι γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ ἤδη ἔργου ἐχομένῳ ζόφος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ γίνεται καὶ ὄμβρος πολύς, ἀστραπαὶ δὲ καὶ βρονταὶ σκληραί. διασκεδασθείσης δὲ τῆς στρατιᾶς ὅ τε χειμὼν εὐθὺς ἐπαύσατο καὶ πολλὴ κατέσχε τὸν τόπον αἰθρία. τοῦτό τε δὴ τὸ ἔργον ὀττευσάμενος ὁ ὕπατος, καὶ τῶν μάντεων κωλυόντων ἔτι πολιορκεῖν τὸ χωρίον, ἀποτραπεὶς τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν ἐκάκου, καὶ ὅσῃ ἐπέτυχε λείᾳ τοῖς στρατιώταις ἅπασαν ὠφελεῖσθαι ἐφείς, ἀπῆγεν ἐπ᾽
[2] Valerius endeavoured to take their camp by storm but was prevented by the gods from doing so. For as he was advancing and already setting himself to the task darkness descended from the sky, and a heavy rain, accompanied by lightning and terrible thunder claps. Then, as soon as the army had scattered, the storm ceased and the sky over the place became perfectly clear. The consul looking upon this as an omen and the augurs forbidding him to besiege the place any longer, he desisted and laid waste the enemy’s country; then, having yielded as spoils to the soldiers all the booty he came upon, he led the army home.
[3] οἴκου τὴν δύναμιν. Τιβερίῳ δ᾽ Αἰμιλίῳ διεξιόντι τὴν πολεμίαν σὺν πολλῇ καταφρονήσει κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς καὶ οὐδὲν ἔτι προσδοκῶντι ἀντίπαλον ἐπῆλθεν ἡ Σαβίνων δύναμις καὶ γίνεται μάχη αὐτῶν ἐκ παρατάξεως μεσούσης μάλιστα τῆς ἡμέρας ἀρξαμένη μέχρι δύσεως ἡλίου. [p. 372] σκότους δ᾽ ἐπιλαμβάνοντος ἀνεχώρουν αἱ δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν χάρακας οὔτε νικῶσαι οὔτε λειπόμεναι.
[3] As for Tiberius Aemilius, while he was overrunning the enemy’s country with great contempt of them at first and no longer expecting anyone to oppose him, the army of the Sabines came upon him and a pitched battle took place between them, beginning about noon and lasting till sunset; but when darkness came on, the two armies retired to their camps neither victorious nor yet outmatched.
[4] ταῖς δ᾽ ἑξῆς ἡμέραις νεκρούς τε τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἐκήδευσαν οἱ ἡγεμόνες καὶ χάρακας ἐξωρύξαντο, καὶ γνώμας τὰς αὐτὰς εἶχον ἑκάτεροι, διὰ φυλακῆς τὰ οἰκεῖα ἔχειν καὶ μηκέτι ἄρχειν μάχης. ἔπειτα σὺν χρόνῳ τὰς σκηνὰς λύσαντες ἀπῆγον τὰς δυνάμεις.
[4] During the following days the commanders paid the final offices to their dead and constructed ramparts for their camps; and both of them had the same intention, which was to defend their own positions and not to engage in another action. Then, after a time, they struck their tents and withdrew their forces.
[1] ἐν δὲ τῷ μετὰ τούτους τοὺς ὑπάτους ἔτει, κατὰ τὴν ἑβδομηκοστὴν καὶ ὀγδόην ὀλυμπιάδα, ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Παρμενίδης Ποσειδωνιάτης Ἀθήνῃσι τὴν ἐνιαύσιον ἀρχὴ�
� ἔχοντος Θεαγενίδου, κατεστάθησαν ὕπατοι Ῥωμαίων Αὖλος Οὐεργίνιος Καιλιμοντανὸς καὶ Τῖτος Νομίκιος Πρίσκος. ἄρτι δ᾽ αὐτῶν τὴν ἀρχὴν παρειληφότων ἀγγέλλεται στρατιὰ Οὐολούσκων πολλὴ παροῦσα. καὶ μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ τῶν περιπολίων τι τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ἐξ ἐφόδου καταληφθὲν ἐκαίετο: ἦν δ᾽ οὐ διὰ μακροῦ τῆς Ῥώμης, καὶ ὁ καπνὸς ἤγγελλε τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει τὸ πάθος.
[56] The year following their consulship, in the seventy-eighth Olympiad (the one at which Parmenides of Posidonia won the foot-race), Theagenides being annual archon at Athens, Aulus Verginius Caelimontanus and Titus Numicius Priscus were made consuls. They had no sooner entered upon their magistracy than news was brought that a numerous army of Volscians was at hand. And not long afterwards one of the guard-houses of the Romans was on fire after being taken by assault; it was not far from Rome and the smoke informed the people in the city of the disaster.
[2] τότε μὲν οὖν — καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἔτι νύξ — ἱππεῖς τινας ἀποστείλαντες ἐπὶ κατασκοπὴν οἱ ὕπατοι καὶ φυλακὰς καταστήσαντες ἐπὶ τοῖς τείχεσι καὶ αὐτοὶ ταξάμενοι τρὸ τῶν πυλῶν σὺν τοῖς εὐζωνοτάτοις, ἐξεδέχοντο τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἱππέων ἀγγελίας: ὡς δ᾽ ἡμέρα τ᾽ ἐγένετο, καὶ συνήθροιστο αὐτοῖς ἡ ἐν τῇ πόλει δύναμις, [p. 373] ἦγον ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους. οἱ δὲ διαρπάσαντες καὶ κατακαύσαντες τὸ φρούριον ἀπῄεσαν διὰ τάχους.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 653