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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [3] For both these nations had revolted from the Roman rule at the same time. The Sabines had done so openly, and had advanced as far as Fidenae, which was in the possession of the Romans; the two cities are forty stades apart. As for the Aequians, though nominally they were observing the terms of the alliance they had recently made, in reality they too were acting like enemies;

  [4] ἐπὶ γὰρ τοὺς συμμάχους [p. 42] αὐτῶν Λατίνους ἐστράτευσαν, ὡς οὐ γενομένων αὐτοῖς πρὸς ἐκείνους ὁμολογιῶν περὶ φιλίας. ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῆς στρατιᾶς Γράγχος Κοίλιος, ἀνὴρ δραστήριος ἀρχῇ κοσμηθεὶς αὐτοκράτορι, ἣν ἐπὶ τὸ βασιλικώτερον ἐξήγαγεν. ἐλάσας δὲ μέχρι Τύσκλου πόλεως, ἣν Αἰκανοὶ τῷ πρόσθεν ἐνιαυτῷ καταλαβόμενοι καὶ διαρπάσαντες ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἐξεκρούσθησαν, ἀνθρώπους τε πολλοὺς ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν συνήρπασε καὶ βοσκήματα, ὅσα κατέλαβε, καὶ τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς γῆς ἐν ἀκμῇ ὄντας ἔφθειρεν.

  [4] for they had made war upon the Latins, the allies of the Romans, claiming that they had made no compact of friendship with that nation. Their army was commanded by Cloelius Gracchus, a man of action who had been invested with absolute authority, which he increased to more nearly royal power. This leader, marching as far as the city of Tusculum, which the Aequians had taken and plundered the year before, only to be driven out of it by the Romans, seized a great number of men and all the cattle he found in the fields, and destroyed the crops, which were then ripe.

  [5] ἀφικομένης δὲ πρεσβείας, ἣν ἀπέστειλεν ἡ Ῥωμαίων βουλὴ μαθεῖν ἀξιοῦσα, τί παθόντες Αἰκανοὶ πολεμοῦσι τοῖς Ῥωμαίων συμμάχοις, φιλίας τ᾽ αὐτοῖς ὀμωμοσμένης νεωστὶ καὶ οὐδενὸς ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ χρόνῳ γενομένου προσκρούσματος τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ παραινούσης τῷ Κοιλίῳ τούς τ᾽ αἰχμαλώτους αὐτῶν οὓς εἶχεν ἀφιέναι καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἀπάγειν καὶ περὶ ὧν ἠδίκησεν ἢ κατέβλαψε Τυσκλάνους δίκην ὑποσχεῖν, πολὺν μὲν χρόνον διέτριψεν ὁ Γράγχος οὐδ᾽ εἰς λόγους τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς ἐρχόμενος, ὡς ἐν ἀσχολίαις δή

  [5] When an embassy arrived, sent by the Roman senate, which demanded to know what provocation had induced the Aequians to make war upon the allies of the Romans, though they had recently sworn to a treaty of peace with them and no cause of offence had since arisen between the two nations, and the envoys advised Cloelius to release the Tusculan prisoners whom he held, to withdraw his forces and to stand trial for the injuries and damage he had done to the Tusculans, he delayed a long time without even giving audience to them, pretending that he was occupied with some business or other.

  [6] τισι γεγονώς. ἐπεὶ δ᾽ οὖν ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ προσάγειν τοὺς πρέσβεις, κἀκεῖνοι τοὺς ἐπισταλέντας ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς λόγους διεξῆλθον: θαυμάζω. φησίν, ὑμῶν, ὦ Ῥωμαῖοι, τί δή ποτ᾽ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους ἡγεῖσθε πολεμίους, καὶ ὑφ᾽ ὧν οὐδὲν κακὸν πεπόνθατε, ἀρχῆς καὶ τυραννίδος ἕνεκα, Αἰκανοῖς δ᾽ οὐ συγχωρεῖτε παρὰ τουτωνὶ Τυσκλάνων ἐχθρῶν ὄντων ἀναπράττεσθαι δίκας, οὐθενὸς ἡμῖν διωμολογημένου περὶ αὐτῶν,

  [6] And when he did see fit to have them introduced and they had delivered the senate’s message, he said: “I wonder at you, Romans, why in the world, when you yourselves regard all men as enemies, even those from whom you have received no injury, because of your lust for dominion and tyranny, you do not concede to the Aequians the right to take vengeance on these Tusculans here, who are our enemies, inasmuch as we made no agreement with regard to them at the time we concluded the treaty with you.

  [7] ὅτε τὰς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐποιούμεθα συνθήκας. εἰ μὲν [p. 43] οὖν τῶν ὑμετέρων ἰδίων ἀδικεῖσθαί τι ἢ βλάπτεσθαι λέγετε ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν, τὰ δίκαια ὑφέξομεν ὑμῖν κατὰ τὰς ὁμολογίας: εἰ δὲ περὶ Τυσκλάνων ἀναπραξόμενοι δίκας ἥκετε, οὐθείς ἐστιν ὑμῖν πρὸς ἐμὲ περὶ τούτων λόγος, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ταύτην λαλεῖτε τὴν φηγόν: δείξας αὐτοῖς τινα πλησίον πεφυκυῖαν.

  [7] Now if you claim that any interest of your own is suffering injustice or injury at our hands, we will afford you proper indemnity in accordance with the treaty; but if you have come to exact satisfaction on behalf of the Tusculans, you have no reckoning with me on that subject, but go talk to yonder oak” — pointing to one that grew near by.

  [1] Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τοιαῦτα ὑβρισθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς οὐκ εὐθὺς ὀργῇ ἐπιτρέψαντες ἐξήγαγον τὴν στρατιάν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δευτέραν ὡς αὐτὸν ἀπέστειλαν πρεσβείαν καὶ τοὺς Φητιάλεις καλουμένους ἄνδρας ἱερεῖς ἔπεμψαν ἐπιμαρτυρόμενοι θεούς τε καὶ δαίμονας, ὅτι μὴ δυνηθέντες τῶν δικαίων τυχεῖν ὅσιον ἀναγκασθήσονται πόλεμον ἐκφέρειν: καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τὸν ὕπατον ἀπέστειλαν.

  [23.1] The Romans, though thus insulted by the man, did not immediately give way to their resentment and lead their army forth, but sent a second embassy to him and likewise the priests called fetiales, calling the gods and lesser divinities to witness that if they were unable to obtain satisfaction they should be obliged to wage a holy war; and after that they sent out the consul.

  [2] ὁ δὲ Γράγχος, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους προσιόντας ἔμαθεν, ἀναστήσας τὴν δύναμιν ἀπῆγε προσωτέρω, τῶν πολεμίων ἐκ ποδὸς ἑπομένων, βουλόμενος αὐτοὺς εἰς τοιαῦτα προαγαγέσθαι χωρία, ἐν οἷς πλεονεκτήσειν ἔμελλεν: ὅπερ καὶ συνέβη. φυλάξας γὰρ αὐλῶνα περικλειόμενον ὄρεσιν, ὡς ἐνέβαλον εἰς τοῦτον οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι διώκοντες αὐτόν, ὑποστρέφει τε καὶ στρατοπεδεύεται κατὰ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ αὐλῶνος ἔξω φέρουσαν ὁδόν.

  [2] When Gracchus learned that the Romans were approaching, he broke camp and retired with his forces to a greater distance, the enemy following close at his heels. His purpose was to lead them on into a region where he would have an advantage over them; and that is what in fact happened. For waiting until he found a valley surrounded by hills, he then, as soon as the Romans had entered it in pursuit of him, faced about and encamped astride the road that led out of the valley.

  [3] ἐκ δὲ τούτου συνεβεβήκει τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις οὐχ ὃν ἐβούλοντο ἐκλέξασθαι τόπον εἰς στρατοπεδείαν, ἀλλ᾽ ὃν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ καιρός, ἔνθα οὔθ᾽ ἵπποις χιλὸν εὔπορον ἦν λαμβάνειν, ὄρεσι περικλειομένου [p. 44] τοῦ τόπου ψιλοῖς καὶ δυσβάτοις, οὔθ᾽ ἑαυτοῖς τροφὰς ἐκ τῆς πολεμίας συγκομίζειν, ἐπειδὴ κατανάλωντο ἃς οἴκοθεν ἔφερον, οὔτε μεταστρατοπεδ
εύσασθαι τῶν πολεμίων ἀντικαθημένων καὶ κωλυόντων τὰς ἐξόδους. βιάσασθαί τε προελόμενοι καὶ προελθόντες εἰς μάχην ἀνεκρούσθησαν καὶ πολλὰς πληγὰς λαβόντες εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν κατεκλείσθησαν χάρακα. ὁ δὲ Κοίλιος ἐπαρθεὶς τῷ προτερήματι τούτῳ περιετάφρευέ τε αὐτοὺς καὶ περιεχαράκου καὶ πολλὰς ἐλπίδας εἶχε λιμῷ πιεσθέντας παραδώσειν αὐτῷ τὰ ὅπλα.

  [3] As a consequence the Romans were unable to choose for their camp the place they preferred, but had to take the one the situation offered, where it was not easy either to get forage for the horses, the place being surrounded by hills that were bare and difficult of access, or to bring in provisions for themselves out of the enemy’s country, since what they had brought from home had been consumed, nor yet easy to shift their camp while the enemy lay before them and blocked the exits. Choosing, therefore, to force their way out, they engaged in battle and were repulsed, and after receiving many wounds were shut up again in the same camp. Cloelius, elated by this success, began to surround the place with a ditch and palisades and had great hopes of forcing them by famine to deliver up their arms to him.

  [4] ἀφικομένης δ᾽ εἰς Ῥώμην περὶ τούτων ἀγγελίας Κόιντος Φάβιος ὁ καταλειφθεὶς ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως ἔπαρχος ἀπὸ τῆς σὺν αὐτῷ στρατιᾶς ὅσον ἦν ἀκμαιότατόν τε καὶ κράτιστον ἐπιλέξας μέρος ἐπὶ συμμαχίαν ἔπεμψε τῷ ὑπάτῳ. ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῆς δυνάμεως ταύτης Τίτος Κοίντιος ὁ ταμίας ἀνὴρ ὑπατικός.

  [4] The news of this disaster being brought to Rome, Quintus Fabius, who had been left as prefect in charge of the city, chose out of his own army a body of the fittest and strongest men and sent them to the assistance of the consul; they were commanded by Titus Quintius, who was quaestor and an ex-consul.

  [5] πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἕτερον τῶν ὑπάτων Ναύτιον ἐπὶ τῆς ἐν Σαβίνοις στρατιᾶς ὄντα γράμματα διαπέμψας τά τε συμβάντα τῷ Μηνυκίῳ διεσάφησε καὶ αὐτὸν ἥκειν ἠξίου διὰ ταχέων. κἀκεῖνος ἐπιτρέψας τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς τὸν χάρακα φυλάττειν αὐτὸς σὺν ὀλίγοις ἱππεῦσιν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἐλαύνει συντόνῳ χρησάμενος ἱππασίᾳ: εἰσελθὼν δ᾽ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἔτι πολλῆς νυκτὸς οὔσης ἐβουλεύετο σὺν τῷ Φαβίῳ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν τοῖς πρεσβυτάτοις, ὅ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν. ἐπεὶ δὲ πᾶσιν ἐδόκει δικτάτορος δεῖσθαι ὁ καιρός, ἀποδείκνυσιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ταύτην [p. 45] Λεύκιον Κοίντιον Κικιννᾶτον. καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος ᾤχετο πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον,

  [5] And sending a letter to Nautius, the other consul, who commanded the army in the country of the Sabines, he informed him of what had happened to Minucius and asked him to come in haste. Nautius committed the guarding of the camp to the legates and he himself with a small squadron of cavalry made a forced ride to Rome; and arriving in the city while it was still deep night, he took counsel with Fabius and the oldest of the other citizens concerning the measures that should be taken. When all were of the opinion that the situation required a dictator, he named Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus to that magistracy. Then, having attended to this business, he himself returned to the camp.

  [1] ὁ δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἔπαρχος Φάβιος ἔπεμπε τοὺς παραληψομένους τὸν Κοίντιον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχήν. ἔτυχε δὲ καὶ τότε ὁ ἀνὴρ τῶν κατ᾽ ἀγρὸν ἔργων τι διαπραττόμενος: ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν προσιόντα ὄχλον καὶ ὑποπτεύσας ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ἥκειν ἐσθῆτά τ᾽ ἐλάμβανεν εὐπρεπεστέραν καὶ ὑπαντήσων αὐτοῖς ἐπορεύετο.

  [24.1] Fabius, the prefect of the city, sent men to invite Quintius to come and assume his magistracy. It chanced that Quintius was on this occasion also engaged in some work of husbandry; and seeing the approaching throng and suspecting that they were coming after him, he put on more becoming apparel and went to meet them.

  [2] ὡς δ᾽ ἐγγὺς ἦν, ἵππους τ᾽ αὐτῷ φαλάροις κεκοσμημένους ἐκπρεπέσι προσῆγον καὶ πελέκεις ἅμα ταῖς ῥάβδοις εἰκοσιτέτταρας παρέστησαν ἐσθῆτά τε ἁλουργῆ καὶ τἆλλα παράσημα, οἷς πρότερον ἡ τῶν βασιλέων ἐκεκόσμητο ἀρχή, προσήνεγκαν. ὁ δὲ μαθών, ὅτι δικτάτωρ ἀποδέδεικται τῆς πόλεως, οὐχ ὅπως ἠγάπησε τηλικαύτης τιμῆς τυχών, ἀλλὰ προσαγανακτήσας εἶπεν: ἀπολεῖται ἄρα καὶ τούτου τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ὁ καρπὸς διὰ τὰς ἐμὰς ἀσχολίας, καὶ πεινήσομεν ἅπαντες κακῶς.

  [2] When he drew near, they brought to him horses decked with magnificent trappings, placed beside him twenty-four axes with the rods and presented to him the purple robe and the other insignia with which aforetime the kingly office had been adorned. Quintius, when he learned that he had been appointed dictator, far from being pleased at receiving so great an honour, was actually vexed, and said: “This year’s crop too will be ruined, then, because of my official duties, and we shall all go dreadfully hungry.”

  [3] μετὰ ταῦτα παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν πόλιν πρῶτον μὲν ἐθάρρυνε τοὺς πολίτας λόγον ἐν τῷ πλήθει διεξελθὼν ἐξεγεῖραι τὰς ψυχὰς δυνάμενον ἐλπίσιν ἀγαθαῖς ἔπειτα συναγαγὼν ἅπαντας τοὺς ἐν ἀκμῇ, τούς τε κατὰ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν, καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν συμμάχων ἐπικουρίας μεταπεμψάμενος ἱππάρχην τ᾽ ἀποδείξας Λεύκιον Ταρκύνιον, ἄνδρα τῶν ἠμελημένων μὲν διὰ πενίαν, τὰ δὲ πολέμια γενναῖον, ἐξῆγε συγκεκροτημένην ἔχων δύναμιν, καὶ καταλαβὼν τὸν ταμίαν Τίτον [p. 46] Κοίντιον ἀναδεχόμενον αὐτοῦ τὴν παρουσίαν, λαβὼν καὶ τὴν σὺν ἐκείνῳ δύναμιν ἧκεν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους.

  [3] After that he went into the city and first encouraged the citizens by delivering a speech before the populace calculated to raise their spirits with good hopes; then, after assembling all the men in their prime, both of the city and of the country, and sending for the forces of the allies, he appointed as his Master of Horse Lucius Tarquinius, a man who because of his poverty had been overlooked, but valiant in war. After which he led out his forces, now that he had them assembled, and joined Titus Quintius, the quaestor, who was awaiting his arrival; and taking with him Quintius’ forces also, he led them against the enemy.

  [4] ὡς δὲ κατώπτευσε τὴν τῶν χωρίων φύσιν, ἐν οἷς ἦν τὰ στρατόπεδα, μέρος μέν τι τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐπὶ τοῖς μετεώροις ἔταξεν, ὡς μήτε βοήθεια παραγένοιτο τοῖς Αἰκανοῖς ἑτέρα μήτε τροφαί, τὴν δὲ λοιπὴν δύναμιν αὐτὸς ἔχων προῆγεν ἐκτεταγμένην ὡς εἰς μάχην. καὶ ὁ Κοίλιος οὐθὲν ὑποδεί
σας — ἥ τε γὰρ δύναμις ἡ περὶ αὐτὸν ἦν οὐκ ὀλίγη, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδόκει ψυχὴν οὐ κακὸς εἶναι κατὰ τὰ πολέμια — δέχεται αὐτὸν ἐπιόντα, καὶ

  [4] After observing the nature of the places in which the camps lay, he posted a part of his army on the heights, in order that neither another relief force nor any provisions might reach the Aequians, and he himself marched forward with the remainder arrayed as for battle. Cloelius, unmoved by fear — for the force he had was no small one and he himself was looked upon as no craven in spirit when it came to fighting — awaited his attack, and a severe battle ensued.

  [5] γίνεται μάχη καρτερά. χρόνου δὲ πολλοῦ διελθόντος καὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων διὰ τοὺς συνεχεῖς πολέμους ἀναφερόντων τὸν πόνον τῶν τε ἱππέων κατὰ τὸ κάμνον μέρος ἀεὶ ἐπιβοηθούντων τοῖς πεζοῖς ἡσσηθεὶς ὁ Γράγχος κατακλείεται πάλιν εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ χάρακα. καὶ μετὰ τοῦθ᾽ ὁ Κοίντιος περιταφρεύσας αὐτὸν ὑψηλῷ χάρακι καὶ πύργοις πυκνοῖς περιλαβών, ἐπεὶ κάμνοντα ἔμαθε τῶν ἀναγκαίων τῇ σπάνει, αὐτός τε προσβολὰς ἐποιεῖτο συνεχεῖς πρὸς τὸν χάρακα τῶν Αἰκανῶν καὶ τῷ Μηνυκίῳ

  [5] After this had continued for a long time, and the Romans because of their continuous wars endured the toil, and the horse kept relieving the foot wherever the latter were hard pressed, Gracchus was beaten and shut up once more in his camp. After that Quintius surround edit with a high palisade, fortified with many towers; and when he learned that Gracchus was in distress for want of provisions, he not only himself made continual attacks upon the camp of the Aequians, but also ordered Minucius to make a sortie on the other side.