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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [3] But if the populace would not be persuaded, he advised that the patricians should arms themselves together with their clients, and associating with themselves such of the other citizens as were willing to take part in this most glorious struggle for the fatherland, to engage in the war with alacrity, taking as leaders of the expedition all the gods who protect the Roman state.

  [4] συμβήσεσθαι γὰρ αὐτοῖς δυεῖν καλῶν ἔργων καὶ δικαίων θάτερον, ἢ νίκην ἐξενέγκασθαι πασῶν ὧν αὐτοί ποτε ἢ οἱ πατέρες ἐξηνέγκαντο λαμπροτάτην, [p. 52] ἢ περὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ καλῶν εὐψύχως ἀγωνιζομένοις ἀποθανεῖν. ταύτης μέντοι τῆς καλῆς πείρας οὔτ᾽ αὐτὸς ἀπολείψεσθαι ἔφη, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἴσῳ τοῖς κράτιστα ἐρρωμένοις παρὼν ἀγωνιεῖσθαι, οὔτε τῶν ἄλλων τινὰ πρεσβυτέρων, οἷς ἐστιν ἐλευθερίας τε καὶ δόξης ἀγαθῆς λόγος.

  [4] For one or the other of two honourable and just destinies would be theirs: they would either win a victory more brilliant than all which they or their ancestors had ever won, or die fighting bravely for the noble prizes that victory brings with it. He added that neither he himself would be wanting in this glorious enterprise, but would be present and fight with a spirit equal to that of the most robust, nor would any of the others of the older men be wanting who had any regard for liberty and a good name.

  [1] ὡς δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι ταῦτ᾽ ἐδόκει, καὶ οὐθεὶς ἦν ὁ τἀναντία ἐρῶν, οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι τὸν δῆμον εἰς ἐκκλησίαν συνεκάλουν. συνελθόντος δ᾽ ὡς ἐπὶ καινοῖς ἀκούσμασι παντὸς τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ὄχλου παρελθὼν ἅτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Γάιος Ὁράτιος ἐπειρᾶτο πείθειν τοὺς δημοτικοὺς ἑκόντας ὑπομεῖναι καὶ ταύτην τὴν στρατείαν. ἀντιλεγόντων δὲ τῶν δημάρχων καὶ τοῦ δήμου προσέχοντος αὐτοῖς τὸν νοῦν παρελθὼν πάλιν ὁ ὕπατος εἶπε:

  [28.1] All the others approving of this advice and there being no one to speak in opposition, the consuls called an assembly of the populace; and when all the people of the city had come together in expectation of hearing something new, Gaius Horatius, one of the consuls, came forward and attempted to persuade the plebeians to submit willingly to this campaign also. But as the tribunes opposed this and the populace gave heed to them, the consul again came forward and said:

  [2] καλὸν γ᾽, ὦ Οὐεργίνιε, καὶ θαυμαστὸν ἔργον ἐξειργάσασθε διασπάσαντες ἀπὸ τῆς βουλῆς τὸν δῆμον: καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐφ᾽ ὑμῖν εἶναι μέρος πάντ᾽ ἀπολωλέκαμεν, ὅσα παρὰ τῶν προγόνων παραλαβόντες ἢ τοῖς ἑαυτῶν πόνοις κτησάμενοι κατέσχομεν ἀγαθά.

  [2] “A fine and wonderful thing, indeed, have you tribunes accomplished, Verginius, in dividing the populace from the senate; and, so far as it rests with you, we have lost all the advantages which we possessed, whether inherited from our ancestors or acquired by our own toils.

  [3] οὐ μὴν ἡμεῖς γ᾽ ἀκονιτὶ μεθησόμεθα αὐτῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναλαβόντες τὰ ὅπλα μετὰ τῶν βουλομένων σώζεσθαι τὴν πατρίδα χωρήσομεν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα τὰς ἀγαθὰς προβαλλόμενοι τῶν ἔργων ἐλπίδας: καὶ εἴ τις ἄρα θεὸς ἐπισκοπεῖ τοὺς καλοὺς καὶ δικαίους ἀγῶνας, καὶ ἡ τὴν πόλιν τήνδε [p. 53] αὔξουσα ἐκ πολλοῦ τύχη μήπω προλέλοιπεν αὐτήν, κρείττους τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐσόμεθα: εἰ δέ τις ἄρα ἐνέστηκε δαίμων καὶ ἐναντιοῦται τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς πόλεως, οὔτοι τό γ᾽ ἐν ἡμῖν εὔνουν καὶ πρόθυμον ἀπολεῖται, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἁπάντων κράτιστον θάνατον αἱρησόμεθα περὶ τῆς πατρίδος.

  [3] As for us, however, we shall not part with them without a struggle, but shall take up arms along with all who desire the preservation of the fatherland and shall enter the struggle holding before our deeds the buckler of fair hopes. And if any god watches over noble and just struggles, and if Fortune, which long has been exalting this commonwealth, has not yet abandoned it, we shall have the victory over our enemies; or, if any divide is opposed to and stands in the way of the preservation of the commonwealth, at any rate our affection and zeal for it will not perish, but we shall choose the best of all deaths — to die for the fatherland.

  [4] ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτοῦ μένοντες οἰκουρεῖτε ἅμα ταῖς γυναιξίν, ὦ καλοὶ καὶ γενναῖοι προστάται τῆς πόλεως, ἐγκαταλιπόντες, μᾶλλον δὲ προδόντες ἡμᾶς, οἷς οὔτ᾽ ἂν νικήσωμεν ἡμεῖς ὁ βίος ἔσται καλός, οὔτ᾽

  [4] As for you, stay here and keep house with the women, O fine and noble protectors of the commonwealth, after abandoning, or rather betraying, us; but life for you will be neither honourable, if we conquer, nor safe, if things go otherwise with us.

  [5] ἂν ἄλλως χωρήσῃ τὰ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἀσφαλής: εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἐκείνῃ τῇ ψυχρᾷ ἐλπίδι ἐπαίρεσθε, ὡς διαφθαρέντων τῶν πατρικίων ὑμᾶς ἐάσουσιν οἱ πολέμιοι ταύτην ὑπολογιζόμενοι τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, καὶ συγχωρήσουσιν ὑμῖν τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν καὶ πάντα τἆλλα ἀγαθά, ὅσα νῦν ἔχετε, καρποῦσθαι, ὧν ὑμεῖς ὅτε τὰ ἄριστα ἐφρονεῖτε πολλὴν μὲν γῆν ἀπετέμεσθε, πολλὰς δὲ πόλεις ἐξανδραποδισάμενοι κατεσκάψατε, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ μεγάλα καὶ οὐδ᾽ ὑπὸ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος ἀφανισθησόμενα τρόπαια καὶ

  [5] Unless, indeed, you are buoying yourselves up with the bleak hope that when the patricians are all destroyed the enemy will spare you in consideration of this service and will allow you to enjoy your country, your liberty, your empire and all the other blessings you now have, notwithstanding that you, when you displayed the noblest spirit, deprived these very enemies of much land, razed many of their cities and enslaved their inhabitants, and erected many great trophies and monuments of your enmity against them which not even all time to come will ever blot out.

  [6] μνημεῖα τῆς ἔχθρας ἀνεστήσατε. ἀλλὰ τί τῷ δήμῳ ταῦτ᾽ ἐπιτιμῶ, ὃς οὐδέποτε πονηρὸς ἑκὼν ἐγένετο, μᾶλλον ἢ οὐχ ὑμῖν, ὦ Οὐεργίνιε, τοῖς τὰ καλὰ ταῦτα πολιτευομένοις; ἡμῖν μὲν οὖν, οἷς ἀνάγκη μηδὲν ταπεινὸν φρονεῖν, δέδοκταί τε καὶ οὐθὲν ἔσται τὸ κωλύσον ἄρασθαι τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος ἀγῶνα, ὑμῖν δὲ τοῖς ἐγκαταλιποῦσι καὶ προδοῦσι τὸ κοινὸν ἥξει δίκη [p. 54] τιμωρὸς οὐ μεμπτὴ παρὰ θεῶν, ἐὰν ἄρα διαφύγητε τὴν παρ᾽ ἀνθρώπων κόλασιν.

  [6] But why do I charge this against the populace, which never became cowardly of its own accord, and not rather against you tribunes, Verginius, who are the authors of these fine measures? We, then, who must needs show no ignoble spirit, have taken our resolution and n
othing shall hinder us from undertaking the struggle in defence of the fatherland; but upon you, who abandon and betray the commonwealth, will come a punishment not to be scorned, as vengeance from the gods, if so be that you escape the punishment of men; yet you will not escape that either.

  [7] ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ταύτην διαφεύξεσθε: καὶ μή με δεδίττεσθαι ὑπολάβητε, ἀλλ᾽ εὖ ἴστε, ὅτι οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἡμῶν ἐνθάδε φύλακες τῆς πόλεως, ἐὰν κρείττω τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν γένηται, φρονήσουσιν ἃ προσῆκεν αὐτοῖς φρονεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἤδη βαρβάροις μέν τισιν ἁλισκομένοις ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων εἰς νοῦν ἦλθε μήτε γυναικῶν αὐτοῖς παραχωρῆσαι μήτε παίδων μήτε πόλεων, ἀλλὰ τὰς μὲν ἐμπρῆσαι, τὰς δὲ

  [7] And do not imagine that I am trying to terrify you, but be assured that those of us who will be left behind here to guard teach shall, in case the enemy should prove victorious, show that spirit which it befits them to show. Have there not indeed been instances already of barbarians who, when they were on the point of being captured by the enemy, resolved not to yield to them either their wives, their children or their cities, but to burn the cities and slay their dear ones?

  [8] κατασφάξαι, Ῥωμαίοις δ᾽ ἄρα, οἷς ἑτέρων ἄρχειν πάτριόν ἐστιν, οὐ παραστήσεται ταῦτα περὶ ἑαυτῶν φρονεῖν; οὐχ οὕτως ἀγεννεῖς ἔσονται, ἀλλ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν τῶν ἐχθίστων ἀρξάμενοι τότε χωρήσουσι πρὸς τὰ φίλια. πρὸς ταῦτα ὁρῶντες ἐκκλησιάζετε καὶ νόμους εἰσφέρετε καινούς.

  [8] And will it fail, then, to occur to the Romans, to whom it is a heritage from their fathers to rule over others, to show this same spirit in their own case? They will never be so degenerate, but will begin with you who are their worst enemies and only afterwards turn to their loved ones. Consider these matters before you hold your assemblies and introduce new laws.”

  [1] ταῦτα καὶ πολλὰ τούτοις ὅμοια εἰπὼν παρεστήσατο τοὺς πρεσβυτάτους τῶν πατρικίων κλαίοντας, οὓς ἰδόντες πολλοὶ τῶν δημοτικῶν οὐδ᾽ αὐτοὶ κατέχειν τὰ δάκρυα ἐδύναντο. γενομένης δὲ πολλῆς συμπαθείας πρός τε τὰς ἡλικίας τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ πρὸς

  [29.1] After he had said this and many things to the same purport, he brought before them the oldest patricians in tears, at sight of whom many of the plebeians could not even themselves refrain from weeping. When great compassion had been aroused both by the age and the dignity of these men, the consul, after a short pause, said:

  [2] τὰς ἀξίας μικρὸν ἐπισχὼν ὁ ὕπατος: οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε, ἔφησεν, ὦ πολῖται, οὐδὲ κατὰ γῆς δύεσθε, εἰ οἵδε οἱ γέροντες ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῶν νέων τὰ ὅπλα ἀναλήψονται, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπομενεῖτε ἀπολειφθῆναι τούτων ἡγουμένων, οὓς ἀεὶ πατέρας ἐκαλεῖτε; ὦ σχέτλιοι ὑμεῖς καὶ οὐδὲ πολῖται [p. 55] ταύτης ἄξιοι λέγεσθαι τῆς γῆς, ἣν ἔκτισαν οἱ τοὺς πατέρας ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἐνέγκαντες, οἷς καὶ δι᾽ ὅπλων καὶ διὰ πυρὸς ὁδοὺς ἀσφαλεῖς θεοὶ παρέσχον.

  [2] “Are you not ashamed, citizens, and ready to sink beneath the earth, when these old men are going to take up arms in defence of you who are young? Will you bear to abandon these leaders whom you always called fathers? Wretched men that you are, and unworthy even to be called citizens of this land settled by men who carried their fathers on their shoulders, men to whom the gods granted a safe passage through arms and through fire!”

  [3] ὡς δὲ κατέμαθεν ὁ Οὐεργίνιος ἀγόμενον τὸν δῆμον ὑπὸ τῶν λόγων, δεδοικώς, μὴ παρὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην κοινωνεῖν ὑπομείνῃ τοῦ πολέμου, παρελθὼν εἶπεν: ἡμεῖς οὔτ᾽ ἐγκαταλείπομεν οὔτε προδίδομεν ὑμᾶς, ὦ πατέρες, οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἀπολειφθείημεν ὑμῶν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ πρότερον ἠξιώσαμεν οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπολειφθῆναι στρατείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζῆν αἱρούμεθα σὺν ὑμῖν καὶ πάσχειν, ὅ τι ἂν τῷ

  [3] When Verginius perceived that the people were moved by these words, he was afraid lest, contrary to his desire, they might consent to join in the war; and coming forward, he said: “As for us, we are neither abandoning nor betraying you, fathers, nor would we desert you, even as we have hitherto never declined taking part in any expedition; on the contrary, we choose both to live with you and to suffer with you whatever Heaven shall decree.

  [4] δαίμονι δοκῇ, μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν. πρόθυμοι δ᾽ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ περὶ ὑμᾶς γεγονότες ἀξιοῦμεν μετρίας παρ᾽ ὑμῶν τυχεῖν χάριτος, ὥσπερ τῶν κοινῶν κινδύνων ἰσομοιροῦμεν ὑμῖν, οὕτως καὶ τῶν δικαίων τὸ ἴσον ἔχειν, νόμους καταστησάμενοι φύλακας τῆς ἐλευθερίας, οἷς ἅπαντες ἀεὶ χρησόμεθα.

  [4] But since we have at all times been zealous in your service, we desire to receive from you a moderate favour — that, even as we share the common dangers with you, so we may also enjoy an equality of rights, by instituting as safeguards of our liberty laws which we shall all alike use always.

  [5] εἰ δὲ προσίσταται τοῦθ᾽ ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἀξιοῦτε τοῖς ἑαυτῶν πολίταις ταύτην συγχωρῆσαι τὴν χάριν, ἀλλὰ θανάτου τιμᾶσθε τὸ μεταδοῦναι τῷ δήμῳ τῆς ἰσηγορίας, οὐκέτι φιλονεικοῦμεν ὑμῖν: αἰτησόμεθα δ᾽ ἑτέραν παρ᾽ ὑμῶν χάριν, ἧς τυχόντες ἴσως ἂν οὐδὲ καινῶν ἔτι δεηθείημεν νόμων. εἰσέρχεται δ᾽ ἡμᾶς εὐλάβεια, μή ποτε οὐδὲ ταύτης τύχωμεν, ἐξ ἧς τῇ βουλῇ μὲν οὐδὲν ἔσται βλάβος, τῷ δὲ δήμῳ τιμή τις ὑπάρξει καὶ φιλανθρωπία.

  [5] However, if this proposal offends you and you do not deign to grant this favour to your fellow citizens, but regard it as a capital crime to give the populace an equal share of rights, we shall no longer contend with you; but we shall ask another favour of you, upon obtaining which we may possibly no longer stand in need of new laws. We have a shrewd suspicion, however, that we shall not obtain even this favour — one which, while doing no injury to the senate, will bring to the populace a kind of honour and general goodwill.”

  [1] εἰπόντος δὲ τοῦ ὑπάτου, ὅτι τοῦτο τὸ πολίτευμα τῇ βουλῇ συγχωροῦντες οὐθενὸς ἄλλου ἁμαρτήσονται τῶν μετρίων, καὶ κελεύοντος λέγειν [p. 56] ὅτου δέονται, ὀλίγα διαλεχθεὶς τοῖς συνάρχουσιν ὁ

  [30.1] When the consul replied that if the tribunes would yield on this measure to the senate they would be denied nothing else that was reasonable, and ordered him to state what they desired, verginius, after a short conference with his colleagues, said he would announce it in the senate.

  [2] Οὐεργίνιος, ἐπὶ τῆς βουλῆς ἔφησεν ἐρεῖν. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα συναγαγόντων τὸ συνέδριον τῶν ὑπάτων παρελθὼν καὶ τὰ δίκ�
�ια τοῦ δήμου πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν ἅπαντα εἰσενεγκάμενος ᾐτήσατο διπλασιασθῆναι τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν προισταμένην τοῦ δήμου, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν πέντε δημάρχων δέκα εἰς ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἀποδείκνυσθαι. τοῦτο οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι βλάβην οὐδεμίαν ᾤοντο τῷ κοινῷ φέρειν, ἀλλὰ διδόναι καὶ μὴ ἀντιπράττειν παρῄνουν, ἄρχοντος τῆς γνώμης Λευκίου Κοιντίου,

  [2] Thereupon, when the consuls had convened the senate, Verginius came forward, and after presenting to that body all the just demands of the populace, asked that the magistracy which protected the populace should be doubled and that instead of five tribunes ten should be chosen every year. Most of the senators thought this would cause no harm to the commonwealth and advised granting it without offering any opposition;

  [3] τοῦ τότε μέγιστον ἔχοντος ἐν τῇ βουλῇ κράτος. εἷς δὲ μόνος ἀντέλεγε Γάιος Κλαύδιος, υἱὸς Ἀππίου Κλαυδίου, τοῦ παρὰ πάντα τὸν χρόνον τοῖς εἰσηγήμασι τῶν δημοτικῶν, εἴ τινα μὴ νόμιμα ἦν, ἐναντιωθέντος διαδεδεγμένος τὰ πολιτεύματα τοῦ πατρός, καὶ ὅτ᾽ αὐτὸς εἶχε τὴν ὕπατον ἀρχὴν κωλύσας δοθῆναι τοῖς δημάρχοις τὴν κατὰ τῶν ἱππέων τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ συνωμοσίᾳ διαβαλλομένων ἐξέτασιν, καὶ μακρὸν διεξελθὼν λόγον ἐδίδασκεν, ὅτι μετριώτερος μὲν ὁ δῆμος οὐδὲν οὐδὲ χρηστότερος ἔσται διπλασιασθείσης αὐτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἀνοητότερος δὲ καὶ βαρύτερος.