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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [5] In the end, at any rate, the patricians prevailed and would not permit the law to be ratified. Those who were reputed to have assisted the consuls with the greatest zeal on this occasion were of three families, the Postumii, the Sempronii, and third, the Cloelii, all of them men most illustrious for the dignity of their birth, very powerful because of their bands of followers, and distinguished for their wealth, their reputation and their exploits in war. These, it was agreed, were the chief agents in preventing the law from being ratified.

  [1] τῇ δ᾽ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ παραλαβόντες οἱ δήμαρχοι τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους τῶν δημοτικῶν ἐσκόπουν, ὅ τι χρήσονται τοῖς πράγμασι, κοινὸν μὲν τοῦτο καὶ παρὰ πάντων ὁμολογούμενον εἰληφότες, τὸ μὴ τοὺς ὑπάτους ἄγειν ὑπὸ τὴν δίκην, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὑπηρετοῦντας αὐτοῖς ἰδιώτας, ὧν κολαζομένων ἔμελλε τοῖς πολλοῖς τῶν πολιτῶν ἐλάττων ἔσεσθαι λόγος, ὥσπερ ὁ Σίκκιος ὑπετίθετο: περὶ δὲ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ὑπὸ τὰς αἰτίας ἀχθησομένων ὅσον εἶναι χρή, καὶ περὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος ὃ θήσονται τῇ δίκῃ, καὶ μάλιστα περὶ τοῦ τιμήματος πηλίκον ἔσται τὸ μέγεθος, ἐπιμελῆ

  [42.1] The next day the tribunes, having associated with themselves the most prominent plebeians, considered how they should deal with the situation, after adopting the general principle, accepted by all, not to bring the consuls themselves to trial, but only their attendants who held no office, since their punishment would be a made of less concern to most citizens, as Siccius suggested. But the number of the persons to be indicted, the name that should be given to the offence, and the amount of the fine were matters to which they gave careful consideration.

  [2] ποιούμενοι ζήτησιν. οἱ μὲν οὖν χαλεπώτεροι τὰς φύσεις ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζόν τε καὶ φοβερώτερον ἅπαντα ταῦτα προάγειν παρῄνουν, οἱ δ᾽ ἐπιεικέστεροι τοὐναντίον ἐπὶ τὸ μετριώτερον καὶ φιλανθρωπότερον, ὁ [p. 77] δὲ ταύτης ἡγούμενος τῆς γνώμης καὶ πείσας αὐτοὺς ἦν Σίκκιος, ὁ τοὺς ἐν τῷ δήμῳ περὶ τῆς κληρουχίας διελθὼν λόγους.

  [2] Now while those who were naturally more truculent advised going in all these matters to a greater and more terrifying length, and the more reasonable, on the contrary, to a more moderate and humane extent, the man who took the lead for the latter opinion and won the assent of the others was Siccius, who had made the speech in the popular assembly in favour of the land-allotment.

  [3] ἔδοξε δ᾽ οὖν αὐτοῖς τὸ μὲν ἄλλο πλῆθος τῶν πατρικίων ἐᾶσαι, Κλοιλίους δὲ καὶ Ποστομίους καὶ Σεμπρωνίους ἐπὶ τὸν δῆμον ἄγειν, ὧν ἔπραξαν ὑφέξοντας δίκας: ἐγκαλεῖν δ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τῶν ἱερῶν νόμων, οὓς περὶ τῶν δημάρχων ἐκύρωσεν ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος, οὐθενὶ δεδωκότων ἐξουσίαν ἀναγκάζειν τοὺς δημάρχους ὑπομένειν τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων ὥσπερ τοὺς ἄλλους πολίτας, ἐκεῖνοι κατασχόντες αὐτοὺς ἐκώλυσαν ἐπὶ τέλος ἄγειν τὴν περὶ τοῦ νόμου διάγνωσιν.

  [3] They resolved, then, to let the rest of the patricians alone, but to bring the Cloelii, the Postumii and the Sempronii before the popular assembly to stand trial for their acts; and to make the charge against them that, whereas the sacred laws, which the senate and the assembly had enacted concerning the tribunes, had given no one authority to compel the tribunes to submit, like the other citizens, to anything against their will, these men had restrained them and prevented them from carrying through the deliberation concerning the law.

  [4] τίμημα δ᾽ ἐφάνη ταῖς δίκαις ὁρίσαι μήτε θάνατον μήτε φυγὴν μήτ᾽ ἄλλο ἐπίφθονον μηδέν, ἵνα μὴ τοῦτ᾽ αὐτοῖς γένηται σωτηρίας αἴτιον, ἀλλὰ τὰς οὐσίας αὐτῶν ἱερὰς εἶναι Δήμητρος, τὸ μετριώτατον ἐκλεξαμένοις τοῦ νόμου μέρος.

  [4] As for the penalty in these trials, they decided to fix neither death, banishment, nor any other invidious punishment, lest that very thing should become the cause of their salvation, but that their estates should be consecrated to Ceres — thus choosing the mildest punishment provided by the law. While this was going on the time arrived when the trials of the men were to take place.

  [5] ἐγίνετο ταῦτα, καὶ παρῆν ὁ χρόνος, ἐν ᾧ τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἔδει συντελεῖσθαι δίκας. τοῖς δ᾽ ὑπάτοις καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πατρικίων τοῖς παραληφθεῖσιν εἰς τὸ συνέδριον — ἔτυχον δ᾽ οἱ κράτιστοι παρακληθέντες — ἐδόκει συγχωρεῖν τοῖς δημάρχοις ἐπιτελέσαι τὰς δίκας, ἵνα μή τι μεῖζον κωλυθέντες ἐξεργάσωνται κακόν, καὶ τοῖς δημόταις ἐπιτρέπειν ἀγριαινομένοις εἰς τὰ χρήματα τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκχέαι τὴν χολήν, ἵνα τιθασώτεροι γένωνται τὸ λοιπόν, λαβόντες ὁποσηνοῦν παρὰ τῶν [p. 78] ἐχθρῶν δίκην, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς εἰς χρήματα ζημίας εὐδιόρθωτον ἐχούσης τοῖς πεπονθόσι τὴν συμφοράν:

  [5] The consuls and the other patricians who had been invited to the senate-house — the most influential had been summoned — decided to let the tribunes carry out the trials, lest, if they were hindered, they might do some greater mischief, and to allow the enraged plebeians to spend their fury upon the goods of these men, to the end that they might be milder for the future, after taking some revenge, however slight, upon their enemies, particularly since a monetary fine was a misfortune that could easily be made up to the sufferers. And so in fact it turned out.

  [6] ὅπερ καὶ συνέβη. ἁλόντων γὰρ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐρήμους τὰς δίκας, ὅ τε δῆμος ἀγριαινόμενος ἐπαύσατο, καὶ τοῖς δημάρχοις ἐδόκει τις ἀποδεδόσθαι μετρία καὶ πολιτικὴ βοήθεια, τοῖς τε ἀνδράσι τὰς οὐσίας οἱ πατρίκιοι παρὰ τῶν ὠνησαμένων ἐκ τοῦ δημοσίου τῆς ἴσης λυσάμενοι τιμῆς ἀπέδοσαν. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατεπείγοντα δεινὰ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον χρησαμένων τοῖς πράγμασιν αὐτῶν διελέλυτο.

  [6] For when the men had been condemned by default, the populace ceased from its anger, and also it seemed that a moderate and statesmanlike power of rendering assistance had been restored to the tribunes, while as for the convicted men, their estates were ransomed by the patricians from those who had purchased them from the treasury for the same price they had paid for them and were restored to the owners. As a result of their handling the matter in this fashion the pressing dangers were dispelled.

  [1] μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ δὲ πάλιν τῶν δημάρχων τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ νόμου εἰσφερόντων λόγον αἰφνιδίως τις ἀπαγγελεῖσα πολεμίων ἔφοδος ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν Τυσκλάνων πόλιν, αἰτία κωλύσεως ἀποχρῶσα ἐγένετο. τῶν γὰρ Τυσκλάνων κατὰ πλῆθος εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀφικομένων καὶ λ�
�γόντων, ὅτι δυνάμει πολλῇ πάρεισιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς Αἰκανοὶ καὶ τὴν μὲν χώραν αὐτῶν ἤδη διηρπάκασι, τὴν δὲ πόλιν, ἐὰν μή τις γένηται ταχεῖα ἐπικουρία, φθάσουσιν ἐντὸς ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν ἀράμενοι, ἡ μὲν βουλὴ τοὺς ὑπάτους αὐτοῖς ἐψηφίσατο βοηθεῖν ἀμφοτέρους, οἱ δ᾽ ὕπατοι στρατολογίαν προθέντες ἐκάλουν τοὺς πολίτας ἅπαντας ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα.

  [43.1] Not long afterwards, when the tribunes again introduced the subject of the law, the sudden announcement that enemies had made an attack upon Tusculum furnished a sufficient reason for preventing such action. For the Tusculans, coming to Rome in great numbers, said that the Aequians had come against them with a large army, that they had already plundered their country, and unless some assistance were speedily sent, they would be masters of the city within a few days. Upon this the senate ordered that both consuls should go to the rescue; and the consuls, having announced a levy, summoned all the citizens to arms.

  [2] ἐγένετο μὲν οὖν τις καὶ τότε στάσις ἐναντιουμένων τῇ καταγραφῇ τῶν δημάρχων καὶ τὰς ἐκ τῶν νόμων τιμωρίας οὐ συγχωρούντων ποιεῖσθαι κατὰ τῶν ἀπειθούντων: ἔπραξαν δ᾽ οὐθέν. [p. 79] συνελθοῦσα γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ γνώμην ἀπεδείξατο, τοὺς πατρικίους ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἐξιέναι σὺν τοῖς ἑαυτῶν πελάταις, τῶν δ᾽ ἄλλων πολιτῶν τοῖς μὲν βουλομένοις μετέχειν τῆς στρατείας ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς πατρίδος γινομένης ὅσια εἶναι τὰ πρὸς θεούς, τοῖς δ᾽ ἐγκαταλείπουσι τοὺς ὑπάτους τἀναντία.

  [2] On this occasion also there was something of a sedition, as the tribunes opposed the levy and would not permit the punishments ordained by law to be inflicted on the disobedient. But they accomplished nothing. For the senate met and passed a resolution ordering that the patricians should take the field with their clients, and declaring that to such of the other citizens as were willing to take part in this expedition undertaken for the preservation of the fatherland the gods were propitious, but to those who deserted the consuls they were unpropitious.

  [3] ὡς δ᾽ ἀνεγνώσθη τὸ δόγμα τῆς βουλῆς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, πολλοὶ καὶ τοῦ δήμου τὸν ἀγῶνα ἑκόντες ὑπέμειναν: οἱ μὲν ἐπιεικέστατοι δἰ αἰσχύνην, εἰ μηδὲν ἐπικουρήσουσι πόλει συμμάχῳ διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς εὔνοιαν ἀεί τι πρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν βλαπτομένῃ: ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ ὁ Σίκκιος ἐκεῖνος ὁ κατηγορήσας ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τῶν σφετερισαμένων τὴν δημοσίαν γῆν, σπεῖραν ἐπαγόμενος ὀκτακοσίων ἀνδρῶν, οἳ στρατεύεσθαι μὲν οὐκέτι ὥραν εἶχον, ὥσπερ οὐδ᾽ ἐκεῖνος, οὐδ᾽ ἔπιπτον ὑπὸ τὰς ἀνάγκας τῶν νόμων, τιμῶντες δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα διὰ πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας εὐεργεσίας, ἐξιόντος ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἐδικαίωσαν ἀπολείπεσθαι.

  [3] When the decree of the senate was read in the assembly, many also of the populace voluntarily consented to enter the struggle, the more respectable moved by shame if they should not succour an allied city which because of its attachment to the Romans was always suffering some injury at the hands of its foes. Among these was Siccius, who in the popular assembly had inveighed against those who had appropriated the public land, and he brought with him a cohort of eight hundred men; these were, like himself, past the military age and not subject to the compulsion of the laws, but as they honoured him because of his many great services, they did not think it right to desert him when he was setting out to war.

  [4] καὶ ἦν τοῦτο τὸ μέρος τῆς ἐξελθούσης τότε δυνάμεως ἐμπειρίᾳ τε ἀγώνων καὶ τῇ παρὰ τὰ δεινὰ εὐτολμίᾳ μακρῷ τοῦ ἄλλου ἄμεινον. οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ χάριτι καὶ παρακλήσει τῶν πρεσβυτάτων ὑπαχθέντες εἵποντο. ἦν δέ τι μέρος, ὃ τῶν ὠφελειῶν ἕνεκα τῶν ἐν ταῖς στρατείαις γινομένων πάντα κίνδυνον ἕτοιμον ἦν ὑπομένειν. καὶ δι᾽ ὀλίγου χρόνου δύναμις ἐξῆλθε πλήθει τε ἀποχρῶσα καὶ παρασκευαῖς κεχρημένη λαμπροτάταις.

  [4] Indeed, this contingent of the force which set out at that time was far superior to the rest of the army in point both of experience in action and of courage in the face of dangers. The majority of those who followed along were led to do so out of goodwill toward the oldest citizens and because of their exhortations. And there was a certain element which was reduce to undergo any peril for the sake of the booty that is acquired in campaigns. Thus in a short time an army took the field that was sufficient in numbers and most splendidly equipped.

  [5] οἱ μὲν οὖν [p. 80] πολέμιοι προακούσαντες, ὅτι μέλλουσιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἐξάγειν Ῥωμαῖοι στρατιάν, ἀπῆγον ἐπ᾽ οἴκου τὰς δυνάμεις. οἱ δ᾽ ὕπατοι κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐλαύνοντες καταλαμβάνουσιν ἐστρατοπεδευκότας αὐτοὺς πόλεως Ἀντίου πλησίον ἐν ὑψηλῷ καὶ ἀποτόμῳ χωρίῳ καὶ τίθενται τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῆς ἐκείνων οὐ πρόσω.

  [5] The enemy, who had learned in advance that the Romans intended to lead out an army against them, were returning homeward with their forces. But the consuls, making a forced march, came up with them while they lay encamped on a high and steep hill near the city of Antium and placed their camp not far from that of the foe.

  [6] τέως μὲν οὖν ἐν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐπέμενον ἀμφότεροι παρεμβολαῖς, ἔπειτα καταφρονήσαντες τῶν Ῥωμαίων Αἰκανοὶ τῆς οὐ προεπιχειρήσεως καὶ πλῆθος οὐχ ἱκανοὺς εἶναι νομίσαντες ἀγοράς τ᾽ αὐτῶν περιέκοπτον ἐξιόντες καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ προνομὴν ἀποστελλομένους ἢ χόρτον ἵπποις ἀνεκρούοντο καὶ τοῖς πρὸς ὑδρείαν καταβαίνουσιν αἰφνιδίως ἐπετίθεντο, προὐκαλοῦντό τ᾽ αὐτοὺς πολλάκις εἰς μάχην.

  [6] For some time both armies remained in their camps; then the Aequians, despising the Romans for not having taken the initiative in attacking, and judging their army to be insufficient in numbers, sallied out and cut off their provisions, drove back those who were sent out for provender or fodder for their horses, fell suddenly upon those who went for water, and challenged them repeatedly to battle.

  [1] ταῦθ᾽ ὁρῶσι τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐδόκει μηκέτι διατρίβειν τὸν πόλεμον. ἦν δ᾽ ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἡ τοῦ πολεμεῖν ἐξουσία Ῥωμιλίῳ προσήκουσα, καὶ ὁ τὸ σύνθημα διδοὺς καὶ εἰς τάξιν καθιστὰς ἄρχειν τε καὶ παύεσθαι μάχης τὸν καιρὸν ταμιεύων ἐκεῖνος ἦν: ὃς ἐπειδὴ τὰ σημεῖα ἐκέλευσεν ἀρθῆναι ἐκ τῆς μάχης καὶ προῆγεν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος τὸν στρατόν, τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἔτασσεν ἱππεῖς τε καὶ τοὺς πεζοὺς κατὰ σ�
�είρας ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις ἑκάστους τόποις, τὸν δὲ Σίκκιον καλέσας λέγει:

  [44.1] The consuls, seeing this, resolved to put off the fighting no longer. During those days it was Romilius’ turn to decide whether to fight or not, and it was he who gave the watchword, drew up the army and determined the proper moment both for beginning and for ending battle. He, having ordered the battle standards to be raised and led his army out of the camp, posted the horse and foot according to their companies, each in their proper places, and then, summoning Siccius, said:

  [2] ἡμεῖς μέν, ὦ Σίκκιε, μαχούμεθα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνθάδε, σὺ δ᾽ ἐν ὅσῳ μέλλομεν ἔτι καὶ [p. 81] παρασκευαζόμεθα τὰ πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἀμφότεροι, χώρει τὴν πλαγίαν ἐκείνην ὁδὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος, ἔνθα ἡ τῶν πολεμίων ἐστὶ παρεμβολή, καὶ μάχην τίθεσο πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῷ χάρακι, ἵν᾽ ἢ περὶ τῷ φρουρίῳ δείσαντες οἱ πρὸς ἡμᾶς μαχόμενοι καὶ βοηθεῖν προθυμούμενοι νῶτά τε δείξωσι καὶ εὐκατέργαστοι γένωνται, καθάπερ εἰκὸς ἐν ἀναχωρήσει ταχείᾳ, καὶ εἰς μίαν ὁδὸν ἅπαντες βιαζόμενοι, ἢ μένοντες αὐτόθι τὸν χάρακα ἀποβάλωσιν.

  [2] “We, Siccius, are going to engage the enemy here; but as for you, while we are still waiting and preparing on both sides for the contest, do you march by yonder transverse road to the top of the hill where the enemy’s camp is placed and give battle to the men inside, in order that those who are engaged with us may either, fearing for their stronghold and eager to relieve it, show their backs and thus be easily defeated, as likely they will be when they are making a hasty retreat and are all forcing their way into one road, or may, by staying here, lose their camp.