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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [3] For though at first, both from a sense of shame and because of the plenty they had of everything necessary for burials, they burned the bodies and committed them to earth, at the last, either through a disregard of decency or from a lack of the necessary equipment, they threw many of the dead into the sewers under the streets and cast far more of them into the river; and from these they received the most harm.

  [4] ἐκκυμαινομένων γὰρ τῶν σωμάτων βαρεῖα καὶ δυσώδης προσπίπτουσα καὶ τοῖς ἔτι ἐρρωμένοις ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀποφορὰ ταχείας ἔφερε τοῖς σώμασι τὰς τροπάς, πίνεσθαί τε οὐκέτι χρηστὸν ἦν τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ποταμοῦ κομισθὲν ὕδωρ, τὰ μὲν ἀτοπίᾳ τῆς ὀσμῆς, τὰ δὲ τῷ πονηρὰς τὰς ἀναδόσεις ποιεῖν τῆς τροφῆς.

  [4] For when the bodies were cast up by the waves upon the banks and beaches, a grievous and terrible stench, carried by the wind, smote those also who were still in health and produced a quick change in their bodies; and the water brought from the river was no longer fit to drink, partly because of its vile odour and partly by causing indigestion.

  [5] καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐν τῇ πόλει τὰ δεινὰ ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ [p. 97] τῶν ἀγρῶν: καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ὁ γεωργὸς ἐπόνησεν ὄχλος ἀναπιμπλάμενος, καὶ προβάτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τετραπόδων ἅμα διαιτωμένων, τῆς νόσου. ὅσον μὲν οὖν χρόνον τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐλπίδος τι ὑπῆν ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ σφίσιν ἐπικουρήσοντος, ἅπαντες ἐπί τε θυσίας καὶ καθαρμοὺς ἐτράποντο: καὶ πολλὰ ἐνεωτερίσθη Ῥωμαίοις οὐκ ὄντα ἐν ἔθει περὶ τὰς τιμὰς τῶν θεῶν ἐπιτηδεύματα οὐκ εὐπρεπῆ.

  [5] These calamities occurred not only in the city, but in the country as well; in particular, the husbandmen were infected with the contagion, since they were constantly with their sheep and the other animals. As long as most people had any hopes that Heaven would assist them, they all had recourse to sacrifices and expiations; and many innovations were then made by the Romans and unseemly practices not customary with them were introduced into the worship of the gods.

  [6] ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπέγνωσαν οὐδεμίαν αὐτῶν ἐπιστροφὴν ἐκ τοῦ δαιμονίου γινομένην οὐδ᾽ ἔλεον, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰ θεῖα λειτουργίας ἀπέστησαν. ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ συμφορᾷ τῶν τε ὑπάτων ἅτερος ἀποθνήσκει, Σέξτος Κοιντίλιος, καὶ ὁ μετὰ τοῦτον ἀποδειχθεὶς ὕπατος Σπόριος Φούριος, καὶ τῶν δημάρχων τέτταρες,

  [6] But when they found that the gods showed no regard or compassion for them, they abandoned even the observance of religious rites. During this calamity Sextus Quintilius, one of the consuls, died; also Spurius Furius, who had been appointed to succeeded him, and likewise four of the tribunes and many worthy senators.

  [7] τῶν τε βουλευτῶν πολλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοί. ἐπεβάλοντο μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ νόσῳ τῆς πόλεως οὔσης στρατὸν ἐξάγειν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς Αἰκανοὶ καὶ διεπρεσβεύοντο πρὸς τἆλλα ἔθνη, ὅσα Ῥωμαίοις πολέμια ἦν, παρακαλοῦντες ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον. οὐ μὴν ἔφθασάν γε προαγαγεῖν τὴν δύναμιν ἐκ τῶν πόλεων. ἔτι γὰρ αὐτῶν παρασκευαζομένων ἡ αὐτὴ νόσος κατέσκηψεν εἰς τὰς πόλεις.

  [7] While the city was afflicted by the pestilence, the Aequians undertook to lead out an army against the Romans; and they sent envoys to all the other nations that were hostile to the Romans, urging them to make war. But they did not have time to lead their forces out of their cities; for while they were still making their preparations, the same pestilence fell upon their cities.

  [8] διῆλθε δ᾽ οὐ μόνον τὴν Αἰκανῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Οὐολούσκων καὶ τὴν Σαβίνων γῆν, καὶ σφόδρα ἐκάκωσε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. ἐκ δὲ τούτου συνέβη καὶ τὴν χώραν ἀγεώργητον ἀφεθεῖσαν λιμὸν ἐπὶ τῷ λοιμῷ συνάψαι. ἐπὶ μὲν δὴ τούτων τῶν ὑπάτων οὐδὲν ἐπράχθη Ῥωμαίοις διὰ τὰς νόσους οὔτε πολεμικὸν οὔτε πολιτικὸν εἰς ἱστορίας ἀφήγησιν ἐλθεῖν ἄξιον. [p. 98]

  [8] It spread not only over the country of the Aequians, but also over those of the Volscians and the Sabines, and grievously afflicted the inhabitants. In consequence, the land was left uncultivated and famine was added to the plague. Under these consuls, then, by reason of the pestilence nothing was done by the Romans, either in war or at home, worthy of being recorded in history.

  [1] εἰς δὲ τοὐπιὸν ἔτος ὕπατοι μὲν ἀπεδείχθησαν Λεύκιος Μενήνιος καὶ Πόπλιος Σήστιος: ἡ δὲ νόσος εἰς τέλος ἐλώφησε. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο θυσίαι τε χαριστήριοι θεοῖς ἐπετελοῦντο δημοσίᾳ, καὶ ἀγῶνες ἐπιφανεῖς λαμπραῖς πάνυ χορηγούμενοι δαπάναις, ἐν εὐπαθείαις τε καὶ θαλίαις ἡ πόλις ἦν ὥσπερ εἰκός: καὶ πᾶς ὁ χειμέριος χρόνος ἀμφὶ ταῦτα ἐδαπανήθη.

  [54.1] For the following year Lucius Menenius were chosen consuls; and the pestilence finally ceased. After that public sacrifices of thanksgiving were performed to the gods and magnificent games celebrated at great expense; and the people were engaged in rejoicings and festivals, as may be imagined. Indeed the whole winter season was thus spent.

  [2] ἀρχομένου δ᾽ ἔαρος σῖτός τε πολὺς καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν ἤχθη χωρίων, ὁ μὲν πλείων δημοσίᾳ συνωνηθείς, ὁ δέ τις καὶ ὑπ᾽ ἰδιωτῶν ἐμπόρων κομιζόμενος. ἔκαμνε γὰρ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἐν τῇ σπάνει τῆς τροφῆς ὁ λαὸς χέρσου τῆς γῆς ἀφειμένης διὰ τὰς νόσους καὶ τὸν ὄλεθρον τῶν γεωργῶν.

  [2] In the beginning of spring a large quantity of corn was brought in from many places; most of it was purchased with the public money, but some was imported by private merchants. For not least of the people’ hardships was the dearth of provisions, the land having lain uncultivated by reason of the pestilence and the death of the husbandmen.

  [3] ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ παρεγένοντο ἀπό τ᾽ Ἀθηνῶν καὶ τῶν ἐν Ἰταλοῖς Ἑλληνίδων πόλεων οἱ πρέσβεις φέροντες τοὺς νόμους. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο προσῄεσαν οἱ δήμαρχοι τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἀξιοῦντες ἀποδεῖξαι κατὰ τὸ ψήφισμα τῆς βουλῆς τοὺς νομοθέτας. οἱ δ᾽ οὐκ ἔχοντες, ὅτῳ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλάξειαν τρόπῳ προσκαθημένους καὶ λιπαροῦντας, ἀχθόμενοι τῷ πράγματι καὶ οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς αὑτῶν ἀρχῆς καταλῦσαι τὴν ἀριστοκρατίαν πρόφασιν εὐπρεπῆ προὐβάλοντο λέγοντες ἐν χερσὶν εἶναι τὸν τῶν ἀρχαιρεσίων καιρόν, καὶ δέον αὐτοὺς τοὺς ὑπάτους πρῶτον ἀποδεῖξαι,

  [3] At the same time the ambassadors arrived from Athens and the Greek cities in Italy, bringing with them the laws. Thereupon the tribunes we
nt to the consuls and asked them to appoint the lawgivers pursuant to the senate’s decree. The consuls did not know how to get rid of their solicitations and importunities, but as they disliked the business and were unwilling for the aristocracy to be overthrown during their consulship, they resorted to a specious excuse, saying that the time for the election of magistrates was at hand and, as it was their duty first to name the new consuls,

  [4] ποιῆσαι δὲ τοῦτ᾽ οὐκ εἰς μακράν, ἀποδειχθέντων δὲ [p. 99] τῶν ὑπάτων μετ᾽ ἐκείνων ἔλεγον ἀνοίσειν τῷ συνεδρίῳ τὴν περὶ τῶν νομοθετῶν διάγνωσιν. συγχωρούντων δὲ τῶν δημάρχων προθέντες ἀρχαιρέσια πολλῷ τάχιον ἢ τοῖς προτέροις ἔθος ἦν ὑπάτους ἀπέδειξαν Ἄππιον Κλαύδιον καὶ Τίτον Γενύκιον, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο πᾶσαν ἀποθέμενοι τὴν περὶ τῶν κοινῶν φροντίδα, ὡς ἑτέρους ἤδη δέον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν σκοπεῖν, οὐδὲν ἔτι τοῖς δημάρχοις προσεῖχον, ἀλλὰ διακλέψαι τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον τῆς ὑπατείας διενοοῦντο.

  [4] they would do so soon, and when these were appointed, they would in conjunction with them refer the matter of the lawgivers to the senate for its consideration. When the tribunes consented to this, they appointed the election much earlier than had been the custom with past elections, and nominated Appius Claudius and Titus Genucius for consuls; then, laying aside all thought for the public business, as if it were now the concern of others, they no longer paid any heed to the tribunes, but determined to pass the remaining time of their consulship in evasion of their duty.

  [5] ἔτυχε δὲ τὸν ἕτερον αὐτῶν Μενήνιον ἀρρωστία τις καταλαβοῦσα χρόνιος. ἤδη δέ τινες ἔφασαν ὑπὸ λύπης καὶ ἀθυμίας ἐμπεσούσης τῷ ἀνδρὶ τηκεδόνα δυσαπάλλακτον ἐργάσασθαι νόσον. ταύτην δὲ προσλαβὼν τὴν πρόφασιν ὁ Σήστιος ὡς οὐδὲν οἷός τ᾽ ἦν πράττειν μόνος ἀπεωθεῖτο τὰς τῶν δημάρχων δεήσεις καὶ πρὸς τοὺς νέους ἄρχοντας ἠξίου τρέπεσθαι.

  [5] It chanced that one of them, Menenius, was seized with a chronic illness; indeed, some said that a wasting disease, which had come upon him because of grief and despondency, had made his malady hard to be cured. Sestius, availing himself of this additional excuse and pretending that he could do nothing alone, kept rejecting the pleas of the tribunes and advising them to apply to the new consuls.

  [6] οἱ δ᾽ οὐκ ἔχοντες, ὅ τι πράττωσιν, ἕτερον ἐπὶ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον οὔπω τὴν ἐξουσίαν παρειληφότας ἠναγκάζοντο καταφεύγειν, τὰ μὲν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις δεόμενοι, τὰ δὲ καταμόνας συντυγχάνοντες: καὶ τέλος ἐξειργάσαντο τοὺς ἄνδρας μεγάλας ὑποτείνοντες ἐλπίδας αὐτοῖς, εἰ τὰ τοῦ δήμου πράγματα ἕλοιντο, τιμῆς καὶ δυναστείας.

  [6] Thus the tribunes, since there was nothing else they could do, were forced to have recourse to Appius and his colleague, who had not yet entered upon their magistracy, and would now plead with them in the meetings of the assembly and now in private conferences. And at last they overcame these men by holding out to them great hopes of honour and power if they would espouse the cause of the populace.

  [7] εἰσῆλθε γάρ τις τὸν Ἄππιον ἐπιθυμία ξένην ἀρχὴν περιβαλέσθαι καὶ νόμους καταστήσασθαι τῇ πατρίδι ὁμονοίας τε καὶ εἰρήνης καὶ τοῦ μίαν ἅπαντας ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν [p. 100] πόλιν ἄρξαι τοῖς συμπολιτευομένοις. οὐ μέντοι καὶ διέμεινέ γε χρηστὸς ἀρχῇ κοσμηθεὶς μεγάλῃ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξέπεσε τελευτῶν εἰς φιλαρχίαν ἀπαραχώρητον ὑπὸ μεγέθους ἐξουσίας διαφθαρεὶς καὶ ὀλίγου ἐδέησεν ἐπὶ τυραννίδα ἐλάσαι. περὶ ὧν κατὰ τὸν οἰκεῖον διαλέξομαι καιρόν.

  [7] For Appius was seized with a desire to be invested with an alien magistracy, to establish laws for the fatherland and to set an example to his fellow citizens of harmony and peace and the recognition by them all of the unity of the commonwealth. Nevertheless, when he had been honoured with this great magistracy, he did not preserve his probity but, corrupted by the greatness of his authority, succumbed to an irresistible passion for holding office and came very near to running into tyranny; all which I shall relate at the proper time.

  [1] τότε δ᾽ οὖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου ταῦτα βουλευσάμενος καὶ τὸν συνάρχοντα πείσας, ἐπειδὴ πολλάκις αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐκάλεσαν οἱ δήμαρχοι, παρελθὼν πολλοὺς καὶ φιλανθρώπους διεξῆλθε λόγους: κεφάλαια δ᾽ αὐτοῦ τῆς δημηγορίας τοιάδε ἦν, ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἀποδειχθῆναι τοὺς νόμους καὶ παύσασθαι στασιάζοντας τοὺς πολίτας ὑπὲρ τῶν ἴσων αὐτῷ τε καὶ τῷ συνάρχοντι παντὸς μάλιστα δοκεῖ, καὶ ἀποφαίνονται γνώμην φανεράν: τοῦ δ᾽ ἀποδεῖξαι τοὺς νομοθέτας αὐτοὶ μὲν οὐδεμίαν ἔχουσιν ἐξουσίαν οὔπω παρειληφότες τὴν ἀρχήν, τοῖς δὲ περὶ Μενήνιον ὑπάτοις οὐχ ὅπως ἐναντιώσονται πράσσουσι τὰ δόξαντα τῇ βουλῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνεργήσουσι καὶ πολλὴν εἴσονται χάριν.

  [55.1] At any rate, at the time in question he took this resolution with the best of motives and prevailed upon his colleague to do the same; and since the tribunes repeatedly invited him to appear before the assembly, he came forward and spoke many words of goodwill. The substance of his speech was as follows: That both he and his colleague held it to be a matter of the first importance that the lawgivers should be appointed and that the citizens should cease quarrelling over equal rights; and they were declaring their opinion openly. But for the appointing of the lawgivers they themselves had no authority, since they had not yet entered upon their magistracy; however, not only would they not oppose Menenius and his colleague in carrying out the decree of the senate, but they would actually assist them and be very grateful to them.

  [2] ἐὰν δ᾽ ἀναδύωνται σκῆψιν προβαλλόμενοι τὴν νέαν ἀρχήν, ὡς οὐκ ἐξὸν αὐτοῖς ἑτέρους ἄρχοντας ὑπατικὴν ἐξουσίαν παραληψομένους ἀποδεικνύειν ἡμῶν ἤδη κεκυρωμένων ὑπάτων, οὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν αὐτοῖς τὸ καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς ἔσεσθαι. ἑκόντες γὰρ ἀποστήσεσθαι τῆς ὑπατείας τοῖς ἀνθ᾽ αὑτῶν αἱρεθησομένοις, ἐὰν καὶ τῇ

  [2] If the others, however, should decline to carry out the decree, using the new magistracy as an excuse, claiming that it was not lawful for them, now that new consuls had been confirmed, to create other magistrates who would receive consular power, they said that so far as they themselves were concerned there would be nothing to prevent the present consuls from acting. For they would willingly resign the consulship to such magistrates as should be appointed in their steady, provided the senate too should approve of it.

  [3] βουλῇ ταῦτα δοκῇ. ἐπαινοῦντος δὲ τοῦ δήμου καὶ [p. 101] τ�
��ν προθυμίαν τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ πάντων κατὰ πλῆθος ἐπὶ τὸ συνέδριον ὠσαμένων, ἀναγκασθεὶς ὁ Σήστιος τὴν βουλὴν συναγαγεῖν μόνος, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Μενήνιος ἀδύνατος ἦν παρεῖναι διὰ τὴν νόσον, προὔθηκεν ὑπὲρ τῶν νόμων λέγειν. ἐλέχθησαν μὲν οὖν καὶ τότε πολλοὶ ὑπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων λόγοι τῶν τε παραινούντων κατὰ νόμους πολιτεύεσθαι, καὶ τῶν ἀξιούντων τοὺς πατρίους φυλάττειν ἐθισμούς.

  [3] The populace praising them for their goodwill and rushing in a body to the senate-house, Sestius was forced to assemble the senate alone, Menenius being unable to attend by reason of his illness, and proposed to them the consideration of the laws. Many speeches were made on this occasion also both by those who contended that the commonwealth ought to be governed by laws and by those who advised adhering to the customs of their ancestors.

  [4] ἐνίκα δὲ ἡ τῶν εἰς νέωτα μελλόντων ὑπατεύειν γνώμη, ἣν Ἄππιος Κλαύδιος πρῶτος ἐρωτηθεὶς ἀπεφήνατο, ἄνδρας αἱρεθῆναι δέκα τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς. τούτους δ᾽ ἄρχειν εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἂν ἀποδειχθῶσιν ἡμέρας, ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντας ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἣν εἶχον οἵ τε ὕπατοι καὶ ἔτι πρότερον οἱ βασιλεῖς, τάς τ᾽ ἄλλας ἀρχὰς πάσας καταλελύσθαι, τέως ἂν οἱ