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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [5] εὐδοκιμῶν δ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἅπασι τούτοις καὶ δοκῶν κράτιστος εἶναι βασιλέων τε καὶ τῶν κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν ἡγησαμένων τῆς πόλεως παραλαμβάνει πάλιν τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς τὸν ἐπιόντα ἐνιαυτόν. ταῦτα κατ᾽ ἐκείνην ἐπράχθη τὴν δεκαδαρχίαν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων, ἄλλο δ᾽ οὐθὲν ὅ τι καὶ λόγου ἄξιον.

  [5] Thus Appius, who was in great repute for all these actions and was looked upon as superior to both their kings and the annual magistrates who had governed the state, assumed the magistracy again for the following year. These were the things done by the Romans during that decemvirate, and there was nothing else worth relating.

  [1] ἐν δὲ τῷ κατόπιν ἔτει παραλαβόντες τὴν ὑπατικὴν ἐξουσίαν οἱ σὺν Ἀππίῳ Κλαυδίῳ δέκα ἄνδρες εἰδοῖς μαΐαις, ἦγον δὲ τοὺς μῆνας κατὰ σελήνην, καὶ συνέπιπτεν εἰς τὰς εἰδοὺς ἡ πανσέληνος:

  [59.1] The following year Appius Claudius and the other decemvirs, having received the consular power on the ides of May (for the Romans reckoned their months by the course of the moon, and the full moon fell on the ides),

  [2] πρῶτα μὲν ὅρκια τεμόντες ἀπόρρητα τῷ πλήθει συνθήκας σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἔθεντο περὶ μηδενὸς ἀλλήλοις ἐναντιοῦσθαι, ὅ τι δ᾽ ἂν εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν δικαιώσῃ, τοῦθ᾽ ἅπαντες ἡγεῖσθαι κύριον τήν τ᾽ ἀρχὴν καθέξειν διὰ βίου καὶ μηδένα παρήσειν ἕτερον ἐπὶ τὰ πράγματα [p. 107] ἰσότιμοί τε πάντες ἔσεσθαι καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἕξειν δυναστείαν, βουλῆς μὲν ἢ δήμου ψηφίσμασι σπανίως καὶ εἰς αὐτὰ τἀναγκαῖα χρώμενοι, τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα ἐπὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἐξουσίας ποιοῦντες.

  [2] first of all took a solemn oath, without the knowledge of the populace, and made a compact among themselves not to oppose one another in anything, but that whatever was approved by any one of them should be ratified by all the others; and they agreed that they would hold their magistracy for life and admit no other person into the government, that they would all enjoy the same honours and possess the same power, and that they would rarely make use of the votes of the senate or populace and then only in absolutely necessary cases, but would do almost everything on their own authority.

  [3] ἐνστάσης δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας, ἐν ᾗ παραλαβεῖν αὐτοὺς ἔδει τὴν ἀρχήν, τοῖς θεοῖς προθύσαντες ἃ νόμος — ἱερὰν δὲ ταύτην ἄγουσι Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν ἡμέραν καὶ παντὸς μάλιστα ὀττεύονται μήτ᾽ ἀκοῦσαι μηδὲν ἀηδὲς ἐν αὐτῇ μήτ᾽ ἰδεῖν — ἕωθεν εὐθὺς ἐξῄεσαν οἱ δέκα τὰ παράσημα τῆς βασιλικῆς ἐξουσίας ἅπαντες ἐπαγόμενοι.

  [3] When the day came on which they were to enter upon their magistracy, after they had offered the usual initial sacrifices to the gods (for the Romans look upon this day as holy and particularly make it a point of religion neither to hear nor to see anything disagreeable during its course), the decemvirs set out early in the morning, each one accompanied by the insignia of royalty.

  [4] ὁ δὲ δῆμος ὡς ἔμαθεν αὐτοὺς οὐκέτι φυλάττοντας τὸ δημοτικὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ μέτριον σχῆμα τῆς ἡγεμονίας οὐδὲ διαμειβομένους τὰ παράσημα τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀρχῆς ὡς πρότερον, εἰς πολλὴν ἦλθε δυσθυμίαν καὶ κατήφειαν.

  [4] When the people saw that they no longer preserved the same democratic and modest form of leadership or passed on the insignia of royalty from one to another, as before, they fell into great despair and dejection.

  [5] ἐφόβουν θ᾽ οἱ προσηρτημένοι ταῖς δέσμαις τῶν ῥάβδων πελέκεις, οὓς ἔφερον οἱ προηγούμενοι τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἑκάστου δώδεκα ὄντες ἀναστέλλοντες ἐκ τῶν στενωπῶν πληγῖς τὸν ὄχλον, ὃ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων ἐγένετο πρότερον. κατελύθη γὰρ εὐθὺς τὸ ἔθος τοῦτο μετὰ τὴν ἐκβολὴν τῶν μονάρχων ὑπ᾽ ἀνδρὸς δημοτικοῦ Ποπλίου Οὐαλερίου τὴν ἐκείνων ἐξουσίαν μεταλαβόντος, ᾧ πάντες οἱ μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ὕπατοι καλοῦ πράγματος δόξαντι ἄρξαι τὰ ὅμοια πράττοντες οὐκέτι ταῖς δέσμαις τῶν ῥάβδων προσήρτων τοὺς πελέκεις, ὅτι μὴ κατὰ τὰς στρατείας καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἐξόδους τὰς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως.

  [5] They were terrified by the axes attached to the bundles of rods which were borne by the lictors, twelve of whom preceded each of the decemvirs and with blows forced the throng back from the streets, as had been the practice formerly under the kings. This custom, however, had been abolished, immediately after the expulsion of the kings, by Publius Valerius, a friend of the populace, who succeeded to their power, and all the consuls after him, following the good example he was felt to have set, no longer attached the axes to the bundles of rods except when they went out of the city either upon military expeditions or upon other occasions;

  [6] πόλεμον δ᾽ ἐξάγοντες ὑπερόριον ἢ τῶν ὑπηκόων πράγματα ἐπισκεψόμενοι, τότε καὶ τοὺς πελέκεις ταῖς ῥάβδοις προσελάμβανον, [p. 108] ἵνα τὸ τῆς ὄψεως φοβερόν, ὡς κατ᾽ ἐχθρῶν ἢ δούλων γινόμενον, ἥκιστα φαίνηται τοῖς πολίταις ἐπαχθές.

  [6] but when they set out on a foreign war or inspected the affairs of their subjects, they then added the axes to the rods. This was in order that the terrifying sight, as one employed against their enemies or slaves, might give as little offence as possible to the citizens.

  [1] τοῦτο δὴ θεασαμένοις ἅπασιν, ὃ τῆς βασιλικῆς ἐξουσίας σημεῖον ἐνομίζετο εἶναι, πολὺ παρειστήκει δέος, ὥσπερ ἔφην, ἀπολωλεκέναι νομίζουσι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ δέκα βασιλεῖς ἑλομένοις ἀνθ᾽ ἑνός. τοῦτον δὲ τὸν τρόπον καταπληξάμενοι τοὺς ὄχλους οἱ δέκα ἄνδρες καὶ γνόντες, ὅτι δεῖ φόβῳ τὸ λοιπὸν αὐτῶν ἄρχειν, ἑταιρίαν ἕκαστοι συνῆγον ἐπιλεγόμενοι τοὺς θρασυτάτους τῶν νέων καὶ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους.

  [60.1] When, therefore, they all saw this token, which was considered to be a mark of the kingly power, they were in great fear, as I said, believing that they had lost their liberty and chosen ten kings instead of one. The decemvirs having by this means struck terror into the masses and made up their mind that they must rule them by fear thereafter, each of them formed a faction, choosing from among the youth those who were most daring and most attached to their persons.

  [2] τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐκ τῶν ἀπόρων καὶ τῶν ταπεινῶν ταῖς τύχαις τοὺς πλείους φανῆναι τυραννικῆς κόλακας ἐξουσίας, τοῦ κοινοῦ συμφέροντος ἀλλαξαμένους τὰς αὑτῶν ὠφελείας, οὔτε παράδοξον οὔτ᾽ ἀνέλπιστον ἦν: τὸ δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων εὑρεθῆνα
ι συχνοὺς ἔχοντάς τι καὶ ἐπὶ πλούτῳ καὶ ἐπ᾽ εὐγενείᾳ μέγα φρονεῖν τοὺς ὑπομένοντας συγκαταλύειν τοῖς δεκαδάρχοις τὴν τῆς πατρίδος ἐλευθερίαν, τοῦτο θαυμαστὸν ἅπασιν εἶναι ἐδόκει: οἱ δὲ πάσαις κολακεύοντες ἡδοναῖς, ὁπόσαι πεφύκασιν ἀνθρώπων κρατεῖν, κατὰ πολλὴν ἄδειαν ἦρχον τῆς πόλεως, βουλὴν μὲν ἢ δῆμον ἐν οὐδεμιᾷ μερίδι τιθέμενοι, πάντων δὲ αὐτοὶ νομοθέται τε καὶ δικασταὶ γινόμενοι, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν ἀποκτιννύντες [p. 109] τῶν πολιτῶν, πολλοὺς δ᾽ ἀφαιρούμενοι τὰς οὐσίας ἀδίκως.

  [2] Now the fact that most men of no means and low condition showed themselves flatterers of a tyrannical power and preferred their private advantages to the public good, was neither extraordinary nor surprising; but that there were found many even of the patricians who, though they had some reason, on the basis of either wealth or birth, to feel great pride, nevertheless consented to join with the decemvirs in destroying the liberty of their country, that seemed an amazing thing to everybody. But the decemvirs, by humouring people with all the pleasures that are calculated to subdue mankind, governed the commonwealth with great ease, holding the senate and people in no account, but becoming themselves both the lawgivers and the judges in all matters, putting many of the citizens to death and stripping others of their estates unjustly.

  [3] ἵνα δ᾽ αὐτοῖς εὐπρεπῶς τὰ γινόμενα ἔχῃ παράνομα καὶ δεινὰ ὄντα ὡς δὴ σὺν τῷ δικαίῳ πραττόμενα, δικαστήρια ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῳ χρήματι ἀπεδίδοσαν: ἦσαν δὲ οἵ τε κατήγοροι ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων ἐκ τῶν συγκατασκευαζόντων τὴν τυραννίδα ὑποπεμπόμενοι, καὶ τὰ δικαστήρια ἐκ τῶν ἑταίρων ἀποδεικνύμενα, οἳ διημείβοντο ἀλλήλοις καταχαριζόμενοι τὰς δίκας.

  [3] In order, however, that their acts, illegal and cruel as they were, might have a specious appearance and seem to be carried out in accordance with justice, they appointed courts to try every matter; but the accusers, chosen from among the instruments of their tyranny, were suborned by the decemvirs themselves and the courts filled with men of their factions, who gratified one another by turns in rendering their decisions.

  [4] πολλὰ δὲ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων καὶ οὐ τὰ ἐλαχίστου ἄξια ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν οἱ δέκα ἔκρινον, ὥστ᾽ ἠναγκάζοντο οἱ μειονεκτοῦντες τῷ δικαίῳ προσνέμειν ἑαυτοὺς ταῖς ἑταιρίαις, ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἀσφαλὲς οὐκ ἐνῆν ἄλλως αὐτοῖς ἔχειν, καὶ ἐγένετο σὺν χρόνῳ πλεῖον τοῦ ὑγιαίνοντος ἐν τῇ πόλει τὸ διεφθαρμένον καὶ νοσοῦν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠξίουν ἔτι μένειν ἐντὸς τείχους, οἷς τὰ πραττόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν δεκαδάρχων ἀνιαρὰ ἦν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνεχώρουν εἰς τοὺς ἀγροὺς τὸν τῶν ἀρχαιρεσίων σκοποῦντες χρόνον ὡς ἀποθησομένων τῶν δέκα ἀνδρῶν τὰς δυναστείας, ὅταν τὸν ἐνιαύσιον ἐκτελέσωσι χρόνον, καὶ ἀποδειξόντων ἑτέρας ἀρχάς.

  [4] Many complaints, and those not the ones of least importance, the decemvirs decided by themselves. Hence the litigants who had less right on their side were under the necessity of attaching themselves to the factions, since they could not otherwise be sure of success; and in time the corrupted and infected element in the city became more numerous than the sound element. For those to whom the doings of the decemvirs were obnoxious would not consent even to remain any longer within the city’s walls, but retired to the country while awaiting the time for the election of magistrates, in the expectation that the decemvirs would resign their power after completing their year’s term and would appoint other magistrates.

  [5] οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον τοὺς λοιποὺς συγγράψαντες νόμους ἐν δέλτοις δυσὶ καὶ ταύτας ταῖς πρότερον ἐξενεχθείσαις προσέθηκαν: ἐν αἷς καὶ ὅδε ὁ νόμος ἦν, μὴ ἐξεῖναι τοῖς πατρικίοις πρὸς τοὺς δημοτικοὺς ἐπιγαμίας συνάψαι: δι᾽ οὐδὲν ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἕτερον ἢ τὸ μὴ συνελθεῖν εἰς ὁμόνοιαν τὰ ἔθνη γάμων ἐπαλλαγαῖς καὶ οἰκειοτήτων κοινωνίαις συγκερασθέντα.

  [5] As for Appius and his colleagues, they caused the remaining laws to be inscribed on two tables and added them to those they had published before. Among these new laws was this one, that it should not be lawful for the patricians to contract marriages with the plebeians — a law made for no other reason, in my opinion, than to prevent the two orders from coming together in harmony when once blended together by intermarriages and ties of affinity.

  [6] ὡς δὲ καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀρχαιρεσίων ἐπέστη [p. 110] χρόνος, πολλὰ χαίρειν φράσαντες τοῖς τε πατρίοις ἐθισμοῖς καὶ τοῖς νεωστὶ γραφεῖσι νόμοις, οὔτε βουλῆς ψήφισμα ποιήσαντες οὔτε δήμου διέμειναν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀρχῆς. λχι. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ὀλυμπιὰς μὲν ἦν ὀγδοηκοστὴ καὶ τρίτη, ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Κρίσων Ἱμεραῖος, ἄρχοντος Ἀθήνησι Φιλίσκου, τὴν δὲ ὑπατικὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐν Ῥώμῃ κατεῖχεν Ἄππιος μὲν Κλαύδιος τρίτον ἔτος ἡγούμενος τῆς δεκαδαρχίας κατὰ τὸ ἑξῆς, οἱ δὲ σὺν αὐτῷ τὸν παρελθόντα ἐνιαυτὸν ἄρξαντες δεύτερον ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐξουσίας μένοντες.

  [6] And when the time for the election of magistrates was at hand, the decemvirs bade a hearty farewell to both the ancestral customs and the newly-written laws, and without asking for a vote of either senate or people, continued in the same magistracy.

  BOOK XI

  [1] ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ὀγδοηκοστῆς καὶ τρίτης ὀλυμπιάδος, ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Κρίσων Ἱμεραῖος, ἄρχοντος Ἀθήνησι Φιλίσκου καταλύουσι Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν τῶν δέκα ἀρχὴν ἔτη τρία τῶν κοινῶν ἐπιμεληθεῖσαν. ὃν δὲ τρόπον ἐπεχείρησαν ἐρριζωμένην ἤδη τὴν δυναστείαν ἐξελεῖν, καὶ τίνων ἀνδρῶν ἡγησαμένων τῆς ἐλευθερίας, καὶ διὰ ποίας αἰτίας καὶ προφάσεις, ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀναλαβὼν πειράσομαι διελθεῖν ἀναγκαίας ὑπολαμβάνων εἶναι καὶ καλὰς τὰς τοιαύτας μαθήσεις ἅπασι μὲν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἀνθρώποις, μάλιστα δ᾽ ὅσοι περὶ τὴν φιλόσοφον θεωρίαν καὶ περὶ τὰς πολιτικὰς διατρίβουσι πράξεις.

  [1.1] In the eighty-third Olympiad (the one at which Criso of Himera gained the prize), Philiscus being archon at Athens, the Romans abolished the decemvirate which had governed the commonwealth for three years. I shall now endeavour to relate from the beginning in what manner they attempted to do away with this domination which was already deeply rooted, who the leaders were in the cause of liberty, and what their motives and pretexts were. For I assume that such information is necessary and an excel
lent thing for almost everyone, but particularly for those who are employed either in philosophical speculation or in the administration of public affairs.

  [2] τοῖς τε γὰρ πολλοῖς οὐκ ἀπαρκεῖ τοῦτο μόνον ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας παραλαβεῖν, ὅτι τὸν Περσικὸν πόλεμον — ἵν᾽ ἐπὶ τούτου ποιήσωμαι τὸν λόγον — ἐνίκησαν Ἀθηναῖοί τε καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι δυσὶ ναυμαχίαις καὶ πεζομαχίᾳ [p. 112] μιᾷ καταγωνισάμενοι τὸν βάρβαρον τριακοσίας ἄγοντα μυριάδας αὐτοὶ σὺν τοῖς συμμάχοις οὐ πλείους ὄντες ἕνδεκα μυριάδων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τόπους, ἐν οἷς αἱ πράξεις ἐγένοντο, βούλονται παρὰ τῆς ἱστορίας μαθεῖν, καὶ τὰς αἰτίας ἀκοῦσαι, δι᾽ ἃς τὰ θαυμαστὰ καὶ παράδοξα ἔργα ἐπετέλεσαν, καὶ τίνες ἦσαν οἱ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἡγεμόνες τῶν τε βαρβαρικῶν καὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν ἱστορῆσαι, καὶ μηδενὸς ὡς εἰπεῖν ἀνήκοοι γενέσθαι τῶν συντελεσθέντων περὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας.