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Plutarch · Life of Publicola §18.1-18.2

Porsena Agrees to Peace and Receives Hostages

Passage 18 of 23 · Greek

Summary

Poplicola offered to have Porsena judge his dispute with Tarquin, but Tarquin's stubborn refusal led Porsena to end the war on terms favorable to Rome, securing peace with hostages including Poplicola's daughter.

§18.1ὁ μέντοι Ποπλικόλας αὐτός, οὐχ οὕτω πολέμιον ὄντα τὸν Πορσίναν βαρὺν ἡγούμενος ὡς ἄξιον πολλοῦ τῇ πόλει φίλον γενέσθαι καὶ σύμμαχον, οὐκ ἔφευγεν ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ δίκῃ κριθῆναι πρὸς Ταρκύνιον, ἀλλʼ ἐθάρρει καὶ προὐκαλεῖτο πολλάκις ὡς ἐξελέγξων κάκιστον ἀνδρῶν καὶ δικαίως ἀφαιρεθέντα τὴν ἀρχήν, ἀποκριναμένου δὲ τὸν Ταρκυνίου τραχύτερον, οὐδένα ποιεῖσθαι δικαστήν, ἥκιστα δὲ Πορσίναν, εἰ σύμμαχος ὢν μεταβάλλεται, §18.2δυσχεράνας καὶ καταγνοὺς ὁ Πορσίνας, ἅμα δὲ τὸν παιδὸς Ἄρροντος δεομένου καὶ σπουδάζοντος ὑπὲρ τῶν Ῥωμαίων, κατελύσατο τὸν πόλεμον ἐξισταμένοις ἧς ἀπετέμοντο τῆς Τυρρηνίδος χώρας καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἀποπέμπουσι, κομιζομένοις δὲ τοὺς αὐτομόλους, ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁμήρους ἔδωκαν ἐξ εὐπατριδῶν περιπορφύρους δέκα καὶ παρθένους τοσαύτας, ὧν ἦν καὶ Ποπλικόλα θυγάτηρ Οὐαλλερία.
However, Poplicola himself, not so much considering Porsena a burdensome enemy as a man worthy of becoming a valuable friend and ally to the city, did not shrink from being judged before him in a suit against Tarquin, but rather was confident and repeatedly challenged him, intending to prove that he was the basest of men and had been justly deprived of his rule. But when Tarquin answered rather harshly, saying that he would accept no one as judge, and least of all Porsena if he, though being an ally, was changing sides, Porsena was displeased and condemned him; and at the same time, because his son Arruns was entreating him and working earnestly on behalf of the Romans, he brought the war to an end on the condition that they should evacuate the Tuscan territory which they had cut off and send back the prisoners, while receiving back their deserters. On these terms, they gave as hostages ten noble youths wearing the purple-bordered toga, and as many maidens, among whom was Valeria, the daughter of Poplicola.

Notes

  1. 18.1οὐχ οὕτω πολέμιον ὄντα τὸν Πορσίναν βαρὺν ηγούμενος ὡς ἄξιον — Correlation of οὕτω ... ὡς ("not so much ... as"). βαρὺν is a predicate adjective of ἡγούμενος with πολέμιον ὄντα τὸν Πορσίναν as the object ("considering Porsena, who was an enemy, to be burdensome"). The latter part is to be understood as ὡς (ἡγούμενος αὐτὸν) ἄξιον (εἶναι) ..., showing Poplicola's calculated preference for gaining Porsena as an ally rather than treating him as an enemy.
  2. 18.1ἀποκριναμένου δὲ τὸν Ταρκυνίου — The article τὸν in the manuscripts is commonly emended to τοῦ, which functions as the subject of the genitive absolute: ἀποκριναμένου δὲ τοῦ Ταρκυνίου ("but when Tarquin answered"). This genitive absolute introduces the indirect discourse with the infinitive ποιεῖσθαι ("stating that he would accept...").
  3. 18.2ἐξισταμένοις ἧς ἀπετέμοντο τῆς Τυρρηνίδος χώρας — The dative participles ἐξισταμένοις (as well as ἀποπέμπουσι and κομιζομένοις) express the conditions under which the treaty was made ("on the condition that they evacuate..."). In ἧς ... τῆς Τυρρηνίδος χώρας, the relative pronoun ἧς has attracted the case of its antecedent, representing the original structure τῆς Τυρρηνίδος χώρας ἣν ἀπετέμοντο ("the Tuscan territory which they had cut off").

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Life of Publicola §18.1-18.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg008.humanitext-grc2:18.1-18.2

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