Humanitext Reader

Plutarch · Life of Publicola §5.1-5.2

Seizure of the Letters and Arrest of the Conspirators

Passage 5 of 23 · Greek

Summary

Upon receiving Vindicius's report of the conspiracy, Valerius and his brother Marcus forcibly seize the compromising letters from the conspirators and drag them to the forum.

§5.1ὡς οὖν ἀνέβη πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Οὐινδίκιος καὶ κατεῖπε πάντα, Μάρκου τε τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ παρόντος αὐτῷ μόνου καὶ τῆς γυναικός, ἐκπλαγεὶς καὶ δείσας ὁ Οὐαλλέριος οὐκέτι προήκατο τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ κατακλείσας εἰς τὸ οἴκημα καὶ φύλακα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ταῖς θύραις ἐπιστήσας, τὸν μὲν ἀδελφὸν ἐκέλευσε τὴν βασιλικὴν ἔπαυλιν περισχόντα τὰ γράμματα λαβεῖν, ἂν δυνατὸν ᾖ, καὶ τοὺς οἰκέτας παραφυλάττειν αὐτὸς δὲ πελατῶν τε πολλῶν καὶ φίλων ἀεὶ περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντων καὶ θεραπείας συχνῆς, ἐβάδιζε πρὸς τὴν οἰκίαν τῶν Ἀκυλλίων οὐκ ἔνδον ὄντων.
When, therefore, Vindicius went up to him and told him everything, with only his brother Marcus and his wife present with him, Valerius, astounded and terrified, did not let the man go anymore, but shut him up in a room and stationed his own wife at the door as a guard; and he ordered his brother to surround the royal residence and seize the letters, if possible, and to keep watch over the household slaves, while he himself, with many clients and friends always about him and a large retinue, walked to the house of the Aquillii, who were not inside.
§5.2διὸ μηδενὸς ἂν προσδοκήσαντος ὠσάμενος διὰ θυρῶν ἐπιτυγχάνει τοῖς γράμμασι κειμένοις ὅπου κατέλυον οἱ πρέσβεις, ταῦτα δʼ αὐτοῦ πράττοντος οἱ Ἀκύλλιοι δρόμῳ προσεφέροντο, καὶ περὶ τὰς θύρας συμμίξαντες ἐζήτουν ἀφελέσθαι τὰς ἐπιστολάς.
Therefore, as no one would have expected, forcing his way through the doors, he found the letters lying where the envoys were lodging; and while he was doing this, the Aquillii came running up, and clashing about the doors, they sought to snatch away the letters.
οἱ δʼ ἠμύνοντο, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια περιβαλόντες αὐτῶν τοῖς τραχήλοις ὑπὸ βίας καὶ μόλις ὠθούμενοι καὶ ὠθοῦντες διὰ τῶν στενωπῶν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐνέβαλον.
But the others defended themselves, and wrapping their cloaks around their necks, by force and with difficulty, pushing and being pushed, they thrust them through the alleys into the forum.
τὰ δʼ αὐτὰ καὶ περὶ τὴν ἔπαυλιν ἅμα τὴν βασιλικὴν ἐγίνετο, τοῦ Μάρκου γραμμάτων ἑτέρων ἐν τοῖς σκεύεσι κομιζομένων ἐπιλαμβανομένου, καὶ τῶν βασιλικῶν ὅσους δυνατὸς ἦν ἕλκοντος εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν.
At the same time, the very same things were happening also around the royal residence, as Marcus seized other letters that were being carried in the baggage, and dragged as many of the king's men as he could into the forum.

Notes

  1. 5.1Μάρκου τε τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ παρόντος αὐτῷ μόνου καὶ τῆς γυναικός — Genitive absolute construction. The adjective μόνου ('only') is genitive masculine singular, grammatically agreeing only with Μάρκου, but semantically extends to the following καὶ τῆς γυναικός, meaning 'with only his brother Marcus and his wife present.' The pronoun αὐτῷ (dative) refers to Valerius, the subject of the main clause.
  2. 5.1οὐκ ἔνδον ὄντων — The present participle ὄντων (genitive plural masculine) modifies the preceding noun phrase τῶν Ἀκυλλίων ('of the Aquillii', genitive plural). The structure means 'the house of the Aquillii, who were not inside,' indicating their absence at the time.
  3. 5.2μηδενὸς ἂν προσδοκήσαντος — Genitive absolute construction accompanied by the particle ἄν. It expresses a potential nuance or a past counterfactual condition: 'as no one would have expected.'
  4. 5.2τοῦ Μάρκου ... ἐπιλαμβανομένου ... καὶ ... ἕλκοντος — Genitive absolute construction. It serves to describe additionally the specific, simultaneous actions of Marcus (seizing the letters and dragging the king's men) in relation to the main clause (τὰ δʼ αὐτὰ ... ἐγίνετο, 'the same things were happening').

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Life of Publicola §5.1-5.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg008.humanitext-grc2:5.1-5.2

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