Humanitext Reader

Plutarch · Life of Publicola §7.1-7.5

Resignation of Collatinus and Election of Valerius

Passage 7 of 23 · Greek

Summary

After Brutus's departure, Collatinus hesitates in treating the traitorous Aquillii, prompting Valerius to intervene. Returning to the scene, Brutus leaves the decision to the citizens, who execute the traitors, and Collatinus resigns. Valerius is elected consul and grants citizenship to the informant Vindicius, whose name becomes associated with manumission.

§7.1ὡς δʼ οὖν ἀπῆλθεν ἐξ ἀγορᾶς τότε, πολὺν μὲν χρόνον ἔκπληξις εἶχε καὶ φρίκη καὶ σιωπὴ πάντας ἐπὶ τοῖς διαπεπραγμένοις· πρὸς δὲ τὴν Κολλατίνου μαλακίαν καὶ μέλλησιν ἀνεθάρρησαν οἱ Ἀκύλλιοι, καὶ χρόνον ἠξίουν λαβόντες ἀπολογήσασθαι, καὶ τὸν Οὐινδίκιον αὐτοῖς ἀποδοθῆναι δοῦλον ὄντα, καὶ μὴ παρὰ τοῖς κατηγόροις εἶναι.
When, at any rate, he had then departed from the forum, for a long time astonishment, horror, and silence held everyone because of what had been done; but at the weakness and hesitation of Collatinus, the Aquillii took courage, and demanded that they be given time to defend themselves, and that Vindicius be restored to them, since he was a slave, and not remain in the hands of his accusers.
§7.2βουλομένου δὲ ταῦτα συγχωρεῖν καὶ διαλύοντος ἐπὶ τούτοις τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ὁ Οὐαλλέριος οὔτε τὸν ἄνθρωπον οἷός τʼ ἦν ἀφεῖναι τῷ περὶ αὐτὸν ὄχλῳ καταμειγμένον, οὔτε τὸν δῆμον εἴα προέμενον τοὺς προδότας ἀπελθεῖν.
And when he wished to grant this and was dissolving the assembly on these terms, Valerius was neither able to let the man go, who was mingled with the crowd around him, nor would he suffer the people to depart after abandoning the traitors.
τέλος δὲ τοῖς σώμασιν ἐπιβαλὼν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπεκαλεῖτο τὸν Βροῦτον, καὶ τὸν Κολλατῖνον ἐβόα δεινὰ ποιεῖν, εἰ τῷ συνάρχοντι παιδοφονίας ἀνάγκην προστριψάμενος αὐτὸς οἴεται δεῖν καταχαρίζεσθαι ταῖς γυναιξὶ τοὺς προδότας καὶ πολεμίους τῆς πατρίδος.
Finally, laying his hands upon their bodies, he called upon Brutus, and cried out that Collatinus was doing a monstrous thing, if, after imposing upon his colleague the necessity of child-murder, he himself thought it right to make a favor to women of those who were traitors and enemies of their country.
§7.3ἀγανακτοῦντος δὲ τοῦ ὑπάτου καὶ κελεύοντος ἀπάγεσθαι τὸν Οὐινδίκιον, οἱ μὲν ὑπηρέται διωσάμενοι τὸν ὄχλον ἥπτοντο τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τοὺς ἀφαιρουμένους ἔτυπτον, οἱ δὲ φίλοι τοῦ Οὐαλλερίου προέστησαν ἀμυνόμενοι· καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἐβόα κελεύων παρεῖναι τὸν Βροῦτον.
And when the consul was indignant and ordered Vindicius to be dragged away, the lictors, forcing their way through the crowd, seized the man and beat those who tried to rescue him, while the friends of Valerius stood in front to defend him; and the people cried out, demanding that Brutus be present.
ἧκεν οὖν αὖθις ὑποστρέψας· καὶ γενομένης αὐτῷ σιωπῆς εἶπεν ὅτι τοῖς μὲν υἱοῖς αὐτὸς ἀποχρῶν ἦν δικαστής, περὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων τοῖς πολίταις ἐλευθέροις οὖσι ψῆφον δίδωσι· λεγέτω δὲ ὁ βουλόμενος καὶ πειθέτω τὸν δῆμον. οὐκέτι μέντοι λόγων ἐδέησεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ψήφου δοθείσης πάσαις ἁλόντες ἐπελεκίσθησαν.
He came back, therefore, returning once more; and when silence was made for him, he said that for his own sons he himself was a sufficient judge, but concerning the others, he gave the vote to the citizens, who were free men; "and let anyone who wishes speak and persuade the people." However, there was no longer any need of words, but when the vote was taken, they were convicted by all votes and beheaded with the axe.
§7.4ὁ δὲ Κολλατῖνος ἦν μὲν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐν ὑποψίᾳ τινὶ καὶ διὰ συγγένειαν τῶν βασιλέων, ἤχθοντο δʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ τῶν ὀνομάτων, ἀφοσιούμενοι τὸν Ταρκύνιον.
Now Collatinus was, as it seems, already under some suspicion both because of his relationship to the kings, and they were also annoyed by the second of his names, holding the name of Tarquin in abhorrence.
ὡς δὲ καὶ ταῦτα συνέβη, παντάπασι προσκρούσας ἀφῆκε τὴν ἀρχὴν ἑκὼν καὶ τῆς πόλεως ὑπεξῆλθεν.
But when these events also occurred, having given offense completely, he resigned his office voluntarily and withdrew from the city.
οὕτω δὴ πάλιν ἀρχαιρεσιῶν γενομένων ὕπατος ἀπεδείχθη λαμπρῶς ὁ Οὐαλλέριος, ἀξίαν ἀπολαβὼν τῆς προθυμίας χάριν· §7.5ἧς οἰόμενός τι δεῖν ἀπολαῦσαι τὸν Οὐινδίκιον ἐψηφίσατο πρῶτον ἀπελεύθερον ἐκεῖνον ἐν Ῥώμῃ γενέσθαι πολίτην καὶ φέρειν ψῆφον ᾗ βούλοιτο φρατρίᾳ προσνεμηθέντα.
Thus, when elections were held again, Valerius was triumphantly declared consul, receiving a worthy return for his zeal; and thinking that Vindicius ought to enjoy some share of this, he decreed that he should be the first freedman to become a Roman citizen, and to cast his vote, being assigned to whichever curia he wished.
τοῖς δʼ ἄλλοις ἀπελευθέροις ὀψὲ καὶ μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον ἐξουσίαν ψήφου δημαγωγῶν ἔδωκεν Ἄππιος ἡ δὲ παντελὴς ἀπελευθέρωσις ἄχρι νῦν οὐινδίκτα λέγεται διʼ ἐκεῖνον, ὥς φασι, τὸν Οὐινδίκιον.
To the other freedmen, Appius, as a popular leader, gave the right of suffrage late and after a long time; and perfect manumission is called "vindicta" to this day, as they say, because of that Vindicius.

Notes

  1. §7.1τὸν Οὐινδίκιον αὐτοῖς ἀποδοθῆναι δοῦλον ὄντα, καὶ μὴ παρὰ τοῖς κατηγόροις εἶναι — This is an accusative with infinitive construction acting as the object of the verb ἠξίουν (they demanded). τὸν Οὐινδίκιον is the subject accusative for both infinitives, ἀποδοθῆναι and εἶναι. The participle δοῦλον ὄντα agrees with τὸν Οὐινδίκιον in the accusative, expressing a causal sense ("since he was a slave").
  2. §7.2εἰ τῷ συνάρχοντι παιδοφονίας ἀνάγκην προστριψάμενος αὐτὸς οἴεται δεῖν καταχαρίζεσθαι ταῖς γυναιξὶ τοὺς προδότας — The clause introduced by εἰ functions as a causal clause after the expression of indignation, ἐβόα δεινὰ ποιεῖν (cried out that he was doing a monstrous thing), representing the ground of the charge ("if / seeing that..."). The participle προστριψάμενος agrees with the subject αὐτός of the verb οἴεται, denoting a prior action or concession. παιδοφονίας is an objective genitive modifying ἀνάγκην.
  3. §7.5ἧς οἰόμενός τι δεῖν ἀπολαῦσαι τὸν Οὐινδίκιον — The relative pronoun ἧς refers back to χάριν (favor, return) in the previous sentence and functions as the genitive object of the verb ἀπολαῦσαι (to enjoy), which regularly governs the genitive case. τὸν Οὐινδίκιον is the subject accusative of the infinitive clause governed by οἰόμενος.

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Life of Publicola §7.1-7.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg008.humanitext-grc2:7.1-7.5

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