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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §16.15.1-16.15.2

Rise of Runaways and Formation of the Brettii

Passage 523 of 723 · Greek

Summary

During the archonship of Elpines in Athens, a mixed multitude of runaway slaves and others gathered in Lucania, Italy; they grew in power, captured cities like Terina, and established a common state called the Brettii, named after the native word for runaways.

§16.15.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἐλπίνου Ῥωμαῖοι κατέστησαν ὑπάτους Μάρκον Πόπλιον Λαινάτην καὶ Γναῖον Μαιμίλιον Ἰμπεριῶσον, Ὀλυμπιὰς δʼ ἤχθη ἕκτη πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατόν, καθʼ ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Πῶρος Μαλιεύς.
When Elpines was archon at Athens, the Romans appointed as consuls Marcus Popillius Laenas and Gnaeus Maemilius Imperiosus, and the one hundred and sixth Olympiad was celebrated, in which Porus of Malia won the stadium race.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων κατὰ μὲν τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἠθροίσθη περὶ τὴν Λευκανίαν πλῆθος ἀνθρώπων πανταχόθεν μιγάδων, πλείστων δὲ δούλων δραπετῶν.
During their term of office, in Italy, a multitude of people, a mixed crowd from all quarters, and mostly runaway slaves, gathered around Lucania.
οὗτοι δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον λῃστρικὸν ἐνεστήσαντο βίον καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐν ταῖς ἀγραυλίαις καὶ καταδρομαῖς συνήθειαν ἔσχον τριβὴν καὶ μελέτην τῶν κατὰ πόλεμον ἔργων· διὸ καὶ τοῖς πολεμικοῖς ἀγῶσι προτεροῦντες τῶν ἐγχωρίων εἰς αὔξησιν ἀξιολογωτέραν κατέστησαν.
These at first adopted a life of brigandage, and through their familiarity with outdoor life and raids, they gained experience and training in the works of war; wherefore, excelling the natives in warlike contests, they attained a more significant growth.
§16.15.2καὶ πρῶτον μὲν Τέριναν πόλιν ἐκπολιορκήσαντες διήρπασαν, ἔπειτα Ἱππώνιον καὶ Θουρίους καὶ πολλὰς ἄλλας χειρωσάμενοι κοινὴν πολιτείαν συνέθεντο καὶ προσηγορεύθησαν Βρέττιοι διὰ τὸ πλείστους εἶναι δούλους· κατὰ γὰρ τὴν τῶν ἐγχωρίων διάλεκτον οἱ δραπέται βρέττιοι προσηγορεύοντο.
And first, having besieged and taken the city of Terina, they plundered it, then having subdued Hipponium, Thurii, and many others, they established a common state and were named Brettii because most of them were slaves; for in the dialect of the natives runaways were called "brettioi".
τὸ μὲν οὖν τῶν Βρεττίων πλῆθος οὕτω συνέστη κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν.
Thus, then, did the multitude of the Brettii come to be formed in Italy.

Notes

  1. §16.15.1πλείστων δὲ δούλων δραπετῶν — A genitive nominal phrase modifying ἀνθρώπων in parallel with μιγάδων. Alternatively, it can be interpreted as a genitive absolute construction without a participle ("the majority of them being runaway slaves").
  2. §16.15.2διὰ τὸ πλείστους εἶναι δούλους — The preposition διά followed by the articular infinitive (τό + infinitive εἶναι). The accusative πλείστους serves as the subject of the infinitive, while δούλους functions as the predicate accusative.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §16.15.1-16.15.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:16.15.1-16.15.2

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