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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §20.35.1-20.35.5

Fabius' Invasion of Etruria and the Relief of Sutrium

Passage 223 of 301 · Greek

Summary

When the Etruscans besieged the Roman colony of Sutrium, the consuls divided their forces; Marcius successfully campaigned against the Samnites, while Fabius invaded upper Etruria, achieving major victories and forcing the Etruscans to lift the siege.

§20.35.1τῶν γὰρ Τυρρηνῶν στρατευσάντων ἐπὶ πόλιν Σούτριον ἄποικον Ῥωμαίων οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι δυνάμεσιν ἁδραῖς ἐκβοηθήσαντες ἐνίκησαν μάχῃ τοὺς Τυρρηνοὺς καὶ συνεδίωξαν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν,
For when the Etruscans made an expedition against the city of Sutrium, a colony of the Romans, the consuls, having gone to its aid with strong forces, defeated the Etruscans in battle and pursued them together into their camp.
§20.35.2οἱ δὲ Σαυνῖται κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον μακρὰν ἀπηρτημένης τῆς Ῥωμαίων δυνάμεως ἀδεῶς ἐπόρθουν τῶν Ἰαπύγων τοὺς τὰ Ῥωμαίων φρονοῦντας.
And the Samnites, at this time, since the force of the Romans was far away, fearlessly plundered those of the Iapyges who favored the cause of the Romans.
διόπερ ἠναγκάσθησαν οἱ ὕπατοι διαιρεῖν τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ Φάβιος μὲν ἐν τῇ Τυρρηνίᾳ κατέμεινεν, Μάρκιος δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς Σαυνίτας ἀναζεύξας Ἀλλίφας μὲν πόλιν εἷλεν κατὰ κράτος, τοὺς δὲ πολιορκουμένους τῶν συμμάχων ἐκ τῶν κινδύνων ἐρρύσατο.
Therefore the consuls were compelled to divide their forces, and Fabius remained in Etruria, while Marcius, marching against the Samnites, took the city of Allifae by storm, and rescued those of the allies who were being besieged from their dangers.
§20.35.3ὁ δὲ Φάβιος Τυρρηνῶν πολλοῖς πλήθεσιν ἐπὶ τὸ Σούτριον συνδραμόντων ἔλαθε τοὺς πολεμίους διὰ τῆς τῶν ὁμόρων χώρας ἐμβαλὼν εἰς τὴν ἀνωτέρω Τυρρηνίαν, ἀπόρθητον γενομένην πολλῶν χρόνων·
But Fabius, when large multitudes of the Etruscans had gathered together against Sutrium, escaped the notice of the enemy and, invading through the territory of the neighboring peoples, entered upper Etruria, which had remained unplundered for a long time.
§20.35.4ἐπιπεσὼν δὲ ἀνελπίστως τῆς τε χώρας πολλὴν ἐδῄωσε καὶ τοὺς ἐπελθόντας τῶν ἐγχωρίων νικήσας πολλοὺς μὲν ἀνεῖλεν, οὐκ ὀλίγους δὲ καὶ ζῶντας ὑποχειρίους ἔλαβεν.
And falling upon them unexpectedly, he devastated much of the country, and having defeated those of the inhabitants who came against him, he slew many, and took not a few alive as prisoners.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα περὶ τὴν καλουμένην Περυσίαν δευτέρᾳ μάχῃ τῶν Τυρρηνῶν κρατήσας, πολλοὺς ἀνελὼν κατεπλήξατο τὸ ἔθνος, πρῶτος Ῥωμαίων μετὰ δυνάμεως ἐμβεβληκὼς εἰς τοὺς τόπους τούτους.
And after this, having defeated the Etruscans in a second battle near the city called Perusia and having slain many, he struck terror into the nation, being the first of the Romans to have invaded these regions with an army.
§20.35.5καὶ πρὸς μὲν Ἀρρητινοὺς καὶ Κροτωνιάτας, ἔτι δὲ Περυσίνους ἀνοχὰς ἐποιήσατο· πόλιν δὲ τὴν ὀνομαζομένην Καστόλαν ἐκπολιορκήσας συνηνάγκασε τοὺς Τυρρηνοὺς λῦσαι τὴν τοῦ Σουτρίου πολιορκίαν.
He made a truce with the Arretines and Crotoniates, and also the Perusines; and having taken by siege the city named Castola, he compelled the Etruscans to raise the siege of Sutrium.

Notes

  1. 20.35.2τῶν Ἰαπύγων — A partitive genitive positioned before and modifying the subsequent restrictive participle phrase `τοὺς τὰ Ῥωμαίων φρονοῦντας` ('those who favored the cause of the Romans'), meaning 'those among the Iapyges who favored the Roman cause.'
  2. 20.35.3ἔλαθε τοὺς πολεμίους ... ἐμβαλὼν — An idiomatic construction of the verb `λανθάνω` ('escape notice') with the supplementary participle `ἐμβαλών` ('invading'). The finite verb functions adverbially ('unnoticed'), while the participle carries the main action.
  3. 20.35.3πολλῶν χρόνων — Genitive of time within which, expressing the duration during which the state of remaining unplundered had persisted: 'for many years.'

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §20.35.1-20.35.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.35.1-20.35.5

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