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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §1.32.1-1.32.5

The Theory of Pallas and the Lupercal

Passage 32 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Introducing an alternative theory that the name Pallantium derives from a youth named Pallas, the author notes the lack of active worship for him unlike Evander, and describes the establishment and natural setting of the Lupercal, dedicated to Lycaean Pan.

§1.32.1ὡς δέ τινες ἱστοροῦσιν, ὧν ἐστι καὶ Πολύβιος ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης, ἐπί τινος μειρακίου Πάλλαντος αὐτόθι τελευτήσαντος· τοῦτον δὲ Ἡρακλέους εἶναι παῖδα καὶ Λαύνας τῆς Εὐάνδρου θυγατρός· χώσαντα δʼ αὐτῷ τὸν μητροπάτορα τάφον ἐπὶ τῷ λόφῳ Παλλάντιον ἐπὶ τοῦ μειρακίου τὸν τόπον ὀνομάσαι.
But as some relate, among whom is also Polybius of Megalopolis, it was named after a certain youth, Pallas, who died there; they say that he was the son of Heracles and of Launa, the daughter of Evander, and that his maternal grandfather, having raised a tomb for him on the hill, named the place Pallantium after the youth.
§1.32.2ἐγὼ μέντοι οὔτε τάφον ἐθεασάμην ἐν Ῥώμῃ Πάλλαντος οὔτε χοὰς ἔμαθον ἐπιτελουμένας οὔτε ἄλλο τῶν τοιουτοτρόπων οὐδὲν ἠδυνήθην ἰδεῖν, καίτοι γε οὐκ ἀμνήστου τῆς οἰκίας ταύτης ἀφειμένης οὐδʼ ἀμοίρου τιμῶν αἷς τὸ δαιμόνιον γένος ὑπʼ ἀνθρώπων γεραίρεται.
I, however, have neither seen a tomb of Pallas in Rome, nor learned of libations being performed for him, nor have I been able to see anything else of that kind, although indeed this house has not been left unremembered, nor is it devoid of the honors with which the divine race is worshiped by men.
καὶ γὰρ Εὐάνδρῳ θυσίας ἔμαθον ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἐπιτελουμένας ὁσέτη δημοσίᾳ καὶ Καρμέντῃ, καθάπερ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἥρωσι καὶ δαίμοσι, καὶ βωμοὺς ἐθεασάμην ἱδρυμένους, Καρμέντῃ μὲν ὑπὸ τῷ καλουμένῳ Καπιτωλίῳ παρὰ ταῖς Καρμεντίσι πύλαις, Εὐάνδρῳ δὲ πρὸς ἑτέρῳ τῶν λόφων Αὐεντίνῳ λεγομένῳ τῆς Τριδύμου πύλης οὐ πρόσω· Πάλλαντι δὲ §1.32.3οὐδὲν οἶδα τούτων γινόμενον.
For indeed, I have learned of sacrifices being performed for Evander and Carmenta by the Romans every year publicly, just as to the other heroes and divinities, and I have seen altars erected—for Carmenta under the so-called Capitoline hill near the Carmentis gate, and for Evander near the other of the hills, called Aventine, not far from the Trigemina gate; but for Pallas, I know of nothing of these things being done.
οἱ δʼ οὖν Ἀρκάδες ὑπὸ τῷ λόφῳ συνοικισθέντες τά τε ἄλλα διεκόσμουν τὸ κτίσμα τοῖς οἴκοθεν νομίμοις χρώμενοι καὶ ἱερὰ ἱδρύονται, πρῶτον μὲν τῷ Λυκαίῳ Πανὶ τῆς Θέμιδος ἐξηγουμένης ʽἈρκάσι γὰρ θεῶν ἀρχαιότατός τε καὶ τιμιώτατος ὁ Πάνʼ χωρίον ἐξευρόντες ἐπιτήδειον, ὃ καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι Λουπερκάλιον, ἡμεῖς δʼ ἂν εἴποιμεν Λύκαιον.
At any rate, the Arcadians having settled together under the hill, regulated their settlement in other respects using the customs of their home, and they established sanctuaries, first of all to Lycaean Pan under the guidance of Themis (for to the Arcadians, Pan is the oldest and most honored of the gods), having found a suitable place which the Romans call the Lupercal, but we would call the Lycaeum.
§1.32.4νῦν μὲν οὖν συμπεπολισμένων τῷ τεμένει τῶν πέριξ χωρίων δυσείκαστος γέγονεν ἡ παλαιὰ τοῦ τόπου φύσις, ἦν δὲ τὸ ἀρχαῖον ὡς λέγεται σπήλαιον ὑπὸ τῷ λόφῳ μέγα, δρυμῷ λασίῳ κατηρεφές, καὶ κρηνίδες ὑπὸ ταῖς πέτραις ἐμβύθιοι, ἥ τε προσεχὴς τῷ κρημνῷ νάπη πυκνοῖς καὶ μεγάλοις δένδρεσιν ἐπίσκιος.
Now, indeed, because the surrounding areas have been built up together with the sacred precinct, the ancient nature of the place has become difficult to picture, but in ancient times, as it is said, there was a large cave under the hill, covered by a thick wood, and deep springs under the rocks, and the glen adjacent to the cliff was shaded by thick and tall trees.
§1.32.5ἔνθα βωμὸν ἱδρυσάμενοι τῷ θεῷ τὴν πάτριον θυσίαν ἐπετέλεσαν, ἣν μέχρι τοῦ καθʼ ἡμᾶς χρόνου Ῥωμαῖοι θύουσιν ἐν μηνὶ Φεβρουαρίῳ μετὰ τὰς χειμερίους τροπάς, οὐδὲν τῶν τότε γενομένων μετακινοῦντες· ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῆς θυσίας ἐν τοῖς ἔπειτα λεχθήσεται.
Having established an altar to the god there, they performed their ancestral sacrifice, which the Romans offer even up to our time in the month of February after the winter solstice, altering nothing of what was done then; and the manner of the sacrifice will be related in what follows.
ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ κορυφῇ τοῦ λόφου τὸ τῆς Νίκης τέμενος ἐξελόντες θυσίας καὶ ταύτῃ κατεστήσαντο διετησίους, ἃς καὶ ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ Ῥωμαῖοι ἔθυον.
And on the summit of the hill, having set apart the sacred precinct of Nike, they also established annual sacrifices to her, which the Romans were still offering in my time.

Notes

  1. §1.32.1ὀνομάσαι — This infinitive is part of the accusative with infinitive construction in indirect discourse, introduced by the preceding ὡς δέ τινες ἱστοροῦσιν ("as some relate"). The subject of the infinitive is τὸν μητροπάτορα ("the maternal grandfather"), indicating a reported claim.
  2. ¦84¦καίτοι γε οὐκ ἀμνήστου τῆς οἰκίας ταύτης ἀφειμένης — A genitive absolute construction where the double negatives οὐκ ἀμνήστου ("not unremembered") and οὐδʼ ἀμοίρου ("not devoid") convey a strong positive meaning. Coupled with the particle καίτοι ("although"), it emphasizes the contrast between the ongoing honors for Evander's household and the complete absence of a cult for Pallas.
  3. ¦p.v.1p.51¦τῆς Θέμιδος ἐξηγουμένης — A genitive absolute using the present participle ἐξηγουμένης ("guiding", "interpreting"). It signifies that Themis acted as a guide, providing divine instructions or oracles to direct the Arcadians in establishing their settlement and sacred sites.
  4. §1.32.4συμπεπολισμένων τῷ τεμένει τῶν πέριξ χωρίων — A genitive absolute with the perfect participle συμπεπολισμένων ("having been built up together"). The dative τῷ τεμένει ("with the sacred precinct") depends on the compound verb, indicating that the surrounding areas have become urbanized alongside the sanctuary, causing the change in the landscape.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §1.32.1-1.32.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.32.1-1.32.5

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