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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §1.54.1-1.54.3

Multiple Tombs of Aeneas and Monuments in Italy

Passage 54 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The author addresses doubts regarding the existence of Aeneas's tombs in multiple locations, explaining that it is common for wandering heroes to have monuments built by grateful communities, and argues that the presence of his monuments in Italy proves his stay there.

§1.54.1εἰ δέ τινας ταράττει τὸ πολλαχῇ λέγεσθαί τε καὶ δείκνυσθαι τάφους Αἰνείου ἀμηχάνου ὄντος ἐν πλείοσι τὸν αὐτὸν τεθάφθαι χωρίοις, ἐνθυμηθέντες ὅτι κοινόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ πολλῶν τοῦτό γε τὸ ἄπορον καὶ μάλιστα τῶν μὲν ἐπιφανεῖς τὰς τύχας, πλάνητας δὲ τοὺς βίους ἐσχηκότων, μαθέτωσαν ὅτι χωρίον μὲν ἓν τὸ δεξάμενον τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἦν, μνημεῖα δὲ παρὰ πολλοῖς κατεσκεύαστο διʼ εὔνοιαν τῶν ἐν ὠφελείαις τισὶ διʼ αὐτοὺς γενομένων, μάλιστα εἰ τοῦ γένους αὐτῶν τι περιῆν ἢ πόλεώς τινος ἀπόκτισις ἢ χρόνιοί τινες καὶ φιλάνθρωποι μοναί· οἷα δὴ καὶ περὶ §1.54.2τόνδε τὸν ἥρωα μυθολογούμενα ἴσμεν.
If the fact that the tombs of Aeneas are spoken of and pointed out in many places, even though it is impossible for the same person to be buried in several places, perplexes some people, let them, bearing in mind that this very difficulty () is common to many, especially to those who have had illustrious fortunes but wandering lives, () learn that while there was only one place that received their bodies, monuments were erected among many people through the goodwill of those who had received some benefit through them, especially if any of their descendants survived, or if there was a colony from some city, or some long and friendly stays; such indeed as we know to be related also concerning this hero.
Ἰλίῳ μὲν γὰρ τὸ μὴ πασσυδὶ διαφθαρῆναι κατὰ τὴν ἅλωσιν παρασχών, τῇ δὲ καλουμένῃ Βεβρυκίᾳ τὸ ἐπικουρικὸν διασωθῆναι παρασκευάσας, ἐν Φρυγίᾳ δὲ τὸν υἱὸν Ἀσκάνιον βασιλέα καταλιπών, ἐν Παλλήνῃ δὲ πόλιν ἐπώνυμον κτίσας, ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ δὲ θυγατέρας κηδεύσας, ἐν Σικελίᾳ δὲ μέρος τῆς στρατιᾶς ὑπολιπόμενος, ἐν πολλοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις χωρίοις φιλανθρώπους τὰς διατριβὰς δωρήσασθαι δοκῶν ἑκούσιον εἶχε παρʼ αὐτῶν τὴν εὔνοιαν, διʼ ἣν τὸν μετʼ ἀνθρώπων βίον ἐκλιπὼν ἡρώοις ἐκοσμεῖτο καὶ μνημάτων κατασκευαῖς πολλαχῇ.
For by providing for Ilium that it should not be utterly destroyed at its capture, by arranging for the auxiliary force to be saved in the land called Bebrycia, by leaving his son Ascanius as king in Phrygia, by founding an eponymous city in Pallene, by giving his daughters in marriage in Arcadia, by leaving behind a part of his army in Sicily, and by being thought to have granted friendly stays in many other places, he held from them () a voluntary goodwill, because of which, after leaving his life among men, he was honored with the rank of a hero and with the erection of monuments in many places.
§1.54.3ἐπεὶ φέρε τίνας ἂν αἰτίας ἔχοι τις ὑποθέσθαι τῶν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ αὐτοῦ μνημάτων, εἰ μήτε ἦρξε τούτων τῶν χωρίων μήτε καταγωγὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐποιήσατο μήθʼ ὅλως ἐγνώσθη πρὸς αὐτῶν;
For come, what reasons could anyone suppose for his monuments in Italy, if he neither ruled over these places, nor made his landings in them, nor was known to them at all?
ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων καὶ αὖθις λεχθήσεται, καθότι ἂν ὁ λόγος ἐφʼ ἑκάστου καιροῦ δηλωθῆναι ἀπαιτῇ.
But concerning these matters, mention will be made again hereafter, according as the narrative may require each occasion to be made clear.

Notes

  1. 1.54.1ἀμηχάνου ὄντος — The impersonal expression `ἀμήχανόν ἐστι` (it is impossible) is used in the participle form to construct a genitive absolute, with the following infinitive phrase `τὸν αὐτὸν τεθάφθαι ἐν πλείοσι χωρίοις` (that the same person is buried in several places) serving as its subject.
  2. 1.54.1οἷα δὴ — The neuter plural relative pronoun `οἷα` refers to the various circumstances previously mentioned (survival of descendants, colonizations, or long friendly stays) and, accompanied by the predicative participle `μυθολογούμενα` (being told), functions as the object of `ἴσμεν` (we know).
  3. 1.54.2Ἰλίῳ μὲν γὰρ — The series of participles beginning from the opening of the sentence (`παρασχών`, `παρασκευάσας`, `καταλιπών`, `κτίσας`, `κηδεύσας`, `ὑπολιπόμενος`, `δοκῶν`) all modify the subject Aeneas, expressing the reasons or means by which he brought benefits to various places. The main verb of the entire sentence is `εἶχε` located in the latter part.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §1.54.1-1.54.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.54.1-1.54.3

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