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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §10.40.1-10.40.4

Icilius Postpones Debate and Patricians Occupy Forum

Passage 780 of 962 · Greek

Summary

After Siccius's speech incites the multitude, the tribune Icilius decides to grant the opposing party the right to speak on the following day for the sake of justice. Meanwhile, the consuls gather the patricians and plan to occupy the Forum the next morning to obstruct the law.

§10.40.1τοιαῦτʼ εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος οὕτως οἰκείως διετέθη πρὸς τοὺς λόγους καὶ τοσαύτην ἀπεδείξατο ἀγανάκτησιν πρὸς τὸ ἀντίπαλον, ὥσθʼ, ὅπερ ἔφην καὶ κατʼ ἀρχάς, μηδὲ λόγον ἔτι βούλεσθαι τῶν ἀντιλεξόντων ὑπομένειν.
When he had spoken thus, the multitude was so favourably disposed towards his words and showed such great resentment against the opposing party that, as I indeed said at the beginning, they did not even wish to tolerate any speech from those who wanted to speak against it.
§10.40.2ὁ μέντοι δήμαρχος Ἰκίλλιος ἀναστὰς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἔφη πάντα ὀρθῶς εἰπεῖν Σίκκιον καὶ μακρὸν ἔπαινον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς διεξῆλθε· τὸ δὲ μὴ μεταδιδόναι λόγου τοῖς ἀντιλέξαι βουλομένοις οὔτε δίκαιον ἀπέφαινεν οὔτε πολιτικόν, ἄλλως τε καὶ περὶ νόμου τῆς ζητήσεως γινομένης, ὃς ἔμελλε κρείττονα ποιήσειν τὴν δίκην τῆς βίας.
However, the tribune Icilius, standing up, said that in all other respects Siccius had spoken correctly, and he went through a long praise of the man; but he declared that not granting speech to those who wished to speak against was neither just nor statesmanlike, especially when the inquiry was being made about a law which was intended to make justice stronger than violence.
ταύτῃ γὰρ ἀφορμῇ χρήσεσθαι τοὺς μηδὲν ἴσως καὶ δικαίως τοῖς πολλοῖς φρονοῦντας τοῦ ταράττειν πάλιν καὶ διιστάναι τὰ §10.40.3συμφέροντα τῆς πόλεως.
For he said that those who harboured no fair or just thoughts towards the multitude would use this as a pretext for again disturbing and dividing the common interests of the city.
ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν καὶ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἀποδείξας ἡμέραν τοῖς κατηγόροις τοῦ νόμου διέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
Having said this, and having assigned the following day to the accusers of the law, he dismissed the assembly.
οἱ δὲ ὕπατοι συναγαγόντες ἰδιωτικὸν συνέδριον πατρικίων τῶν ἀνδρειοτάτων τε καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τῇ πόλει τότʼ ἀνθούντων ἐδίδασκον αὐτούς, ὡς κωλυτέος εἴη σφίσιν ὁ νόμος, λόγοις μὲν πρῶτον, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ πείθωσι τὸν δῆμον, ἔργοις.
But the consuls, having gathered a private council of the patricians who were then the most courageous and most flourishing in the city, instructed them that the law must be blocked by them, first by words, and if they could not persuade the people, by deeds.
ἐκέλευόν τε ἅπασιν ἥκειν ἕωθεν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἅμα τοῖς ἑταίροις τε καὶ πελάταις, ὅσοις ἂν ἕκαστοι πλείστοις δύνωνται.
And they ordered them all to come at dawn to the Forum together with their companions and clients, as many as each of them could bring.
§10.40.4ἔπειτα τοὺς μὲν περὶ αὐτὸ τὸ βῆμα καὶ τὸ ἐκκλησιαστήριον ἑστῶτας ὑπομένειν, τοὺς δὲ κατὰ πολλὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς μέρη συστρέψαντας ἑαυτοὺς διαστῆναι, ὥστε διειλῆφθαι τὸ δημοτικὸν διεσπασμένον καὶ κωλύεσθαι πρὸς αὐτῶν εἰς ἓν συνελθεῖν.
Then, that some should wait standing around the tribunal itself and the assembly-place, while others, forming groups in many parts of the Forum, should stand apart, so that the plebeian body might be intercepted and split up, and be prevented by them from gathering into one.
ἐδόκει ταῦτα κράτιστα εἶναι, καὶ πρὶν ἡμέραν λαμπρὰν γενέσθαι τὰ πολλὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς κατείχετο ὑπὸ τῶν πατρικίων.
These plans seemed to be the best, and before it was bright daylight, most parts of the Forum were occupied by the patricians.

Notes

  1. 10.40.2τοῦ ταράττειν — Genitive of the articular infinitive expressing purpose, or defining the noun `ἀφορμῇ` (pretext, starting point). It is interpreted here as expressing the purpose: 'for the purpose of again disturbing and dividing the interests of the city.'
  2. 10.40.3κωλυτέος εἴη σφίσιν — The dative of agent `σφίσιν` (by them / for them) accompanying the verbal adjective `κωλυτέος` (must be blocked). The third-person reflexive pronoun refers back to the main subjects (the consuls and the patricians as a whole), representing self-reference in indirect discourse.
  3. 10.40.4ὑπομένειν ... διαστῆναι — Infinitives of indirect command dependent on the verb `ἐκέλευον` (ordered) in the preceding section. Their respective subjects are `τοὺς μέν` and `τοὺς δέ`.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §10.40.1-10.40.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.40.1-10.40.4

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