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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §10.52.1-10.52.4

Reconciliation with Siccius and Appointment of Envoys

Passage 792 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The consuls and senators support Romilius' proposal, and the tribune Siccius praises Romilius' change of heart and offers to waive his fine, which Romilius refuses; subsequently, envoys are appointed to fetch laws from Greece, and the year ends.

§10.52.1τοιαῦτα εἰπόντος τοῦ Ῥωμιλίου οἵ τε ὕπατοι συνελαμβάνοντο τῆς γνώμης ἀμφότεροι πολλὰ καὶ ἐκ παρασκευῆς συγκείμενα διεξιόντες, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων βουλευτῶν συχνοί, καὶ ἐγένοντο πλείους οἱ ταύτῃ §10.52.2προστιθέμενοι τῇ γνώμῃ.
When Romilius had spoken thus, both the consuls supported his opinion, setting forth many arguments well prepared beforehand, and many of the other senators did likewise, and those who agreed with this opinion became the majority.
μέλλοντος δὲ γράφεσθαι τοῦ προβουλεύματος ἀναστὰς ὁ δήμαρχος Σίκκιος ὁ τῷ Ῥωμιλίῳ προσθεὶς τὴν δίκην πολὺν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς διῆλθε λόγον ἐπαινῶν τὴν μεταβολὴν τῆς γνώμης καὶ τὸ μὴ τὰ ἴδια ἔχθη κρείττονα γίνεσθαι τῶν κοινῇ χρησίμων, ἀλλʼ ἀπʼ ὀρθῆς γνώμης τὰ συμφέροντα ἀποδείξασθαι·
And when the preliminary decree was about to be drawn up, the tribune Siccius, who had brought the suit against Romilius and imposed the fine, stood up and made a long speech in praise of the man, commending the change of his opinion and the fact that he did not allow private enmities to become stronger than the public utility, but declared what was advantageous from an upright mind.
§10.52.3ἀνθʼ ὧν, ἔφη, ταύτην αὐτῷ ἀποδίδωμι τιμὴν καὶ χάριν· ἀφίημι τῶν ἐκτισμάτων ἐπὶ τῇ δίκῃ καὶ εἰς τὸ λοιπὸν διαλλάττομαι· νικᾷ γὰρ ἡμᾶς χρηστὸς ὤν. τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι δήμαρχοι παριόντες ὡμολόγουν.
"In return for which," he said, "I pay him this honor and gratitude: I release him from the fines of the suit, and for the future I am reconciled with him; for he conquers us by being noble." The other tribunes also came forward and agreed to the same thing.
οὐ μὴν ὅ γε Ῥωμίλιος ὑπέμεινε ταύτην λαβεῖν τὴν χάριν, ἀλλʼ ἐπαινέσας τοὺς δημάρχους τῆς προθυμίας ἀποδώσειν ἔφη τὴν καταδίκην.
Nevertheless, Romilius did not submit to receive this favor, but having praised the tribunes for their goodwill, he said he would pay the fine.
ἱερὰν γὰρ ἤδη τῶν θεῶν εἶναι, καὶ οὔτε δίκαια οὔτε ὅσια ποιεῖν ἀποστερῶν τοὺς θεούς, ἃ δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς ὁ νόμος·
For he said it was already consecrated to the gods, and that he would be doing what was neither just nor pious in depriving the gods of what the law gives them.
§10.52.4καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως.
And he did so.
γραφέντος δὲ τοῦ προβουλεύματος, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἐπικυρώσαντος τοῦ δήμου πρέσβεις ἀπεδείχθησαν οἱ τοὺς παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων νόμους ληψόμενοι, Σπόριος Ποστόμιος καὶ Σερούιος Σολπίκιος καὶ Αὖλος Μάλλιος· οἷς τριήρεις τε παρεσκευάσθησαν ἐκ τοῦ δημοσίου καὶ ἄλλος κόσμος εἰς ἐπίδειξιν τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἀποχρῶν.
When the preliminary decree had been drawn up and the people afterwards ratified it, envoys were appointed to receive the laws from the Greeks, namely Spurius Postumius, Servius Sulpicius, and Aulus Manlius; for whom triremes were prepared at public expense, and other equipment sufficient for a demonstration of their hegemony.
καὶ τὸ ἔτος ἐτελεύτα.
And the year ended.

Notes

  1. 10.52.1συνελαμβάνοντο τῆς γνώμης — The verb συνλαμβάνομαι (to assist, support) takes its object in the genitive case (τῆς γνώμης). Here it indicates that the consuls supported Romilius' opinion.
  2. 10.52.2ὁ τῷ Ῥωμιλίῳ προσθεὶς τὴν δίκην — The phrase δίκην προστίθημι means "to bring a charge against someone" or "to impose a penalty/fine on someone". Here it refers to the tribune Siccius who had previously prosecuted Romilius and got him fined.
  3. 10.52.3ἀφίημι τῶν ἐκτισμάτων — The verb ἀφίημι (to release, remit) takes the genitive of separation (τῶν ἐκτισμάτων "the sum to be paid as a fine"), meaning "I release [him] from the fines."
  4. 10.52.3νικᾷ γὰρ ἡμᾶς χρηστὸς ὤν — The nominative participle ὤν expresses the state of the subject (Romilius) as well as the means or cause (by being noble) of his victory over the speaker. It shows that his noble attitude overcame their previous enmity.
  5. 10.52.3ἱερὰν γὰρ ἤδη τῶν θεῶν εἶναι — An accusative with infinitive construction in indirect discourse dependent on ἔφη. The omitted subject of the infinitive εἶναι is "the fine" (καταδίκην), and τῶν θεῶν is a possessive genitive indicating that it already belongs to the gods.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §10.52.1-10.52.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.52.1-10.52.4

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