Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §11.17.1-11.17.4

Cornelius on the Delay of Elections and Enemy Threats

Passage 817 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Lucius Cornelius points out the length of time required for electing new magistrates and the imminent threat of the enemy during this interval, exposing the impracticality of Claudius' proposal. He sarcastically argues that it is extremely foolish to assume the enemy would wait for Rome's preparations and sue for peace moderately.

§11.17.1σκοπεῖτε γὰρ οὑτωσί· προβούλευμα γενήσεται τῆς βουλῆς ὑπὲρ ἀρχαιρεσιῶν, ἔπειτʼ ἐξοίσουσιν οἱ δέκα τὰ βουλευθέντα εἰς τὸν δῆμον ὁρίσαντες ἀγορὰν τὴν ἀπὸ ταύτης τρίτην.

For consider it in this way: there will be a preliminary decree of the senate concerning the elections; then the ten will bring the decisions before the people, having set the third market-day from now.

πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἀληθῶς γένοιτό τι τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου ψηφιζομένων κύριον, ἐὰν μὴ κατὰ νόμους γένηται;

For how indeed could any of the measures voted by the people become truly valid if it does not happen according to the laws?

ἔπειθʼ ὅταν αἱ φυλαὶ διενέγκωσι τὴν ψῆφον, τότε αἱ νέαι % παραιτοῦνται τὴν πόλιν ἀρχαὶ §11.17.2καὶ προθήσουσιν ὑμῖν ὑπὲρ πολέμου σκοπεῖν.

Then, when the tribes have cast their vote, then the new % magistrates will take over the city, and they will propose to you to consider concerning the war.

ἐν δὲ τοῖς μεταξὺ τῶν ἀρχαιρεσιῶν χρόνοις τοσούτοις οὖσιν, ἐὰν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν ἔλθωσιν οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ προσαγάγωσι τοῖς τείχεσι, τί ποιήσομεν, Κλαύδιε;

But in the meantime between these elections, which is so long a time, if the enemy come against our city and bring their forces to the walls, what shall we do, Claudius?

ἐροῦμεν αὐτοῖς νὴ Δία· μείναθʼ, ἕως ἂν ἀποδείξωμεν ἑτέρας ἀρχάς.

Shall we say to them, by Zeus: "Wait, until we have appointed other magistrates.

Κλαύδιος γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἔπεισε περὶ μηδενὸς ἄλλου πράγματος μήτε προβουλεύειν μήτʼ εἰς τὸν δῆμον ἐκφέρειν μήτε δυνάμεις καταγράφειν, ἐὰν μὴ τὰ περὶ §11.17.3τὰς ἀρχὰς καταστήσωμεν ὡς βουλόμεθα. ἄπιτʼ οὖν, καὶ ὅταν ἀκούσητε ὑπάτους καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀρχὰς ἀποδειχθείσας ὑπὸ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα πάντα γεγονότα ἡμῖν εὐτρεπῆ, τόθʼ ἥκετε περὶ διαλλαγῶν ποιησόμενοι τοὺς λόγους, ἐπειδὴ κακῶς ἤρξασθε ἡμᾶς ποιεῖν οὐδὲν προπεπονθότες ὑφʼ ἡμῶν· καὶ ὅσα ἡμᾶς ἐβλάψατε κατὰ τὰς ἐμβολὰς εἰς χρημάτων λόγον,

For Claudius persuaded us neither to make a preliminary decree, nor to bring before the people, nor to enlist forces, concerning any other matter, unless we establish the matters concerning the offices as we wish." "Go away, then, and when you hear that consuls and other magistrates have been appointed by the city and all our preparations for the struggle have been made ready, then come to make proposals for a treaty, since you were the first to do us harm, having suffered nothing beforehand from us; and whatever damage you did us during your invasions, in terms of money, settle it all in accordance with justice.

§11.17.4ἅπαντα ἐκ τοῦ δικαίου διαλύσατε. τὸν δὲ τῶν γεωργῶν ὄλεθρον οὐχ ὑπολογιούμεθα ὑμῖν, οὐδʼ εἴ τινα γύναια ἐλεύθερα ὕβρεως καὶ παροινίας ἐπειράθη στρατιωτικῆς οὐδʼ ἄλλο τῶν ἀνηκέστων οὐδέν. κἀκεῖνοι ταῦτα προκαλουμένων ἡμῶν μετριάσουσι καὶ συγχωρήσαντες τῇ πόλει νέας ἀρχὰς ἀποδεῖξαι καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον εὐτρεπῆ ποιήσασθαι, τότε ἥξουσιν ἱκετηρίας φέροντες ἀντὶ τῶν ὅπλων καὶ παραδιδόντες ἡμῖν ἑαυτούς.

But we shall not reckon against you the destruction of the husbandmen, nor if any free women experienced insolence and drunken violence from the soldiers nor any other of the irreparable wrongs." And will they, when we make these proposals, show moderation and, having conceded to the city to appoint new magistrates and to make preparations for the war, then come bringing olive-branches of suppliants instead of weapons, and delivering themselves up to us?

Notes

11.17.1παραιτοῦνται — Present indicative third person plural. While generally meaning 'to deprecate' or 'to resign', it is used here in the context of the newly elected magistrates 'demanding the surrender of the city (from the current decemvirs)' or 'requesting the delegation of city administration'.
11.17.2μείναθʼ, ἕως ἂν ἀποδείξωμεν — The construction of ἕως ἂν with the subjunctive (ἀποδείξωμεν) denotes a temporal limit ('until we appoint'), following the imperative (μείνατε) in the quoted speech.
11.17.3ἐπειδὴ κακῶς ἤρξασθε ἡμᾶς ποιεῖν οὐδὲν προπεπονθότες ὑφʼ ἡμῶν — The participle οὐδὲν προπεπονθότες expresses concession ('although you had suffered nothing beforehand') and modifies the main verb ἤρξασθε ('you began').
11.17.4κἀκεῖνοι ταῦτα προκαλουμένων ἡμῶν μετριάσουσι — Genitive absolute construction (ταῦτα προκαλουμένων ἡμῶν) expressing time or condition ('when/if we propose these things'). This introduces Lucius's highly sarcastic rhetorical question, with the main verbs being μετριάσουσι ('will they show moderation?') and ἥξουσιν ('will they come?').

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §11.17.1-11.17.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.17.1-11.17.4

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.