Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §11.50.1-11.50.2

Popular Approval of the Triumph and Renewed Strife

Passage 850 of 962 · Greek

Summary

After the senate rejects their triumph, the consuls Valerius and his colleague obtain approval directly from the assembly of the people with the support of the tribunes, sparking renewed tension between the plebeians and the patricians.

§11.50.1ἀποψηφισαμένης δὲ τῆς βουλῆς τὸν θρίαμβον ἀγανακτοῦντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Οὐαλέριον καὶ δεινὴν ὕβριν ὑπολαμβάνοντες ὑβρίζεσθαι συνεκάλεσαν εἰς ἐκκλησίαν τὸ πλῆθος· καὶ πολλὰ τῆς βουλῆς κατηγορήσαντες, συναγορευσάντων αὐτοῖς τῶν δημάρχων καὶ νόμον εἰσηγησαμένων, παρὰ τοῦ δήμου λαμβάνουσι τὴν καταγωγὴν τοῦ θριάμβου, πρῶτοι Ῥωμαίων ἁπάντων τοῦτο εἰσηγησάμενοι τὸ ἔθος.

When the senate voted against the triumph, Valerius and his colleague, being indignant and considering themselves to be treated with monstrous insult, called the multitude to an assembly; and after making many accusations against the senate, since the tribunes supported them and introduced a law, they obtained the celebration of their triumph from the people, being the first of all Romans to introduce this custom.

§11.50.2ἐκ δὲ τούτου πάλιν εἰς ἐγκλήματα καὶ διαφορὰς οἱ δημοτικοὶ καθίσταντο πρὸς τοὺς πατρικίους· παρώξυνον δʼ αὐτοὺς οἱ δήμαρχοι καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐκκλησιάζοντες καὶ πολλὰ κατὰ τῆς βουλῆς λέγοντες.

From this, the plebeians were again involved in accusations and disputes against the patricians; and the tribunes provoked them by holding assemblies daily and saying many things against the senate.

ἦν δʼ ἡ μάλιστα ἐρεθίζουσα τοὺς πολλοὺς ὑπόληψις, ἣν ἐκεῖνοι παρεσκεύασαν ἰσχυρὰν γενέσθαι, φήμαις τʼ ἀδεσπότοις καὶ εἰκασμοῖς αὐξηθεῖσα οὐκ ὀλίγοις, ὡς καταλυσόντων τῶν πατρικίων τοὺς νόμους, οὓς ἐκύρωσαν οἱ περὶ Οὐαλέριον ὕπατοι· δόξα τʼ ἰσχυρὰ καὶ οὐ πολὺ ἀπέχουσα τοῦ πίστις εἶναι τοὺς πολλοὺς κατεῖχε.

And the suspicion that most irritated the multitude, which those men had contrived to make strong, and which was increased by anonymous rumors and not a few conjectures, was that the patricians would destroy the laws which the consuls under Valerius had ratified; and a strong opinion, not far from being a conviction, possessed the multitude.

καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τούτων πραχθέντα τῶν ὑπάτων ταῦτʼ ἦν.

These, then, were the things done under these consuls.

Notes

11.50.1δεινὴν ὕβριν ὑπολαμβάνοντες ὑβρίζεσθαι — The subject of the present passive infinitive ὑβρίζεσθαι is omitted because it is identical with the subject of the participle ὑπολαμβάνοντες (which refers to the main subject, οἱ περὶ τὸν Οὐαλέριον). The cognate-like expression with δεινὴν ὕβριν emphasizes the severity of the insult.
11.50.2ὡς καταλυσόντων τῶν πατρικίων τοὺς νόμους — A genitive absolute construction with a future participle accompanied by ὡς, explaining the content of the noun ὑπόληψις (suspicion). The particle ὡς indicates a subjective belief or allegation ('on the ground that', 'with the idea that'), while the future participle καταλυσόντων expresses the anticipated intention or future action of the patricians.
11.50.2οὐ πολὺ ἀπέχουσα τοῦ πίστις εἶναι — The verb ἀπέχω ('to be distant from') takes a genitive complement, here the articular infinitive in the genitive case, τοῦ πίστις εἶναι, where πίστις functions as the predicate of the infinitive. The phrase literally means 'not far from being a conviction', indicating that the opinion was held with near certainty.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §11.50.1-11.50.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.50.1-11.50.2

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