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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §12.6.1-12.6.6

Epidemic in Rome and Suppression of a Slave Conspiracy

Passage 870 of 962 · Greek

Summary

While Rome is afflicted by a severe drought and epidemic, the senate seeks to maintain foreign tensions to prevent domestic decay. Later, a conspiracy by slaves to seize Rome is uncovered by military tribunes, and the ringleaders are executed.

§12.6.1δεύτερον ὑπατεύοντος Αὔλου Κορνηλίου Κόσσου καὶ Τίτου Κοιντίου αὐχμῷ μεγάλῳ κακωθεῖσα ἡ γῆ πάντων ἐσπάνισεν οὐ μόνον τῶν ὀμβρίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ναματιαίων ὑδάτων·
During the second consulship of Aulus Cornelius Cossus and the first of Titus Quinctius, the land, afflicted by a great drought, fell short of all things, not only of rainwater but also of spring water.
ἐκ δὲ τούτου προβάτων μὲν καὶ ὑποζυγίων καὶ βοῶν ἐπίλειψις παντελὴς ἐγένετο, εἰς δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους νόσοι κατέσκηψαν πολλαὶ μὲν καὶ ἄλλαι, μάλιστα δὲ ἡ ψωρώδης καλουμένη, δεινὰς ὀδύνας παρέχουσα τοῖς χρωσὶ κατὰ τοὺς ὀδαξησμοὺς καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἑλκώσεις ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀγριαινομένη· πάθος ἐλεεινὸν ἐν τοῖς πάνυ καὶ τοῦ ταχίστου τῶν ὀλέθρων αἴτιον.
As a consequence, there was a total loss of sheep, beasts of burden, and cattle, and many other diseases fell upon men, especially the one called scabies, which caused terrible pains in the skin during itching, and grew still more violent with ulceration; an extremely pitiable affliction and the cause of the speediest death.
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§12.6.2οὐκ ἐδόκει τοῖς προεστηκόσι τοῦ συνεδρίου βαθεῖαν εἰρήνην καὶ πολυχρόνιον ἄγειν σχολὴν ἐνθυμουμένοις, ὅτι ῥᾳθυμία καὶ τρυφὴ συνεισπορεύεται ταῖς πόλεσι μετὰ τῆς εἰρήνης, καὶ ἅμα τὰς πολιτικὰς ὀρρωδοῦσι ταραχάς.
It did not seem best to the leaders of the senate to maintain a deep peace and enjoy a long period of leisure, reflecting that listlessness and luxury enter cities along with peace, and at the same time fearing civil disturbances.
καὶ αὗται γὰρ ἅμα τῷ καταλυθῆναι τοὺς ὑπερορίους πολέμους χαλεπαὶ καὶ συνεχεῖς ἐξ ἁπάσης προφάσεως ἀνίσταντο.
For these indeed, as soon as foreign wars were ended, arose severe and continuous on every pretext.
§12.6.3κρεῖττον ταῖς φιλανθρωπίαις περιεῖναι τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἢ ταῖς τιμωρίαις, διʼ ἃς κεἰ μηδὲν ἕτερον αἱ γέ τοι παρὰ τῶν θεῶν ἐλπίδες ἡδίους αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν.
It is better to surpass enemies in acts of humanity than in punishments, because of which, even if nothing else, at any rate the hopes they have from the gods are more pleasant for them.
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§12.6.4ὡς ἔμαθε τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκ τῶν κατόπιν προσιόντας, ἐπιστρέφειν μὲν ὀπίσω περιεχόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων πανταχόθεν ἀπέγνω ἐνθυμούμενος, ὅτι κινδυνεύσουσιν ἅπαντες οὐθὲν ἀποδειξάμενοι γενναῖον ἔργον αἴσχιστα διαφθαρῆναι, ὀλίγοι τε πρὸς πολλοὺς μαχόμενοι καὶ τεθωρακισμένοι πρὸς ἐλαφρούς.
When he learned that the enemy was approaching from behind, being surrounded by the enemy on all sides, he despaired of turning back, reflecting that they would all run the risk of perishing most shamefully without performing any noble deed, fighting few against many and heavily armed against light-armed.
ἰδὼν δὲ ὄχθον τινὰ ὑψηλὸν ἐπιεικῶς, ὃς ἦν αὐτῷ οὐ πρόσω, τοῦτον ἔγνω καταλαβέσθαι.
But seeing a certain hill of reasonable height, which was not far from him, he resolved to seize it.
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Ἀγρίππας Μενήνιος καὶ Πόπλιος Λουκρήτιος καὶ Σερούιος Ναύτιος, χιλίαρχοι † τιμηθέντες, ἐπίθεσίν τινα κατὰ τῆς πόλεως γενομένην ὑπὸ δούλων ἐφώρασαν.
Agrippa Menenius, Publius Lucretius, and Servius Nautius, military tribunes honored [with consular power], discovered a plot against the city being made by slaves.
§12.6.5ἔμελλον δὲ οἱ μετέχοντες τῆς συνωμοσίας πῦρ ἐμβαλόντες ταῖς οἰκίαις κατὰ πολλοὺς ἅμα τόπους νύκτωρ, ὁπότε μάθοιεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν καιομένων βοηθείαν ὡρμηκότας ἅπαντας τό τε Καπιτώλιον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐρυμνοὺς καταλαμβάνεσθαι τόπους, ἐγκρατεῖς δὲ γενόμενοι τῶν καρτερῶν τῆς πόλεως, ἐπὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τοὺς ἄλλους δούλους παρακαλεῖν, καὶ σὺν ἐκείνοις ἀποκτείναντες τοὺς δεσπότας τὰς τῶν πεφονευμένων γυναῖκάς τε καὶ κτήσεις παραλαμβάνειν.
Now those who shared in the conspiracy intended, after setting fire to the houses in many places at the same time by night, as soon as they learned that everyone had rushed to the assistance of the burning buildings, to seize both the Capitol and the other strongholds, and, having made themselves masters of the fortresses of the city, to summon the other slaves to freedom, and, having slain their masters with their help, to take possession of the wives and properties of the murdered men.
§12.6.6τῆς δὲ πράξεως περιφανοῦς γενομένης συλληφθέντες οἱ πρῶτοι συνθέντες τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν καὶ μαστιγωθέντες ἐπὶ τοὺς σταυροὺς ἀπήχθησαν· τῶν δὲ μηνυσάντων αὐτούς, ὄντων δυεῖν, ἐλευθερίαν τε καὶ δραχμὰς χιλίας ἑκάτερος ἔλαβεν ἐκ τοῦ δημοσίου.
But the plot having become manifest, the first originators of the conspiracy were arrested, and after being scourged, were led away to the crosses; and of those who had informed against them, being two in number, each received his freedom and a thousand drachmae from the public treasury.

Notes

  1. §12.6.1δεύτερον ὑπατεύοντος — The adverb δεύτερον modifies only Aulus Cornelius Cossus, who was consul for the second time, and not Titus Quinctius, who was holding the office for the first time.
  2. §12.6.3διʼ ἃς — The relative pronoun ἃς (accusative feminine plural) refers back in sense to φιλανθρωπίαις (acts of humanity, clemency) rather than the immediately preceding negative noun τιμωρίαις (punishments).
  3. §12.6.5ἔμελλον δὲ — The imperfect main verb ἔμελλον governs three infinitives in parallel: καταλαμβάνεσθαι, παρακαλεῖν, and παραλαμβάνειν, which outline the successive stages of the conspiracy (seizure, instigation, and usurpation).

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §12.6.1-12.6.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.6.1-12.6.6

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