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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §13.11.1-13.11.2

Celtic Invasion of Italy at the Instigation of Arruns

Passage 891 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Learning of the rich products of Italy, the Celts are persuaded by Arruns to invade Italy and claim the land for themselves, eventually marching against the Clusinians.

§13.11.1οἱ δὲ Κελτοὶ οὔτε οἶνον ἀμπέλινον εἰδότες τηνικαῦτα οὔτε ἔλαιον, οἷον αἱ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἐλαῖαι φέρουσιν, ἀλλʼ οἴνῳ μὲν χρώμενοι κριθῆς σαπείσης ἐν ὕδατι χυλῷ δυσώδει, ἐλαίῳ δὲ συείῳ στέατι πεπαλαιωμένῳ τήν τε ὀδμὴν καὶ τὴν γεῦσιν ἀτόπῳ, τότε δὲ πρῶτον ἀπολαύσαντες ὧν οὔπω ἐγεύσαντο καρπῶν, θαυμαστὰς ὅσας ἐφʼ ἑκάστῳ ἐλάμβανον ἡδονὰς καὶ τὸν ξένον ἠρώτων, πῶς τε γίνεται τούτων ἕκαστον καὶ §13.11.2παρὰ τίσιν ἀνθρώποις.
At that time, the Celts knew neither wine made from grapes nor oil such as our olives produce; instead, they used as wine a foul-smelling juice of barley fermented in water, and as oil a rancid pig's fat, strange in both smell and taste. But having then for the first time enjoyed these fruits, which they had never tasted before, they experienced wonderful pleasures in each of them, and asked the stranger how each of these was produced, and among what men.
ὁ δὲ Τυρρηνὸς πρὸς αὐτούς φησιν, ὅτι γῆ μέν ἐστιν ἡ τούτους ἐκφέρουσα τοὺς καρποὺς πολλὴ καὶ ἀγαθή, νέμονται δὲ αὐτὴν ὀλίγοι τινὲς ἄνθρωποι καὶ τὰ εἰς πόλεμον οὐδὲν ἀμείνους γυναικῶν, ὑπέθετό τε αὐτοῖς μὴ διʼ ὠνῆς αὐτὰ παρʼ ἑτέρων ἔτι λαμβάνειν, ἀλλʼ ἐκβαλόντας τοὺς τότε κυρίους ὡς οἰκεῖα καρποῦσθαι.
And the Tyrrhenian said to them that the land which produced these fruits was vast and fertile, but inhabited by only a few men, who in matters of war were no better than women; and he suggested to them that they should no longer obtain these things from others by purchase, but should drive out the current masters and enjoy them as their own.
τούτοις δὴ τοῖς λόγοις οἱ Κελτοὶ πειθόμενοι ἦλθον εἰς Ἰταλίαν καὶ Τυρρηνῶν τοὺς καλουμένους Κλουσίνους, ὅθεν ἦν καὶ ὁ πείσας αὐτοὺς πολεμεῖν.
Persuaded indeed by these words, the Celts came to Italy and [marched against] the Tyrrhenians called Clusinians, from whence came the very man who had persuaded them to make war.

Notes

  1. ¦16¦θαυμαστὰς ὅσας — An idiomatic expression meaning "wonderfully many" or "an amazing number of." Originally a combination of a main clause and a relative clause, *thaumaston estin hosas* ("it is wonderful how many..."), compressed to function as an adjective modifying *hēdonas*.
  2. ¦17¦ἐκβαλόντας — Although referring to the dative pronoun *autois* ("to them"), this participle is in the accusative case instead of the dative (*ekbalousin*). This is because it is attracted to the accusative as the subject of the following infinitive *karpousthai*.
  3. ¦17¦Τυρρηνῶν τοὺς καλουμένους Κλουσίνους — Grammatically, a verb is missing (ellipsis). It is necessary to supply a verb of attacking or marching against (e.g., *estrateusan epi* or *epolemēsan*), or to understand that a preposition of direction (such as *epi*) has been omitted after the preceding *ēlthon*.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §13.11.1-13.11.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:13.11.1-13.11.2

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