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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §13.12.1-13.12.2

Celtic March on Rome and Capture of the City

Passage 892 of 962 · Greek

Summary

In response to the clash initiated by the ambassador Quintus Fabius, the Celts marched on Rome, where they defeated the Roman defenders and captured the entire city except for the Capitol.

§13.12.1ἀποσταλέντων δὲ πρεσβευτῶν ἐκ Ῥώμης ἐπὶ Κελτούς, ἐπεὶ ἤκουσεν εἷς τῶν πρεσβευόντων, Κόιντος Φάβιος, τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐπὶ προνομὴν ἐξεληλυθέναι, συνάπτει πόλεμον αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸν τῶν Κελτῶν ἡγεμόνα ἀναιρεῖ·
When ambassadors were sent from Rome to the Celts, Quintus Fabius, one of the ambassadors, hearing that the barbarians had gone out for plunder, joined battle with them and slew the leader of the Celts.
ἀποστείλαντες δὲ εἰς Ῥώμην οἱ βάρβαροι ἠξίουν παραδιδόναι σφίσι τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκδότους, ποινὰς ὑφέξοντας τῶν §13.12.2ἀπολωλότων.
The barbarians then sent messengers to Rome and demanded that they hand over the man and his brother to them, as surrendered persons, to pay the penalty for those who had perished.
παρελκούσης δὲ τῆς βουλῆς τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην τὸν πόλεμον ἀναγκαίως οἱ Κελτοὶ μετήγαγον.
As the senate delayed its reply, the Celts of necessity transferred the war against Rome itself.
οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι ἀκούσαντες ἐξῄεσαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἄγοντες ἐκ μὲν τῶν ἐπιλέκτων τε καὶ κατηθλημένων ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις στρατιωτῶν τέτταρα τάγματα ἐντελῆ· ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν τοὺς κατοικιδίους τε καὶ σχολαίους καὶ ἧττον ὡμιληκότας πολέμοις πλείους ὄντας ἀριθμῷ τῶν ἑτέρων.
Hearing this, the Romans marched out of the city, leading, on the one hand, four complete legions of soldiers who were select and well-trained in wars; and on the other hand, from the rest of the citizens, those who were domestic, unaccustomed to action, and less acquainted with wars, who were more numerous than the others.
τούτους δὴ τρεψάμενοι οἱ Κελτοὶ καὶ σύμπασαν τὴν Ῥώμην ἄνευ τοῦ Καπιτωλίου παρεστήσαντο.
Having routed these, the Celts subdued the whole of Rome, except for the Capitol.

Notes

  1. 18ἀποσταλέντων δὲ πρεσβευτῶν — A genitive absolute construction, introducing the preliminary background circumstance before the main clause's subject, 'Quintus Fabius' (Κόιντος Φάβιος), is introduced.
  2. 19ποινὰς ὑφέξοντας — The future participle in the accusative plural expresses purpose, referring back to 'the man and his brother' as its logical subject. The subsequent genitive `τῶν ἀπολωλότων` is an objective genitive modifying `ποινὰς`.
  3. 19ἄγοντες ἐκ μὲν ... ἐκ δὲ ... — The participle `ἄγοντες` ('leading') governs two contrasted prepositional phrases introduced by `ἐκ μὲν` and `ἐκ δὲ`. In the first, it takes 'four legions' as the direct object; in the second, 'those who stayed at home and were unaccustomed to action'.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §13.12.1-13.12.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:13.12.1-13.12.2

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