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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §14.13.1-14.13.2

Privernate Envoy's Plea and Marcius Raising the Siege

Passage 905 of 962 · Greek

Summary

During the siege of Privernum, the envoy of the besieged shows a noble and uncompromising spirit of freedom in his dialogue with the consul Marcius, who, deeply impressed, raises the siege.

§14.13.1τοῦ ὑπάτου Μαρκίου Πριβερνάτας πολιορκοῦντος, ἐπεὶ οὐδεμία τούτοις σωτηρίας ἐλπὶς ὑπελείπετο, ἐπρεσβεύοντο πρὸς αὐτόν·
When the consul Marcius was besieging the Privernates, since no hope of safety was left to them, they sent an embassy to him.
τοῦ δʼ εἰπόντος· φράσατέ μοι, πῶς αὐτοὶ κολάζετε τοὺς ἀφισταμένους ὑμῶν οἰκέτας; ἀποκρίνεται πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ πρεσβευτής· ὡς δεῖ κολάζεσθαι τοὺς ποθοῦντας ἀπολαβεῖν τὴν ἔμφυτον ἐλευθερίαν. §14.13.2καὶ ὁ Μάρκιος ἀποδεξάμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν παρρησίαν φησίν· ἐὰν δὲ δὴ καὶ πεισθῶμεν ὑμῖν ἀφεῖναι τὰς ὀργάς, τίνα δώσετε πίστιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν ἔτι ποιήσειν ἐχθρῶν ἔργον; ἀποκρίνεται πάλιν ὁ πρεσβευτής· ἐπὶ σοὶ τοῦτʼ ἔστι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ῥωμαίοις, Μάρκιε·
And when he said, "Tell me, how do you yourselves punish those of your servants who run away from you?" the envoy replied to him, "In the way that those who long to recover their innate freedom ought to be punished." And Marcius, admiring his frankness, said, "But if we should indeed be persuaded by you to dismiss our anger, what pledge will you give that you will no longer do any hostile deed?" The envoy replied again, "That rests with you and the other Romans, Marcius.
κομισάμενοι μὲν γὰρ ἅμα τῇ πατρίδι καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν βέβαιοι διὰ παντὸς ὑμῖν ἐσόμεθα φίλοι, δουλεύειν δʼ ἀναγκασθέντες οὐδέποτε. ἠγάσθη τε δὴ τῆς μεγαλοφροσύνης τοὺς ἄνδρας ὁ Μάρκιος καὶ τὴν πολιορκίαν ἔλυσε.
For if we recover our freedom along with our country, we shall be steadfast friends to you forever; but if we are forced to be slaves, never." Marcius then marvelled at the high-mindedness of the men and raised the siege.

Notes

  1. ¦23¦Πριβερνάτας — The accusative plural of the first-declension masculine noun Πριβερνᾶται (the Privernates), serving as the direct object of the participle πολιορκοῦντος within the genitive absolute construction.
  2. ¦23¦ὡς δεῖ κολάζεσθαι τοὺς ποθοῦντας — A concise reply to the question πῶς (how). The impersonal verb δεῖ governs an accusative and infinitive construction, with the participle/accusative τοὺς ποθοῦντας as the subject accusative and the passive infinitive κολάζεσθαι. The main verb of the response (e.g., "we punish them") is ellipted.
  3. §14.13.2ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν ἔτι ποιήσειν — The preposition ὑπὲρ governing a genitive articular future infinitive, meaning "concerning the not doing further...". The future infinitive ποιήσειν is used because it refers to the content of a pledge or promise (πίστιν), and the negative is μηδέν (μή) according to the rule for infinitives.
  4. §14.13.2δουλεύειν δʼ ἀναγκασθέντες οὐδέποτε — A conditional clause in contrast with the preceding κομισάμενοι μὲν... (if we recover...). The passive participle ἀναγκασθέντες functions conditionally ("if we are forced"), and after οὐδέποτε, the verb and complement from the previous clause, φίλοι ἐσόμεθα ("we shall be friends"), are ellipted in the negative sense.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §14.13.1-14.13.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:14.13.1-14.13.2

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