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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §15.2.1-15.2.2

The Plundering of the Fields and Devastation of Crops

Passage 907 of 962 · Greek

Summary

A fragmentary description depicting the countryside and people devastated by plundering, the fate of one who perishes miserably, and the thorough destruction of ripe cultivated fields.

§15.2.1ἐπόρθουν τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν κτήσεις πολλῆς εὐδαιμονίας γεμούσας. ἀνθρώπους πεπονημένους ὑπὸ πολέμου σώματα καὶ πλὴν ὅσον ἀνέπνεον τὰ λοιπὰ νεκροῖς ὁμοίους. ἔτι θερμῆς τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον οὔσης τῆς τοῦ ἀναιρεθέντος σποδοῦ.
They were plundering the estates in the countryside, which were full of great prosperity; men whose bodies were worn out by war, and who, except that they were breathing, were in all other respects like dead men; while the ashes of the slain man were, as the saying goes, still warm.
§15.2.2τὸν οἴκτιστον ἀπολεῖται τρόπον ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς ἐχθροῦ πολιτικῷ σιτίζοντος αἵματι τὸν φθόνον.
He will perish in the most pitiable manner by a hostile man who feeds his envy with the blood of citizens.
μοῖραν οὐκ ἐλαχίστην τῶν ὠφελειῶν τοῖς στρατιώταις χαριζόμενος, ὥστʼ ἐπικλύσαι πλούτῳ τὴν ἑκάστου πενίαν.
Granting no small share of the spoils to the soldiers, so as to flood each man's poverty with wealth.
διέφθειραν αὐτῶν ἀκμαζούσας ἤδη σπορολογεῖσθαι τὰς ἀρούρας καὶ τὰ κράτιστα τῆς καρποφόρου ἐλωβήσαντο.
They destroyed their fields, which were already ripe to be harvested, and ravaged the best parts of the fruitful land.

Notes

  1. §15.2.1σώματα — Accusative of respect (or specification) modifying the perfect passive participle πεπονημένους, indicating "in respect to their bodies."
  2. §15.2.1τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον — A parenthetical adverbial accusative meaning "as the saying goes" or "as is commonly said," modifying the following genitive absolute clause (ἔτι θερμῆς ... οὔσης).
  3. §15.2.2τὸν οἴκτιστον ... τρόπον — Adverbial accusative of manner modifying the verb ἀπολεῖται (future middle of ἀπόλλυμι), meaning "in the most pitiable manner."
  4. §15.2.2σπορολογεῖσθαι — Present passive infinitive. It functions as an epexegetical (or explanatory) infinitive limiting the meaning of the participle ἀκμαζούσας ("ripe"), meaning "ripe to be gleaned/harvested."

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §15.2.1-15.2.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:15.2.1-15.2.2

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