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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §16.4.1-16.4.3

The Trial and Execution of Gaius Laetorius

Passage 920 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Dionysius relates an example of Roman severity against vice: during the Samnite War, Gaius Laetorius Mergus, a military tribune, attempted to assault a young fellow soldier, leading to his public prosecution and unanimous condemnation to death by the people.

§16.4.1ὅτι, φησὶ Διονύσιος, μιᾶς ἔτι μνησθήσομαι πράξεως πολιτικῆς ἀξίας ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐπαινεῖσθαι, ἐξ ἧς καταφανὲς ἔσται τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ὅσον ἦν τὸ μισοπόνηρον ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ τότε καὶ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς παραβαίνοντας τὰ κοινὰ νόμιμα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ἀμείλικτον.
Dionysius says: I shall mention one more political deed worthy of being praised by all people, from which it will become clear to the Greeks how great was the hatred of evil in Rome at that time, and how relentless was the severity against those who transgressed the common laws of human nature.
§16.4.2Γάιος Λαιτώριος Μέργος ἐπίκλησιν ἐπιφανὴς κατὰ γένος καὶ κατὰ τὰς πολεμικὰς πράξεις οὐκ ἀγεννής, ἑνὸς τῶν ταγμάτων χιλίαρχος ἀποδειχθεὶς ἐν τῷ Σαυνιτικῷ πολέμῳ, νεανίαν τινὰ τῶν ὁμοσκήνων διαφέροντα τὴν ὄψιν ἑτέρων μέχρι μέν τινος ἔπειθεν ἑαυτῷ χαρίσασθαι τὴν τοῦ σώματος ὥραν ἑκόντα.
Gaius Laetorius, surnamed Mergus, illustrious in his family and not ignoble in his military deeds, having been appointed a military tribune of one of the legions in the Samnite War, for a certain time tried to persuade one of his tent-mates, a young man outstanding in his appearance among others, to voluntarily grant him the bloom of his body.
ὡς δʼ οὔτε δωρεαῖς οὔτʼ ἄλλῃ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τὸ μειράκιον ἡλίσκετο, κατέχειν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀδύνατος ὢν βίαν προσφέρειν ἐπεβάλετο.
But when the youth was not captured either by gifts or by any other kindness, being unable to restrain his desire, he undertook to offer violence.
§16.4.3περιβοήτου δὲ τῆς ἀκοσμίας τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἅπασι τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου γενομένης κοινὸν ἀδίκημα τῆς πόλεως εἶναι νομίσαντες οἱ δήμαρχοι γραφὴν ἀποφέρουσι κατʼ αὐτοῦ δημοσίᾳ, καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἁπάσαις ταῖς ψήφοις τοῦ ἀνδρὸς κατέγνω τίμημα δίκης ὁρίσας θάνατον, οὐκ ἀξιῶν εἰς ἐλεύθερα σώματα καὶ προπολεμοῦντα τῆς τῶν ἄλλων ἐλευθερίας τοὺς ἐν ταῖς τιμαῖς ὄντας καὶ ἀρχαῖς ὑβρίζειν τὰς ἀνηκέστους καὶ παρὰ φύσιν τοῖς ἄρρεσιν ὕβρεις.
The scandal of the man having become notorious to all those in the camp, the tribunes of the plebs, considering it to be a common crime against the state, brought a public accusation against him, and the people condemned the man with all their votes, fixing the penalty of the trial as death; for they did not think it right that those in positions of honor and office should inflict upon free bodies—and those who fight in defense of the freedom of others—those irremediable and unnatural insults to males.
ετ συιδ. ς. ϝ. Γάιος Λαιτώριος.
And Suda, under the entry Gaius Laetorius.

Notes

  1. 16.4.2ἔπειθεν — The imperfect ἔπειθεν functions here as a conative imperfect ('tried to persuade' or 'was attempting to persuade') rather than denoting successful persuasion. This is confirmed by the subsequent clause ὡς δʼ οὔτε ... ἡλίσκετο ('but when the youth was not captured...'), which indicates that the persuasion was unsuccessful.
  2. 16.4.3ὑβρίζειν — This note untangles the complex infinitive construction dependent on οὐκ ἀξιῶν ('not thinking it right'). The subject of the infinitive ὑβρίζειν ('to inflict insult') is the accusative τοὺς ἐν ταῖς τιμαῖς ὄντας καὶ ἀρχαῖς ('those in positions of honor and office'). The targets of the insult are expressed by the prepositional phrase εἰς ἐλεύθερα σώματα... ('against free bodies...'), and the direct object of ὑβρίζειν is the accusative τὰς ἀνηκέστους... ὕβρεις ('the irremediable insults...').
  3. 16.4.3ετ συιδ. ς. ϝ. Γάιος Λαιτώριος — A Latin bibliographical abbreviation written in Greek characters. ετ transliterates et ('and'), συιδ. transliterates Suid. (the Suda lexicon), and ς. ϝ. transliterates s.v. (sub voce, 'under the word/entry'). It constitutes a marginal or editorial reference meaning 'and see Suda, under Gaius Laetorius.'

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §16.4.1-16.4.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:16.4.1-16.4.3

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