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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §19.4.1-19.4.2

The Locrian Settlement and Aenesias' Departure

Passage 931 of 962 · Greek

Summary

On the settlement of the Locrians on the promontory of Zephyrion, and the departure of the licentious Tarentine Aenesias and his group after gathering a force.

§19.4.1ἄκραν τῆς Ἰταλίας Ζεφύριον οἱ Λοκροὶ κατοικήσαντες Ζεφύριοι ὠνομάσθησαν.
The Locrians, having settled on Zephyrion, a promontory of Italy, were named Zephyrii.
μένειν αὐτὸν ἐγνώκεσαν ἐφʼ ᾧ ἦν τόπῳ καὶ τὸν ἐκεῖθεν ῥέοντα πόλεμον ἀνέχειν.
They had resolved that he should remain in the place where he was, and withstand the war flowing from there.
εἰς ὕλας καὶ φάραγγας καὶ τραχῶνας ὀρεινοὺς διεσκεδάσθησαν.
They were scattered into forests, ravines, and rugged mountain districts.
§19.4.2Ταραντῖνός τις ἀνὴρ Αἰνησίας καὶ περὶ πάσας τὰς ἡδονὰς ἀσελγὴς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκολάστου καὶ κακῶς δημοσιευθείσης ἐν παισὶν ὥρας ἐπεκαλεῖτο Θάις.
A certain Tarentine man named Aenesias, who was dissolute regarding all pleasures, was called "Thais" because of the licentious and notoriously prostituted beauty of his youth among boys.
τὸ πλῆθος ἀνδρολογήσαντες ἀπῄεσαν. οἱ σπερμολογώτατοι τῶν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἀναγωγότατοι.
Having gathered a multitude of men, they departed; they were the most gossiping and ill-bred of those in the city.

Notes

  1. 17.5αὐτόν — The pronoun αὐτόν usually refers to a singular masculine subject. In context, it is likely a corruption of αὐτούς (referring to the Locrians themselves) or the adverb αὐτοῦ / αὐτόθι ("there"). Following the transmitted text αὐτόν, it functions as the subject accusative of the infinitive μένειν, meaning "that he should remain."
  2. 6ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκολάστου καὶ κακῶς δημοσιευθείσης ἐν παισὶν ὥρας — The preposition ἀπό denotes cause ("because of"). ὥρας (genitive) here means the "bloom of youth" or "beauty." δημοσιευθείσης is the perfect passive participle of δημοσιεύω (to make public, here used euphemistically for prostitution), modifying ὥρας to mean "notoriously prostituted" or "made common property" among boys.
  3. 6ἀνδρολογήσαντες — The verb ἀπῄεσαν and the participle ἀνδρολογήσαντες are plural, indicating a shift from the singular subject Aenesias to him and his companions or a group associated with him (constructio ad sensum). τὸ πλῆθος functions as the direct object of the participle ἀνδρολογήσαντες ("having gathered a multitude of men").
  4. 6οἱ σπερμολογώτατοι τῶν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἀναγωγότατοι — An independent noun phrase with the copula (such as ἦσαν) omitted. σπερμολόγος, originally referring to a bird picking up seeds, is used here in its superlative form to mean "the most gossiping," "scavenging," or "idle babblers."

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §19.4.1-19.4.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:19.4.1-19.4.2

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