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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §2.36.1-2.36.4

Conquest of Crustumerium and Sabine Preparations for War

Passage 127 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Romulus conquers Crustumerium and makes it a colony, attracting many immigrants to Rome due to his clemency. Meanwhile, the Sabines, alarmed by Rome's rising power, appoint Titus Tatius as leader and prepare for war.

§2.36.1ὁ δὲ Ῥωμύλος ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος ἐπὶ Κρουστομερίνους ἐξάγει τὴν στρατιὰν παρεσκευασμένους ἄμεινον τῶν προτέρων· οὓς ἐκ παρατάξεώς τε καὶ τειχομαχίας παραστησάμενος ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς κατὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα γενομένους οὐδὲν ἔτι διαθεῖναι κακὸν ἠξίωσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτην ἐποίησεν ἄποικον Ῥωμαίων τὴν πόλιν ὥσπερ τὰς προτέρας.
When Romulus had performed these things, he led out his army against the Crustumerini, who were better prepared than the previous ones; whom, after reducing them by a pitched battle and a siege, since they had shown themselves to be brave men in the struggle, he thought it fit to inflict no further harm upon, but made this city also a colony of the Romans, just like the previous ones.
§2.36.2ἦν δὲ τὸ Κρουστομέριον Ἀλβανῶν ἀπόκτισις πολλοῖς πρότερον τῆς Ῥώμης ἀποσταλεῖσα χρόνοις.
Now Crustumerium was a colony of the Albans, sent out many years before Rome.
διαγγελλούσης δὲ τῆς φήμης πολλαῖς πόλεσι τήν τε κατὰ πολέμους γενναιότητα τοῦ ἡγεμόνος καὶ πρὸς τοὺς κρατηθέντας ἐπιείκειαν ἄνδρες τε αὐτῷ προσετίθεντο πολλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ δυνάμεις ἀξιοχρέους πανοικίᾳ μετανισταμένας ἐπαγόμενοι, ὧν ἐφʼ ἑνὸς ἡγεμόνος ἐκ Τυρρηνίας ἐλθόντος, ᾧ Καίλιος ὄνομα ἦν, τῶν λόφων τις, ἐν ᾧ καθιδρύθη, Καίλιος εἰς τόδε χρόνου καλεῖται·
And as rumor reported to many cities both the bravery of the leader in war and his clemency toward the conquered, many and good men joined him, bringing along competent forces and migrating with their entire households; after one of these leaders, who had come from Etruria and whose name was Caelius, one of the hills on which he settled is called Caelius to this day.
καὶ πόλεις ὅλαι παρεδίδοσαν ἑαυτὰς ἀπὸ τῆς Μεδυλλίνων ἀρξάμεναι καὶ ἐγίνοντο Ῥωμαίων ἀποικίαι.
Entire cities also surrendered themselves, beginning with that of the Medullini, and became colonies of the Romans.
§2.36.3Σαβῖνοι δὲ ταῦτα ὁρῶντες ἤχθοντο καὶ διʼ αἰτίας ἀλλήλους εἶχον, ὅτι οὐκ ἀρχομένην τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἰσχὺν ἐκώλυσαν, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ μέγα προηκούσῃ συμφέρεσθαι ἔμελλον, ἐδόκει τε αὐτοῖς ἐπανορθώσασθαι τὴν προτέραν ἄγνοιαν ἀξιολόγου δυνάμεως ἀποστολῇ.
But the Sabines, seeing these things, were vexed and blamed one another because they had not checked the power of the Romans when it was beginning, but were now about to engage with it when it had advanced to greatness; and they resolved to correct their former error by sending a noteworthy force.
καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἀγορὰν ποιησάμενοι σύμπαντες ἐν τῇ μεγίστῃ τε πόλει καὶ πλεῖστον ἀξίωμα ἐχούσῃ τοῦ ἔθνους, ᾗ Κυρὶς ὄνομα ἦν, ψῆφον ὑπὲρ τοῦ πολέμου διήνεγκαν ἀποδείξαντες ἡγεμόνα τῆς στρατιᾶς Τῖτον, ὃς §2.36.4ἐπεκαλεῖτο Τάτιος, βασιλέα Κυριτῶν.
After this, holding a general assembly in the largest and most prestigious city of their nation, which was named Cyris, they cast their votes in favor of war, having appointed as leader of the army Titus, who was called Tatius, the king of the Curites.
Σαβῖνοι μὲν δὴ ταῦτα βουλευσάμενοι καὶ διαλυθέντες κατὰ τὰς πόλεις τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ηὐτρεπίζοντο, ὡς εἰς νέωτα ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην πολλῇ χειρὶ ἐλάσοντες.
The Sabines, having thus resolved and dispersed to their several cities, prepared everything for the war, intending to march against Rome in the next year with a large force.

Notes

  1. §2.36.1παρεσκευασμένους ἄμεινον τῶν προτέρων — The perfect passive participle `παρεσκευασμένους` is in the masculine plural accusative, modifying the preceding `Κρουστομερίνους` (the people of Crustumerium). `τῶν προτέρων` is a genitive of comparison with the comparative adverb `ἄμεινον`, referring to the Caeninenses and Antemnates fought in the previous chapters.
  2. §2.36.2ἐφʼ ἑνὸς ἡγεμόνος — The preposition `ἐπί` with the genitive here indicates origin or naming relation ('after', 'named from'). The entire structure functions as an eponym construct: `ὧν ἐφʼ ἑνὸς ἡγεμόνος ... τῶν λόφων τις ... Καίλιος ... καλεῖται` (after one of which leaders... one of the hills... is called Caelius).
  3. §2.36.3συμφέρεσθαι — A complementary infinitive dependent on `ἔμελλον` ('were about to'). Here it is used in the sense of 'to clash with' or 'to engage in conflict', taking a dative object, which is the preceding present participle dative `προηκούσῃ` (the power of Rome which had advanced to greatness).

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §2.36.1-2.36.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.36.1-2.36.4

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