Humanitext Reader

Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §2.51.1-2.51.3

The Murder of the Lavinian Envoys and Tatius' Protection

Passage 142 of 962 · Greek

Summary

A conflict arises after Tatius' companions plunder Lavinian territory, and Tatius refuses to hand over the culprits. The tension escalates and threatens war when angry Sabines launch a deadly night attack on the returning Lavinian envoys.

§2.51.1ἐνιαυτῷ δὲ ἕκτῳ περιίσταται πάλιν εἰς ἕνα Ῥωμύλον ἡ τῆς πόλεως ἀρχὴ Τατίου τελευτήσαντος ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς, ἣν συνέστησαν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ Λαουινιατῶν οἱ κορυφαιότατοι συμφρονήσαντες ἀπὸ τοιαύτης αἰτίας·
In the sixth year, the government of the city devolved again upon Romulus alone, Tatius having died in consequence of a conspiracy which the chief men of the Lavinians had formed against him, after having united for the following reason.
τῶν ἑταίρων τινὲς τοῦ Τατίου λῃστήριον ἐξαγαγόντες εἰς τὴν Λαουινιατῶν χώραν χρήματά τε αὐτῶν ἥρπασαν πολλὰ καὶ βοσκημάτων ἀπήλασαν ἀγέλας, τῶν δʼ ἐπιβοηθούντων οὓς μὲν ἀπέκτειναν, οὓς δʼ ἐτραυμάτισαν.
Some of Tatius' companions, having led out a plundering band into the territory of the Lavinians, carried off much of their property and drove away their herds of cattle, and of those who came to the rescue, some they killed and others they wounded.
§2.51.2ἀφικομένης δὲ πρεσβείας παρὰ τῶν ἠδικημένων καὶ τὰ δίκαια ἀπαιτούσης ὁ μὲν Ῥωμύλος ἐδικαίωσε παραδοῦναι τοὺς δράσαντας τοῖς ἀδικηθεῖσιν ἀπάγειν, ὁ δὲ Τάτιος τῶν ἑταίρων περιεχόμενος οὐκ ἠξίου πρὸ δίκης τινὰς ὑπʼ ἐχθρῶν ἄγεσθαι καὶ ταῦτα πολίτας ὄντας ὑπὸ ξένων·
And when an embassy arrived from the injured party demanding justice, Romulus decided that they should hand over the perpetrators to the injured to be led away; but Tatius, standing by his companions, did not think it right that any citizens should be led away by enemies before a trial, and that too, being citizens, by foreigners.
δικάζεσθαι δʼ αὐτοῖς ἐκέλευε τοὺς ἠδικῆσθαι λέγοντας εἰς Ῥώμην ἀφικομένους.
Instead, he ordered those who said they had been injured to come to Rome and seek justice against them.
§2.51.3οἱ μὲν δὴ πρέσβεις οὐδὲν εὑρόμενοι τῶν δικαίων ἀγανακτοῦντες ἀπῄεσαν, ἀκολουθήσαντες δʼ αὐτοῖς τῶν Σαβίνων τινὲς ὑπʼ ὀργῆς, ἐσκηνωμένοις παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν ʽἑσπέρα γὰρ αὐτοὺς κατέλαβενʼ ἐπιτίθενται καθεύδουσι καὶ τά τε χρήματʼ αὐτοὺς ἀφαιροῦνται καὶ ὁπόσους ἐν ταῖς κοίταις ἔτι κατέλαβον ἀποσφάττουσιν, ὅσοις δὲ ταχεῖα τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτῶν αἴσθησις ἐγένετο καὶ τοῦ διαφυγεῖν δύναμις εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀφικνοῦνται.
The envoys, then, having obtained no justice, departed in anger. But some of the Sabines, followed them out of resentment, and attacked them while they were asleep in their tents by the roadside (for evening had overtaken them); they robbed them of their money and cut the throats of all those whom they found still in their beds. But those who had a quick perception of their design and were able to escape arrived at the city.
μετὰ τοῦτο ἔκ τε Λαουινίου πρέσβεις ἀφικόμενοι καὶ ἐξ ἄλλων πόλεων συχνῶν κατηγόρουν τῆς παρανομίας καὶ πόλεμον παρήγγελλον εἰ μὴ τεύξονται τῆς δίκης.
After this, envoys came both from Lavinium and from many other cities to accuse them of this lawless act, and they threatened war unless they should obtain justice.

Notes

  1. §2.51.2ἀπάγειν — The infinitive ἀπάγειν (to lead away) is used after the verb παραδοῦναι (to hand over) as an infinitive of purpose, indicating the aim of the delivery.
  2. §2.51.2τῶν ἑταίρων περιεχόμενος — The middle voice of the verb περιέχομαι is used here in the sense of 'to cling to, stand by, or protect' and regularly governs the genitive case (here τῶν ἑταίρων).
  3. §2.51.3τά τε χρήματʼ αὐτοὺς ἀφαιροῦνται — The verb ἀφαιρέομαι (to deprive, rob) takes a double accusative: one of the person deprived (αὐτούς) and another of the thing taken (χρήματα).
  4. §2.51.3ὅσοις δὲ ταχεῖα ... ἀφικνοῦνται — The relative pronoun ὅσοις is a dative of possessor with ἐγένετο, but the entire relative clause functions substantively as the subject of the plural main verb ἀφικνοῦνται.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §2.51.1-2.51.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.51.1-2.51.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.