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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §2.53.1-2.53.4

Romulus' Sole Rule and the Conquest of Fidenae

Passage 144 of 962 · Greek

Summary

After the death of Tatius, Romulus, once again ruling alone, expiates the pollution concerning the envoys and trials the Lavinians involved in Tatius's murder. Subsequently, he campaigns against Fidenae for plundering Roman provisions, captures the city, and establishes it as a Roman colony.

§2.53.1Ῥωμύλος δὲ μόνος ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὸ δεύτερον καταστὰς τό τε ἄγος ἀφοσιοῦται τὸ περὶ τοὺς πρέσβεις γενόμενον προειπὼν τοῖς ἐργασαμένοις τὸ μύσος ὕδατος εἴργεσθαι καὶ πυρός ʽἐπεφεύγεσαν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἅπαντες ἅμα τῷ τὸν Τάτιον ἀποθανεῖνʼ καὶ τῶν Λαουινιατῶν τοὺς συστάντας ἐπὶ τὸν Τάτιον δικαστηρίῳ παραδοὺς ἐκδοθέντας ὑπὸ τῆς πόλεως, ἐπειδὴ δικαιότερα ἐδόκουν λέγειν τὰ βίαια τιμωρησάμενοι τοῖς βιαίοις, ἀπέλυσε τῆς αἰτίας.
Romulus, having established himself for the second time as sole ruler, expiated the pollution incurred on account of the envoys by proclaiming beforehand that those who had committed the impious deed should be barred from water and fire (for they had all fled from the city immediately upon the death of Tatius); and as for those of the Lavinians who had conspired against Tatius and had been delivered up by their city, he brought them to trial, but released them from the charge, since they seemed to have a more just plea in having avenged violence with violence.
§2.53.2ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος ἐπὶ τὴν Φιδηναίων ἐστράτευσε πόλιν ἀπὸ τετταράκοντα σταδίων τῆς Ῥώμης κειμένην, μεγάλην τε καὶ πολυάνθρωπον οὖσαν τότε.
Having accomplished this, he marched against the city of the Fidenates, which was situated forty stades from Rome and was at that time a large and populous city.
ἀγομένης γὰρ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀγορᾶς ἐν σκάφαις ποταμηγοῖς, ἣν Κρουστομερῖνοι πιεζομένοις ὑπὸ λιμοῦ Ῥωμαίοις ἀπέστειλαν, ὠσάμενοι κατὰ πλῆθος ἐπὶ τὰς σκάφας οἱ Φιδηναῖοι τήν τε ἀγορὰν διήρπασαν καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τινὰς τῶν ἐπιβοηθούντων ἀπέκτειναν αἰτούμενοί §2.53.3τε δίκας οὐχ ὑπεῖχον.
For when provisions were being brought to Rome in river-boats, which the Crustumerians had sent to the Romans who were hard pressed by famine, the Fidenates rushed in a crowd upon the boats, plundered the provisions, and killed some of those who came to the rescue; and when satisfaction was demanded, they refused to submit to trial.
ἐφʼ οἷς ἀγανακτῶν ὁ Ῥωμύλος ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν πολλῇ στρατιᾷ καὶ γενόμενος ἀφθόνου λείας ἐγκρατὴς ἀπάγειν μὲν παρεσκευάζετο τὴν δύναμιν, ἐπεξελθόντων δὲ τῶν Φιδηναίων συνάπτει πρὸς αὐτοὺς μάχην.
Indignant at this, Romulus invaded their territory with a large army, and having made himself master of abundant booty, he was preparing to lead back his force; but when the Fidenates marched out against him, he joined battle with them.
καρτεροῦ δὲ ἀγῶνος γενομένου καὶ πολλῶν πεσόντων ἀφʼ ἑκατέρων ἡσσηθέντες οἱ Φιδηναῖοι τρέπονται πρὸς φυγήν, ὁ δʼ ἐκ ποδὸς συνακολουθῶν αὐτοῖς συνεισπίπτει τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς τὸ τεῖχος.
After a fierce struggle in which many fell on both sides, the Fidenates were defeated and turned to flight, and he, pursuing them closely, burst with the fugitives inside the walls.
§2.53.4ἁλούσης δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐξ ἐφόδου τιμωρησάμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν ὀλίγους καὶ φυλακὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει τριακοσίων ἀνδρῶν καταλιπὼν τῆς τε χώρας μοῖραν ἀποτεμόμενος, ἣν τοῖς σφετέροις διεῖλεν, ἀποικίαν ἐποίησε Ῥωμαίων καὶ ταύτην τὴν πόλιν, ἦν δὲ Ἀλβανῶν ἀπόκτισις κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν οἰκισθεῖσα Νωμεντῷ τε καὶ Κρουστομερείᾳ χρόνον τριῶν ἀδελφῶν τῆς ἀποικίας ἡγησαμένων, ὧν ὁ πρεσβύτατος τὴν Φιδήνην ἔκτισεν.
The city having been taken by assault, he punished a few of them, left a guard of three hundred men in the city, and, having cut off a portion of their land which he distributed among his own men, he made this city also a colony of the Romans. Now, it was an offshoot of the Albans, founded at the same time as Nomentum and Crustumeria, three brothers having led the colony, of whom the eldest founded Fidenae.

Notes

  1. 2.53.1προειπὼν τοῖς ἐργασαμένοις τὸ μύσος ὕδατος εἴργεσθαι καὶ πυρός — The phrase "barred from water and fire" is a Greek translation of the Roman legal punishment of banishment (aquae et ignis interdictio). The participle `προειπὼν` indicates the means or the accompanying circumstance of the expiation (`ἀφοσιοῦται`).
  2. 2.53.1ἐπειδὴ δικαιότερα ἐδόκουν λέγειν τὰ βίαια τιμωρησάμενοι τοῖς βιαίοις — This is a causal clause introducing the reason why Romulus acquitted them (`ἀπέλυσε`). The participle phrase `τὰ βίαια τιμωρησάμενοι τοῖς βιαίοις` means "having avenged violent acts (`τὰ βίαια`, accusative object) with violence (`τοῖς βιαίοις`, dative of means)", qualifying the subject of the clause (the Lavinians).
  3. 2.53.2ἀγομένης γὰρ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀγορᾶς ἐν σκάφαις ποταμηγοῖς — A genitive absolute construction where `ἀγορᾶς` (provisions) serves as the subject, which is also the antecedent of the relative clause `ἣν Κρουστομερῖνοι... ἀπέστειλαν`. It describes the background circumstances (time or cause) for the subsequent main action by `οἱ Φιδηναῖοι`.
  4. 2.53.4ἀποικίαν ἐποίησε Ῥωμαίων — A double accusative-like structure with `ἐποίησε`, where `ταύτην τὴν πόλιν` is the direct object and `ἀποικίαν` is the predicate accusative ("made this city a colony of the Romans").

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §2.53.1-2.53.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.53.1-2.53.4

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