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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §20.15.1-20.15.2

Surrender of the Bruttians and the Forests of Sila

Passage 960 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Describes how the Bruttians surrendered half of the Sila region to Rome, which was rich in shipbuilding timber and produced highly profitable Bruttian pitch.

§20.15.1οἱ Βρέττιοι ἑκόντες ὑποταγέντες Ῥωμαίοις τὴν ἡμίσειαν τῆς ὀρεινῆς παρέδωκαν αὐτοῖς, ἣ καλεῖται μὲν Σίλα, μεστὴ δʼ ἐστὶν ὕλης εἰς οἰκοδομάς τε καὶ ναυπηγίας καὶ πᾶσαν ἄλλην κατασκευὴν εὐθέτου·
The Bruttians, having voluntarily submitted to the Romans, surrendered to them half of their mountainous country, which is called Sila, and is full of timber suitable for building, shipbuilding, and every other useful construction.
πολλὴ μὲν γὰρ ἐλάτη πέφυκεν οὐρανομήκης ἐν αὐτῇ, πολλὴ δὲ αἴγειρος, πολλὴ δὲ πίειρα πεύκη ὀξύη τε καὶ πίτυς καὶ φηγὸς ἀμφιλαφὴς καὶ μελίαι ταῖς διαρρεούσαις λιβάσι πιαινόμεναι, καὶ πᾶσα ἄλλη βαθεῖα συνυφαινομένη τοῖς κλάδοις ὕλη σκιερὸν ἀποτελοῦσα δι’ ὅλης ἡμέρας τὸ ὄρος.
For there grow in it many fir trees reaching to the sky, many poplars, many pitch-pines, beeches, wild pines, spreading oaks, and ash trees nourished by the flowing streams, and all the other deep forest, weaving its branches together, makes the mountain shady throughout the whole day.
§20.15.2ἐξ ἧς ἡ μὲν ἔγγιστα θαλάττης καὶ ποταμῶν φυομένη τμηθεῖσα τὴν ἀπὸ ῥίζης τομὴν ὁλόκληρος ἐπὶ τοὺς λιμένας τοὺς ἔγγιστα κατάγεται, πάσῃ διαρκὴς Ἰταλίᾳ πρός τε τὰ ναυτικὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰς τῶν οἰκιῶν κατασκευάς·
Of this timber, that which grows closest to the sea and the rivers, being cut down whole from the root, is brought down to the nearest harbors, sufficient for all Italy both for naval purposes and for the construction of houses.
ἡ δὲ ἄνω θαλάττης καὶ ποταμῶν πρόσω κορμασθεῖσα κατὰ μέρη κώπας τε παρέχει καὶ κοντοὺς καὶ ὅπλα παντοῖα καὶ σκεύη τὰ κατοικίδια, φοράδην ὑπʼ ἀνθρώπων κομιζομένη·
But that which is high up and far from the sea and rivers, being cut into logs in pieces, supplies oars, poles, all kinds of tools, and household utensils, being carried by men on their shoulders.
ἡ δὲ πλείστη καὶ πιοτάτη πιττουργεῖται καὶ παρέχει πασῶν ὧν ἴσμεν ἡμεῖς εὐωδεστάτην τε καὶ γλυκυτάτην τὴν καλουμένην Βρεττίαν πίτταν· ἀφʼ ἧς μεγάλας ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων δῆμος καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἐκ τῶν μισθώσεων λαμβάνει προσόδους.
The greatest part and the richest in resin is used for pitch-making and yields the so-called Bruttian pitch, the most fragrant and sweetest of all that we know; from which the Roman people receive great revenues every year from the leases.

Notes

  1. 6τὴν ἀπὸ ῥίζης τομὴν — An adverbial or cognate accusative construction modifying the participle τμηθεῖσα, literally meaning 'with a cut from the root,' expressing that the trees were felled whole from their base.
  2. 6κορμασθεῖσα — The feminine singular aorist passive participle of the rare verb κορμόω (to cut into logs or chunks), describing how the timber in remote areas was cut into manageable pieces for transport.
  3. 6ὅπλα — Here, the term does not carry its common military meaning of 'weapons' or 'arms' but refers generally to wooden 'tools,' 'implements,' or 'utensils,' in keeping with the domestic context of the list.
  4. 6πασῶν ὧν ἴσμεν ἡμεῖς — An instance of relative attraction where the relative pronoun (originally the accusative ἃς) is attracted to the genitive case of its implied antecedent πασῶν [πιττῶν] (genitive of comparison), resulting in ὧν.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §20.15.1-20.15.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:20.15.1-20.15.2

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