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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §3.20.1-3.20.4

Feigned Retreat and Final Victory of the Surviving Horatius

Passage 188 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The sole surviving Roman warrior feigns retreat to separate the two remaining Albans, successfully defeats them one by one to secure victory, and hastens back to the city to report to his father.

§3.20.1ὁ μὲν δὴ τὸ καίριον τραῦμα λαβὼν εὐθὺς ἐτεθνήκει, ὁ δὲ τὴν ἰγνύαν τετρωμένος οὐκέτι βέβαιος ἦν ἑστάναι, σκάζων δὲ καὶ τὰ πολλὰ τῷ θυρεῷ διερειδόμενος ἀντεῖχεν ὅμως ἔτι καὶ μετὰ τοῦ περιλειπομένου τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπὶ τὸν ὑπομένοντα Ῥωμαῖον ἐχώρει, περιέστησάν τε αὐτὸν ὁ μὲν ἐξ ἐναντίας προσιών, §3.20.2ὁ δὲ κατὰ νώτου.
Now the one who had received the fatal wound had died immediately, but the one whose hamstring was cut was no longer able to stand firmly, yet, limping and for the most part leaning upon his shield, he nevertheless still held out, and together with the surviving brother advanced against the waiting Roman; and they surrounded him, one approaching from the front, the other from behind.
τῷ δὲ Ῥωμαίῳ δείσαντι μὴ κυκλωθεὶς πρὸς αὐτῶν εὐκατέργαστος γένηται δυσί τε μαχόμενος καὶ διχόθεν ἐπιοῦσιν, ἦν δὲ ἀκραιφνὴς ἔτι, λογισμὸς εἰσέρχεται διελεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων καὶ χωρὶς ἑκατέρῳ μάχεσθαι.
But to the Roman—who was still unhurt—as he feared lest he might be surrounded by them and easily dispatched, fighting two men and those attacking from two sides, there came the thought to separate the enemy from one another and to fight each of them individually.
ῥᾷστα δὲ διαστήσειν αὐτοὺς ὑπελάμβανεν, εἰ δόξαν παράσχοι φυγῆς· οὐ γὰρ ὑπʼ ἀμφοτέρων διώξεσθαι τῶν Ἀλβανῶν, ἀλλʼ ὑφʼ ἑνός, ὁρῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν οὐκέτι καρτερὸν τῶν ποδῶν.
He supposed that he would separate them most easily if he should give the appearance of flight; for he did not expect to be pursued by both of the Albans, but by one only, seeing that the brother was no longer strong in his feet.
ταῦτα δὴ διανοηθεὶς ὡς εἶχε τάχους ἔφευγε καὶ συνέπεσεν αὐτῷ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τῆς ἐλπίδος.
Having thus resolved, he fled as fast as he could, and it happened that he did not fail in his hope.
§3.20.3ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἕτερος τῶν Ἀλβανῶν οὐδεμίαν ἔχων πληγὴν καίριον ἐδίωκεν αὐτὸν ἐκποδός, ὁ δʼ ἐπιβαίνειν ἀδύνατος ὢν πολὺ τοῦ δέοντος ὑστέρει.
For the one of the Albans, having no fatal wound, pursued him at full speed, while the other, being unable to walk, lagged far behind what was necessary.
ἔνθα δὴ τῶν Ἀλβανῶν τοῖς σφετέροις ἐγκελευομένων, τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων τὸν αὑτῶν ἀγωνιστὴν κακιζόντων καὶ τῶν μὲν δὴ παιανιζόντων τε καὶ στεφανουμένων ὡς ἐπὶ κατορθουμένῳ τῷ ἀγῶνι, τῶν δʼ ὀδυρομένων ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἔτι τῆς τύχης σφᾶς διαναστησομένης, ταμιευσάμενος τὸν καιρὸν ὁ Ῥωμαῖος ὑποστρέφει τε ὀξέως καὶ πρὶν ἢ φυλάξασθαι τὸν Ἀλβανὸν φθάνει τῷ ξίφει κατὰ τοῦ βραχίονος πληγὴν ἐνέγκας καὶ διελὼν τὸν ἀγκῶνα.
Thereupon, while the Albans were encouraging their own man and the Romans were reviling their own combatant, and the former indeed were singing paeans and crowning themselves as if the contest were already successful, while the latter were lamenting as if fortune would never again raise them up, the Roman, having watched for his opportunity, turned about quickly, and before the Alban could guard himself, anticipated him by dealing a blow with his sword upon his arm and cutting through his elbow.
§3.20.4πεσούσης δὲ χαμαὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἅμα τῷ ξίφει μίαν ἔτι πληγὴν καίριον ἐξενέγκας ἀποκτείνει τὸν Ἀλβανόν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον ἐπὶ τὸν τελευταῖον ὠσάμενος ἡμιθνῆτα καὶ παρειμένον ἐπικατασφάττει.
And when the hand fell to the ground together with the sword, he dealt one more fatal blow and killed the Alban; and after him, rushing upon the last one, who was half dead and disabled, he dispatched him.
σκυλεύσας δὲ τοὺς τῶν ἀνεψιῶν νεκροὺς εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἠπείγετο πρῶτος ἀπαγγεῖλαι θέλων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ νίκην τῷ πατρί.
Then, having despoiled the bodies of his cousins, he hastened to the city, wishing to be the first to report his victory to his father.

Notes

  1. 3.20.2τῷ δὲ Ῥωμαίῳ δείσαντι ... λογισμὸς εἰσέρχεται — The dative τῷ δὲ Ῥωμαίῳ is a dative of reference (or interest) dependent on the verbal expression λογισμὸς εἰσέρχεται ("a thought entered [his mind]"). The participle δείσαντι agrees with it in gender, number, and case.
  2. 3.20.2ὁρῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν οὐκέτι καρτερὸν τῶν ποδῶν — The subject of the nominative participle ὁρῶν is the Roman warrior (the subject of the main thoughts). He is the one who 'sees' that the other's brother (the wounded Alban) is no longer strong. The genitive τῶν ποδῶν is a genitive of respect modifying the adjective καρτερόν.
  3. 3.20.3ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἔτι τῆς τύχης σφᾶς διαναστησομένης — The particle ὡς expresses subjective opinion or expectation, here combined with the potential ἄν and the future genitive absolute τῆς τύχης ... διαναστησομένης. The combination of ἄν with a future participle denotes potentiality ("as if fortune would not ever again raise them up").
  4. 3.20.4τοὺς τῶν ἀνεψιῶν νεκροὺς — The noun ἀνεψιός literally means 'cousin'. In Roman myth, the Horatii and Curiatii were cousins on their mothers' side. Thus, the phrase refers to the bodies of the slain Albans, from whom the Roman stripped the armor (σκυλεύσας), rather than to his own fallen brothers.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §3.20.1-3.20.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.20.1-3.20.4

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