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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §3.48.1-3.48.4

Lucumo's Citizenship and Renaming to Tarquinius

Passage 219 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Upon arriving in Rome, Lucumo is welcomed by King Marcius and offers his wealth to the public. He becomes a citizen under the name Lucius Tarquinius, quickly earning the king's confidence and the affection of the Roman people.

§3.48.1ὁ δὲ περιχαρὴς τῷ σημείῳ γενόμενος ἐπειδὴ ταῖς πύλαις ἤδη συνήγγιζεν, εὐξάμενος τοῖς θεοῖς ἐπιτελῆ γενέσθαι τὰ μαντεύματα καὶ σὺν ἀγαθαῖς εἰσελθεῖν τύχαις παρῆλθεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν·
He, being overjoyed at the sign, when he was already drawing near to the gates, prayed to the gods that the predictions might be fulfilled and that he might enter with good fortune, and so passed into the city.
καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο συνελθὼν εἰς λόγους Μαρκίῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ πρῶτον μὲν ἑαυτὸν ἐδήλωσεν ὅστις ἦν, ἔπειθʼ ὅτι κατοικεῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει βουλόμενος παρείη πᾶσαν τὴν πατρικὴν οὐσίαν ἐπαγόμενος, ἣν εἰς τὸ κοινὸν ἔφη τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τῇ Ῥωμαίων πόλει τιθέναι μείζονα οὖσαν ἢ κατʼ ἰδιώτην ἄνδρα κεκτῆσθαι.
And after this, having a conference with King Marcius, he first made himself known, who he was, and then declared that he was present wishing to settle in the city, bringing with him all his paternal estate, which he said he was placing at the public disposal for the king and the city of Rome, as it was too great for a private man to possess.
§3.48.2ἀσμένως δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτὸν ὑποδεξαμένου καὶ καταχωρίσαντος ἅμα τοῖς συμπαροῦσιν αὐτῷ Τυρρηνῶν εἰς φυλήν τε καὶ φρατρίαν, οἰκίαν τε κατασκευάζεται τόπον διαλαχὼν τῆς πόλεως τὸν ἀρκοῦντα καὶ γῆς λαμβάνει κλῆρον.
The king having gladly received him and registered him together with the Tyrrhenians who accompanied him into a tribe and a curia, he built a house, having obtained a sufficient site in the city by lot, and received an allotment of land.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα διῳκήσατο καὶ τῶν ἀστῶν εἷς ἐγεγόνει, μαθὼν ὅτι Ῥωμαίων ἑκάστῳ κοινόν τʼ ὄνομα κεῖται καὶ μετὰ τὸ κοινὸν ἕτερον, ὃ δὴ συγγενικὸν αὐτοῖς ἐστι καὶ πατρωνυμικόν, ἐξομοιοῦσθαι καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς βουλόμενος Λεύκιον μὲν ἀντὶ Λοκόμωνος ἑαυτῷ τίθεται τὸ κοινὸν ὄνομα, Ταρκύνιον δὲ τὸ συγγενικὸν ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐν ᾗ γενέσεώς τε καὶ τροφῆς ἔτυχε·
When he had settled these matters and had become one of the citizens, learning that each of the Romans had a common name, and after the common name another, which indeed was their family and patronymic name, and wishing to conform himself to them in this respect also, he assumed for himself the common name of Lucius instead of Lucumo, and Tarquinius as his family name, from the city in which he happened to be born and brought up.
§3.48.3βασιλέως τε φίλος ἐν ὀλίγῳ πάνυ χρόνῳ γίνεται δῶρα διδούς, ὧν αὐτὸν ἐν χρείᾳ μάλιστα γινόμενον ᾐσθάνετο καὶ χρήματα παρέχων εἰς τὰς πολεμικὰς χρείας ὅσων ἐδεῖτο, ἐν δὲ ταῖς στρατείαις ἁπάντων κράτιστα πεζῶν τε καὶ ἱππέων ἀγωνιζόμενος γνώμης τε ὅπου δεήσειεν ἀγαθῆς ἐν τοῖς πάνυ φρονίμοις τῶν συμβούλων ἀριθμούμενος.
And in a very short time he became a friend of the king, by giving gifts of which he perceived him to be in most need, and supplying money for military needs as much as he required, and in campaigns fighting most bravely of all, both among infantry and cavalry, and being numbered among the most prudent of his counselors whenever there was need of good advice.
§3.48.4γενόμενος δὲ παρὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ τίμιος οὐδὲ τῆς ἄλλων Ῥωμαίων εὐνοίας διήμαρτεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πατρικίων πολλοὺς ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις ὑπηγάγετο καὶ τὸ δημοτικὸν πλῆθος οἰκείως ἔχειν ἑαυτῷ παρεσκεύασεν εὐπροσηγόροις τε ἀσπασμοῖς καὶ κεχαρισμέναις ὁμιλίαις καὶ χρημάτων μεταδόσει καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις φιλοφροσύναις.
Having become honored by the king, he did not fail to gain the goodwill of the other Romans either, but also won over many of the patricians by his benefits, and prepared the common people to be well-disposed to him by friendly greetings, agreeable conversations, sharing of money, and other acts of kindness.

Notes

  1. §3.48.1μείζονα οὖσαν ἢ κατʼ ἰδιώτην ἄνδρα κεκτῆσθαι — A comparative construction meaning 'too great for a private individual to possess.' The structure consists of ἢ κατά + accusative (ἰδιώτην ἄνδρα) + infinitive (κεκτῆσθαι), expressing that it exceeds the measure suited to a private person.
  2. §3.48.2ἐξομοιοῦσθαι καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς βουλόμενος — The intransitive (or middle/passive) infinitive ἐξομοιοῦσθαι ('to make oneself like', 'conform') takes the dative αὐτοῖς ('to them', i.e. the Romans), accompanied by the adverbial phrase of specification κατὰ τοῦτο ('in this respect also').
  3. §3.48.3δῶρα διδούς ... χρήματα παρέχων ... ἀγωνιζόμενος — The series of present participles (διδούς, παρέχων, ἀγωνιζόμενος) modifying the main verb γίνεται ('he became') functions to express the means or cause by which he became a friend of the king and highly esteemed.
  4. §3.48.3ὧν αὐτὸν ἐν χρείᾳ μάλιστα γινόμενον ᾐσθάνετο — A supplementary participle construction after the verb of perception ᾐσθάνετο ('he perceived'), consisting of the accusative subject αὐτόν (the king) and the participle γινόμενον. The relative pronoun ὧν (genitive) is governed by the noun χρείᾳ ('need').

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §3.48.1-3.48.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.48.1-3.48.4

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