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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §4.17.1-4.17.4

Fourth and Fifth Classes and the Unarmed Centuries

Passage 261 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Describes how Servius Tullius established the fourth and fifth property classes, defining their armor, battle positions, and centuries based on age. It also details the assignment of unarmed centuries of artisans and hornblowers to specific classes, and the selection of competent centurions.

§4.17.1ἀφελὼν δὲ πάλιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπολειπομένων τοὺς ἐλάττω πεντακισχιλίων δραχμῶν ἔχοντας οὐσίαν ἄχρι πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι μνῶν, τετάρτην ἐποίησε μοῖραν.
And setting apart again from the remainder those who had a fortune of less than five thousand drachmae down to twenty-five minae, he made the fourth class.
διέταξε δὲ καὶ τούτους εἰς εἴκοσι λόχους, καὶ δέκα μὲν ἐποίησε τῶν ἐν ἀκμῇ, δέκα δὲ τῶν ὑπερηλίκων κατὰ ταὐτὰ τοῖς προτέροις.
He organized these also into twenty centuries, and made ten of those who were in their prime and ten of those who were past their prime, in the same manner as the preceding classes.
ὅπλα δὲ φέρειν ἔταξεν αὐτοὺς θυρεοὺς καὶ ξίφη καὶ δόρατα καὶ στάσιν ἔχειν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι τὴν ὑστάτην.
And he ordered them to carry arms, oblong shields, swords, and spears, and to have the last post in battles.
§4.17.2τὴν δὲ πέμπτην μοῖραν, οἷς ἐντὸς εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε μνῶν ἄχρι δώδεκα καὶ ἡμίσους μνῶν ὁ βίος ἦν, εἰς τριάκοντα συνέταξε λόχους.
The fifth class, whose property was under twenty-five minae down to twelve and a half minae, he organized into thirty centuries.
διῄρηντο δὲ καὶ οὗτοι καθʼ ἡλικίαν· πεντεκαίδεκα μὲν γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῶν λόχοι τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους εἶχον, πεντεκαίδεκα δὲ τοὺς νεωτέρους.
These also were divided according to age; for fifteen of these centuries consisted of the older men, and fifteen of the younger.
τούτους ἔταξε σαυνία καὶ §4.17.3σφενδόνας ἔχοντας ἔξω τάξεως συστρατεύεσθαι.
He ordered them to serve in the army carrying javelins and slings, outside the regular line of battle.
τέτταρας δὲ λόχους οὐδὲν ἔχοντας ὅπλον ἀκολουθεῖν ἐκέλευσε τοῖς ἐνόπλοις· ἦσαν δὲ τῶν τεττάρων τούτων δύο μὲν ὁπλοποιῶν τε καὶ τεκτόνων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν κατασκευαζόντων τὰ εἰς τὸν πόλεμον εὔχρηστα· δύο δὲ σαλπιστῶν τε καὶ βυκανιστῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλοις τισὶν ὀργάνοις ἐπισημαινόντων τὰ παρακλητικὰ τοῦ πολέμου.
And he ordered four centuries of unarmed men to follow the armed troops; two of these four centuries consisted of armorers, carpenters, and others who made things useful for war; and two consisted of trumpeters, hornblowers, and those who gave the battle signals with other instruments.
προσέκειντο δʼ οἱ μὲν χειροτέχναι τοῖς τὸ δεύτερον ἔχουσι τίμημα διῃρημένοι καθʼ ἡλικίαν, ὁ μὲν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις, ὁ δὲ τοῖς νεωτέροις ἀκολουθῶν §4.17.4λόχος.
And the artisans were attached to those who had the second rating, being divided according to age, the one century following the older men and the other the younger century.
οἱ δὲ σαλπισταί τε καὶ οἱ βυκανισταὶ τῇ τετάρτῃ συνετάττοντο μοίρᾳ.
But the trumpeters and hornblowers were assigned to the fourth class.
ἦν δὲ καὶ τούτων εἷς μὲν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων λόχος, εἷς δὲ τῶν νεωτέρων·
And of these also there was one century of the older men and one of the younger.
λοχαγοὶ δʼ ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐπιλεχθέντες οἱ γενναιότατοι τὰ πολέμια τοὺς ἰδίους ἕκαστοι λόχους εὐπειθεῖς τοῖς παραγγελλομένοις παρείχοντο.
And centurions chosen from the whole number, who were the bravest in war, rendered their respective centuries obedient to orders.

Notes

  1. 4.17.2ἐντὸς εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε μνῶν — The preposition ἐντός with the genitive case, meaning 'within', here indicates the upper limit 'under twenty-five minae', since the lower limit of the fourth class was twenty-five minae. The relative pronoun οἷς functions as a dative of possession.
  2. 4.17.3ὁ μὲν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις, ὁ δὲ τοῖς νεωτέροις ἀκολουθῶν ¦681¦ λόχος — An appositive construction of 'whole and part' (partitive nominative) in relation to the main subject οἱ μὲν χειροτέχναι (the artisans). It individually explains the two centuries of artisans: 'the one century (ὁ μὲν ... λόχος) following the older men, the other (ὁ δὲ ...) the younger'.
  3. 4.17.4τοὺς ἰδίους ἕκαστοι λόχους εὐπειθεῖς τοῖς παραγγελλομένοις παρείχοντο — The middle verb παρέχομαι, taking an accusative object (τοὺς ἰδίους λόχους) and a predicate adjective in the accusative (εὐπειθεῖς), forms a double accusative construction meaning 'to render their own centuries obedient'. The dative τοῖς παραγγελλομένοις depends on the adjective εὐπειθεῖς.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §4.17.1-4.17.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.17.1-4.17.4

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