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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §4.37.1-4.37.5

Servius' Address to the Assembly and the People's Support

Passage 281 of 962 · Greek

Summary

After dismissing the senate, King Servius summoned the popular assembly, listed his achievements, and explained Tarquinius's claim to the throne, offering to abdicate. The people vehemently rejected his abdication, turned their anger against Tarquinius, and escorted the king back to his house with great acclamation.

§4.37.1τοιαῦτα διαλεχθεὶς καὶ εἰς πολλὴν αἰδῶ καταστήσας τοὺς συνισταμένους ἐπʼ αὐτῷ διέλυσε τὸν σύλλογον καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο τοὺς κήρυκας ἀνακαλεσάμενος ἐκέλευσε διὰ πάντων τῶν στενωπῶν διεξιόντας τὸν δῆμον εἰς ἐκκλησίαν συγκαλεῖν.
Having spoken thus and having brought those who had conspired against him to great shame, he dismissed the assembly, and after this, having summoned the heralds, he ordered them, going through all the narrow streets, to call the people together into an assembly.
§4.37.2συνδραμόντος δʼ εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν τοῦ κατὰ πόλιν ὄχλου προελθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα μακρὰν καὶ συμπαθῆ διεξῆλθε δημηγορίαν τάς τε πολεμικὰς ἑαυτοῦ πράξεις ἐξαριθμούμενος, ἃς Ταρκυνίου τε ζῶντος διεπράξατο καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν καὶ τῶν πολιτευμάτων καθʼ ἓν ἕκαστον ἐπιλεγόμενος, ἐξ ὧν πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας ἔδοξεν ἐσχηκέναι τὸ κοινὸν ὠφελείας.
And when the crowd in the city had run together into the forum, having come forward to the tribunal, he delivered a long and moving public speech, enumerating his own warlike deeds, which he had performed both while Tarquinius was alive and after his death, and recalling his public measures one by one, from which the commonwealth seemed to have received many and great benefits.
§4.37.3πολλοῦ δʼ ἐφʼ ἑκάστῳ τῶν λεγομένων ἀπαντῶντος ἐπαίνου καὶ πάντων σπουδὴν ἐχόντων μαθεῖν, τίνων ἕνεκα ταῦτα λέγει, τελευτῶν ἔφησεν, ὅτι Ταρκύνιος αὐτὸν αἰτιᾶται τὴν βασιλείαν οὐ δικαίως κατέχειν ἑαυτῷ προσήκουσαν· καταλιπεῖν γὰρ αὐτῷ τὸν πάππον ἀποθνήσκοντα σὺν τοῖς χρήμασι καὶ τὴν ἀρχήν, τὸν δὲ δῆμον οὐκ εἶναι κύριον τἀλλότρια ἑτέρῳ §4.37.4διδόναι.
And as much praise met each of his words, and as all were eager to learn for what reason he was saying these things, finally he said that Tarquinius accused him of holding the kingship unjustly, which belonged to himself; for [he said] his grandfather, when dying, had left him the rule along with his money, and that the people had no authority to give what belonged to another to someone else to give.
κραυγῆς δὲ καὶ ἀγανακτήσεως ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐπὶ τούτῳ γενομένης σιωπῆσαι κελεύσας αὐτοὺς ἠξίου μηδὲν ἄχθεσθαι μηδὲ ἀγανακτεῖν πρὸς τὸν λόγον, ἀλλʼ εἴ τι δίκαιον εἰπεῖν ἔχει Ταρκύνιος, καλεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ διδαχθέντας, ἐάν τʼ ἀδικούμενον εὕρωσιν ἐάν τʼ ἐπιτηδειότερον ἄρχειν, ἐκείνῳ παραδοῦναι τὴν τῆς πόλεως προστασίαν· αὐτὸς δὲ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἔφησεν ἀφίστασθαι καὶ ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς κυρίοις, παρʼ ὧν αὐτὴν ἔλαβεν.
And when a shout and indignation arose from all at this, having ordered them to be silent, he requested them not to be displeased or indignant at the speech, but, if Tarquinius had anything just to say, to summon him, and, having been informed, whether they found him wronged or more suitable to rule, to hand over to him the leadership of the city; and he said that he himself was stepping down from the rule and restoring it to the rightful owners from whom he had received it.
§4.37.5ταῦτα λέξαντος αὐτοῦ καταβαίνειν τʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ βήματος βουλομένου κραυγή τʼ ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐγίνετο καὶ δεήσεις πολλαὶ σὺν οἰμωγαῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδενὶ παραχωρεῖν τῆς ἀρχῆς· τινὲς δʼ ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ βάλλειν τὸν Ταρκύνιον ἐβόων.
When he had said this and wished to descend from the tribunal, a shout arose from all and many entreaties with laments, begging him not to yield the rule to anyone; and some of them even shouted to stone Tarquinius.
ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν δείσας τὴν ἐκ χειρὸς δίκην ὁρμῆς ἤδη γινομένης τῶν ὄχλων ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ᾤχετο φεύγων ἅμα τοῖς ἑταίροις· τὸν δὲ Τύλλιον ἡ πληθὺς ἅπασα μετὰ χαρᾶς καὶ κρότου καὶ πολλῆς εὐφημίας παραπέμπουσα μέχρι τῆς οἰκίας κατέστησεν.
He therefore, fearing summary violence, as an onset of the crowd was already being made upon him, went fleeing away together with his companions; and all the multitude, escorting Tullius with joy and applause and much acclamation, brought him safe to his house.

Notes

  1. p.v.2p.67καταλιπεῖν — An infinitive in indirect discourse, introduced by `γάρ` to express the reason claimed by Tarquinius, depending ultimately on the preceding `ἔφησεν ὅτι` (he said that).
  2. 735καλεῖν — An infinitive depending on the main verb `ἠξίου` (he requested), with the people as its implied subject (accusative), expressing an indirect command or request.
  3. 735ᾤχετο φεύγων — An idiomatic construction combining the verb `οἴχομαι` (to go/be gone) with a present participle, emphasizing the sudden departure or completion of the action ("went fleeing away" or "fled away at once").

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §4.37.1-4.37.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.37.1-4.37.5

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