Humanitext Reader

Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §4.45.1-4.45.5

Alliance with Mamilius and Accusation by Turnus

Passage 289 of 962 · Greek

Summary

To secure his rule, Tarquinius forms a marriage alliance with Mamilius, a powerful Latin, and plans an expedition against the Sabines. He calls a meeting of the Latins, but his delay leads to a severe accusation by Turnus Herdonius.

§4.45.1λογιζόμενος δʼ ὁ Ταρκύνιος, ὅτι τοῖς μὴ κατὰ νόμους λαβοῦσι τὰς δυναστείας, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν ὅπλων κτησαμένοις, οὐ μόνον ἐπιχωρίου δεῖ φυλακῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξενικῆς, τὸν ἐπιφανέστατον ἐκ τοῦ Λατίνων ἔθνους καὶ πλεῖστον ἁπάντων δυνάμενον ἐσπούδαζε φίλον ποιήσασθαι τῷ γάμῳ συζεύξας τῆς θυγατρός, ὃς ἐκαλεῖτο μὲν Ὀκταούιος Μαμίλιος, ἀνέφερε δὲ τὸ γένος εἰς Τηλέγονον τὸν ἐξ Ὀδυσσέως καὶ Κίρκης, κατῴκει δʼ ἐν πόλει Τύσκλῳ, ἐδόκει δὲ τὰ πολιτικὰ συνετὸς ἐν ὀλίγοις εἶναι καὶ πολέμους στρατηγεῖν ἱκανός.
And Tarquinius, reflecting that those who have obtained power not in accordance with the laws but have acquired it by arms require not only a domestic guard but also a foreign one, was eager to make the most illustrious man of the Latin race and the most powerful of them all his friend by uniting him in marriage with his daughter; this man was called Octavius Mamilius, traced his descent to Telegonus, the son of Odysseus and Circe, lived in the city of Tusculum, and was considered to be wise in political matters among few and capable of commanding in wars.
§4.45.2τοῦτον τὸν ἄνδρα φίλον ἔχων καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἀρίστους ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει τῶν τὰ κοινὰ πραττόντων προσλαβὼν τότʼ ἤδη καὶ τῶν ὑπαιθρίων ἐπεχείρει πειρᾶσθαι πολέμων καὶ στρατιὰν ἐπὶ Σαβίνους ἐξάγειν οὐ βουλομένους ὑπηκόους εἶναι τοῖς ἐπιτάγμασιν, ἀλλʼ ἀπηλλάχθαι τῶν ὁμολογιῶν οἰομένους, ἐξ οὗ Τύλλιος ἐτελεύτησε, πρὸς ὃν ἐποιήσαντο τὰς ὁμολογίας.
Having this man as a friend and through him winning over the best of those who managed public affairs in each city, he then at last attempted to try open wars and to lead an army against the Sabines, who did not wish to be subject to his orders but thought themselves released from their treaty ever since Tullius, with whom they had made the treaty, had died.
§4.45.3γνοὺς δὲ ταῦτα προεῖπε διʼ ἀγγέλων ἥκειν εἰς τὴν ἐν Φερεντίνῳ γινομένην ἀγορὰν τοὺς εἰωθότας ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Λατίνων συνεδρεύειν, ἡμέραν τινὰ ὁρίσας, ὡς περὶ κοινῶν καὶ μεγάλων πραγμάτων σὺν αὐτοῖς βουλευσόμενος.
Knowing this, he announced through messengers that those who were accustomed to meet in council on behalf of the common wealth of the Latins should come to the assembly held at Ferentinum, having appointed a certain day, as if he were going to consult with them on common and important matters.
§4.45.4οἱ μὲν δὴ παρῆσαν, ὁ δὲ Ταρκύνιος αὐτὸς ὁ καλέσας αὐτοὺς ὑστέρει.
These, indeed, were present, but Tarquinius himself, who had called them, was late.
ὡς δὲ πολὺς ἐγένετο καθημένοις ὁ χρόνος καὶ ἐδόκει τοῖς πλείοσιν ὕβρις εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀνήρ τις ἐν πόλει μὲν οἰκῶν Κορίλλῃ, δυνατὸς δὲ καὶ χρήμασι καὶ φίλοις καὶ τὰ πολέμια ἄλκιμος πολιτικόν τε λόγον εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἀδύνατος, Τύρνος Ἑρδώνιος ὄνομα, Μαμιλίῳ τε διάφορος ὢν διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰ κοινὰ φιλοτιμίαν καὶ Ταρκυνίῳ διὰ τὸν Μαμίλιον ἀπεχθόμενος, ὅτι κηδεστὴν ἐκεῖνον ἠξίωσε λαβεῖν ἀνθʼ ἑαυτοῦ, πολλὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ Ταρκυνίου κατηγορίαν τʼ ἄλλα διεξιὼν ἔργα τοῦ ἀνδρός, οἷς αὐθάδειά τις ἐδόκει προσεῖναι καὶ βαρύτης, καὶ τὸ μὴ παρεῖναι πρὸς τὸν σύλλογον αὐτὸν τὸν κεκληκότα τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων παρόντων.
Since much time had passed for them as they sat waiting, and it seemed to the majority to be an insult, a certain man living in the city of Corilla, powerful both in wealth and friends, brave in military affairs, and not unable to deliver a political speech, Turnus Herdonius by name—who was at variance with Mamilius because of their rivalry in public affairs and was hostile to Tarquinius on account of Mamilius, because Tarquinius had deigned to take him as a son-in-law instead of himself—made a long accusation against Tarquinius, recounting the other deeds of the man in which a certain arrogance and oppressiveness seemed to be present, and especially his not being present at the assembly when he himself had called it while all the others were present.
§4.45.5ἀπολογουμένου δὲ τοῦ Μαμιλίου καὶ εἰς ἀναγκαίας τινὰς ἀναφέροντος αἰτίας τὸν τοῦ Ταρκυνίου χρονισμὸν ἀναβάλλεσθαι τʼ ἀξιοῦντος τὸν σύλλογον εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἡμέραν, πεισθέντες οἱ πρόεδροι τῶν Λατίνων ἀνεβάλοντο τὴν βουλήν.
But as Mamilius made a defense and attributed Tarquinius' delay to some necessary causes and requested that the assembly be postponed until the following day, the leaders of the Latins, being persuaded, adjourned the council.

Notes

  1. §4.45.1τοῖς ... δεῖ — The impersonal verb δεῖ is constructed here with the dative of interest (τοῖς μὴ κατὰ νόμους λαβοῦσι...) denoting the persons who need, and the genitive (φυλακῆς) indicating the thing needed.
  2. §4.45.1ἐν ὀλίγοις — The phrase ἐν ὀλίγοις ('among few') is an idiomatic expression meaning 'exceptionally' or 'highly distinguished'.
  3. §4.45.2ἐξ οὗ — An elliptical expression for ἐξ οὗ χρόνου ('from the time when'), introducing a temporal relative clause meaning 'since'.
  4. §4.45.4καθημένοις — Dative participle of interest or reference used with the verb of elapsed time ἐγένετο, indicating the persons experiencing the passage of time ('as they sat waiting').
  5. §4.45.4τὸ μὴ παρεῖναι — The articular infinitive τὸ μὴ παρεῖναι functions either as an appositive explaining the specific content of κατηγορίαν or as an accusative phrase indicating the ground of the accusation ('the fact of his not being present').

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §4.45.1-4.45.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.45.1-4.45.5

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