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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §4.76.1-4.76.4

Appointment of the Interrex and Consuls and Summoning of the Assembly

Passage 320 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Upon Brutus's proposal, everyone agrees to appoint Lucretius as interrex and nominate Brutus and Collatinus as the first consuls; they carry Lucretia's corpse to the forum and summon the citizens to an assembly.

§4.76.1ταύτην ἀποδειξαμένου τὴν γνώμην Ἰουνίου Βρούτου πάντες ἐπῄνεσαν καὶ αὐτίκα περὶ τῶν παραληψομένων τὰς ἡγεμονίας ἀνδρῶν βουλευόμενοι μεσοβασιλέα μὲν ἔκριναν ἀποδειχθῆναι Σπόριον Λουκρήτιον τὸν πατέρα τῆς διαχρησαμένης ἑαυτήν· ὑπʼ ἐκείνου δὲ τοὺς ἕξοντας τὴν τῶν βασιλέων ἐξουσίαν ὀνομασθῆναι Λεύκιον Ἰούνιον Βροῦτον καὶ Λεύκιον Ταρκύνιον Κολλατῖνον.
When Junius Brutus had expressed this opinion, everyone approved, and immediately consulting about the men who were to receive the command, they decided that Spurius Lucretius, the father of the woman who had killed herself, should be appointed interrex; and that Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus should be nominated by him to hold the power of the kings.
§4.76.2τοὺς δʼ ἄρχοντας τούτους ἔταξαν καλεῖσθαι κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν διάλεκτον κωνσούλας·
And they ordered these magistrates to be called "consuls" in their own language.
τοῦτο μεθερμηνευόμενον εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα γλῶτταν τοὔνομα συμβούλους ἢ προβούλους δύναται δηλοῦν, κωνσίλια γὰρ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰς συμβουλὰς καλοῦσιν· ὕπατοι δʼ ὑφʼ Ἑλλήνων ἀνὰ χρόνον ὠνομάσθησαν ἐπὶ τοῦ μεγέθους τῆς ἐξουσίας, ὅτι πάντων τʼ ἄρχουσι καὶ τὴν ἀνωτάτω χώραν ἔχουσι.
This name, when translated into the Greek tongue, can mean "counselors" or "pre-consultors," for the Romans call consultations "consilia." But in course of time they were named "hypatoi" by the Greeks because of the magnitude of their power, since they rule over all and hold the highest place.
τὸ γὰρ ὑπερέχον καὶ §4.76.3ἄκρον ὕπατον ἐκάλουν οἱ παλαιοί.
For that which is superior and eminent was called "hypaton" by the ancients.
ταῦτα βουλευσάμενοί τε καὶ καταστησάμενοι καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς εὐχαῖς λιτανεύσαντες συλλαβέσθαι σφίσιν ὁσίων καὶ δικαίων ἔργων ἐφιεμένοις ἐξῄεσαν εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν.
Having consulted and established these things, and having entreated the gods with prayers to assist them, since they were aiming at holy and just deeds, they went out into the forum.
ἠκολούθουν δʼ αὐτοῖς οἱ θεράποντες ἐπὶ κλίνης μέλασιν ἀμφίοις ἐστρωμένης κομίζοντες ἀθεράπευτόν τε καὶ πεφυρμένην αἵματι τὴν νεκράν· ἣν πρὸ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου τεθῆναι κελεύσαντες ὑψηλὴν καὶ περιφανῆ συνεκάλουν τὸν δῆμον εἰς ἐκκλησίαν.
And their servants followed them, carrying on a couch spread with black garments the corpse, uncared for and defiled with blood; and having ordered it to be placed before the senate-house, high and conspicuous, they summoned the people to an assembly.
§4.76.4ὄχλου δὲ συναχθέντος οὐ μόνον τοῦ κατʼ ἀγορὰν τότʼ ὄντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ὅλην· διεξῄεσαν γὰρ οἱ κήρυκες διὰ τῶν στενωπῶν τὸν δῆμον εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν καλοῦντες· ἀναβὰς ὁ Βροῦτος, ἔνθα τοῖς συνάγουσι τὰς ἐκκλησίας δημηγορεῖν ἔθος ἦν, καὶ τοὺς πατρικίους παραστησάμενος ἔλεξε τοιάδε.
When a crowd had gathered, not only of those who were then in the forum, but also of those throughout the whole city—for the heralds went through the streets calling the people to the forum—Brutus, having ascended to where it was the custom for those who assembled the people to make public speeches, and having placed the patricians beside him, spoke as follows.

Notes

  1. §4.76.1ὀνομασθῆναι — Part of the accusative with infinitive construction governed by the main verb `ἔκριναν` (they decided). In the first part, the infinitive `ἀποδειχθῆναι` takes `Σπόριον Λουκρήτιον` as its subject accusative, while in the second part, the passive infinitive `ὀνομασθῆναι` (to be nominated) takes `Λεύκιον Ἰούνιον Βροῦτον καὶ Λεύκιον Ταρκύνιον Κολλατῖνον` as its subject accusative.
  2. §4.76.2τοὺς δʼ ἄρχοντας τούτους ἔταξαν καλεῖσθαι... κωνσούλας — The verb `ἔταξαν` (they ordered/appointed) governs an accusative with infinitive construction, where `τοὺς ἄρχοντας τούτους` (these magistrates) is the subject accusative of the passive infinitive `καλεῖσθαι` (to be called), and `κωνσούλας` (consuls) is the predicate accusative in agreement.
  3. §4.76.3συλλαβέσθαι σφίσιν ὁσίων καὶ δικαίων ἔργων ἐφιεμένοις — The infinitive `συλλαβέσθαι` (to assist) expresses the purpose of the entreaty (`λιτανεύσαντες`). Since the middle voice of `συλλαμβάνω` takes a dative to mean "to help/assist," it governs the dative `σφίσιν` (themselves). The participle `ἐφιεμένοις` (aiming at/desiring) agrees with `σφίσιν` and itself governs the genitive `ὁσίων καὶ δικαίων ἔργων`.
  4. §4.76.4ὄχλου δὲ συναχθέντος — A genitive absolute construction. A noun phrase independent of the main subject (`Βροῦτος`) is placed in the genitive along with the participle `συναχθέντος` to set the temporal background. The subsequent phrases `τοῦ κατʼ ἀγορὰν... τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν` modify `ὄχλου` attributively.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §4.76.1-4.76.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.76.1-4.76.4

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