§5.77.1ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος ὁ ἀνὴρ ἀπῆγε τὰς δυνάμεις ἐκ τῆς ὑπαίθρου καὶ πρὶν ἢ πάντα τὸν τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐκπληρῶσαι χρόνον ὑπάτους ἀποδείξας ἀπέθετο τὴν ἀρχὴν οὔτʼ ἀποκτείνας οὐθένα Ῥωμαίων οὔτʼ ἐξελάσας τῆς πατρίδος οὔτʼ ἄλλῃ συμφορᾷ βαρείᾳ περιβαλὼν οὐδεμιᾷ.
Having accomplished these things, the man led his forces back from the field, and before completing the whole term of his authority, having appointed consuls, he laid down his office, neither putting any of the Romans to death nor expelling them from their country, nor inflicting on them any other heavy calamity whatsoever.
§5.77.2οὗτος ὁ ζῆλος ἀπʼ ἐκείνου τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀρξάμενος ἅπασι παρέμεινε τοῖς λαμβάνουσι τὴν αὐτὴν ἐξουσίαν ἄχρι τῆς τρίτης πρὸ ἡμῶν γενεᾶς.
This emulation, beginning with that man, remained with all who received the same authority until the third generation before us.
οὐθένα γοῦν ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας παρειλήφαμεν, ὃς οὐ μετρίως αὐτῇ καὶ πολιτικῶς ἐχρήσατο, πολλάκις ἀναγκασθείσης τῆς πόλεως καταλῦσαι τὰς νομίμους ἀρχὰς καὶ πάντα ποιῆσαι τὰ πράγματα ὑφʼ ἑνί.
At any rate, we have received from history no one who did not use it with moderation and as a citizen, although the city was often forced to abolish the lawful offices and to place all affairs under one man.
§5.77.3καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐν τοῖς ὀθνείοις πολέμοις μόνον ἦσαν οἱ λαμβάνοντες τὴν δικτατορίαν ἀγαθοὶ προστάται τῆς πατρίδος μηδὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ μεγέθους τῆς ἀρχῆς διαφθειρόμενοι ἧττον ἂν θαυμαστὸν ἦν·
And if, on the one hand, only in foreign wars those who received the dictatorship had been good protectors of their country, being in no way corrupted by the greatness of the office, it would have been less a matter of wonder.
νῦν δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐμφυλίοις διχοστασίαις πολλαῖς καὶ μεγάλαις γενομέναις καὶ ἐπὶ καταλύσει βασιλειῶν καὶ τυραννίδων ὑποπτευομένων καὶ ἐπʼ ἄλλων συμφορῶν κωλύσει μυρίων ὅσων οἱ τηλικαύτης τυχόντες ἐξουσίας ἅπαντες ἀνεπιλήπτους καὶ τῷ πρώτῳ λαβόντι τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁμοίους ἑαυτοὺς παρέσχον· ὥσθʼ ἅπασι παραστῆναι τὴν αὐτὴν δόξαν, ὅτι μία βοήθεια παντός ἐστιν ἀνιάτου κακοῦ καὶ τελευταίας σωτηρίας ἐλπίς, ὅταν ἀπορραγῶσιν ἅπασαι διὰ καιρούς τινας, ἡ τοῦ δικτάτορος ἀρχή.
But as it is, both in the many and great civil dissensions that arose, and in the abolishing of kingdoms and suspected tyrannies, and in the prevention of countless other calamities, all who obtained such great authority showed themselves blameless and like the first who received the office.
ἐπὶ δὲ
Consequently, the same opinion was established in all, that the office of the dictator is the one remedy for every incurable evil and the hope of final safety, when all other hopes are broken off owing to certain crises.
§5.77.4τῆς κατὰ τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν ἡλικίας ὁμοῦ τι τετρακοσίων διαγενομένων ἐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Τίτου Λαρκίου δικτατορίας διεβλήθη καὶ μισητὸν ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις ἐφάνη τὸ πρᾶγμα Λευκίου Κορνηλίου Σύλλα πρώτου καὶ μόνου πικρῶς αὐτῇ καὶ ὠμῶς χρησαμένου·
But in the generation of our fathers, when almost four hundred years had elapsed since the dictatorship of Titus Lartius, the institution was brought into disrepute and appeared hateful to all men, when Lucius Cornelius Sulla became the first and only man to use it harshly and cruelly.
ὥστε τότε πρῶτον αἰσθέσθαι Ῥωμαίους, ὃ τὸν ἄλλον ἅπαντα χρόνον ἠγνόουν, ὅτι τυραννίς ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ §5.77.5δικτάτορος ἀρχή.
Consequently, the Romans then for the first time realized what they had been ignorant of through all preceding time, namely, that the office of the dictator is a tyranny.
βουλήν τε γὰρ ἐκ τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων ἀνθρώπων συνέστησε καὶ τὸ τῆς δημαρχίας κράτος εἰς τοὐλάχιστον συνέστειλε καὶ πόλεις ὅλας ἐξῴκισε καὶ βασιλείας τὰς μὲν ἀνεῖλε, τὰς δʼ αὐτὸς ἀπέδειξε, καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ καὶ αὐθάδη διεπράξατο, περὶ ὧν πολὺ ἂν ἔργον εἴη λέγειν·
For he composed the senate from ordinary men, and reduced the power of the tribunes of the people to the very minimum, and depopulated entire cities, and destroyed some kingdoms while establishing others himself, and did many other arbitrary things which it would be a great task to relate.
πολίτας τε χωρὶς τῶν ἐν ταῖς μάχαις ἀπολομένων τοὺς παραδόντας αὐτῷ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐλάττους τετρακισμυρίων ἀπέκτεινεν, ὧν τινας καὶ §5.77.6βασάνοις πρῶτον αἰκισάμενος.
And, apart from those who perished in the battles, he put to death no fewer than forty thousand citizens who had surrendered themselves to him, some of whom he even tortured first.
εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀναγκαίως ἢ συμφερόντως τῷ κοινῷ πάντα ταῦτʼ ἔπραξεν, οὐχ ὁ παρὼν καιρὸς ἐξετάζειν· ὅτι δὲ διὰ ταῦτʼ ἐμισήθη καὶ δεινὸν ἐφάνη τὸ τοῦ δικτάτορος ὄνομα, τοῦτό μοι προὔκειτο ἐπιδεῖξαι.
Now, whether he did all these things of necessity or for the advantage of the public, the present occasion is not the time to examine; but that the name of the dictator was hated because of these things and appeared terrible, this it was my purpose to show.
πέφυκε δʼ οὐ ταῖς δυναστείαις τοῦτο μόναις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις συμβαίνειν τοῖς περιμαχήτοις καὶ θαυμαζομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ κοινοῦ βίου πράγμασι.
Indeed, this is natural to happen not only to ruling powers, but also to other things that are fought for and admired in common life.
καλὰ μὲν γὰρ ἅπαντα φαίνεται καὶ συμφέροντα τοῖς χρωμένοις, ὅταν τις αὐτοῖς χρῆται καλῶς, αἰσχρὰ δὲ καὶ ἀσύμφορα, ὅταν πονροὺς λάβῃ προστάτας.
For all things appear honorable and advantageous to those who use them, when one uses them well, but shameful and disadvantageous when they receive evil guardians.
τούτου δʼ ἡ φύσις αἰτία προσθεῖσα τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἅπασι καὶ κῆράς τινας συμφύτους.
And of this, nature is the cause, having attached to all good things certain inherent banes.
ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων ἕτερος ἂν εἴη τοῖς λόγοις καιρὸς ἐπιτηδειότερος.
But for these matters, another occasion would be more suitable for discussion.