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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §6.39.1-6.39.2

Appointment of Manius Valerius as Dictator

Passage 445 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Appius's hardline proposal is carried with the support of the younger men, but the consuls reject him and appoint the mild, elderly Manius Valerius as dictator to avoid further conflict.

§6.39.1ταῦτʼ εἰπόντος Ἀππίου καὶ τῶν νέων ἐπιθορυβησάντων ὡς τὰ δέοντα εἰσηγουμένου, Σερουίλιός τʼ ἀντιλέξων ἀνέστη καὶ ἄλλοι τινὲς τῶν πρεσβυτέρων· ἡττῶντο δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν νεωτέρων ἐκ παρασκευῆς τʼ ἀφικνουμένων καὶ βίᾳ πολλῇ χρωμένων, §6.39.2καὶ πέρας ἐνίκησεν ἡ Ἀππίου γνώμη.
When Appius had said this and the young men had raised a clamor, approving of him as proposing what was necessary, Servilius rose to speak against him, as did some others of the elders; but they were overpowered by the younger men, who had come prepared and acted with great violence, and in the end, the opinion of Appius prevailed.
καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οἱ ὕπατοι κοινῇ γνώμῃ χρησάμενοι τῶν πλείστων οἰομένων τὸν Ἄππιον ἀποδειχθήσεσθαι δικτάτορα, ὡς μόνον ἐπικρατῆσαι τῆς προστασίας δυνησόμενον, ἐκεῖνον μὲν ἀπήλασαν, Μάνιον δʼ Οὐαλέριον ἀδελφὸν Ποπλίου Οὐαλερίου τοῦ πρώτου ὑπατεύσαντος καὶ δημοτικώτατον δοκοῦντα ἔσεσθαι καὶ ἄνδρα γηραιὸν ἀπέδειξαν, αὐτὸ τὸ φοβερὸν οἰόμενοι τῆς ἐξουσίας ἀποχρῆναι, ἀνδρὸς δὲ τὰ πάντα ἐπιεικοῦς τοῖς πράγμασι δεῖν, ἵνα μηδὲν ἐξεργάσηται νεώτερον.
After this, the consuls, acting by common consent, while most people expected that Appius would be appointed dictator, as being the only one who would be able to hold the leadership, rejected him and appointed Manius Valerius, the brother of Publius Valerius who had been the first consul, a man who seemed likely to be most favorable to the people, and who was already advanced in years. For they thought that the mere dread of the office was sufficient, but that the state required a man who was in all respects mild, so that he might attempt no revolutionary measures.

Notes

  1. p.v.2p.320ὡς τὰ δέοντα εἰσηγουμένου — The participle phrase introduced by the particles ὡς agrees in gender, number, and case with the genitive 'Appius' (Ἀππίου) from the preceding genitive absolute, rather than with the nominative 'young men'. It represents the subjective reason or judgment of the young men (that they believed Appius was proposing what was necessary).
  2. 1129ὡς μόνον ἐπικρατῆσαι τῆς προστασίας δυνησόμενον — The future participle in the accusative with ὡς agrees with τὸν Ἄππιον, the subject of the infinitive clause which is the object of the preceding οἰομένων ('expecting'). It expresses the subjective expectation or reason held by the public regarding Appius.
  3. 1129ἀνδρὸς δὲ τὰ πάντα ἐπιεικοῦς τοῖς πράγμασι δεῖν — An infinitive clause dependent on the participle οἰόμενοι ('thinking'). The genitive ἀνδρὸς ... ἐπιεικοῦς ('a mild man') is construed with δεῖν, the infinitive of the impersonal verb δεῖ, which governs the genitive of the thing or person needed.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §6.39.1-6.39.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.39.1-6.39.2

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