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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §6.90.1-6.90.3

Dedication on the Sacred Mount and Creation of the Aediles

Passage 496 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The plebeians built an altar on the hill before returning to the city, where they obtained the patricians' ratification of the tribunate and the senate's permission to establish the office of the future aediles.

§6.90.1ἐπειδὴ ταῦτʼ ἐψηφίσαντο, βωμὸν κατεσκεύασαν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκρωρείας, ἐν ᾗ κατεστρατοπέδευσαν, ὃν ἐπὶ τοῦ κατασχόντος αὐτοὺς τότε δείματος ὠνόμασαν, ὡς ἡ πάτριος αὐτῶν σημαίνει γλῶσσα, Διὸς Δειματίου·
When they had voted these things, they constructed an altar upon the hilltop where they had encamped, which they named—as their native tongue signifies—after the fear that had possessed them at that time, the altar of Jupiter Territor.
ᾧ θυσίας ἐπιτελέσαντες καὶ τὸν ὑποδεξάμενον αὐτοὺς τόπον ἱερὸν ἀνέντες, κατῄεσαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἅμα τοῖς πρέσβεσιν.
Having offered sacrifices to this god and having dedicated the place that had received them as sacred, they went down into the city together with the envoys.
§6.90.2ἀποδόντες δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει θεοῖς χαριστήρια, καὶ τοὺς πατρικίους πείσαντες ἐπικυρῶσαι τὴν ἀρχὴν ψῆφον ἐπενέγκαντας, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τούτου παρʼ αὐτῶν ἔτυχον, ἐδεήθησαν ἔτι τῆς βουλῆς ἐπιτρέψαι σφίσιν ἄνδρας ἐκ τῶν δημοτικῶν δύο καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἀποδεικνύναι τοὺς ὑπηρετήσοντας τοῖς δημάρχοις ὅσων ἂν δέωνται καὶ δίκας, ἃς ἂν ἐπιτρέψωνται ἐκεῖνοι, κρινοῦντας ἱερῶν τε καὶ δημοσίων τόπων καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν εὐετηρίας §6.90.3ἐπιμελησομένους.
And after they had also rendered thanksgiving sacrifices to the gods in the city, and had persuaded the patricians to confirm the office by casting their votes—since they had obtained this also from them—they further requested the senate to allow them to appoint two men from the plebeians each year to assist the tribunes in whatever they might need, and to judge such lawsuits as the tribunes might commit to them, and to take care of sacred and public places and the abundance of provisions in the market.
λαβόντες δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ συγχώρημα παρὰ τῆς βουλῆς ἀποδεικνύουσιν ἄνδρας, οὕς ὑπηρέτας τῶν δημάρχων καὶ συνάρχοντας καὶ δικαστὰς ἐκάλουν.
Having received this concession also from the senate, they appointed the men, whom they then called the assistants, colleagues, and judges of the tribunes.
νῦν μέντοι κατὰ τὴν ἐπιχώριον γλῶτταν ἀφʼ ἑνὸς ὧν πράττουσιν ἔργων ἱερῶν τόπων ἐπιμεληταὶ καλοῦνται καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν οὐκέθʼ ὑπηρετικὴν ἑτέρων ἔχουσιν, ὡς πρότερον, ἐπιτέτραπται δʼ αὐτοῖς πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα, καὶ σχεδὸν ἐοίκασί πως κατὰ τὰ πλεῖστα τοῖς παρʼ Ἕλλησιν ἀγορανόμοις.
Now, however, in their native language, they are called the overseers of sacred places from one of the duties they perform, and they no longer have an authority subservient to others as before, but many and great matters have been committed to them, and they are in almost most respects very similar to the market-inspectors among the Greeks.

Notes

  1. 6.90.1ὡς ἡ πάτριος αὐτῶν σημαίνει γλῶσσα, Διὸς Δειματίου — This refers to the translation of the Latin cult title Iuppiter Territor (Jupiter who strikes terror) into the Greek Διὸς Δειματίου, indicating that this Greek name corresponds to the meaning in the Romans' "native tongue" (Latin).
  2. 6.90.2τοὺς ὑπηρετήσοντας ... κρινοῦντας ... ἐπιμελησομένους — These future participles (including κρινοῦντας as a contracted future form) modify the preceding ἄνδρες δύο, specifying the purpose for which they are to be appointed or the roles they are destined to perform.
  3. 6.90.3ἀφʼ ἑνὸς ὧν πράττουσιν ἔργων — The relative pronoun ὧν is attracted to the genitive case of its antecedent ἔργων. The phrase is a condensed structure for ἀφʼ ἑνὸς τῶν ἔργων ἃ πράττουσιν ("from one of the duties which they perform").

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §6.90.1-6.90.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.90.1-6.90.3

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