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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §6.91.1-6.91.4

Cominius' Capture of Longula and Pollusca

Passage 497 of 962 · Greek

Summary

After domestic affairs in Rome settled, consul Cominius led an expedition against the Volscians, quickly capturing the cities of Longula and Pollusca.

§6.91.1ἐπεὶ δὲ κατέστη τὰ πράγματα καὶ τὸν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς κόσμον ἐκομίσατο ἡ πόλις, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔξω πολεμίους ὑπὸ τῶν ἡγεμόνων στρατιὰ κατελέγετο πολλὴν εἰσενεγκαμένου προθυμίαν τοῦ δήμου καὶ διʼ ὀλίγου χρόνου πάντα τὰ εἰς τὸν πόλεμον ἐπιτήδεια εὐτρεπῆ ποιήσαντος.
When affairs had settled and the city had recovered its original order, an army was levied against the external enemies by the commanders, the plebeians showing great zeal and in a short time making ready everything necessary for the war.
τῶν δʼ ὑπάτων διακληρωσαμένων περὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας, ὡς ἔστιν αὐτοῖς ἔθος, Σπόριος μὲν Κάσσιος, ὃς ἔλαχε τὴν τῶν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐπιμέλειαν, ὑπέμεινε μέρος τῆς κατειλεγμένης δυνάμεως τὸ ἀρκοῦν λαβών· Πόστουμος δὲ Κομίνιος ἐξῆγε τὴν λοιπὴν στρατιὰν Ῥωμαίων τʼ αὐτῶν ἀξιόχρεων ἄγων μοῖραν καὶ Λατίνων τι συμμαχικὸν οὐκ ὀλίγον.
When the consuls had cast lots for their commands, as is their custom, Spurius Cassius, who drew the care of matters within the city, remained behind, receiving a sufficient part of the forces that had been levied; while Postumus Cominius led out the remaining army, taking with him a formidable portion of the Romans themselves and a not inconsiderable allied force of the Latins.
§6.91.2κρίνας δὲ Οὐολούσκοις ἐπιχειρεῖν πρώτοις πόλιν αὐτῶν Λογγόλαν ἐξ ἐφόδου καταλαμβάνεται, ἐπιβαλομένων μὲν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ μεταποιεῖσθαί τινος ἀρετῆς καί τινα στρατιὰν ὑπαίθριον ἀποστειλάντων, ᾗ τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἀνείρξειν ἐπίστευον, αἰσχρῶς δʼ ἀναγκασθέντων φυγεῖν πρὶν ἢ λαμπρόν τι ἔργον ἀποδείξασθαι καὶ οὐδʼ ἐν τῇ τειχομαχίᾳ γενναῖον οὐδὲν διαπραξαμένων.
And having decided to attack the Volscians first, he captured their city, Longula, at the first onset. For although those inside attempted to display some courage and sent out an army into the open field, by which they trusted they would keep off the invaders, they were shamefully forced to flee before they could perform any brilliant deed, and in the assault on the walls they achieved nothing noble either.
μιᾷ γοῦν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς τε γῆς αὐτῶν Ῥωμαῖοι ἐκράτησαν ἀκονιτὶ καὶ τὴν πόλιν οὐ πολλὰ πραγματευθέντες κατὰ κράτος ἔλαβον.
At any rate, in a single day the Romans made themselves masters of their land without a struggle, and took the city by storm without much trouble.
§6.91.3ὁ δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγὸς τά τʼ ἐγκαταληφθέντα χρήματα διαρπάσαι τοῖς στρατιώταις ἐφεὶς καὶ φρουρὰν ἐν τῇ πόλει καταλιπὼν ἐξῆγε τὴν δύναμιν ἐφʼ ἑτέραν πόλιν τῶν Οὐολούσκων, ἣ καλεῖται μὲν Πόλουσκα, διάστημα δʼ οὐ πολὺ τῆς Λογγόλας ἀπέχει.
The Roman general, having permitted his soldiers to plunder the property that had been left behind, and having left a garrison in the city, led his forces against another city of the Volscians, which is called Pollusca, and is situated at no great distance from Longula.
οὐδενὸς δʼ αὐτῷ τολμήσαντος ὑπαντῆσαι διανύσας τὴν χώραν κατὰ πολλὴν εὐπέτειαν προσέβαλε τοῖς τείχεσι· τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν οἱ μὲν τὰς πύλας διακόψαντες, οἱ δὲ διὰ κλιμάκων ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἀναβάντες, αὐθημερὸν γίνονται καὶ ταύτης τῆς πόλεως κύριοι.
And as no one dared to meet him, he traversed the country with great ease and attacked the walls; and some of the soldiers having cut down the gates, and others having scaled the wall by means of ladders, they became masters of this city also on the very same day.
§6.91.4ὡς δὲ παρέλαβε τὴν πόλιν, ὀλίγους μέν τινας ἐπιλέξας τοὺς αἰτίους τῆς ἀποστάσεως ἀπέκτεινε, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς χρημάτων ἀφαιρέσει ζημιώσας καὶ ὅπλα ἀφελόμενος, Ῥωμαίων εἶναι τὸ λοιπὸν ἠνάγκασεν ὑπηκόους.
When he had taken over the city, he selected a few who were the authors of the revolt and put them to death, but the rest he punished by the confiscation of their property, and having deprived them of their arms, he compelled them henceforth to be subjects of the Romans.

Notes

  1. 6.91.1πολλὴν εἰσενεγκαμένου προθυμίαν τοῦ δήμου καὶ διʼ ὀλίγου χρόνου πάντα τὰ εἰς τὸν πόλεμον ἐπιτήδεια εὐτρεπῆ ποιήσαντος — A genitive absolute construction. Relative to the main clause (ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔξω... στρατιὰ κατελέγετο), it functions here as a causal clause ("since the plebeians showed great zeal and made ready...").
  2. 6.91.2ἐπιβαλομένων μὲν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ μεταποιεῖσθαί τινος ἀρετῆς... ἀναγκασθέντων φυγεῖν... καὶ οὐδʼ ἐν τῇ τειχομαχίᾳ γενναῖον οὐδὲν διαπραξαμένων — A long genitive absolute construction with multiple participles (ἐπιβαλομένων, ἀποστειλάντων, ἀναγκασθέντων, διαπραξαμένων) connected by μὲν... δέ..., indicating a concessive circumstance ("although those inside tried to resist but were forced to flee without achieving anything") modifying the main verb καταλαμβάνεται.
  3. 6.91.4ὀλίγους μέν τινας ἐπιλέξας τοὺς αἰτίους τῆς ἀποστάσεως ἀπέκτεινε — The phrase τοὺς αἰτίους τῆς ἀποστάσεως stands in apposition to the preceding ὀλίγους μέν τινας, functioning predicatively or as an appositive modifier ("selecting a few, namely those who were responsible for the revolt...").

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §6.91.1-6.91.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.91.1-6.91.4

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