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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §6.95.1-6.95.4

Treaty with the Latins and Extension of the Festival

Passage 501 of 962 · Greek

Summary

A new peace and friendship treaty is concluded between Rome and the Latin cities, establishing terms of mutual assistance and division of spoils, while a third day is added to the Latin festival to celebrate the reconciliation with the plebeians under the management of the tribunes' assistants.

§6.95.1ἐγένοντο δʼ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ καὶ πρὸς τὰς τῶν Λατίνων πόλεις ἁπάσας συνθῆκαι καιναὶ μεθʼ ὅρκων ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης καὶ φιλίας, ἐπειδὴ παρακινῆσαί τʼ οὐδὲν ἐπεχείρησαν ἐν τῇ στάσει, καὶ συνηδόμενοι τῇ καθόδῳ τοῦ δήμου φανεροὶ ἦσαν, τοῦ τε πολέμου τοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστάντας ἑτοίμως ἐδόκουν συνάρασθαι.
And at the same time there were made also new treaties with oaths for peace and friendship with all the cities of the Latins, since they had attempted no disturbance during the sedition, and were clearly rejoicing at the return of the plebs, and seemed ready to take part in the war against the seceders.
§6.95.2ἦν δὲ τὰ γραφέντα ἐν ταῖς συνθήκαις τοιάδε· Ῥωμαίοις καὶ ταῖς Λατίνων πόλεσιν ἁπάσαις εἰρήνη πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔστω, μέχρις ἂν οὐρανός τε καὶ γῆ τὴν αὐτὴν στάσιν ἔχωσι· καὶ μήτʼ αὐτοὶ πολεμείτωσαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους μήτʼ ἄλλοθεν πολέμους ἐπαγέτωσαν, μήτε τοῖς ἐπιφέρουσι πόλεμον ὁδοὺς παρεχέτωσαν ἀσφαλεῖς βοηθείτωσάν τε τοῖς πολεμουμένοις ἁπάσῃ δυνάμει, λαφύρων τε καὶ λείας τῆς ἐκ πολέμων κοινῶν τὸ ἴσον λαγχανέτωσαν μέρος ἑκάτεροι·
The provisions written in the treaty were as follows: Let there be peace between the Romans and all the cities of the Latins with one another, as long as heaven and earth have the same position; and let them neither make war against one another themselves, nor bring in wars from elsewhere, nor afford safe passage to those who bring war; and let them succor those who are attacked with all their might, and let each side receive an equal share of the spoils and booty from common wars.
τῶν τʼ ἰδιωτικῶν συμβολαίων αἱ κρίσεις ἐν ἡμέραις γιγνέσθωσαν δέκα, παρʼ οἷς ἂν γένηται τὸ συμβόλαιον.
And let the judgments concerning private contracts take place within ten days among those with whom the contract was made.
ταῖς δὲ συνθήκαις ταύταις μηδὲν ἐξέστω προσθεῖναι μηδʼ ἀφελεῖν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, ὅ τι ἂν μὴ Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Λατίνοις ἅπασι δοκῇ.
And let it not be lawful to add anything to these treaties, nor to take anything away from them, except what seems good to all the Romans and Latins.
§6.95.3ταῦτα μὲν δὴ Ῥωμαῖοί τε καὶ Λατῖνοι συνέθηκαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὀμόσαντες καθʼ ἱερῶν.
These things, indeed, the Romans and the Latins agreed upon with one another, swearing over sacrifices.
ἐψηφίσατο δὲ καὶ θυσίας ἀποδοῦναι τοῖς θεοῖς ἡ βουλὴ χαριστηρίους ἐπὶ ταῖς πρὸς τὸν δῆμον διαλλαγαῖς, προσθεῖσα μίαν ἡμέραν ταῖς καλουμέναις Λατίναις ἑορταῖς δυσὶν οὔσαις, τὴν μὲν πρώτην ἀνιερώσαντος βασιλέως Ταρκυνίου, καθʼ ὃν χρόνον ἐνίκησε Τυρρηνούς· τὴν δʼ ἑτέραν τοῦ δήμου προσθέντος, ὅτε τοὺς βασιλεῖς ἐκβαλὼν ἐλευθέραν ἐποίησε τὴν πόλιν· αἷς ἡ τρίτη τότε προσενεμήθη τῆς καθόδου τῶν ἀποστάντων ἕνεκα.
And the senate also voted to offer thank-offerings to the gods for the reconciliation with the plebs, adding one day to the so-called Latin festivals, which were two, the first of which King Tarquinius had dedicated at the time when he conquered the Etruscans, and the second of which the plebs had added when, having expelled the kings, they made the city free; to which the third day was then assigned on account of the return of the seceders.
§6.95.4τὴν δὲ προστασίαν καὶ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν ἐν αὐταῖς γινομένων θυσιῶν τε καὶ ἀγώνων οἱ τῶν δημάρχων ὑπηρέται παρέλαβον, οἱ τὴν νῦν ἀγορανομικὴν ἔχοντες ἐξουσίαν, ὥσπερ ἔφην, κοσμηθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς πορφύρᾳ καὶ θρόνῳ ἐλεφαντίνῳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπισήμοις, οἷς εἶχον οἱ βασιλεῖς.
And the presidency and the care of the sacrifices and games performed during them were taken over by the assistants of the tribunes, who now have the aedilitian power, as I said, being adorned by the senate with purple, an ivory chair, and the other insignia which the kings used to have.

Notes

  1. ¦1261¦παρʼ οἷς ἂν γένηται — The antecedent of the relative pronoun `οἷς` is omitted, referring to `ἐκείνοις` (the parties with whom, or the cities in which, the contract was made). It is a general relative clause with `ἄν` and the subjunctive, meaning 'among those with whom the contract is made.'
  2. ¦1262¦ὅ τι ἂν μὴ — A conditional expression introducing an exception, equivalent to `εἰ μή τι` (except/unless). It takes the generalizing `ἄν` with the subjunctive `δοκῇ`, meaning 'except what seems good to all.'
  3. ¦10¦αἷς — A relative pronoun in the dative plural feminine, whose antecedent is the preceding `ταῖς καλουμέναις Λατίναις ἑορταῖς δυσὶν οὔσαις` (the two-day Latin festivals). It functions as the dative complement of the verb `προσενεμήθη` (was added/assigned).
  4. ¦10¦οἱ τῶν δημάρχων ὑπηρέται — Referring to the 'assistants of the tribunes,' which explains the origin of the Roman office of the plebeian aediles. The following relative clause `οἱ τὴν νῦν ἀγορανομικὴν ἔχοντες ἐξουσίαν` explains that these assistants hold what is now the aedilitian power.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §6.95.1-6.95.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.95.1-6.95.4

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