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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §7.19.1-7.19.5

Plebeian Refusal of the Levy and Marcius's Raid on Antium

Passage 521 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The consuls plan a campaign abroad to alleviate civil strife and food shortages, but as the plebeians refuse the levy, a small force of patrician volunteers led by Gaius Marcius successfully raids Antium and returns with abundant spoils.

§7.19.1ταῦτα δʼ ὁρῶσι τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐδόκει τῆς βουλῆς ἐπιτρεπούσης στρατοπέδου ποιεῖσθαι καταγραφὴν καὶ ἐξάγειν ἔξω τὴν δύναμιν·
Seeing this, the consuls decided, with the senate’s permission, to make a levy of the army and lead the force outside.
εἰλήφεσαν δʼ ἀφορμὴν τῷ ἐγχειρήματι πρέπουσαν ἐπιδρομάς τε καὶ λεηλασίας κακουμένης τῆς χώρας ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων θαμινά, τά τʼ ἄλλα, ὅσα ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος χρηστὰ ἦν, ἐπιλογιζομένοις, ὑπερορίου στρατιᾶς ἐκπεμφθείσης ὡς εὐπορωτέρᾳ μὲν ἕξουσι τῇ ἀγορᾷ χρῆσθαι οἱ ὑπολειφθέντες ἐλάττους γενόμενοι, ἐν ἀφθονωτέροις δὲ διάξουσι τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις οἱ τὰ ὅπλα ἔχοντες ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων ἐπισιτιζόμενοι, λωφήσει δʼ ἡ στάσις, ὅσον ἂν ἡ στρατεία κατέχῃ χρόνον·
They had found a fitting pretext for the attempt in the frequent incursions and depredations with which the country was harassed by the enemy, and they also took into consideration all the other advantages that would result from the undertaking: namely, that if an army were sent abroad, those who remained behind, being fewer, would be able to use the market more cheaply, while those under arms, being provisioned from the enemy's land, would live in greater abundance of provisions, and the campaign would cause the sedition to abate for as long a time as it lasted.
μάλιστα δʼ ἐφαίνετο ἔργῳ βεβαιώσειν αὐτῶν τὰς διαλλαγὰς συστρατευόντων ἀλλήλοις πατρικίων καὶ δημοτῶν ἡ γενησομένη παρὰ τοὺς κινδύνους κακῶν τε καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἰσομοιρία.
But above all, it seemed that the equal sharing of both hardships and blessings that would arise in the face of dangers, while the patricians and plebeians campaigned together, would in fact confirm their reconciliation.
§7.19.2ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἦν τὸ πλῆθος ὑπήκοον αὐτοῖς οὐδʼ ὥσπερ πρότερον ἑκούσιον ὑπήντα πρὸς τὴν καταγραφήν· ἀνάγκην δὲ προσφέρειν τοῖς μὴ βουλομένοις οὐκ ἐδικαίουν τὴν ἐκ τῶν νόμων οἱ ὕπατοι·
But the multitude was not obedient to them, nor did they come forward voluntarily for the levy as before; and the consuls did not think it right to apply the legal compulsion to those who were unwilling.
ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων ἐθέλονταί τινες κατεγράφησαν ἅμα τοῖς πελάταις, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐξιοῦσιν ὀλίγον τι ἀπὸ §7.19.3τοῦ δήμου μέρος συνεστράτευεν.
Instead, some volunteers from among the patricians were enrolled along with their clients, and as they set out, a small part of the plebeians campaigned with them.
ἡγεμὼν δὲ τῶν ἐξελθόντων ἦν Γάιος Μάρκιος ὁ τὴν Κοριολάνων πόλιν ἑλὼν κἂν τῇ πρὸς Ἀντιάτας ἀριστεύσας μάχῃ, καὶ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἀραμένων τὰ ὅπλα δημοτῶν τοῦτον ἐξιόντα ὁρῶντες ἐπερρώσθησαν, οἱ μὲν διʼ εὔνοιαν, οἱ δὲ τοῦ κατορθώσειν ἐλπίδι·
The leader of those who went out was Gaius Marcius, who had taken the city of the Corioli and had distinguished himself in the battle against the Antiales; and the majority of the plebeians who had taken up arms were encouraged upon seeing him depart, some out of goodwill, others in the hope of succeeding.
περιβόητος γὰρ ἦν ἤδη ὁ ἀνήρ, καὶ δέος αὐτοῦ μέγα παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐγεγόνει.
For the man was already famous, and a great fear of him had arisen among the enemy.
§7.19.4αὕτη προελθοῦσα ἡ στρατιὰ μέχρι πόλεως Ἀντίου δίχα πόνου σίτου πολλοῦ καταληφθέντος ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς καὶ ἀνδραπόδων καὶ βοσκημάτων συχνῶν ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο, καὶ μετʼ οὐ πολὺ παρῆν εὐπορωτέρα γεγονυῖα τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον, ὥστε τοῖς ὑπομείνασι πολλὴν κατήφειαν καὶ κατάμεμψιν τῶν δημαγωγῶν ἐμπεσεῖν, διʼ §7.19.5οὓς ἀποστερεῖσθαι ἐδόκουν τῆς ὁμοίας εὐτυχίας.
This army, having advanced as far as the city of Antium, without trouble made themselves masters of much corn found in the fields, and of numerous slaves and cattle; and not long after they returned, having become more prosperous in their means of livelihood, so that great despondency and censure of the demagogues fell upon those who had remained behind, because of whom they seemed to be deprived of the like good fortune.
ὁ μὲν δὴ Γεγάνιος καὶ Μηνύκιος οἱ τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ὑπατεύοντες ἐν μεγάλοις καὶ παντοδαποῖς χειμῶσι γενόμενοι καὶ πολλάκις ἀνατρέψαι κινδυνεύσαντες τὴν πόλιν οὐθὲν δεινὸν εἰργάσαντο, ἀλλὰ διέσωσαν τὰ κοινὰ φρονιμώτερον μᾶλλον ἢ εὐτυχέστερον τοῖς συμβαίνουσι χρησάμενοι.
Indeed, Geganius and Menenius, who were consuls this year, having found themselves in great and manifold tempests and having often run the risk of overturning the city, did nothing terrible, but preserved the state, having dealt with the occurrences more prudently than fortunately.

Notes

  1. 1356ταῦτα δʼ ὁρῶσι — Present active participle in the masculine plural dative, modifying `τοῖς ὑπάτοις` (to the consuls), which indicates the agents of the decision in the main clause.
  2. 1356ἕξουσι — The future tense of `ἔχω` (`ἕξουσι`) with the infinitive `χρῆσθαι` expresses ability ("will be able to use"). Its subject is the subsequent `οἱ ὑπολειφθέντες` (those left behind).
  3. 1357τοῦ κατορθώσειν — The genitive of the articular future infinitive `τοῦ κατορθώσειν` functions as an objective genitive modifying the noun `ἐλπίδι` (hope), meaning "with the hope of succeeding."
  4. 1358διʼ οὓς — The antecedent of the relative pronoun `οὓς` is `τῶν δημαγωγῶν` (of the demagogues) at the end of the preceding section §7.19.4. Governed by the preposition `διά` with the accusative, it means "because of whom."

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §7.19.1-7.19.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.19.1-7.19.5

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