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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §7.32.1-7.32.3

Appeal to Senate's Past Favors and Plea for Clemency

Passage 534 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The speaker reminds the people of the past favors granted by the senate and entreats them to show clemency toward a highly useful patriot instead of punishing him, warning that refusal to compromise will lead to inevitable conflict.

§7.32.1δίκαια μὲν δὴ ταῦτα προεχόμενοι πρὸς ὑμᾶς μεγάλα, ὥς γʼ οὖν οἰόμεθα, πείθομεν ὑμᾶς μηδὲν ἐξαμαρτάνειν·
Indeed, putting forward these great and just claims to you, as we at least believe, we persuade you to commit no wrong.
χρηστὰ δὲ καὶ φιλάνθρωπα ἔργα, οἷς χρησόμεθα οὐκ ὀνειδίσαι βουλόμενοι ὑμᾶς, ἀλλʼ ἐπιεικεστέρους ποιῆσαι, — χωρὶς τῶν παλαιῶν τὰ νεωστὶ γενόμενα περὶ τὴν κάθοδον ὑμῶν, — ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐπιλελῆσθαι βουλόμεθα, ὑμεῖς δὲ δίκαιοί ἐστε μεμνῆσθαι.
But as for the kind and generous deeds—which we will bring forward not because we wish to reproach you, but to make you more reasonable, apart from the ancient ones, those which took place recently concerning your return—we indeed wish to forget them, but you are bound to remember them.
§7.32.2ἀναγκαζόμεθα δʼ αὐτὰ παραφέρειν νυνὶ χρῄζοντες ἀντὶ πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων, ὧν ὑμῖν δεομένοις ἐχαρισάμεθα, ταύτην παρʼ ὑμῶν ἀντιλαβεῖν τὴν χάριν, μήτʼ ἀποκτεῖναι μήτʼ ἐκβαλεῖν τῆς πόλεως ἄνδρα φιλόπολιν καὶ τὰ πολέμια πάντων κράτιστον.
And we are forced to bring them forward now, desiring, in return for many and great favors which we granted to you at your request, to receive this favor from you in return: neither to put to death nor to banish from the city a man who loves his country and is the best of all in war.
ζημιωσόμεθα γὰρ οὐ μικρά, εὖ ἴστε, ὦ δημόται, τοιαύτης ἀποστερήσαντες ἀρετῆς τὴν πόλιν.
For we shall suffer no small loss, know well, citizens, if we deprive the city of such virtue.
μάλιστα μὲν οὖν διʼ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ὑφεῖναι τῆς ὀργῆς δίκαιοί ἐστε μνησθέντες, ὅσους ὑμῶν ἔσωσεν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις, καὶ μὴ λόγων μνησικακεῖν φαύλων, ἀλλʼ ἔργων μεμνῆσθαι καλῶν.
First and foremost, therefore, on account of that man himself, you ought to abate your anger, remembering how many of you he saved in the wars, and not to bear a grudge for bad words, but to remember good deeds.
§7.32.3ὁ μὲν γὰρ λόγος ὑμᾶς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς οὐδὲν ἔβλαψεν, αἱ δὲ πράξεις αὐτοῦ μεγάλα ὠφέλησαν.
For the speech of the man did you no harm, but his actions benefited you greatly.
εἰ δὲ πρὸς τοῦτον ἀδιαλλάκτως ἔχετε, ἡμῖν γέ τοι καὶ τῇ βουλῇ χαρίσασθε αὐτὸν δεομένοις, καὶ διαλλάγητε ἤδη ποτὲ βεβαίως τήν τε πόλιν, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἶχε, μίαν εἶναι ποιήσατε.
But if you are irreconcilably disposed toward him, grant him at least to us and to the senate who entreat you, and be reconciled now at last firmly, and make the city one, as it was in the beginning, to be one.
εἰ δὲ πείθουσιν ἡμῖν οὐ συγχωρήσετε, εὖ ἴστε, ὅτι οὐδʼ ἡμεῖς βιαζομένοις ὑμῖν εἴξομεν, ἀλλʼ ἤτοι φιλότητος ἀδόλου καὶ χαρίτων ἔτι μειζόνων ἥδε ἡ πεῖρα τοῦ δήμου πᾶσιν αἰτία ἔσται, ἢ πολέμου ἐμφυλίου αὖθις ἄρξει καὶ κακῶν ἀνηκέστων.
But if you will not yield to us who persuade you, know well that neither will we yield to you who use force, but either this appeal to the people will be the cause for all of sincere friendship and still greater favors, or it will start civil war again and incurable evils.

Notes

  1. 7.32.1χρηστὰ δὲ καὶ φιλάνθρωπα ἔργα — This accusative (or nominative) phrase at the beginning of the sentence exhibits a loose grammatical connection with the main predicate 'ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐπιλελῆσθαι βουλόμεθα', interrupted by the parenthetical clause '— χωρὶς τῶν παλαιῶν... —', resulting in an anacoluthon. Logically, it functions as the object (or topic) of the subsequent infinitives 'ἐπιλελῆσθαι' and 'μεμνῆσθαι'.
  2. 7.32.1δίκαιοί ἐστε μεμνῆσθαι — A personal construction of the adjective 'δίκαιος' with the infinitive, preferred in Greek over the impersonal 'δίκαιόν ἐστιν ὑμᾶς μεμνῆσθαι'. It means 'you are right to remember' or 'it is your duty to remember'. The same idiom occurs in §7.32.2 with 'δίκαιοί ἐστε μνησθέντες [ὑφεῖναι]'.
  3. 7.32.2μήτʼ ἀποκτεῖναι μήτʼ ἐκβαλεῖν — The infinitive clause serves as an epexegesis (apposition) explaining the preceding demonstrative pronoun 'ταύτην', defining the specific nature of the favor: 'this favor, namely, neither to put to death nor to banish [the man]'.
  4. 7.32.3ἥδε ἡ πεῖρα τοῦ δήμου — The genitive 'τοῦ δήμου' functions as an objective genitive dependent on the noun 'πεῖρα' (trial, attempt), meaning 'this attempt/appeal directed at the people'.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §7.32.1-7.32.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.32.1-7.32.3

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