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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §7.57.1-7.57.2

Marcius Demands Specification of the Charge

Passage 559 of 962 · Greek

Summary

As Valerius' conciliatory proposal is about to be approved by the majority, Marcius (Coriolanus) requests to speak and demands that the senate order the tribunes to declare the specific charge and the name of the suit before he is handed over to the people's assembly.

§7.57.1ταῦτα καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια τούτοις εἰπὼν ἐπαύσατο.
Having said these and similar things, he ceased speaking.
τῶν δὲ βουλευτῶν οἱ μετʼ αὐτὸν ἀνιστάμενοι πλὴν ὀλίγων οἱ λοιποὶ ταύτῃ προσέθεντο τῇ γνώμῃ.
And of the senators who rose after him, all the rest except a few agreed with this opinion.
καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ προβούλευμα ἔδει γράφεσθαι, λόγον αἰτησάμενος ὁ Μάρκιος εἶπεν· οἷος μέν, ὦ βουλή, πρὸς τὰ κοινὰ ἐγὼ γέγονα, καὶ ὡς διὰ τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς εὔνοιαν εἰς τοῦτον τὸν κίνδυνον ἐλήλυθα, καὶ ὅτι παρὰ γνώμην ἀπήντηταί μοι τὰ παρʼ ὑμῶν, ἅπαντες ἴστε καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον εἴσεσθε, ὅταν τὰ κατʼ ἐμὲ §7.57.2σχῇ τέλος.
And when the preliminary decree of the senate had to be drawn up, Marcius, having asked leave to speak, said: "What sort of person I have been toward the public affairs, O senators, and how because of my goodwill toward you I have come into this danger, and that the treatment on your part has met me contrary to my expectation, you all know and will know still better when my affairs reach their end.
ἐπεὶ δʼ ἡ Οὐαλερίου γνώμη νικᾷ, συνενέγκειε μὲν ταῦτα ὑμῖν, καὶ γενοίμην ἐγὼ κακὸς εἰκαστὴς τῶν ἐσομένων.
But since the opinion of Valerius prevails, may this bring advantage to you, and may I prove a false prophet of the things to come.
ἵνα δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ τὸ προβούλευμα γράφοντες εἰδῆτε ἐφʼ οἷς παραδιδόναι με τῷ δήμῳ μέλλετε, κἀγὼ μὴ ἀγνοῶ, περὶ τίνος ἀγωνιοῦμαι, κελεύσατε δὴ τοὺς δημάρχους εἰπεῖν ἐναντίον ὑμῶν, τί τὸ ἀδίκημά ἐστιν, ἐφʼ οὗ μέλλουσί μου κατηγορεῖν, καὶ ποταπὸν ὄνομα ἐπιγράψουσι τῇ δίκῃ.
But so that both you who are drawing up the decree may know upon what charges you are about to deliver me to the people, and that I may not be ignorant of what I am to contend about, command the tribunes to declare in your presence what the wrongdoing is of which they intend to accuse me, and what kind of name they will register for the suit."

Notes

  1. 1445ἀπήντηταί μοι τὰ παρʼ ὑμῶν — The verb `ἀπήντηται` is the perfect middle-passive third person singular of `ἀπαντάω` (to meet, turn out, happen). Its subject is the neuter plural phrase `τὰ παρʼ ὑμῶν` (the things from you, your response), which takes a singular verb according to classical Greek syntax. Combined with `παρὰ γνώμην` (contrary to expectation), it means 'that the response from your side has turned out contrary to my expectations.'
  2. §7.57.2συνενέγκειε — The third-person singular aorist active optative of `συμφέρω` (to bring together, benefit, turn out well), expressing a wish in an independent clause ('may this turn out well'). The ending `-ειε` represents the Aeolic/Attic form of the aorist optative ending instead of the standard form.
  3. §7.57.2κακὸς εἰκαστὴς — Meaning 'a bad estimator/prophet.' Accompanied by the genitive `τῶν ἐσομένων` (of the things that will be), it is a polite and ironical expression of a wish: 'may I prove to be a bad guesser of the future' (meaning 'may my ominous forebodings turn out to be false, and may the result be beneficial to you').
  4. §7.57.2ἐφʼ οἷς — A combination of the preposition `ἐπί` (on the basis of) and the relative pronoun `οἷς` (neuter plural dative) with its antecedent `τούτοις` omitted, meaning 'on the basis of what charges' or 'for what reasons.'

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §7.57.1-7.57.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.57.1-7.57.2

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