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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §7.71.1-7.71.3

Fabius and the Greek Origin of the Roman Games

Passage 574 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The author proposes to prove the Greek origin of Roman institutions by examining a period before Rome expanded into Greece, using the early historian Fabius Pictor as a reliable source. He details the establishment of the Roman Games under Aulus Postumius and notes that the ceremonies followed Greek practices.

§7.71.1ἕτερος μὲν οὖν ἀποχρῆν ἂν ὑπέλαβε καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ νῦν πραττόμενα ἐν τῇ πόλει μηνύματα οὐ μικρὰ τῶν παλαιῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ὑπολαβεῖν·
Another, then, would have supposed it to be sufficient to assume that even the very things now performed in the city are no small indications of their ancient customs.
ἐγὼ δʼ, ἵνα μή τις ἀσθενῆ τὴν πίστιν εἶναι ταύτην ὑπολάβῃ κατʼ ἐκείνην τὴν ἀπίθανον ὑπόληψιν, ὅτι παντὸς τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ κρατήσαντες ἀσμένως ἂν τὰ κρείττω μετέμαθον ἔθη τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ὑπεριδόντες, ἐξ ἐκείνου ποιήσομαι τοῦ χρόνου τὴν τέκμαρσιν, ὅτʼ οὔπω τὴν τῆς Ἑλλάδος εἶχον ἡγεμονίαν οὐδὲ ἄλλην διαπόντιον οὐδεμίαν ἀρχήν, Κοίντῳ Φαβίῳ βεβαιωτῇ χρώμενος καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ἔτι δεόμενος πίστεως ἑτέρας· παλαιότατος γὰρ ἁνὴρ τῶν τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ συνταξαμένων, καὶ πίστιν οὐκ ἐξ ὧν ἤκουσε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ὧν αὐτὸς ἔγνω παρεχόμενος.
But I, lest anyone should suppose this proof to be weak according to that improbable assumption that, having conquered the whole Greek world, they would have gladly unlearned their own customs, looking down upon them, and adopted the better ones, will make my deduction from that time when they did not yet possess the hegemony of Greece, nor any other overseas dominion, using Quintus Fabius as my guarantor and needing no other proof besides; for he is the oldest of those who compiled the Roman history, presenting proof not only from what he heard but also from what he himself knew.
§7.71.2ταύτην δὴ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἐψηφίσατο μὲν ἡ βουλὴ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἄγειν, ὡς καὶ πρότερον ἔφην, κατὰ τὰς γενομένας εὐχὰς ὑπὸ τοῦ δικτάτορος Αὔλου Ποστομίου, ὅτʼ ἔμελλεν ἀγωνίζεσθαι πρὸς τὰς ἀποστάσας Λατίνων πόλεις κατάγειν ἐπιχειρούσας Ταρκύνιον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχήν· ἀναλοῦσθαι δʼ ἔταξε καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν εἴς τε τὰς θυσίας καὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἀργυρίου πεντακοσίας μνᾶς· καὶ μέχρι τοῦ Φοινικικοῦ πολέμου ταῦτʼ ἐδαπάνων εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν.
Now, the Roman senate decreed to celebrate this festival, as I also said before, in accordance with the vows made by the dictator Aulus Postumius, when he was about to contend against the revolted Latin cities which were attempting to restore Tarquinius to power; and they ordered five hundred minae of silver to be expended each year for both the sacrifices and the games; and down to the Phoenician war they spent this sum on the festival.
§7.71.3ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἱεραῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα ἐγίνετο νόμοις Ἑλληνικοῖς κατὰ τε πανηγυρισμοὺς καὶ ξένων ὑποδοχὰς καὶ ἐκεχειρίας, ἃ πολὺ ἂν ἔργον εἴη λέγειν, τὰ δὲ περὶ πομπήν τε καὶ θυσίαν καὶ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἀγῶνας· ἀπόχρη γὰρ ἐκ τούτων καὶ τὰ μὴ λεχθέντα ἐξετάζειν·
During these sacred days, many other things also took place according to Greek customs, both in respect to festive assemblies and the reception of guests and truces, which it would be a great task to relate, but I shall relate those concerning the procession, the sacrifice, and the games; for it is sufficient from these to examine also the things not related.
τοιάδε.
They were as follows.

Notes

  1. 7.71.1ἀποχρῆν ἂν ὑπέλαβε καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ νῦν πραττόμενα ἐν τῇ πόλει μηνύματα οὐ μικρὰ τῶν παλαιῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ὑπολαβεῖν — The main verb ὑπέλαβε and its cognate infinitive ὑπολαβεῖν are placed close together. ὑπέλαβε expresses a past counterfactual conclusion with ἂν, taking the infinitive ἀποχρῆν (to be sufficient) as its object. The infinitive phrase καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ νῦν πραττόμενα... ὑπολαβεῖν (to assume that even the things now done are no small indications) either limits or acts as the subject of ἀποχρῆν. While textual corruption might be suspected, the transmitted text can be read coherently as 'would have supposed it to be sufficient to assume that...'
  2. 7.71.1ὅτι παντὸς τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ κρατήσαντες ἀσμένως ἂν τὰ κρείττω μετέμαθον — Inside the ὅτι clause explaining the 'improbable assumption' (ἀπίθανον ὑπόληψιν), the participle κρατήσαντες ('having conquered' or 'if they had conquered') coordinates with ἂν μετέμαθον ('would have gladly unlearned/relearned'), forming a counterfactual conditional structure within the indirect statement.
  3. 7.71.2ἀναλοῦσθαι δʼ ἔταξε ... ἀργυρίου πεντακοσίας μνᾶς — An accusative with infinitive construction. The main verb ἔταξε ('ordered/decreed') takes the passive infinitive ἀναλοῦσθαι ('to be expended'), whose subject accusative is ἀργυρίου πεντακοσίας μνᾶς ('five hundred minae of silver').
  4. 7.71.3τὰ δὲ περὶ πομπήν τε καὶ θυσίαν καὶ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἀγῶνας — An ellipsis of the verb. The main verb (such as 'I shall relate') is omitted for this noun phrase. In contrast to the preceding clause stating that it would be a great task to relate other things, the author's intention to detail the procession, sacrifices, and games is clear, requiring the supplied verb in translation.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §7.71.1-7.71.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.71.1-7.71.3

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