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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §8.13.1-8.13.3

Division of the Forces and Marcius's Command

Passage 591 of 962 · Greek

Summary

After the entire army is assembled, Marcius proposes to his colleague Tullus a plan to divide the forces, with one remaining for home defense and the other conducting an expedition. Tullus agrees and entrusts Marcius with the command of the expeditionary force.

§8.13.1ἐπειδὴ δὲ συνῆκτο ἤδη πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις, ἐβουλεύετο μετὰ τοῦ συνάρχοντος ὁ Μάρκιος, ὅπως χρηστέον τοῖς λοιποῖς πράγμασιν.
When the entire army had already been assembled, Marcius consulted with his colleague as to how they should handle the remaining matters.
ἔφη δʼ οὖν λέγων· ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, ὦ Τύλλε, κράτιστον εἶναι νείμασθαι τὰς δυνάμεις ἡμᾶς διχῇ· ἔπειτα τὸν μὲν ἕτερον ἡμῶν ἄγοντα τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους καὶ προθυμοτάτους ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ εἰ μὲν ὑπομενοῦσιν εἰς χεῖρας ἡμῖν ἰέναι μιᾷ κρῖναι τὸν ἀγῶνα μάχῃ, εἰ δʼ ἀποκνήσουσιν, ὡς ἐγὼ πείθομαι, στρατιᾷ νεοσυλλέκτῳ καὶ ἡγεμόσιν ἀπείροις πολέμου τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων κίνδυνον ἐπιτρέπειν, τήν τε χώραν αὐτῶν ἐπιόντα πορθεῖν καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους περισπᾶν καὶ τὰς ἀποικίας ἀναιρεῖν καὶ πᾶν ἄλλο κακὸν ὅ τι δύναιτο ποιεῖν.
And he spoke, saying: "It seems to me, Tullus, that it is best for us to divide our forces into two parts; then, for one of us, leading the most vigorous and eager men, to march against the enemy, and if they hold out to come to close quarters with us, to decide the issue in a single battle; but if they should hesitate—as I am convinced they will—to entrust the danger of the whole state to a newly recruited army and to leaders inexperienced in war, [for that one] to invade and ravage their country, draw away their allies, destroy their colonies and do whatever other harm he can.
§8.13.2τὸν δʼ ἕτερον ἐνθάδε ὑπομένοντα φυλακὴν ποιεῖσθαι τῆς τε χώρας καὶ τῶν πόλεων, μὴ λάθωσιν ἀφυλάκτοις ἐπιπεσόντες αὐτοῖς οἱ πολέμιοι, καὶ πρᾶγμα αἴσχιστον πάθωμεν, ἐν ᾧ τῶν ἀπόντων ἐφιέμεθα τὰ παρόντα ἀφαιρεθέντες.
And for the other, remaining here, to keep guard over the country and the cities, lest the enemy, falling upon them when they are unguarded, should take them by surprise, and we suffer a most shameful thing, being deprived of what we have while we grasp at what is absent.
ἀλλὰ χρὴ τὸν ἐνθάδε ὑπομένοντα ἤδη τείχη τʼ ἀνορθοῦν, ὅσα πέπτωκε, καὶ τάφρους ἀνακαθαίρειν καὶ φρούρια ὀχυροῦν, ἵνα τοῖς γεωργοῦσι τὴν χώραν ὑπάρχωσι καταφυγαί, στρατιάν τʼ ἄλλην προσκαταγράφειν καὶ τροφὰς τοῖς ἔξω οὖσιν ἐπιχορηγεῖν καὶ ὅπλα χαλκεύειν καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ἀναγκαῖον ἔσται πρᾶγμα ὀξέως ὑπηρετεῖν.
Rather, the one who remains here must now rebuild the walls, as many as have fallen, and clear out the ditches, and fortify the strongholds, so that there may be refuges for those who cultivate the land, and levy an additional army, supply provisions to those who are in the field, forge weapons, and promptly attend to whatever other necessary business there may be.
§8.13.3δίδωμι δέ σοι τὴν αἵρεσιν, εἴτε τῆς ὑπερορίου στρατιᾶς εἴτε τῆς ἐνθάδε ὑπομενούσης ἐθέλεις στρατηγεῖν. ταῦτα λέγοντος αὐτοῦ σφόδρα ἠγάσθη τὴν γνώμην ὁ Τύλλος, καὶ τὸ δραστήριον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς εἰδὼς καὶ ἐπιτυχὲς ἐπέτρεψεν ἐκείνῳ τῆς ἔξω στρατιᾶς ἄρχειν.
And I give you the choice, whether you wish to command the army sent abroad or the one remaining here." When he said this, Tullus greatly admired his opinion, and knowing the active and successful character of the man, he entrusted him with the command of the army sent abroad.

Notes

  1. §8.13.1ὅπως χρηστέον τοῖς λοιποῖς πράγμασιν — An impersonal construction using the verbal adjective `χρηστέον` (derived from `χράομαι`), which takes the dative `τοῖς λοιποῖς πράγμασιν`. It translates to 'how the remaining matters should be handled.'
  2. §8.13.1εἰ δʼ ἀποκνήσουσιν ... ἐπιτρέπειν — The infinitive `ἐπιτρέπειν` functions as the object of the verb `ἀποκνήσουσιν`. The subject is contextually the Romans (the enemy), meaning 'if they should hesitate to entrust (the fate of the state to a newly recruited army and inexperienced leaders).'
  3. §8.13.2τὰ παρόντα ἀφαιρεθέντες — A passive construction of the verb `ἀφαιρέω`, which in the active voice takes a double accusative (to deprive someone of something). Here, the accusative of the thing `τὰ παρόντα` is retained as a retained accusative (accusative of the object).

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §8.13.1-8.13.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.13.1-8.13.3

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