Humanitext Reader

Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §8.4.1-8.4.4

Tullus's Incitement and the Volscian Declaration of War

Passage 582 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Based on the senate's decree, the Volscians are forcibly expelled from the city through the Capena gate, and Tullus, having gathered them, incites war by denouncing Rome's insolence. At a general assembly of the Volscians gathered from all cities, a declaration of war against Rome is passed.

§8.4.1ταῦτα τῆς βουλῆς ψηφισαμένης οἱ μὲν ἐκήρυττον διὰ τῶν στενωπῶν διεξιόντες ἀπιέναι Οὐολούσκους ἐκ τῆς πόλεως αὐτίκα μάλα κατὰ μίαν ἅπαντας ἐξιόντας πύλην τὴν καλουμένην Καπυΐνην, ἕτεροι δὲ παρέπεμπον τοὺς ἀπαλλαττομένους ἅμα τοῖς ὑπάτοις·
When the senate had passed these votes, some went through the narrow streets proclaiming that the Volscians should depart from the city immediately, all going out by a single gate called the Capena; while others, together with the consuls, escorted those who were departing.
ἔνθα μάλιστα ὤφθη, ὅσον αὐτῶν τὸ πλῆθος ἦν καὶ ὡς ἀκμαῖον ἅπαν ὑφʼ ἕνα καιρὸν καὶ κατὰ μίαν ἐξιόντων πύλην.
It was then that the vastness of their numbers and how vigorous they all were became especially apparent, as they were going out at one and the same time and through a single gate.
πρῶτος δʼ αὐτῶν ὁ Τύλλος ἐξῄει διὰ ταχέων καὶ καταλαβὼν οὐ πρόσω τῆς πόλεως τόπον ἐπιτήδειον ἐν τούτῳ τοὺς ὑστεροῦντας ἀνελάμβανεν.
Tullus was the first of them to go out quickly, and having occupied a suitable place not far from the city, he received there those who lagged behind.
§8.4.2ἐπειδὴ δὲ πάντες συνήχθησαν, ἐκκλησίαν ποιησάμενος πολλῇ καταβοῇ τῆς Ῥωμαίων πόλεως ἐχρήσατο, δεινὴν καὶ ἀφόρητον ἀποφαίνων τὴν ὕβριν, ἣν ὑβρισμένοι πρὸς αὐτῶν ἦσαν Οὐολοῦσκοι μόνοι τῶν ἄλλων ξένων ἐξελασθέντες ἐκ τῆς πόλεως·
When all had assembled, he held an assembly and directed a great outcry against the city of the Romans, showing how terrible and intolerable was the insult which the Volscians, alone of all the other foreigners, had suffered at their hands by being driven out of the city.
καὶ λέγειν ἠξίου ταῦτα πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν ἕκαστον καὶ πράττειν, ὅπως παύσωνται τῆς ὕβρεως Ῥωμαῖοι δίκας παρασχόντες τῆς παρανομίας.
And he urged each man to report these things to his own city and to take action, so that the Romans might pay the penalty for their lawless conduct and cease from their insolence.
ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν καὶ παραθήξας ἀνθρώπους ἀγανακτοῦντας ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει διέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
Having said this and having further whetted the anger of men already resentful of their treatment, he dismissed the assembly.
§8.4.3ὡς δʼ ἀπαλλαγέντες εἰς τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστοι πατρίδας ἐδήλωσαν τοῖς ἄλλοις τὸν προπηλακισμὸν ἐπὶ μεῖζον ἐξαίροντες τὰ γενόμενα, ἠγανάκτει τε πᾶσα πόλις καὶ κατέχειν τὴν ὀργὴν οὐκ ἠδύνατο·
When they had departed and each had returned to their own native cities, they made the insult known to the others, exaggerating what had happened; and every city was indignant and could not contain its wrath.
διαπρεσβευομένη δʼ ἄλλη πρὸς ἄλλην εἰς μίαν ἀγορὰν ἅπαντας ἠξίου Οὐολούσκους συνιέναι, ἵνα κοινῇ χρήσαιντο γνώμῃ περὶ τοῦ πολέμου.
Sending embassies to one another, they urged that all the Volscians should assemble in one common council in order to take joint counsel concerning the war.
§8.4.4ἐγίνετο δὲ ταῦτα τοῦ Τύλλου μάλιστʼ ἐνάγοντος, καὶ συνῄεσαν ἐξ ἁπάσης πόλεως οἵ τʼ ἐν τοῖς τέλεσι καὶ πολὺς ἄλλος ὄχλος εἰς τὴν Ἐχετρανῶν πόλιν· αὕτη γὰρ ἐδόκει ἐν καλλίστῃ κεῖσθαι συνόδῳ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἡ πόλις.
These things were done with Tullus especially urging them on, and there assembled from every city both those in authority and a great multitude of others at the city of the Ecetrans; for this city seemed to be situated in the most convenient place for a meeting with the others.
ῥηθέντων δὲ πολλῶν λόγων, οὓς εἶπον οἱ δυναστεύοντες ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει, ψῆφος ἀνεδόθη τοῖς παροῦσι, καὶ ἦν ἡ νικῶσα γνώμη κινεῖν τὸν πόλεμον, ὡς Ῥωμαίων ἀρξάντων τῆς περὶ τὰς σπονδὰς παρανομίας.
After many speeches had been delivered by the leading men of each city, the vote was taken of those present, and the prevailing opinion was to stir up war, on the ground that the Romans had begun the lawless violation of the treaty.

Notes

  1. 8.4.1ἀπιέναι — The infinitive `ἀπιέναι` represents the content of the proclamation made by the heralds (`ἐκήρυττον`), with the accusative `Οὐολούσκους` acting as its subject.
  2. 8.4.1ἔνθα μάλιστα ὤφθη, ὅσον αὐτῶν τὸ πλῆθος ἦν — The grammatical subject of the passive verb `ὤφθη` (third-person singular) is the two subsequent indirect question clauses: `ὅσον αὐτῶν τὸ πλῆθος ἦν` and `καὶ ὡς ἀκμαῖον ἅπαν`.
  3. 8.4.2ἣν ὑβρισμένοι πρὸς αὐτῶν ἦσαν — `ὑβρισμένοι ... ἦσαν` is the third-person plural of the perfect passive (periphrastic form) of the verb `ὑβρίζω` (to insult). The relative pronoun `ἣν` refers back to its antecedent `τὴν ὕβριν`. `πρὸς αὐτῶν` denotes the agent (the Romans) in the passive construction.
  4. 8.4.4ἐν καλλίστῃ κεῖσθαι συνόδῳ — `συνόδῳ` here refers not only to an abstract 'meeting' but to a geographical 'juncture, a convenient point of meeting.' `ταῖς ἄλλαις` (for the other cities) is a dative of reference.
  5. 8.4.4ὡς Ῥωμαίων ἀρξάντων — The genitive absolute (`Ῥωμαίων ἀρξάντων`) introduced by `ὡς` expresses the subjective reason alleged by the agents (the Volscians): 'on the ground that the Romans had begun.'

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §8.4.1-8.4.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.4.1-8.4.4

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.