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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §9.55.1-9.55.4

Campaigns of the Consuls against the Aequi and Sabines

Passage 724 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The consul Valerius marched against the Aequians but abandoned his siege and retreated due to bad weather interpreted as an omen, while the other consul, Aemilius, engaged in a fierce but indecisive battle with the Sabines, after which both armies withdrew by mutual tacit agreement.

§9.55.1οἱ δʼ ὕπατοι καταγράψαντες τὰς δυνάμεις ἐξῆγον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως· Λεύκιος μὲν Οὐαλέριος Αἰκανοῖς πολεμήσων, Τιβέριος δʼ Αἰμίλιος Σαβίνοις.
The consuls, having levied their forces, led them out of the city: Lucius Valerius to make war against the Aequians, and Tiberius Aemilius against the Sabines.
καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι κατὰ τὸν τῆς στάσεως καιρὸν ἐνέβαλον εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων χώραν καὶ πολλὴν αὐτῆς κακώσαντες ἀπῆλθον λείαν ἄφθονον περιβαλόμενοι.
For these peoples had invaded the Roman territory during the time of the sedition, and after laying waste a large part of it, had departed having secured abundant booty.
Αἰκανοὶ μὲν οὖν πολλάκις εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθόντες καὶ πολλὰς πληγὰς λαβόντες εἰς τὸν χάρακα ἐν ἐχυρῷ χωρίῳ κείμενον κατέφυγον καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐκέτι προῄεσαν εἰς μάχην.
The Aequians, therefore, having frequently come to close quarters and having received many blows, fled to their camp situated in a strong place, and for the future no longer came out to battle.
§9.55.2ὁ δὲ Οὐαλέριος ἐπεχείρησε μὲν ἐκπολιορκεῖν αὐτῶν τὸ στρατόπεδον, ἐκωλύθη δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ δαιμονίου.
Valerius, indeed, attempted to take their camp by siege, but was prevented by the divinity.
προιόντι γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ ἤδη ἔργου ἐχομένῳ ζόφος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ γίνεται καὶ ὄμβρος πολύς, ἀστραπαὶ δὲ καὶ βρονταὶ σκληραί.
For as he was advancing and already engaging in the work, darkness came from heaven and a great rain, with harsh lightning and thunder.
διασκεδασθείσης δὲ τῆς στρατιᾶς ὅ τε χειμὼν εὐθὺς ἐπαύσατο καὶ πολλὴ κατέσχε τὸν τόπον αἰθρία.
And when the army had been dispersed, the storm immediately ceased and a great serenity of sky came over the place.
τοῦτό τε δὴ τὸ ἔργον ὀττευσάμενος ὁ ὕπατος, καὶ τῶν μάντεων κωλυόντων ἔτι πολιορκεῖν τὸ χωρίον, ἀποτραπεὶς τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν ἐκάκου, καὶ ὅσῃ ἐπέτυχε λείᾳ τοῖς στρατιώταις ἅπασαν ὠφελεῖσθαι ἐφείς, ἀπῆγεν ἐπʼ §9.55.3οἴκου τὴν δύναμιν.
The consul, having taken this event as an omen, and since the seers also forbade him to besiege the place any longer, turned back and laid waste their land, and permitting the soldiers to benefit from all the booty they fell in with, led his forces back home.
Τιβερίῳ δʼ Αἰμιλίῳ διεξιόντι τὴν πολεμίαν σὺν πολλῇ καταφρονήσει κατʼ ἀρχὰς καὶ οὐδὲν ἔτι προσδοκῶντι ἀντίπαλον ἐπῆλθεν ἡ Σαβίνων δύναμις καὶ γίνεται μάχη αὐτῶν ἐκ παρατάξεως μεσούσης μάλιστα τῆς ἡμέρας ἀρξαμένη μέχρι δύσεως ἡλίου.
But as Tiberius Aemilius was passing through the enemy's country with great contempt at first, expecting no further opponent, the force of the Sabines fell upon him, and a pitched battle took place between them, beginning about midday and lasting until sunset.
σκότους δʼ ἐπιλαμβάνοντος ἀνεχώρουν αἱ δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν χάρακας οὔτε νικῶσαι οὔτε λειπόμεναι.
And when darkness came on, the forces retreated to their own camps, neither victorious nor defeated.
§9.55.4ταῖς δʼ ἑξῆς ἡμέραις νεκρούς τε τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἐκήδευσαν οἱ ἡγεμόνες καὶ χάρακας ἐξωρύξαντο, καὶ γνώμας τὰς αὐτὰς εἶχον ἑκάτεροι, διὰ φυλακῆς τὰ οἰκεῖα ἔχειν καὶ μηκέτι ἄρχειν μάχης.
On the following days, the generals buried their own dead and dug deep trenches, and both had the same intention: to keep their own positions under guard and no longer to begin a battle.
ἔπειτα σὺν χρόνῳ τὰς σκηνὰς λύσαντες ἀπῆγον τὰς δυνάμεις.
Then, in course of time, having struck their tents, they led their forces away.

Notes

  1. §9.55.1πολεμήσων — Future active participle expressing the purpose of the main action ("to make war"). In the following clause "Tiberius Aemilius against the Sabines", a similar participle expressing purpose is understood by ellipsis.
  2. 1896προϊόντι γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ ἤδη ἔργου ἐχομένῳ — A participial phrase in the dative case modifying the main verb `γίνεται` (dative of reference or interest). The phrase `ἔργου ἔχομαι` is an idiomatic construction meaning "to set to work" or "to engage in action" taking the genitive.
  3. §9.55.2ὅσῃ ἐπέτυχε λείᾳ — An example of attraction of the relative pronoun, where the antecedent `λείᾳ` (originally in the accusative case) is attracted into the relative clause and takes the dative case required by the verb `ἐπέτυχε` inside the clause.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §9.55.1-9.55.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.55.1-9.55.4

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