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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §9.64.1-9.64.4

Defense of the Roman Camp and Relief by Quinctius

Passage 733 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The Aequians attempt to force the Romans to surrender by displaying the severed heads of Publius and others, but this only strengthens the Romans' resolve to defend their camp. On the following day, despite the consul being wounded, the timely arrival of reinforcements under Quinctius forces the enemy to retreat.

§9.64.1διαφθαρέντων δὲ τούτων ἐπαρθέντες οἱ Αἰκανοὶ τῷ προτερήματι παρῆσαν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα τῶν Ῥωμαίων, τήν τε τοῦ Ποπλίου κεφαλὴν ἐπὶ δορατίου πεπηγυῖαν ἀνατείνοντες καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, ὡς δὴ τούτῳ καταπληξόμενοι τοὺς ἔνδον καὶ ἀναγκάσοντες παραδοῦναι σφίσι τὰ ὅπλα.
When these had been destroyed, the Aequians, elated by their success, came to the camp of the Romans, holding up on the point of a spear the head of Publius, fixed upon it, as well as those of the other illustrious men, intending indeed by this to terrify those inside and force them to surrender their arms to them.
τοῖς δʼ ἄρα πρὸς μὲν τὴν συμφορὰν τῶν ἀπολωλότων ἔλεός τις παρέστη καὶ ἀνεκλάοντο αὐτῶν τὴν τύχην, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα θράσος διπλάσιον ἐνέφυ, καὶ τοῦ νικᾶν ἢ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκείνοις τρόπον ἀποθανεῖν, πρὶν εἰς πολεμίων χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, καλὸς ἔρως.
But to the latter, though a certain pity arose for the disaster of the deceased and they lamented their fortune, a double courage was implanted for the struggle, and a noble desire arose either to conquer or to die in the same manner as those men, before falling into the hands of the enemy.
§9.64.2ἐκείνην μὲν οὖν τὴν νύκτα παρεστρατοπεδευκότων τῷ χάρακι τῶν πολεμίων ἄγρυπνοί τε οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἐπισκευάζοντες τὰ πεπονηκότα τοῦ χάρακος διετέλεσαν, τά τʼ ἄλλα, οἷς ἀπερύκειν ἔμελλον αὐτούς, εἰ πειραθεῖεν πάλιν τειχομαχεῖν πολλὰ καὶ παντοῖα εὐτρεπιζόμενοι.
During that night, therefore, while the enemy was encamped near the rampart, the Romans remained awake and continued repairing the damaged parts of the rampart, and preparing many and various other things with which they were to keep them off if they should try to assault the wall again.
τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς αἵ τε προσβολαὶ πάλιν ἐγίνοντο, καὶ ὁ χάραξ διεσπᾶτο κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη· καὶ πολλάκις μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐξιόντων κατὰ συστροφὰς ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἐξεκρούσθησαν οἱ Αἰκανοί, πολλάκις δʼ ἀνεκόπησαν ὑπʼ ἐκείνων οἱ θρασύτερον ἐπεξιόντες.
On the following day, the attacks were made again, and the rampart was torn down in many places; and many times the Aequians were repulsed by those who sallied out of the camp in bodies, and many times those who sallied out more boldly were driven back by them.
§9.64.3καὶ τοῦτο διʼ ὅλης τῆς ἡμέρας ἐγίνετο· ἔνθα ὅ θʼ ὕπατος ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων σαυνίῳ διὰ τοῦ θυρεοῦ διαπερονηθεὶς τιτρώσκεται τὸν μηρόν, καὶ ἄλλοι συχνοὶ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, ὅσοι περὶ αὐτὸν ἐμάχοντο·
And this continued throughout the whole day; during which the consul of the Romans was wounded in the thigh, which was pierced by a javelin through his shield, as well as many others of the illustrious men who were fighting around him.
ἤδη δὲ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἀπειρηκόσιν ἀπροσδόκητος ἐπιφαίνεται περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν προσιὼν Κοίντιος, ἄγων τὴν ἐθελούσιον ἐπικουρίαν τῶν ἀκμαιοτάτων, οὓς ἰδόντες οἱ πολέμιοι προσιόντας ἀνέστρεφον ἀφέντες τὴν πολιορκίαν ἀτελῆ· καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐπεξελθόντες αὐτοῖς ἀπιοῦσι τοὺς ὑστερίζοντας ἐφόνευον.
When the Romans were already exhausted, Quinctius unexpectedly appeared approaching towards late afternoon, bringing the voluntary reinforcement of the most vigorous men, whom the enemy, seeing them approach, turned back, leaving the siege unfinished; and the Romans, sallying out against them as they retreated, slew those who lagged behind.
§9.64.4οὐ μέντοι ἐπὶ πολύν γε χρόνον ἐδίωξαν ἀσθενεῖς ὄντες οἱ πολλοὶ ὑπὸ τραυμάτων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τάχους ἀνέστρεψαν.
However, they did not pursue for a long time, since most of them were weak from wounds, but returned quickly.
καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα διὰ φυλακῆς εἶχον ἑκάτεροι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς μένοντες ἐν ταῖς παρεμβολαῖς ἄχρι πολλοῦ.
And after this, both sides kept themselves on their guard, remaining in their camps for a long time.

Notes

  1. p.v.3p.390τῶν ἄλλων ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἐπιφανῶν — The word for "heads" (`κεφαλάς`) is omitted after this phrase, which is easily supplied from the preceding singular noun `κεφαλὴν` in `τήν τε τοῦ Ποπλίου κεφαλὴν`.
  2. p.v.3p.390τοῦ νικᾶν ἢ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκείνοις τρόπον ἀποθανεῖν — The genitive infinitives `τοῦ νικᾶν` and `[τοῦ] ἀποθανεῖν` modify the noun `ἔρως` (desire/passion). The phrase `τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκείνοις τρόπον` is an adverbial accusative of manner, meaning "in the same manner as those men."
  3. 1926ἄγρυπνοί τε ... καὶ ἐπισκευάζοντες ... διετέλεσαν — The adjective `ἄγρυπνοι` (sleepless) and the present participle `ἐπισκευάζοντες` (repairing) are coordinated by `τε... καί` as predicate complements to the verb `διετέλεσαν` (they continued/remained).
  4. 1926ὑπʼ ἐκείνων οἱ θρασύτερον ἐπεξιόντες — The demonstrative pronoun `ἐκείνων` refers to the enemy (the Aequians), while the subject `οἱ θρασύτερον ἐπεξιόντες` (those sallying out more boldly) refers to the Romans, reversing the agent-subject relation of the preceding clause.
  5. 9.64.3τιτρώσκεται τὸν μηρόν — The accusative `τὸν μηρόν` (the thigh) is an accusative of specification (or respect) used with the passive verb `τιτρώσκεται` (is wounded) to indicate the specific part of the body affected.
  6. p.v.3p.391ἀπροσδόκητος ἐπιφαίνεται περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν προσιὼν Κοίντιος — The adjective `ἀπροσδόκητος` is used adverbially to mean "unexpectedly." The verb `ἐπιφαίνεται` is constructed with the participle `προσιὼν` (approaching) to express a visual appearance ("appeared approaching").

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §9.64.1-9.64.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.64.1-9.64.4

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