Humanitext Reader

Strabo · Geography §5.3.3-5.3.4

Evander's Legend and the Expansion of Latium

Passage 160 of 577 · Greek

Summary

Describes an alternative, older myth of Rome's founding by Evander and its Greek-style sacrifices, followed by an account of the expansion of Latium and the subjugation of neighboring tribes.

§5.3.3αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἡ μάλιστα πιστευομένη τῆς Ῥώμης κτίσις ἐστίν.
This, then, is the most widely believed founding of Rome.
ἄλλη δέ τις προτέρα καὶ μυθώδης Ἀρκαδικὴν λέγουσα γενέσθαι τὴν ἀποικίαν ὑπʼ Εὐάνδρου.
But there is another older and mythical story which says that the colony was of Arcadian origin under Evander.
τούτῳ δʼ ἐπιξενωθῆναι τὸν Ἡρακλέα ἐλαύνοντα τὰς Γηρυόνου βοῦς· πυθόμενον δὲ τῆς μητρὸς Νικοστράτης τὸν Εὔανδρον (εἶναι δʼ αὐτὴν μαντικῆς ἔμπειρον), ὅτι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ πεπρωμένον ἦν τελέσαντι τοὺς ἄθλους θεῷ γενέσθαι, φράσαι τε πρὸς τὸν Ἡρακλέα ταῦτα καὶ τέμενος ἀναδεῖξαι καὶ θῦσαι θυσίαν Ἑλληνικήν, ἣν καὶ νῦν ἔτι φυλάττεσθαι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ.
And that Hercules was hospitably received by him when driving the cattle of Geryon; and Evander, having learned from his mother Nicostrate (who was skilled in prophecy) that it was fated for Hercules, after completing his labors, to become a god, told this to Hercules, consecrated a sacred precinct, and offered a Greek sacrifice, which is still kept up for Hercules even now.
καὶ ὅ γε Κοίλιος, ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων συγγραφεύς, τοῦτο τίθεται σημεῖον τοῦ Ἑλληνικὸν εἶναι κτίσμα τὴν Ῥώμην, τὸ παρʼ αὐτῇ τὴν πάτριον θυσίαν Ἑλληνικὴν εἶναι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ.
And Coelius, the Roman historian, adduces this as a proof that Rome is a Greek foundation, namely, that the ancestral sacrifice there to Hercules is Greek.
καὶ τὴν μητέρα δὲ τοῦ Εὐάνδρου τιμῶσι Ῥωμαῖοι, μίαν τῶν νυμφῶν νομίσαντες, Καρμέντην μετονομασθεῖσαν.
The Romans also honor the mother of Evander, regarding her as one of the nymphs, having renamed her Carmenta.
§5.3.4οἱ δʼ οὖν Λατῖνοι κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἦσαν ὀλίγοι, καὶ οἱ πλείους οὐ προσεῖχον Ῥωμαίοις· ὕστερον δὲ καταπλαγέντες τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ τε Ῥωμύλου καὶ τῶν μετʼ ἐκεῖνον βασιλέων ὑπήκοοι πάντες ὑπῆρξαν.
The Latins, then, were at first few, and most of them paid no attention to the Romans; but later, being struck with awe at the virtue of Romulus and the kings after him, they all became subjects.
καταλυθέντων δὲ τῶν τε Αἴκων καὶ τῶν Ὀυόλσκων καὶ Ἑρνίκων, ἔτι δὲ πρότερον Ῥουτούλων τε καὶ Ἀβοριγίνων, ἡ τούτων χώρα Λατίνη προσηγόρευται πᾶσα.
And when the Aequi, Volsci, and Hernici, and even before them the Rutuli and Aborigines, were subdued, the whole of their territory was called Latin.
ἦν δὲ τῶν Ὀυόλσκων τὸ Πωμεντῖνον πεδίον, ὅμορον τοῖς Λατίνοις, καὶ πόλις Ἀπίολα, ἣν κατέσκαψε Ταρκύνιος Πρίσκος.
To the Volsci belonged the Pomentine plain, bordering on the Latins, and the city of Apiola, which Tarquinius Priscus razed to the ground.
Αἶκοι δὲ γειτονεύοντες μάλιστα τοῖς Κυρίταις, καὶ τούτων δʼ ἐκεῖνος τὰς πόλεις ἐξεπόρθησεν· ὁ δὲ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν Σουέσσαν εἷλε τὴν μητρόπολιν τῶν Ὀυόλσκων.
The Aequi were closest neighbors to the Quirites, and he also sacked their cities; and his son took Suessa, the metropolis of the Volsci.
Ἕρνικοι δὲ πλησίον ᾤκουν τῷ τε Λανουίῳ καὶ τῇ Ἄλβᾳ καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ Ῥώμῃ· οὐκ ἄπωθεν δʼ οὐδʼ Ἀρικία καὶ Τελλῆναι καὶ Ἄντιον.
The Hernici lived near Lanuvium, Alba, and Rome itself; and not far off were Aricia, Tellenai, and Antium.
Ἀλβανοὶ δὲ κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν ὡμονόουν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ὁμόγλωττοί τε ὄντες καὶ Λατῖνοι, βασιλευόμενοι δʼ ἑκάτεροι χωρὶς ἐτύγχανον· οὐδὲν δʼ ἧττον ἐπιγαμίαι τε ἦσαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ ἱερὰ κοινὰ τὰ ἐν Ἄλβᾳ καὶ ἄλλα δίκαια πολιτικά·
The Albans at first were in harmony with the Romans, being of the same tongue and Latins, though they happened to be ruled by separate kings; nonetheless, they had right of intermarriage with one another, common sacred rites at Alba, and other political rights.
ὕστερον δὲ πολέμου συστάντος ἡ μὲν Ἄλβα κατεσκάφη πλὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ, οἱ δʼ Ἀλβανοὶ πολῖται Ῥωμαίων ἐκρίθησαν.
But later, when a war arose, Alba was razed to the ground except for the temple, and the Albans were adjudged citizens of Rome.
καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ τῶν περιοικίδων πόλεων αἱ μὲν ἀνῃρέθησαν αἱ δὲ ἐταπεινώθησαν ἀπειθοῦσαι, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ηὐξήθησαν διὰ τὴν εὔνοιαν.
Of the other surrounding cities, some were destroyed and others were humbled because they did not obey, while some even increased because of their goodwill.
νυνὶ μὲν οὖν ἡ παραλία μέχρι πόλεως Σινοέσσης ἀπὸ τῶν Ὠστίων Λατίνη καλεῖται, πρότερον δὲ μέχρι τοῦ Κιρκαίου μόνον ἐσχήκει τὴν ἐπίδοσιν· καὶ τῆς μεσογαίας δὲ πρότερον μὲν οὐ πολλή, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ μέχρι Καμπανίας διέτεινε καὶ Σαυνιτῶν καὶ Πελίγνων καὶ ἄλλων τῶν τὸ Ἀπέννινον κατοικούντων.
Now, therefore, the coast from Ostia to the city of Sinuessa is called Latin, though previously it had extended only as far as Circeium; and of the inland country, at first not much, but later it extended even to Campania, the Samnites, the Peligni, and others who inhabit the Apennines.

Notes

  1. 5.3.3λέγουσα — Nominative feminine singular present participle, modifying the noun ἄλλη [κτίσις] (another story of founding) omitted from the context. It introduces the subsequent indirect speech with accusative and infinitive clauses starting from 'γενέσθαι'.
  2. 5.3.3τοῦ Ἑλληνικὸν εἶναι κτίσμα τὴν Ῥώμην — An articular infinitive phrase in the genitive case (with the article τοῦ), functioning as a complement to the noun σημεῖον. It means 'that Rome (accusative subject τὴν Ῥώμην) is a Greek foundation (predicate Ἑλληνικὸν κτίσμα)', standing in apposition to the subsequent τὸ ... εἶναι clause.
  3. 5.3.4καταπλαγέντες — Second aorist passive participle, masculine plural nominative, from καταπλήσσω, meaning 'struck with awe' or 'rendered helpless'. Although passive in form, it directly governs the accusative τὴν ἀρετὴν (virtue/excellence) to indicate the cause of their awe.
  4. 5.3.4οἱ δʼ Ἀλβανοὶ πολῖται ¦p.318¦ Ῥωμαίων ἐκρίθησαν — A structure utilizing the third-person plural aorist passive ἐκρίθησαν (from κρίνω, 'were adjudged' or 'were decided'). The phrase πολῖται Ῥωμαίων (citizens of the Romans) functions as the predicate nominative to the subject οἱ δʼ Ἀλβανοὶ (the Albans).

Cite this passage

Strabo, Geography §5.3.3-5.3.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.3.3-5.3.4

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