§1.7.1ἴδιον γάρ τι συνέβη καὶ παραπλήσιον ἑκατέραις ταῖς περὶ τὸν πορθμὸν ἐκτισμέναις πόλεσιν· εἰσὶ δʼ αὗται Μεσσήνη καὶ Ῥήγιον.
For a peculiar and very similar fortune befell both of the cities founded near the straits, namely Messene and Rhegium.
§1.7.2Μεσσήνην μὲν γὰρ οὐ πολλοῖς ἀνώτερον χρόνοις τῶν νῦν λεγομένων καιρῶν Καμπανοὶ παρʼ Ἀγαθοκλεῖ μισθοφοροῦντες καὶ πάλαι περὶ τὸ κάλλος καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν εὐδαιμονίαν τῆς πόλεως ὀφθαλμιῶντες ἅμα τῷ λαβεῖν καιρὸν εὐθὺς ἐπεχείρησαν παρασπονδεῖν·
For not long before the period just mentioned, the Campanians, who were serving as mercenaries under Agathocles and had long been casting envious eyes on the beauty and general prosperity of the city, immediately on finding an opportunity, undertook to act treacherously towards Messene.
§1.7.3παρεισελθόντες δʼ ὡς φίλιοι καὶ κατασχόντες τὴν πόλιν οὓς μὲν ἐξέβαλον τῶν πολιτῶν, οὓς δʼ ἀπέσφαξαν.
Having slipped in under the guise of friends and seized the city, they expelled some of the citizens and butchered others.
§1.7.4πράξαντες δὲ ταῦτα τὰς μὲν γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τέκνα τῶν ἠκληρηκότων, ὥς ποθʼ ἡ τύχη διένειμεν παρʼ αὐτὸν τὸν τῆς παρανομίας καιρὸν ἑκάστοις, οὕτως ἔσχον· τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς βίους καὶ τὴν χώραν μετὰ ταῦτα διελόμενοι κατεῖχον.
Having done this, they took possession of the wives and children of the unfortunate victims, just as fortune distributed them to each at the very moment of their lawless deed; and afterwards, having divided the rest of their property and the territory among themselves, they held it.
§1.7.5ταχὺ δὲ καὶ ῥᾳδίως καλῆς χώρας καὶ πόλεως ἐγκρατεῖς γενόμενοι παρὰ πόδας εὗρον μιμητὰς τῆς πράξεως. Ῥηγῖνοι γάρ,
Having thus quickly and easily become masters of a beautiful country and city, they immediately found imitators of their deed.
§1.7.6καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν Πύρρος εἰς Ἰταλίαν ἐπεραιοῦτο, καταπλαγεῖς γενόμενοι τὴν ἔφοδον αὐτοῦ, δεδιότες δὲ καὶ Καρχηδονίους θαλαττοκρατοῦντας ἐπεσπάσαντο φυλακὴν ἅμα καὶ βοήθειαν παρὰ Ῥωμαίων.
For the people of Rhegium, at the time when Pyrrhus was crossing over into Italy, being terrified by his invasion and also fearing the Carthaginians who held the command of the sea, called in a garrison and aid from the Romans.
§1.7.7οἱ δʼ εἰσελθόντες χρόνον μέν τινα διετήρουν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν πίστιν, ὄντες τετρακισχίλιοι τὸν ἀριθμόν, ὧν ἡγεῖτο Δέκιος Καμπανός·
The men who entered kept the city and their own faith for some time, being four thousand in number, and commanded by Decius Campanus.
§1.7.8τέλος δὲ ζηλώσαντες τοὺς Μαμερτίνους, ἅμα δὲ καὶ συνεργοὺς λαβόντες αὐτοὺς παρεσπόνδησαν τοὺς Ῥηγίνους, ἐκπαθεῖς ὄντες ἐπί τε τῇ τῆς πόλεως εὐκαιρίᾳ καὶ τῇ τῶν Ῥηγίνων περὶ τοὺς ἰδίους βίους εὐδαιμονίᾳ· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐκβαλόντες, τοὺς δʼ ἀποσφάξαντες τῶν πολιτῶν τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τοῖς Καμπανοῖς κατέσχον τὴν πόλιν.
But at last, envying the Mamertines and also securing them as accomplices, they acted treacherously towards the Rhegines, being driven mad by the advantageous situation of the city and the private prosperity of the Rhegines; and having expelled some of the citizens and butchered others, in the same manner as the Campanians, they seized the city.
§1.7.9οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι βαρέως μὲν ἔφερον τὸ γεγονός· οὐ μὴν εἶχόν γε ποιεῖν οὐδὲν διὰ τὸ συνέχεσθαι τοῖς προειρημένοις πολέμοις.
The Romans were deeply displeased by what had happened; yet they were unable to take any action, because they were occupied with the wars already mentioned.
§1.7.10ἐπεὶ δʼ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐγένοντο, συγκλείσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐπολιόρκουν τὸ Ῥήγιον, καθάπερ ἐπάνω προεῖπον.
But when they were free from these, they shut them up and besieged Rhegium, as I said above.
§1.7.11κρατήσαντες δὲ τοὺς μὲν πλείστους ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ καταλήψει διέφθειραν, ἐκθύμως ἀμυνομένους διὰ τὸ προορᾶσθαι τὸ μέλλον, ζωγρίᾳ δʼ ἐκυρίευσαν πλειόνων ἢ τριακοσίων.
And having mastered it, they slew most of them in the actual capture, for they defended themselves desperately as they foresaw what was in store for them, but they took more than three hundred alive.
§1.7.12ὧν ἀναπεμφθέντων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, οἱ στρατηγοὶ προαγαγόντες εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν καὶ μαστιγώσαντες ἅπαντας κατὰ τὸ παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἔθος ἐπελέκισαν, βουλόμενοι διὰ τῆς εἰς ἐκείνους τιμωρίας, καθʼ ὅσον οἷοί τʼ ἦσαν, διορθοῦσθαι παρὰ τοῖς συμμάχοις τὴν αὑτῶν πίστιν.
When these had been sent up to Rome, the consuls brought them into the forum, and having scourged them all according to their own custom, beheaded them with axes, wishing by this punishment inflicted on them, as far as lay in their power, to re-establish their own good faith in the eyes of the allies.
§1.7.13τὴν δὲ χώραν καὶ τὴν πόλιν παραχρῆμα τοῖς Ῥηγίνοις ἀπέδοσαν.
And they immediately restored the territory and the city to the Rhegines.