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Polybius · The Histories §3.22.1-3.22.13

The First Treaty Between Rome and Carthage and Its Terms

Passage 181 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Polybius introduces the first treaty between Rome and Carthage, made during the first consulship after the expulsion of the kings, notes the difficulty of its archaic Latin, and provides its detailed terms.

§3.22.1γίνονται τοιγαροῦν συνθῆκαι Ῥωμαίοις καὶ Καρχηδονίοις πρῶται κατὰ Λεύκιον Ἰούνιον Βροῦτον καὶ Μάρκον Ὡράτιον, τοὺς πρώτους κατασταθέντας ὑπάτους μετὰ τὴν τῶν βασιλέων κατάλυσιν, ὑφʼ ὧν συνέβη καθιερωθῆναι καὶ τὸ τοῦ Διὸς ἱερὸν τοῦ Καπετωλίου.
The first treaty between the Romans and Carthaginians was made in the consulship of Lucius Junius Brutus and Marcus Horatius, the first consuls appointed after the expulsion of the kings, by whom also the consecration of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus took place.
§3.22.2ταῦτα δʼ ἔστι πρότερα τῆς Ξέρξου διαβάσεως εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα τριάκοντʼ ἔτεσι λείπουσι δυεῖν.
And this is twenty-eight years (literally: thirty years lacking two) before the crossing of Xerxes into Greece.
§3.22.3ἃς καθʼ ὅσον ἦν δυνατὸν ἀκριβέστατα διερμηνεύσαντες ἡμεῖς ὑπογεγράφαμεν.
We have set these down below, translating them as accurately as possible.
τηλικαύτη γὰρ ἡ διαφορὰ γέγονε τῆς διαλέκτου καὶ παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις τῆς νῦν πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ὥστε τοὺς συνετωτάτους ἔνια μόλις ἐξ ἐπιστάσεως διευκρινεῖν.
For so great has been the change of the dialect among the Romans between the ancient and the present tongue that even the most learned can only with difficulty and after close study decipher some parts of it.
§3.22.4εἰσὶ δʼ αἱ συνθῆκαι τοιαίδε τινές· ‘ἐπὶ τοῖσδε φιλίαν ‘εἶναι Ῥωμαίοις καὶ τοῖς Ῥωμαίων συμμάχοις καὶ ‘Καρχηδονίοις καὶ τοῖς Καρχηδονίων συμμάχοις· " §3.22.51μὴ πλεῖν Ῥωμαίους μηδὲ τοὺς Ῥωμαίων συμμάχους ‘ἐπέκεινα τοῦ Καλοῦ ἀκρωτηρίου, ἐὰν μὴ ὑπὸ χει" §3.22.61μῶνος ἢ πολεμίων ἀναγκασθῶσιν· ἐὰν δέ τις βίᾳ ‘κατενεχθῇ, μὴ ἐξέστω αὐτῷ μηδὲν ἀγοράζειν μηδὲ ‘λαμβάνειν πλὴν ὅσα πρὸς πλοίου ἐπισκευὴν ἢ πρὸς §3.22.7ἱερά, ἐν πέντε δʼ ἡμέραις ἀποτρεχέτω.
The treaty is to this effect: 'There shall be friendship on the following conditions 'between the Romans and the allies of the Romans, and the Carthaginians and the allies of the Carthaginians: "1The Romans and the allies of the Romans are not to sail 'beyond the Fair Promontory, unless by sto- 1rm or by enemies they are forced; and if anyone by force 'is carried there, he shall not be allowed to buy or take anything except what is for the repair of his ship or for sacrifices, and he shall depart within five days.
§3.22.8τοῖς δὲ ‘κατʼ ἐμπορίαν παραγινομένοις μηδὲν ἔστω τέλος" §3.22.91πλὴν ἐπὶ κήρυκι ἢ γραμματεῖ.
To those who come 'to trade, no duty shall be charged 1except in the presence of a herald or a clerk.
ὅσα δʼ ἂν τούτων ‘παρόντων πραθῇ, δημοσίᾳ πίστει ὀφειλέσθω τῷ ‘ἀποδομένῳ, ὅσα ἂν ἢ ἐν Λιβύῃ ἢ ἐν Σαρδόνι" §3.22.101πραθῇ.
And whatever of these is sold 'in their presence, let the price be owed to the seller on the public credit, whatever is sold either in Libya or in Sardinia.
ἐὰν Ῥωμαίων τις εἰς Σικελίαν παρα‘γίνηται, ἧς Καρχηδόνιοι ἐπάρχουσιν, ἴσα ἔστω τὰ" §3.22.111Ῥωμαίων πάντα.
1If any Roman 'comes to Sicily, which the Carthaginians rule, let all the rights of the 1Romans be equal.
Καρχηδόνιοι δὲ μὴ ἀδικείτωσαν ‘δῆμον Ἀρδεατῶν, Ἀντιατῶν, Λαρεντίνων, Κιρκαιι‘τῶν, Ταρρακινιτῶν, μηδʼ ἄλλον μηδένα Λατίνων," §3.22.121ὅσοι ἂν ὑπήκοοι· ἐὰν δέ τινες μὴ ὦσιν ὑπήκοοι, ‘τῶν πόλεων ἀπεχέσθωσαν· ἂν δὲ λάβωσι, Ῥω" §3.22.131μαίοις ἀποδιδότωσαν ἀκέραιον.
And let the Carthaginians do no wrong to the 'people of Ardea, Antium, Laurentium, Circeii, Terracina, nor to any other of the Latins, 1whoever are subject; and if any are not subject, let them keep hands off 'their cities; and if they take them, to the Ro- 1mans let them deliver them uninjured.
φρούριον μὴ ἐνοι‘κοδομείτωσαν ἐν τῇ Λατίνῃ.
They shall build no fort in Latium.
ἐὰν ὡς πολέμιοι εἰς ‘τὴν χώραν εἰσέλθωσιν, ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ μὴ ἐννυκτερευέτωσαν. ’
If they enter as enemies 'into the land, they shall not spend the night in the land.'

Notes

  1. §3.22.2τριάκοντʼ ἔτεσι λείπουσι δυεῖν — "thirty years lacking two", meaning "twenty-eight years". λείπουσι is the present participle, meaning "lacking".
  2. §3.22.3ὥστε τοὺς συνετωτάτους ἔνια μόλις ἐξ ἐπιστάσεως διευκρινεῖν — A result clause introduced by ὥστε with an accusative and infinitive construction (τοὺς συνετωτάτους ... διευκρινεῖν). ἐξ ἐπιστάσεως is an adverbial phrase meaning "after close/careful attention".
  3. §3.22.4φιλίαν εἶναι Ῥωμαίοις — Accusative and infinitive construction in indirect speech. φιλίαν (accusative) is the subject of εἶναι, and Ῥωμαίοις is a dative of possession ("that there be friendship for the Romans").
  4. §3.22.9δημοσίᾳ πίστει ὀφειλέσθω τῷ ἀποδομένῳ — The third-person singular imperative ὀφειλέσθω ("let it be owed") is used for a treaty's prescriptive command. δημοσίᾳ πίστει is a dative of means/manner, meaning "on the public credit".

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §3.22.1-3.22.13. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.22.1-3.22.13

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