[3] The Romans, being informed both of the destruction of the cities that were already taken and of the exigency which had influenced those who had joined Marcius, and importuned by the embassies which came to them daily from those who continued firm in their friendship and besought their aid, and being alarmed, moreover, by the investment of Lavinium then in progress and believing that if this stronghold should be taken the war would promptly come to their own gates, thought the only remedy for all these evils would be to pass a vote for the return of Marcius.
[4] ψηφίσαιντο τῷ Μαρκίῳ τὴν κάθοδον. καὶ ὅ τε δῆμος ἅπας ἐβόα τοῦτο, καὶ οἱ δήμαρχοι νόμον εἰσφέρειν ὑπὲρ ἀκυρώσεως τῆς καταδίκης ἐβούλοντο: ἀλλ᾽ οἱ πατρίκιοι ἠναντιώθησαν αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες τῶν δεδικασμένων λύειν οὐθέν. μὴ γενομένου δὲ προβουλεύματος ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς οὐδὲ τοῖς δημάρχοις ἔτι προθεῖναι γνώμην εἰς τὸν δῆμον ἐδόκει.
[4] The entire populace shouted for this and the tribunes too wished to introduce a law for the annulment of his condemnation; but the patricians opposed them, being determined not to reverse any part of the sentence which had been pronounced. And as no preliminary decree was passed by the senate, the tribunes too no longer thought fit to propose the matter to the populace.
[5] ὃ καὶ θαυμάζειν ἄξιον, ἀφ᾽ ἧς δήποτε αἰτίας ἡ βουλὴ σπουδάζουσα τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον ὑπὲρ τοῦ Μαρκίου τότε βουλομένῳ [p. 154] τῷ δήμῳ κατάγειν αὐτὸν ἠναντιώθη: πότερα πεῖραν αὐτοῦ ποιουμένη τῆς γνώμης καὶ τῷ μὴ συγχωρεῖν ἑτοίμως ἐπὶ τὸ μᾶλλον σπουδάζειν αὐτὸν παρορμῶσα, ἢ τὰς καθ᾽ ἑαυτῆς ἀπολύσασθαι βουλομένη διαβολὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηθενὸς ὧν ἔπραττεν ὁ ἀνὴρ μήτε αἰτία μήτε συνεργὸς εἶναι. χαλεπὸν γὰρ ἦν ἀπόρρητον γενόμενον αὐτῆς τὸ βούλευμα συμβαλεῖν.
[5] It may well excite wonder what the motive was that led the senate, which hitherto had so warmly espoused the cause of Marcius, to oppose the populace on this occasion when they wished to recall him — whether they were sounding out the sentiment of the populace and arousing them to greater zeal by their own reluctance to yield to them, or whether they wished to clear themselves of the accusations brought against them so that they might not be held to be either responsible for or accomplices in any of the acts of Marcius. For as their purpose was kept secret, it was difficult to conjecture what it was.
[1] ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα παρ᾽ αὐτομόλων τινῶν ὁ Μάρκιος, ὡς εἶχεν ὀργῆς, εὐθὺς ἀναστήσας τὴν δύναμιν ἦγεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην, φυλακὴν τοῦ Λαουινίου τὴν ἀρκοῦσαν καταλιπών: καὶ αὐτίκα τῆς πόλεως σταδίους τετταράκοντα ἀποσχὼν κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὰς καλουμένας Κλοιλίας τάφρους.
[22.1] Marcius, being informed of these events by some deserters, was so angry that he broke camp at once and marched on Rome, leaving a sufficient force to keep guard over Lavinium; and he straightway encamped at the place called the Cluilian Ditches, at a distance of forty stades from the city.
[2] μαθοῦσι δὲ τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν τοσοῦτος ἐνέπεσε θόρυβος ὡς αὐτίκα τοῖς τείχεσι τοῦ πολέμου προσάξοντος, ὥσθ᾽ οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ τείχη τὰ ὅπλα λαβόντες ἔθεον ἄνευ παραγγέλματος, οἱ δ᾽ ἐπὶ τὰς πύλας κατὰ πλῆθος ἐφέροντο χωρὶς ἡγεμόνος, οἱ δὲ τοὺς δούλους καθοπλίσαντες ἐπὶ τοῖς τέγεσι τῶν οἰκιῶν ἵστασαν, οἱ δὲ τήν τ᾽ ἄκραν καὶ τὸ Καπιτώλιον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐρυμνοὺς τόπους τῆς πόλεως κατελαμβάνοντο, γυναῖκές τε λελυμέναι τὰς κόμας ἐπὶ τὰ τεμένη καὶ τοὺς νεὼς ἔθεον ὀλοφυρόμεναί τε καὶ δεόμεναι τῶν θεῶν ἀποστρέψαι τῆς πόλεως τὸν ἐπιόντα φόβον.
[2] When the Romans heard of his presence there, such confusion fell upon them, in their belief that the war would at once come to their walls, that some seized their arms and ran to the walls without orders, others went in a body to the gates without anyone to command them, some armed their slaves and took their stand on the roofs of their houses, and still others seized the citadel and the Capitol and the other strong places of the city; and the women, with their hair dishevelled, ran to the sanctuaries and to the temples, lamenting and praying to the gods to avert the danger that threatened.
[3] ὡς δ᾽ ἥ τε [p. 155] νὺξ παρῆλθε καὶ τῆς ἐπιούσης ἡμέρας τὸ πλεῖστον, καὶ οὐδὲν ὧν ἐδεδοίκεσαν ἐγίνετο, ἀλλ᾽ ἔμενεν ὁ Μάρκιος ἐφ᾽ ἡσυχίας, συνέδραμον ἅπαντες εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν οἱ δημοτικοὶ καὶ τοὺς πατρικίους ἐκάλουν εἰς τὸ βουλευτήριον, καὶ εἰ μὴ προβουλεύσουσι τῷ ἀνδρὶ τὴν κάθοδον, αὐτοὶ βουλεύσεσθαι περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν ἔφασαν ὡς προδιδόμενοι.
[3] But when the night had passed, as well as most of the following day, and none of the evils they had feared befell them, but Marcius remained quiet, all the plebeians flocked to the Forum and called upon the patricians to assemble in the senate-house, declaring that if they would not pass the preliminary decree for the return of Marcius, they themselves, as men who were being betrayed, would take measures for their own protection.
[4] τότε δὴ συνελθόντες εἰς τὴν βουλὴν οἱ πατρίκιοι ψηφίζονται πρεσβευτὰς πρὸς τὸν Μάρκιον ἀποστεῖλαι πέντε ἄνδρας ἐκ τῶν πρεσβυτάτων, οὓς μάλιστ᾽ ἐκεῖνος ἠσπάζετο, περὶ διαλύσεώς τε καὶ φιλίας διαλεξομένους. ἦσαν δ᾽ οἱ προχειρισθέντες ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες οἵδε, Μάρκος Μηνύκιος καὶ Πόστουμος Κομίνιος καὶ Σπόριος Λάρκιος καὶ Πόπλιος Πινάριος καὶ
[4] Then at last the senators met in the senate-house and voted to send to Marcius five of their oldest members who were his closest friends, to treat for reconciliation and friendship. The men chosen were Marcus Minucius, Postumus Cominius, Spurius Larcius, Publius Pinarius and Quintus Sulpicius, all ex-consuls.
[5] Κόιντος Σολπίκιος, ἅπαντες ὑπατικοί. ὡς δ᾽ ἀφίκοντο ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον, καὶ ἔγνω τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτῶν ὁ Μάρκιος, καθεζόμενος ἅμα τοῖς ἐπιφανεστάτοις Οὐολούσκων τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων συμμάχων, ἔνθα πλεῖστοι ἔμελλον ἀκούσεσθαι τῶν λεγομένων, ἐκέλευσε καλεῖν τοὺς ἄνδρας. εἰσελθόντων δ᾽ αὐτῶν ἤρξατο τοῦ λόγου Μηνύκιος, ὁ πλεῖστα κατὰ τὸν τῆς ὑπατείας χρόνον σπουδάσας ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς δημοτικοῖς ἐναντιωθείς, καὶ ἔλεξε τοιάδε.
[5] When they came to the camp and Marcius was informed of their arrival, he seated himself in the midst of the most important of the Volscians and their allies, whe
re very many would hear all that was said, and then ordered the envoys to be summoned. When these came in, Minucius, who during his consulship had been most active in his favour and had distinguished himself by his opposition to the plebeians, spoke first, as follows:
[1] ὅτι μὲν οὐ δίκαια πέπονθας ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου, ὦ Μάρκιε, μετ᾽ αἰτίας αἰσχρᾶς ἐξελασθεὶς ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος, ἅπαντες ἴσμεν: καὶ οὐδὲν οἰόμεθά σε ποιεῖν θαυμαστόν, εἰ χαλεπαίνεις καὶ ἀγανακτεῖς ἐπὶ ταῖς τύχαις. κοινὸς γὰρ δὴ τῆς ἁπάντων φύσεως οὗτος [p. 156] ὁ νόμος, ἐχθρὸν εἶναι τῷ δράσαντι τὸ πεπονθὸς κακῶς.
[23.1] “We are all sensible, Marcius, that you have suffered injustice at the hands of the populace in having been banished from your country under a foul accusation, and we do not regard it as anything strange on your part if you feel anger and resentment at your misfortunes. For common to the nature of all men is this law — that the injured party is an enemy to the aggressor.
[2] ὅτι δ᾽ οὐ μετὰ λογισμοῦ σώφρονος ἐξετάζεις, οὓς ἀμύνεσθαί τε καὶ τιμωρεῖσθαί σοι προσῆκεν, οὐδὲ μετριάζεις περὶ τὴν ἀνάπραξιν τῆς δίκης, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ταὐτῷ τίθεσαι τά τ᾽ ἀναίτια τοῖς αἰτίοις καὶ τὰ φίλια τοῖς πολεμίοις, νόμους τε κινεῖς φύσεως ἀκινήτους καὶ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς συνταράττεις ὅσια, καὶ οὐδὲ σεαυτὸν ἐξ ὧν τε καὶ ὅστις ἔφυς ἔτι μέμνησαι, τοῦτο τεθαυμάκαμεν.
[2] But that you do not examine in the light of sober reason who those are whom you ought to requite and punish, nor show any moderation in exacting that punishment, but class together the innocent with the guilty and friends with enemies, and that you violate the inviolable laws of Nature, confound the duties of religion, and, even as to yourself, no longer remember from whom you are sprung and what sort of man you are — that has seemed strange to us.
[3] ἥκομέν τ᾽ ἀποσταλέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ κοινοῦ πρέσβεις οἱ προὔχοντες ἡλικίᾳ τῶν πατρικίων καὶ περὶ σὲ προθυμότατοι μεμιγμένην φέροντες δικαιολογίαν παραιτήσει, καὶ ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἀξιοῦμέν σε διαλύσεσθαι τὴν ἔχθραν, πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἀπαγγελοῦντες: πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, ἃ νομίζομεν εἶναι κάλλιστα καὶ συμφορώτατά σοι, ταῦτα παραινέσοντες.
[3] We have come now, the oldest of the patricians and the most zealous of your friends, sent by the commonwealth to present our defence mingled with entreaty, and to bring word upon what conditions we ask you to lay aside your enmity toward the populace; and furthermore, to advise you of the course which we believe will be the most honourable and advantageous for you.
[1] ἀρχέτω δ᾽ ὁ περὶ τῶν δικαίων λόγος. συνέστη τὸ δημοτικὸν ἐπὶ σοὶ παροξυνθὲν ὑπὸ τῶν δημάρχων, καὶ ἧκον ὡς ἀποκτενοῦντές σε ἄκριτον, οἷς φοβερὸς ἦσθα. τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἐκωλύσαμεν ἡμεῖς οἱ ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου καὶ παρέσχομέν σοι μηθέν, ὃ μὴ δίκαιον ἦν τότε παθεῖν. μετὰ τοῦτο προὐκαλοῦντό σε οἱ κωλυθέντες ἀνελεῖν ἐπὶ δίκην, αἰτιασάμενοι πονηροὺς κατ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰπεῖν ἐν τῇ βουλῇ λόγους.
[24.1] “Let me speak first concerning the point of justice. The plebeians, inflamed by the tribunes, conspired against you and came with the intention of putting you to death without a trial, because they feared you. This attempt we of the senate prevented, and we permitted you to suffer no injustice on that occasion. Afterwards the same men who had been prevented from destroying you summoned you to trial, charging you with having uttered malicious words about them in the senate.
[2] ἐνέστημεν καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο, ὡς οἶσθα, καὶ οὐκ ἐπετρέψαμεν οὔτε γνώμης οὔτε λόγων ὑποσχεῖν σε δίκας. ἀποτυχόντες [p. 157] καὶ τούτου τελευτῶντες ἧκον ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς αἰτιώμενοί σε τυραννίδι ἐπιχειρεῖν. ταύτην αὐτὸς ὑπέμεινας ἀπολογήσασθαι τὴν αἰτίαν, ἐπειδὴ πάμπολυ ἀπεῖχες αὐτῆς, καὶ παρέσχες τοῖς δημοτικοῖς περὶ σεαυτοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἀναλαβεῖν.
[2] We opposed this too, as you know, and would not permit you to be brought to trial either for your opinion or for your words. Disappointed in this also, they came to us at last, accusing you at aiming at tyranny. This charge you yourself consented to answer, since you were far from guilty of it, and you permitted the plebeians to give their votes concerning you.
[3] ἡ βουλὴ δὲ καὶ τότε παρῆν καὶ πολλὰς ἐποιεῖτο δεήσεις περὶ σοῦ. τίνος οὖν ἡμεῖς οἱ πατρίκιοι τῶν συμβεβηκότων σοι κακῶν γεγόναμεν αἴτιοι, καὶ διὰ τί πολεμεῖς ἡμῖν τοσαύτην εὔνοιαν ἀποδειξαμένοις περὶ σὲ κατὰ τὸν τότε ἀγῶνα; ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ τὸ δημοτικὸν ἅπαν ἐξελασθῆναί σε βουλόμενον εὑρέθη: δυσὶ γοῦν ψήφοις ἑάλως μόναις, ὥστ᾽ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἂν εἴης σὺν δίκῃ πολέμιος, οἵ σε ὡς οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντα ἀπέλυσαν.
[3] The senate was present on this occasion also and made many pleas in your behalf. Of which of the misfortunes, then, that have befallen you have we patricians been the cause? And why do you make war upon us who showed so much goodwill toward you during that contest? But, for that matter, not even all the plebeians were found to desire your banishment; at any rate, you were condemned by two votes only, so that you could not with justice be an enemy to those plebeians, either, who acquitted you as guilty of no wrongdoing.
[4] τίθημι δ᾽, εἰ βούλει, πᾶσι μὲν τοῖς δημόταις δόξαν, ὅλῃ δὲ τῇ βουλῇ φανὲν ταύτῃ χρήσασθαί σε τῇ συμφορᾷ, καὶ δίκαιον εἶναί σου τὸ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἡμᾶς μῖσος: ἀλλ᾽ αἱ γυναῖκές σε, ὦ Μάρκιε, τί δεινὸν εἰργάσαντο, ἀνθ᾽ ὅτου πολεμεῖς αὐταῖς; ποίαν ἐπενέγκασαι περὶ φυγῆς ψῆφον ἢ τίνας εἰποῦσαι κατὰ σοῦ πονηροὺς λόγους;
[4] I will assume, however, if you wish, that it was pursuant to the vote of all the plebeians and the judgement of the entire senate that you suffered this misfortune, and that your hatred against us all is just; but the women, Marcius, what wrong have they done to you that you should make war upon them? By what vote did they condemn you to banishment, or what malicious words did they utter against you?
[5] τί δ᾽ οἱ παῖδες ἡμῶν δράσαντες ἢ διανοηθέντες ἀδικεῖν περὶ σοῦ κινδυνεύουσιν ὑπὲρ αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ἃ παθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰκός, ἐὰν ἡ πόλις ἁλῷ; οὐ τὰ δίκαια διαιτᾷς, ὦ Μάρκιε, καὶ εἰ τοῦτον οἴει δεῖν τὸν τρόπον τὰ ὑπαίτια καὶ ἐχθρὰ μισεῖν, ὥστε μηδὲ τῶν ἀναιτίων φείδεσθαι καὶ φιλίων, οὐκ ἄρα τὰ προσήκοντα ἀνδρὶ ἀγαθῷ [p. 158]
[5] And our children, what wrong have th
ey done or contemplated doing that they should be exposed to captivity and to all the other misfortunes which they would presumably suffer if the city should be taken? You are not just in your judgements, Marcius; and if you think you ought to hate those who are guilty and your enemies in such a manner as not to spare even those who are innocent and your friends, then your way of thinking is not such as becomes a good man.
[6] φρονεῖς. ἵνα δὲ πάντα ταῦτα ἀφῶ, τί ἂν ἔχοις εἰπεῖν, ὦ πρὸς Διός, εἴ τις ἔροιτό σε, τοὺς δὲ δὴ τάφους τῶν προγόνων τί παθὼν ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἀνασκάπτεις καὶ τιμάς, ἃς κομίζονται παρ᾽ ἀνθρώπων, ἀφαιρῇ; θεῶν δὲ βωμοὺς καὶ τεμένη καὶ νεὼς τίνος ἀδικήματος ὀργῇ συλᾷς καὶ κατακαίεις καὶ ἀνατρέπεις καὶ σεβασμῶν οὐκ ἐᾷς τυγχάνειν τῶν νομίμων; τί πρὸς ταῦτα φαίης ἄν; ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ὁρῶ.
[6] But, to omit all these considerations, what, in Heaven’s name, could duty answer if anyone should ask you what injure you have received from your ancestors to induce you to destroy their sepulchres and to deprive them of the honours they receive from men? Or resentment at what injury has led you to despoil, burn and demolish the altars of the gods, their shrines and their temples, and to prevent them from receiving their customary worship? What could you say in answer to this? For my part, I see nothing that you could say.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 609
