Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79)

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [38] “Come now, if aught of what I have said is false, in Heaven’s name let one of these grand men come forward and show what illustrious and noble achievements he relies on to claim a larger share of the land than I. Has he served more years, fought more battles, received more wounds, or excelled me in the number of crowns, decorations, spoils, and the other ornaments of victory — in fact, shown himself a man by whom our enemies have been weakened and our country rendered more illustrious and powerful? Nay, let him show the tenth part of what I have cited to you.

  [2] ἀλλὰ τούτων γ᾽ οἱ πλείους οὐδ᾽ ἂν πολλοστὴν ἔχοιεν προενέγκασθαι μοῖραν τῶν ἐμῶν: ἔνιοι δὲ οὐδ᾽ ἂν τῷ φαυλοτάτῳ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ δήμου φανεῖεν τὰ ἴσα κακοπαθήσαντες. οὐ γάρ ἐστιν αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἡ λαμπρότης, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις, οὐδὲ κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὸ δυνάμενον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν φίλων: οὐδ᾽ ἡγοῦνται κοινὴν οἰκεῖν πόλιν, σφῶν δ᾽ αὐτῶν ἰδίαν, ὥσπερ οὐ συνελευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς τυραννίδος ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ κληρονομίαν παρὰ τῶν τυράννων παραλαβόντες ἡμᾶς: οἵ γε — τὰ μὲν ἄλλα, ὅσα ὑβρίζοντες ἡμᾶς μικρὰ καὶ μείζω διατελοῦσιν, ὡς ἅπαντες ἐπίστασθε, [p. 72]

  [2] But of these men the majority could not produce even the smallest fraction of my exploits; and some would be found not to have undergone as many hardships as the meanest plebeian. For their brilliancy does not lie in arms, but in words, nor is their power exerted against their enemies, but against their friends; and they do not regard the commonwealth in which they dwell as belonging to all alike, but as their own private property — as if they had not been aided by us in gaining their freedom from tyranny, but had received us as an inheritance from the tyrants. I say nothing of the other insults, small and great, which they continue to heap upon us, as you all know;

  [3] σιωπῶ, — ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τοῦτο προεληλύθασιν ὑπερηφανίας, ὥστ᾽ οὐδὲ φωνὴν ἀξιοῦσί τινα ἡμῶν ἀφιέναι περὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἐλευθέραν οὐδὲ διᾶραι τὸ στόμα, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν εἰπόντα περὶ τῆς κληρουχίας Σπόριον Κάσσιον, τρισὶ μὲν ὑπατείαις κεκοσμημένον, δυσὶ δὲ θριάμβοις λαμπροτάτοις, τοσαύτην δὲ δεινότητα περί τε τὰς στρατηγικὰς πράξεις καὶ περὶ τὰ πολιτικὰ βουλεύματα ἀποδειξάμενον, ὅσην οὐδεὶς τῶν τότε γενομένων, τοῦτον τὸν ἄνδρα αἰτιασάμενοι τυραννίδι ἐπιχειρεῖν καὶ ψευδέσι καταγωνισάμενοι μαρτυρίαις δι᾽ οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι φιλόπολις ἦν καὶ φιλόδημος,

  [3] but they have gone so far in their arrogance that they forbid any one of us even to utter a free word in behalf of our country or even to open our mouths. Nay, they accused Spurius Cassius, who first proposed the allotment of land, a man who had been honoured with three consulships and two most brilliant triumphs and had shown greater ability in both military undertakings and political counsels than anyone of that age — this man, I say, they accused of aiming at tyranny and defeated him by means of false testimony, for no other reason than because he was a lover of his country and a lover of the people, and they destroyed him by shoving him over the cliff.

  [4] ὤσαντες ἀπὸ τοῦ κρημνοῦ διέφθειραν. Γναῖον δὲ Γενύκιον δήμαρχον ὄντα ἡμέτερον, ἐπεὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πολίτευμα μετὰ τὸ ἔτος ἑνδέκατον ἀνενεοῦτο, καὶ τοὺς ὑπατεύσαντας ἐν τῷ πρότερον ἐνιαυτῷ κατέστησεν ὑπὸ δίκην ἀμελήσαντας τῶν ψηφισμάτων τῆς βουλῆς, ἃ περὶ τῶν γεωμόρων ἐψηφίσατο, ἐπεὶ φανερῶς οὐχ οἷοί τ᾽ ἦσαν ἀνελεῖν, μιᾷ πρότερον ἡμέρᾳ τῆς δίκης ἀφανῶς ἀνήρπασαν.

  [4] And again, when Gnaeus Genucius, one of our tribunes, revived this same measure after the lapse of eleven years and summoned the consuls of the preceding year to trial for having neglected to carry out the decree which the senate had passed respecting the appointment of the commissioners to divide the land, since they could not destroy him openly, they made away with him secretly the day before the trial.

  [5] τοιγάρτοι πολὺς ἐνέπεσε τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα φόβος, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἔτι τὸ κινδύνευμα τοῦτο ὑπέδυ, ἀλλὰ τριακοστὸν ἔτος τοῦτο ἀνεχόμεθα ὥσπερ ἐν τυραννίδι τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἀπολωλεκότες.

  [5] In consequence, great fear came upon the succeeding tribunes, and not one of them would thereafter expose himself to this danger, but for now the thirtieth year we endure this treatment, as if we had lost our power under a tyranny.

  [1] ἐῶ τἆλλα: ἀλλ᾽ οἱ νῦν ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν, ὅτι τοῖς κατισχυομένοις τῶν δημοτικῶν ἠξίουν βοηθεῖν, οὓς ὑμεῖς ἱεροὺς καὶ ἀσύλους ἐποιήσατε τῷ νόμῳ, τί [p. 73] οὐ πεπόνθασι τῶν δεινῶν; οὐχὶ τυπτόμενοι καὶ λακτιζόμενοι καὶ πᾶσαν αἰκίαν ὑπομείναντες ἀπηλάσθησαν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς; καὶ ὑμεῖς ταῦτα πάσχοντες ἀνέχεσθε καὶ οὐ ζητεῖτε, ὅπως παρ᾽ αὐτῶν λήψεσθε δίκας ταῖς γοῦν ψήφοις, ἐν αἷς μόναις ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν ἀποδείξασθαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν.

  [39.1] “The other things I pass over; but your present magistrates, because they thought it their duty to help those of the plebeians who were oppressed, though by law you had made these magistrates sacred and inviolable, what dreadful treatment have they not suffered? Were they not driven out of the Forum with blows, kicks and every form of outrage? And you, do you endure to suffer such treatment and not seek means of taking revenge on the perpetrators, at least by your votes, in which alone you can show your freedom?

  [2] ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι καὶ νῦν, ὦ δημόται, φρόνημα λαβόντες ἐλεύθερον καὶ τὸν γεωμορικὸν νόμον εἰσφερόντων τῶν δημάρχων ἐπικυρώσατε μηδὲ

  [2] But even now, plebeians, pluck up the courage of free men and, now that the tribunes propose it, ratify the agrarian law, not tolerating even a word from those of the opposite opinion.

  [3] φωνὴν ἀνασχόμενοι τῶν τἀναντία ἀξιούντων. ὑμεῖς δ᾽, ὧ δήμαρχοι, παρακλήσεως μὲν εἰς τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον οὐ δεῖσθε: καὶ γὰρ ἤρξατε αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐχ ὑποκατακλίνεσθε, καλῶς ποιοῦντες: ἐὰν δ᾽ ἐκ τῶν νέων αὐθάδεια καὶ ἀναίδεια ὑμῖν ἐμποδὼν γένηται τοὺς καδίσκους ἀνατρεπόντων ἢ τὰς ψήφους ἁρπαζόντων ἢ ἄλλο τι περὶ τὴν ψηφοφορίαν ἀκοσμούντων, δείξατε αὐτοῖς ἣν ἔχει τὸ ἀρχεῖον ἰσχύν.

  [3] As for you, tribunes, you need no exhortation to do this task, since you began it and in not yielding do well. And if the self-willed and shameless young men obstruct you by overturning the voting-urns, snatching away the ballots or committing any other disorders in connexion with the voting, show them what power your college possesses.

  [4] καὶ ἐπε
ιδὴ οὐ τοὺς ὑπάτους ἔξεστι παῦσαι τῆς ἐξουσίας, τοὺς ἰδιώτας οἷς πρὸς τὰ βίαια ὑπηρέταις ἐκεῖνοι χρῶνται καταστήσαντες ὑπὸ δίκην, ἀνάδοτε τῷ δήμῳ τὰς περὶ αὐτῶν ψήφους, αἰτιασάμενοι παρὰ τοὺς ἱεροὺς νόμους βιάζεσθαι καὶ καταλύειν ὑμῶν τὴν ἀρχήν.

  [4] And since you cannot depose the consuls from power, bring to trial the private persons whom they use as the agents of their violence and take the votes of the populace concerning them, after charging them with attempting to violate and overthrow your magistracy contrary to the sacred laws.”

  [1] τοιαῦτ᾽ εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος οὕτως οἰκείως διετέθη πρὸς τοὺς λόγους καὶ τοσαύτην [p. 74] ἀπεδείξατο ἀγανάκτησιν πρὸς τὸ ἀντίπαλον, ὥσθ᾽, ὅπερ ἔφην καὶ κατ᾽ ἀρχάς, μηδὲ λόγον ἔτι βούλεσθαι τῶν ἀντιλεξόντων ὑπομένειν.

  [40.1] When he had spoken to this effect, the plebeians were so won over by his words and showed so great indignation against their adversaries that, as I said at the outset, they were unwilling to tolerate even another word from those who were intending to speak against the law.

  [2] ὁ μέντοι δήμαρχος Ἰκίλλιος ἀναστὰς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἔφη πάντα ὀρθῶς εἰπεῖν Σίκκιον καὶ μακρὸν ἔπαινον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς διεξῆλθε: τὸ δὲ μὴ μεταδιδόναι λόγου τοῖς ἀντιλέξαι βουλομένοις οὔτε δίκαιον ἀπέφαινεν οὔτε πολιτικόν, ἄλλως τε καὶ περὶ νόμου τῆς ζητήσεως γινομένης, ὃς ἔμελλε κρείττονα ποιήσειν τὴν δίκην τῆς βίας. ταύτῃ γὰρ ἀφορμῇ χρήσεσθαι τοὺς μηδὲν ἴσως καὶ δικαίως τοῖς πολλοῖς φρονοῦντας τοῦ ταράττειν πάλιν καὶ διιστάναι τὰ

  [2] Icilius the tribune, however, rose and said that everything else Siccius had said was excellent, and he praised the man at length; but as to not permitting those who wished to oppose the measure to speak, that, he declared, was neither just nor democratic, especially as the debate was about a law which would make justice superior to violence. For such an opportunity would be used by those who entertained no sentiments of equality and justice toward the masses to disturb them again and cause factious divisions about the interests of the commonwealth.

  [3] συμφέροντα τῆς πόλεως. ταῦτ᾽ εἰπὼν καὶ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἀποδείξας ἡμέραν τοῖς κατηγόροις τοῦ νόμου διέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. οἱ δὲ ὕπατοι συναγαγόντες ἰδιωτικὸν συνέδριον πατρικίων τῶν ἀνδρειοτάτων τε καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τῇ πόλει τότ᾽ ἀνθούντων ἐδίδασκον αὐτούς, ὡς κωλυτέος εἴη σφίσιν ὁ νόμος, λόγοις μὲν πρῶτον, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ πείθωσι τὸν δῆμον, ἔργοις. ἐκέλευόν τε ἅπασιν ἥκειν ἕωθεν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἅμα τοῖς ἑταίροις τε καὶ πελάταις, ὅσοις ἂν ἕκαστοι πλείστοις δύνωνται.

  [3] Having spoken thus and assigned the following day to the opponents of the law, he dismissed the assembly. The consuls, on their side, called a private meeting of those patricians who were the bravest and in the highest repute in the city at the time, and showed them that they must hinder the law from passing, first by their words, and if they could not persuade the populace, then by their deeds. They bade them all come early in the morning to the Forum with as many friends and clients as each of them could get together;

  [4] ἔπειτα τοὺς μὲν περὶ αὐτὸ τὸ βῆμα καὶ τὸ ἐκκλησιαστήριον ἑστῶτας ὑπομένειν, τοὺς δὲ κατὰ πολλὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς μέρη συστρέψαντας ἑαυτοὺς διαστῆναι, ὥστε διειλῆφθαι τὸ δημοτικὸν διεσπασμένον καὶ κωλύεσθαι πρὸς αὐτῶν εἰς ἓν συνελθεῖν. ἐδόκει ταῦτα κράτιστα εἶναι, καὶ πρὶν ἡμέραν λαμπρὰν γενέσθαι τὰ πολλὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς κατείχετο ὑπὸ τῶν πατρικίων. [p. 75]

  [4] then some of them should take their stand round the tribunal itself and the comitium and remain there, while others, forming in groups, took up positions in many different parts of the Forum, in order to keep the plebeians divided and hinder them from uniting in one body. This seemed to be the best plan, and before it was broad daylight the greater part of the Forum was occupied by the patricians.

  [1] μετὰ ταῦτα οἵ τε δήμαρχοι καὶ οἱ ὕπατοι παρῆσαν, καὶ λέγειν ὁ κῆρυξ ἐκέλευσε τὸν βουλόμενον τοῦ νόμου κατηγορεῖν. πολλῶν δὲ καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν παριόντων οὐθενὸς ἐξάκουστος ἦν ὁ λόγος ὑπὸ τοῦ θορύβου τε καὶ τῆς ἀκοσμίας τῶν ἐκκλησιαζόντων. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπεκέλευόν τε καὶ ἐπεθάρρυνον τοὺς λέγοντας, οἱ δ᾽ ἐξέβαλλόν τε καὶ κατεβόων. ἐκράτει δὲ οὔτε ὁ τῶν συλλαμβανόντων ἔπαινος, οὔτε ὁ τῶν ἀντιπραττόντων θόρυβος.

  [41.1] After that the tribunes and the consuls appeared and the herald bade anyone who so desired to speak against the law. But though many good men came forward, the words of none of them could be heard by reason of the tumult and disorderly behaviour of the assembly. For some cheered and encouraged the speakers, while others were for throwing them out or for shouting them down; but neither the applause of the supporters nor the clamour of the opponents prevailed.

  [2] ἀγανακτούντων δὲ τῶν ὑπάτων καὶ μαρτυρομένων, ὅτι τῆς βίας ὁ δῆμος ἄρχει λόγον οὐκ ἀξιῶν ὑπομένειν, ἀπελογοῦντο οἱ δήμαρχοι πρὸς ταῦτα, ὅτι ἤδη πέμπτον ἔτος τῶν αὐτῶν ἀκούοντες λόγων οὐθὲν ποιοῦσι θαυμαστόν, εἰ μὴ ἀξιοῦσιν ὑπομένειν ἑώλους καὶ κατημαξευμένας ἀντιλογίας.

  [2] When the consuls were incensed at this and protested that the populace had begun the violence by refusing to tolerate a word, the tribunes attempted to justify them by saying that, inasmuch as the plebeians kept hearing the same arguments for now the fifth year, they were doing nothing remarkable if they did not care to put up with stale and trite objections.

  [3] ὡς δὲ τὸ πλεῖον τῆς ἡμέρας εἰς ταῦτα ἐδαπανήθη, καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἀπῄτει τὰς ψήφους, οὐκέτι ἀνασχετὸν ἡγησάμενοι τὸ πρᾶγμα οἱ νεώτατοι τῶν πατρικίων διίστασθαι τε βουλομένοις κατὰ φυλὰς τοῖς δημόταις ἐμποδὼν ἐγίνοντο καὶ τὰ ἀγγεῖα τῶν ψήφων τοὺς ἔχοντας ἀφῃροῦντο καὶ τῶν ὑπηρετούντων τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους ταῦτα ἀφιέναι τύπτοντές τε καὶ

  [3] When most of the day had been spent in these contests and the populace insisted upon giving their votes, the youngest of the patricians, regarding the situation as no longer endurable, hindered the plebeians when they wished to divide themselves by tribes, took away the voting-urns from those who were in charge of them, and beating and pushing such of the attendants as would not part with them, sought to drive them from the comitium.

  [4] ὠθοῦ
ντες ἐξέβαλλον. κεκραγότων δὲ τῶν δημάρχων καὶ εἰς μέσους αὐτοὺς ὠθουμένων ἐκείνοις μὲν ὑπεχώρουν καὶ παρεῖχον ὅποι βούλοιντο χωρεῖν ἀδεῶς, τοῦ δ᾽ ἄλλου δήμου τὸ ἑπόμενον αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ κατ᾽ [p. 76] ἄλλα καὶ ἄλλα μέρη τῆς ἀγορᾶς ὑπὸ θορύβου καὶ ἀταξίας κινούμενον ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς οὐ παρίεσαν, ὥστ᾽ ἀνωφελὴς ἦν ἡ τῶν ἀρχόντων βοήθεια. τέλος δ᾽ οὖν ἐπεκράτησαν οἱ πατρίκιοι καὶ οὐκ εἴασαν ἐπικυρωθῆναι τὸν νόμον.

  [4] But when the tribunes cried out and rushed into their midst, the youths made way for those magistrates and permitted them to go in safety wherever they wished, but of the rest of the populace they did not let pass either those who were in the tribunes’ train or those who in various parts of the Forum were endeavouring amid the uproar and disorder to move toward them; hence the assistance of the tribunes was of no avail.

  [5] οἱ δὲ προθυμότατα συλλαβέσθαι δόξαντες τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐκ τριῶν οἰκιῶν ἦσαν, Ποστόμιοι καὶ Σεμπρώνιοι καὶ τρίτοι Κλοίλιοι, γένους τε ἀξιώσει λαμπρότατοι καὶ ἑταιρίαις μεγάλα δυνάμενοι πλούτῳ τε καὶ δόξῃ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ πόλεμον ἔργοις ἐπιφανεῖς: καὶ τοῦ μὴ κυρωθῆναι τὸν νόμον οὗτοι ὡμολογοῦντο αἰτιώτατοι γενέσθαι.