τά ματαία

Month: September 2012

  • Chronicles From the City Founding of Livius Titus, Book I

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    AppleMark

    Chapter 9

    The rape of the Sabine women provides wives for the Romans.

    The Roman weal had become so strong that to any of the bordering states, it was equal in battle ; but for a want of women, the greatness would last but the age of a man, for naturally to those for whom there were no marriages with bordering peoples neither was there hope of offspring at home. So then, on the counsel of the fathers, Romulus sent envoys around to the neighboring tribes, who sought alliance and marriage for the new people : cities also, just as with the rest, born of humblest circumstance ; subsequently, virtue itself and the gods would assist them to fashion for themselves great power and a great name, enough to know that for the Roman origin the gods were present and virtue was not lacking ; accordingly let men not be reluctant to mix blood and tribe with men. Nowhere were the envoys kindly heard ; but all the while spurning Rome1 so, while her might waxed so great in their midst, they also feared for themselves and for their own posterity. And they were dismissed by most asking if they had opened a sanctuary for women, too : for that alone would be an equal marriage. The young men of Roman suffered this poorly and without a doubt the affair began to incline toward violence. So that Romulus could offer an apt time and place for this, disguising his afflicted spirit, he purposely prepared games, ceremonies for the Equestrian Neptune ; he called it the Consualia. Then he bid that the spectacle be proclaimed to the bordering tribes ; and by as much splendor as they then knew or were able, they celebrated, such that the thing became famous and much awaited. Many mortals assembled, and especially zealous to see the new city were each of those nearest, the men of Caenina, of Crustumerium, and Antemnae ;  and the whole multitude of the Sabines came, with their children and their wives. They were invited hospitably through the homes, and when they saw the situation, the walls, and the city crowded with buildings, they were amazed that the Roman weal had grown so much in a brief time. When the time for the spectacle arrived and it had captured their attention2, then, as planned3, violence broke out, and when a signal was given, the Roman youth ran to and fro to abduct the maidens. Most were taken by chance, by whomever each had encountered ; but certain women surpassing in form were chosen by the first rank of the fathers, and men from the plebs, to whom the task had been given, carried them away to their homes. One woman, distinguished before any other by her appearance and beauty, was taken by a gang for a certain Thalassius, they say, and with many asking where they took her, it was repeatedly cried aloud, so that no one would violate her, that she was being taken for Thalassius ; and thus at any marriage this cry is made.

    With the festival thrown into tumult by fear, the grief-stricken parents of the maidens fled, protesting that the covenant of violated hospitality and invoking the god to whose games they had come for ceremony and had been deceived contrary to faith and divine law. And for those abducted, neither was their hope for themselves any better nor was their indignation any lesser. But Romulus himself was going around and explaining that this deed of the fathers was done out of pride, for they had been denied marriage by the bordering tribes ; those women, however, would be legally wed and have a share of the state and all fortunes, and of what nothing is be held more dear than, children ; in this way they should mollify angers and, for to whom chance had given their bodies, they should give their spirits ; for often out of injury arises grace ; and in this way they would find better husbands—that each man would strive for his own benefit, since he would perform his duty for his own reciprocal good, so that even the loss for their parents and homeland would be somehow filled. Added were the blandishments of the men, making apologies for a deed done out of desire and love, which are the most effective entreaties to a woman’s nature.

    1. Livy doesn’t name Rome here, but rather implies the object of the spurning. I broke down and inserted the object to avoid a total confusion of pronouns.
    2. The Latin here is, deditae eo mentes cum oculis errant, literally, “their minds with their eyes had been surrendered to it”.
    3. Another Latin idiom, ex composito, from componere, “to compose, to order, arrange”, thus “out of (something) arranged”.

    , , , , ,

  • Thucydides’ History, Book 6

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Chapter 13

    “And I now, seeing which men from here are summoned and sit by this man, I feel fear. And to the older men I advise in turn not to be disgraced, should any of these men sit near him, lest he seem, should he fail to cast a vote for making war, to be faint-hearted, nor to do the very thing which those men might themselves suffer, to be sick in love for what is absent, but rather know that with desire, they succeed the least, but with forethought, the most, and instead, on behalf of our fatherland, now gambling a greater risk than any prior, to vote against, and to cast your ballots that the Sikeliots observe those present boundaries with us, which are not blameworthy, those by the Ionian bay1 if one should sail along the coast, and by Sicily, if through the sea, and to come together that they may allot their own affairs amongst themselves ; and to tell the Egestaioi in particular that, since they first joined battle with the Selintunines without the Athenians, they can also resolve it all by themselves ; and in the future, not to make allies such as we have been accustomed, wherein we give defense to those who fare poorly while we ourselves, needing aid, chance upon none.”

    1. The word for bay here, κόλπος, can refer to any fold or hollow, but often more specifically means “bosom” or “womb”. I wonder if this gives a sense here of the Ionian bay as the womb of Greek culture.

    , ,

  • Chronicles From the City Founding of Livius Titus, Book I

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Chapter 8

    Romulus gives his people a code of law and himself the insignia of authority. He then opens a refuge and appoints a hundred senators.

    Once the divine rites were solemnly performed, he summoned to a council the multitude, which had been able to coalesce into a single body of the people by no thing other than by laws, and he gave them the rule of law, which he nevertheless reckoned would be sanctified by the rustic tribe of men only if he made himself venerable by insignia of authority. Thus by his comportment, he made himself more majestic in diverse ways, but especially by taking on twelve lictors. Some think that he followed the number from the number of birds which by their augury had predicted his reign, but by no means does it grieve me to hold the opinions of those whom it pleases to think both that the attendants of this kind were drawn from neighboring Etruscans, whence the curule chair, and whence the edged toga were acquired, and also thus the number itself, and that the Etruscans did such because from twelve peoples in common, having appointed a king, they gave one lictor each from each people.

    Meanwhile, the city was growing, its fortifications seeking one spot after another, for they were building more in hope of a future multitude than to what there was of men at the time. And then, so that the city’s space was not empty, for reason of the multitude about to be added, by a long-standing plan for adding to cities, which, for the purpose of drawing to themselves an obscure and humble multitude, assert falsely that offspring for themselves were born from the earth, he opened a place as sanctuary, a place now enclosed between two groves as you climb the hill. From bordering peoples, a whole crowd, without distinction whether one was freeman or slave, fled to it greedy for something new, and this was a first step toward the commenced greatness of might. Since he was now by no means grieved of strength, he then furnished a council for that strength. He appointed a hundred senators, either because this number was enough, or because there were only a hundred who could be appointed as fathers. They were called fathers, at any rate, from their rank and the patricians are descended from them.

    , ,

  • Thucydides’ History, Book 6

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Going back over my posts, I realized that I missed posting this segment. Here it is now, out of order.

    Chapter 5

    And Himera was founded from Zangkle, by Eukleidos and Simos and Sakon, and of those who went to the distant colony, and colonised jointly with those men, most were Chalkidans, but there were also fugitives from Syracuse defeated by factions there, and they were called the Myletidai ; and speech mingled in the midst of the Chalkidans and the Dorians, but the Chalkidan institutions dominated. Akrai and Kasmenai were founded by the Syracusians, Akrai in the seventieth year after Syracuse, and Kasmenai almost twenty years after Akrai. And Kamarina was first founded by Syracusians, almost exactly five and thirty and a hundred years after the settling of Syracuse ; and Daskon and Menekolos were made the oikists of it. And when the Kamarinaians were driven out in war by the Syracusians due to revolt, Hippocrates, tyrant of Gela, as ransoms for the Syracusian men taken at spearpoint, took the land of Kamarina, resettled Kamarina, and made himself its oikist. And they were driven out again by Gelon, it was re-colonised for the third time by Gelaneans.

    , ,

  • Thucydides’ History, Book 6

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Chapter 12

    “And we must remember that we have only just now been given a short respite from a great plague and a war, such that we have grown in our wealth and bodies ; and from this, that it is right to use these on our own behalf, and not on behalf of these fugitive men, requesting auxiliary, for whom it is useful both prettily to deceive and also, by risk to someone else, themselves furnishing only words, either to know no worthy gratitude should they succeed, or, should they make some mis-step, to take their friends down with them. And if someone1, happy to have been chosen to rule, especially one still too young for a command, if he advises you to sail, he is looking out for himself alone, so that he would be admired, whether for the stabling of horses, or through his extravagance, and so he would gain some benefit from the command. Do not empower him to gain distinction in this way, by endangering the city for himself. Believe that such men as this wrong the public treasury, just as they squander private wealth, and that this is a great matter and not of the sort to be counselled nor hastily managed by one so young.”

    1. By “someone” he clearly means Alcibiades.

    , ,

  • Thucydides’ History, Book 6

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Chapter 11

    “And further, if we prevailed over these1, we could control them ; whereas even if we overpower those2, by being far away and many, we would be able to rule them only with difficulty. It would be unthinkable to go to such as these and not, having overpowered them, control them, or not succeeding, not even be in the same position as before attempting. The Sikeliots, it seems to me that, as they are now, they would be the less frightening to us if the Syracusians were to rule them ; the very thing with which the Egestaioi cause us great alarm. For as it is, each of them separately might equally wish to, for the sake of the Lacedaimonians, but in the other case it is not so likely for a ruling power to campaign against a ruling power :  for the way in which they, along with the Peloponessians, would take away ours, it is likely that by the same hand and through the same means, they and their own would be taken down. And the Hellenes there3 would marvel us more if we were not to arrive at all, or failing that, if following a display of power, we were to leave after a short time ;  for all things we know from a distance are wondrous, and also those given least trial of their worth. And if we were thrown down they would soon look down on us and with those from here, they would make an attempt against us. This is very thing, good Athenians, that you now have experienced with regard to the Lacedaimonians and their allies ; because you prevailed, contrary to your expectation in regard to what you initially feared, you came quickly to disdain it, and to long for Sicily, too. We must not be conceited with respect to the fortunes of our adversaries, but rather, having overpowered their intent, take heart, but not believe that the Lacedaimonians, due to their disgrace, look for anything other than whatever way, even now, they shall put well their own indecorous behavour, if they are able after throwing us down, to the extent that for the most part and the longest time they court the reputation of virtue. Such that a contest concerning the Egestaioi in Sicily, barbarian men, is not ours, if we are prudent, but instead, how we will keep guard against the city plotting through the oligarchy.”

    1. The Chalkidans in Thrace.
    2. The Sikeliots.
    3. In Sicily.

    , ,

  • Thucydides’ History, Book 6

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Nicias continues his speech here, and for a few more chapters.

    Chapter 10

    “For I say that although you left many enemies behind here to sail there, you desire to bring more again upon yourselves here. And perhaps you think that the treaty made with you is firm, but it is a treaty which, while you keep your peace, exists in name1 (for thusly both men from here did these things and also those on the other side), but should we be thrown down anywhere by a worthy power, the attempt our enemies make against us will be swift, enemies for whom this arrangement was first made under compulsion due to disasters and from a cause more shameful for them than for us, and further, in the thing itself, we have much that is the subject of dispute. There are those to this day who do not welcome this agreement, nor are they the weakest ; some openly make war, while others, because the Lacedaimonians also keep their peace, are themselves also restrained by the ten-day treaties. Quite possibly, if they caught us with our power divided, the very end for which we are now eager, they would by all means join in attack with the Sikeliots2, whom they valued before many to have as allies in an earlier time. Such that someone must examine these things, and he must not consent to endanger the city, held in the balance, nor deem it worthy to reach for another rule until we have secured what we have, if those Chalkidans at Thrace, for one, who have rebelled against us for so many years still remain unsubdued, then certain others also, all across the mainlands, would heed us but doubtfully. We are coming quickly to the aid of our Egestaioi allies for being wronged : but by those whom we are ourselves wronged, having so long ago rebelled, we still waver to punish.”

    1. That is to say, no friendly sentiment lies behind the treaty.
    2. The Sikeliots refer to the Hellenes who live in Sicily.

    , ,

  • Chronicles From the City Founding of Livius Titus, Book I

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Chapter 7

    Romulus slays Remus, and founds Rome. The story of Hercules and Cacus, the arrival of Evander, and the institution of the cult of Hercules.

    It is said that the augury came to Remus first, six vultures ; and yet when the augury was announced, twice the number had shown themselves to Romulus, and his own following saluted each as king : they both claimed the throne, the former by priority of time, and the latter by number of birds. From this, although they contended by talks, owing to the conflict of their passions, they turned to murder ; there in the tumult, Remus fell under a blow. The story more widely known is that for mockery of his brother, Remus had jumped over the new walls ; from that he was killed by Romulus, in anger, and he added insult to injury, berating, “Thus comes next for anyone else who jumps over my walls.” Thus Romulus alone was the possessor of authority ; the founded city was called by the name of the founder.

    He fortified the Palatium first, where he himself had been raised. He made it sacred to other gods by an Alban rite, and to Greek Hercules, as was instituted by Evander. They recounted how Hercules, at that place, after he had slain Geryon, driven off the oxen, a wonder to behold, and near the river Tiber, over which he transferred the cattle, leading them by swimming to a grassy place, such that by a pleasant rest and nourishment he restored the oxen and he himself sank down, wearied by the road. There, once a deep sleep overtook him, weighed down by food and wine, a shepherd, neighbour to his place, Cacus by name, ferocious because of his strength, was struck by the beauty of the cattle, and he wished for that booty to turn around, because if he herded  the cattle to a cavern by doing this, then the master who sought them by their hoof-prints would be turned away from him, and so, after turned the cattle around, whichsoever were the most choice in beauty, he drew them by their tails to the cavern. Hercules, roused from sleep at the first light of dawn and once he had looked over the herd1 and perceived that a part were missing from their number, he proceeded to the nearest cave, if by chance the hoof-prints bore in that direction. Out of where, he saw, that they were all turned forth, and did not bear in any other way, and so confused and troubled in his spirit, he commenced to lead the cattle forward, away from a place made unsafe. From there, once led away, some of the cows were lowing in longing for those left behind, as does happen, and the returned voice from the cavern, of the cattle enclosed within, caused Hercules to turn. He whom, rushing to the cave, Cacus tried to prevent by force, and thus he fell in death under the blow of a cudgel, fruitlessly invoking the loyalty of shepherds. At that time, Evander, a fugitive from the Peloponnese, was ruling that place more by reputation and influence than by any right to rule, a man venerated for the marvel of letters, a novel thing among men uncultivated in the arts, and venerated more for the believed divinity of his mother, Carmenta, whom, prophesying prior to the arrival of Sibylla to Italy, the clans there had marveled. Evander, then, roused by the rush of shepherds, to sound an alarm, around the intruder, accused of proven murder, and after he heard the deed and the reason for the deed, observing that the form and deportment of the man was considerably more glorious and more august than human, asked who the man was. And when he received the name, father and fatherland, “Child of Jove, Hercules, good tidings,” he said. “My mother, a truthful interpreter, sang to me that you will be exalted as a god, a member of the heavenly host, and that an altar will be consecrated here for you which will be the greatest the clan, one day the most opulent in the world, will appeal to, and will worship by your rite.” Hercules gave his right hand and affirmed that he accepted the omen and intended to fulfill the oracles by an altar built and consecrated. There and then the first sacrifice was made to Hercules with a choice cow taken from the herd, by the Potitii and the Pinarii, called to the ministry and the sacrificial feast, who at the time were the most illustrious families dwelling at that place. Thus by chance it occurred that the Potitii were at hand on time, and the internal organs were set before them, the Pinarii came for the remaining feast, after the organs were eaten. From this the custom remained as long as there was a Pinarius descendant, that they would not be fed the organs of their ceremonies. The Potitii, instructed by Evander, were the overseers of his sacrifice for many generations, until the solemn ministry of the family was handed over to public slaves and the entire descent of the Potitii was lost. Romulus, then, took up this one foreign sacrament from them all, even then a patron to the path of immortality by virtue to which his fates were leading him.

    1. The Latin here is a wonderful Latin idiom: gregem perlustrasset oculis, “he traversed all through the herd with his eyes”.

    , , , , ,

  • Thucydides’ History, Book 6

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Chapter 8

    During the summer that followed, in the spring, the ambassadors of the Athenians arrived from Sicily and the Egestaioi with them, bringing sixty talants of unmarked silver as a month’s payment for sixty ships, which they intended to ask them to send. And the Athenians held an assembly and from both the Egestaioi and from their own ambassadors they heard, among other things, both seductive and not true, about the wealth, that much would be at hand in the temples and in the commons, and then they cast their votes to send the sixty ships to Sicily, and generals, under their own oversight, Alcibiades son of Cleinios, Nicias son of Niceratos, and Lamachos son of Xenophanos, as aid to the Egestaioi against the Selinuntines, and to jointly colonize Leontinoi, if any opportunities arose for them during the war, but moreover to accomplish whatever dealings in Sicily they thought would be best for the Athenians. And on the fifth day afterward, they again held an assembly, to cast ballots concerning how they might make preparations for the ships as quickly as possible, and for the generals, whether anything was needed for the sailing. And Nicias, although chosen was unwilling to lead, as he believed that the city had not been thinking straight, but that for a motive trifling and specious, they desired all Sicily, a great work indeed, and coming forward he wanted to turn them away from this, and to the Athenians, he advised as follows:

    Chapter 9

    “The Assembly for our preparations has assembled here, concerning in what way we must sail away to Sicily ; but it seems to me that the thing itself still needs to be examined, whether it really is best to send our ships, and so not thusly by trifling counsel concerning a great matter, and by obeying men of another tribe, take up a war that is none of our concern. Furthermore, although I myself gain honour by such affairs as this and fear for my own body less than other men, I believe that the citizen is eqally good who does have some care for his body or being ; such a man, for his own sake, would more wish that the affairs of the city were set right. Nevertheless, neither in prior times have I spoken contrary to my opinion for the sake of being honoured, nor shall I now, but rather I say what I know would be best. But my words would be without strength considering your character, were I to advise you to safeguard the status quo, and not to take risks with what you have for things unrevealed and yet to come ; but you are not striving at the opportune moment nor is it easy to take hold upon that which you desire, this is what I shall instruct.”

    , ,

  • Chronicles From the City Founding of Livius Titus, Book I

    Posted on

    by

    metaphrastes

    Chapter 6

    Numitor is restored to his throne and Romulus and Remus decide to found a new city.

    Amidst the initial tumult, Numitor insisted that enemies had invaded the city and had fallen upon the palace, and he had called away the manpower of Alba to hold the fortress for defense and arms, but as soon as he saw that the youths, once they had perpetrated the killing, proceeded to congratulate him, he called for a council straightaway and exposed his brother’s crimes against him, the origin of his grandsons, how they were born, how they were raised, how they were recognized, and that the subsequent killing of the tyrant followed his command. The youths proceeded through the middle of the gathering in a troop, and once they had hailed their grandfather as king, a united voice from the whole multitude followed and brought to pass the acknowledged title and authority of the king.

    Thus, with the Alban state yielded to Numitor, a desire seized Romulus and Remus to found a city at that place where they had been exposed and where they had been raised. There was an abundant multidude of Albans and Latins ; and to it were added shepherds, who all easily gave rise to hope that Alba and Lavinium would become small before that city which was founded. But then an ancestral misfortune interrupted these deliberations, a desire for the throne, and from that a foul strife arose from a gentle enough beginning. Seeing that they were twins, it was not possible, by respect for age, to make any distinction between them, and so that those gods, under whose keeping those places were, could choose by auguries who would give his name to the new city, who would rule the founded city by his authority, they took quarters of the sky for auguring by the flight of birds, Romulus those of the Palatine, and Remus of the Aventine.

    , ,

Return to μεταφραστής

Categories

Archives