Texte grec :
| [6,80] Παραδείγματα δὲ τούτων γενέσθωσαν ἡμῖν
πολλοί τε Ἕλληνες πολλοί τε βάρβαροι, μάλιστα δ´ οἱ
τούτων τε καὶ ἡμῶν πρόγονοι· ὧν οἱ μὲν μετ´ Αἰνείου
συναναστάντες ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας εἰς τὴν Εὐρώπην ἐν τῇ
Λατίνων γῇ πόλιν ᾤκισαν, οἱ δ´ ὕστερον ἐξ Ἄλβας
ἀναστάντες Ῥωμύλου τὴν ἀποικίαν ἄγοντος ἐν τοῖσδε
τοῖς τόποις ἱδρύσαντο τὴν ὑφ´ ἡμῶν ἐκλειπομένην.
ὑπάρχει τε ἡμῖν δύναμις οὐκ ὀλίγῳ πλείων μόνον τῆς
ἐκείνοις γενομένης, ἀλλὰ καὶ τριπλασία, καὶ πρόφασις
δικαιοτέρα τῆς μεταναστάσεως. οἱ μέν γε ἐξ Ἰλίου
μεταναστάντες ὑπὸ πολεμίων ἐξηλαύνοντο, ἡμεῖς δ´
αὐτόθεν ὑπὸ φίλων· ἐλεεινότερον δὲ δήπου τὸ πρὸς
τῶν οἰκείων ἢ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐλαύνεσθαι. οἱ δὲ Ῥωμύλῳ
συναράμενοι τῆς στρατείας ἐπὶ τῷ κτήσασθαι
κρείττονα γῆν ὑπερεῖδον τῆς πατρῴας· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν
ἄπολιν καὶ τὸν ἀνέστιον ἐκλείποντες βίον, οὔτε θεοῖς
ἐπίφθονον οὔτε ἀνθρώποις λυπηρὰν οὔτε γῇ τινι βαρεῖαν
στέλλομεν ἀποικίαν, {ἀλλ´} οὐδὲ δι´ αἵματος καὶ
φόνων ἐμφυλίων ἐλθόντες πρὸς τοὺς ἀπελαύνοντας
ἡμᾶς, οὐδὲ πυρὶ καὶ σιδήρῳ κακώσαντες τὴν ἐκλειπομένην
γῆν, οὐδ´ ἄλλο μνημόσυνον οὐδὲν αἰωνίου καταλιπόντες
ἔχθρας, ὡς ταῖς παρεσπονδημέναις φυγαῖς
καὶ εἰς ἀβουλήτους ἀνάγκας κατακλεισθείσαις ἔθος ἐστὶ
δρᾶν. θεούς τε ἐπιμαρτυράμενοι καὶ δαίμονας, οἳ τὰ
θνητὰ πάντα κατὰ δίκην ἄγουσι, καὶ καταλιπόντες
ἐκείνοις ἀναπράξασθαι τὰς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν δίκας, ἐκεῖνο
μόνον ἀξιοῦμεν, οἷς ἐστιν ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει τέκνα
νήπια καὶ γονεῖς καὶ εἴ τινες ἄρα γυναῖκες ἡμῖν ἐθελήσουσι
κοινωνεῖν τῆς τύχης, τὰ σώματ´ ἀπολαβεῖν.
ταῦθ´ ἡμῖν ἀπόχρη λαβεῖν, καὶ οὐκέτι οὐδενὸς ἄλλου
δεόμεθα τῶν ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος. ἀλλ´ εὐτυχεῖτε καὶ ζῆτε
βίον, ὃν ἂν προαιρῆσθε, οὕτως ἀπολίτευτα καὶ ἀκοινώνητα
πρὸς τοὺς ταπεινοτέρους φρονοῦντες.
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Traduction française :
| [6,80] "Of this let many Greeks and many barbarians serve us as examples, particularly
the ancestors of both these men and ourselves; some of whom, leaving Asia with
Aeneas, came into Europe and built a city in the country of the Latins, and others,
coming as colonists from Alba under the leadership of Romulus, built in these parts
the city we are now (p93) leaving. We have with us forces not merely a left larger than
they had, but actually three times their number, and a more just cause for removing.
For those who removed from Troy were driven out by enemies, but we are driven
hence by friends; and it is a more pitiable experience doubtless to be expelled by one's
own people than by foreigners. Those who took part in the expedition of Romulus
scorned the country of their ancestors in the hope of acquiring a better; but we, who
are abandoning the life which had for us no city and no hearth, are going forth as a
colony that will be neither hateful to the gods nor troublesome to men nor grievous to
any country, and moreover we have not inflicted blood-shed and slaughter upon the
kinsmen who are driving us forth, nor have we laid waste with fire and sword the
country we are leaving, nor left behind any other memorial of an everlasting hatred,
as is the usual practice of people who are driven into exile in violation of treaties and
reduced to unenviable straits. And calling to witness the gods and other divinities
who direct all human affairs with justice, and leaving it to them to avenge our wrongs,
we make but this one request, that those of us who have left in the city infant children
and parents, and wives, in case these shall be willing to share our fortunes, may get
them back. We are satisfied to receive these, and we ask for naught else besides from
our fatherland. But fare you well and lead the life you choose, you who are so
unwilling to associate as fellow-citizens and to share your blessings with those of
humbler estate."
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