Texte grec :
| [19,10] Πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Ῥωμαίων ὕπατος ἀντιγράφει
τήν τε αὐθάδειαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐπιρραπίζων
καὶ τὸ φρόνημα τῆς Ῥωμαίων πόλεως ἐνδεικνύμενος·
Πόπλιος Οὐαλέριος Λαβίνιος, στρατηγὸς ὕπατος Ῥωμαίων,
βασιλεῖ Πύρρῳ χαίρειν. ἀνδρὸς ἔργον εἶναί
μοι δοκεῖ σώφρονος ἀπειλητικὰς πέμπειν ἐπιστολὰς
πρὸς τοὺς ὑπηκόους· ὧν δ´ οὔτε τὴν δύναμιν ἐξήτακεν
οὔτε τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐπέγνωκε, τούτων ὡς φαύλων καὶ
μηδενὸς ἀξίων καταφρονεῖν, ἀνοήτου μοι φαίνεται
τρόπου τεκμήριον εἶναι καὶ τὸ διάφορον οὐκ ἐπισταμένου.
ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τοῖς λόγοις τιμωρεῖσθαι τοὺς
ἐχθροὺς εἰώθαμεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔργοις, καὶ οὔτε δικαστὴν
ποιούμεθά σε περὶ ὧν Ταραντίνοις ἢ Σαυνίταις
ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις πολεμίοις ἐγκαλοῦμεν οὔτ´ ἐγγυητὴν
λαμβάνομεν ἐκτίσματος οὐδενός, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἡμῶν αὐτῶν
ὅπλοις τὸν ἀγῶνα κρινοῦμεν καὶ τὰς τιμωρίας,
ὡς ἂν αὐτοὶ θέλωμεν, ἀναπράξομεν. ταῦτα δὴ προειδὼς
ἀνταγωνιστὴν ἡμῖν παρασκεύαζε σαυτόν, ἀλλὰ
μὴ δικαστήν. Καὶ περὶ ὧν ἡμᾶς αὐτὸς ἀδικεῖς
οὕστινας ἐγγυητὰς ἐκτισμάτων παρέξεις σκόπει· μὴ
Ταραντίνους ἀναδέχου μηδὲ τοὺς πολεμίους τὰ δίκαια
ὑφέξειν. εἰ δ´ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου πόλεμον αἴρεσθαι
πρὸς ἡμᾶς διέγνωκας, ἴσθι σοι ταὐτὸ συμβησόμενον,
ὃ πᾶσι συμβαίνειν ἀνάγκη τοῖς μάχεσθαι βουλομένοις,
πρὶν ἐξετάσαι πρὸς οὓς ποιήσονται τὴν μάχην. ταῦτα
ἐνθυμούμενος, εἴ τινος δέῃ τῶν ἡμετέρων, ἀποθέμενος
τὰς ἀπειλὰς καὶ τὸ βασιλικὸν αὔχημα καταβαλὼν ἴθι
πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν καὶ δίδασκε καὶ πεῖθε τοὺς συνέδρους,
ὡς οὐδενὸς ἀτυχήσων οὔτε τῶν δικαίων οὔτε
τῶν εὐγνωμόνων.
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Traduction française :
| [19,10] (17.17) In reply to this the Roman consul wrote back, rebuking the man's
arrogance and displaying the lofty spirit of the Roman commonwealth: "Publius
Valerius Lavinius, general and consul of the Romans, to King Pyrrhus, greetings. 2 It
seems to me to be the part of a prudent man to send threatening letters to his
subjects; but to despise those whose might he has not tested and whose (p357) valour he
has not learned to know, as if they were insignificant and of no account, seems to me
to be evidence of a disposition that is foolish and does not know how to discriminate.
3 As for us, we are wont to punish our enemies, not by words, but by deeds, and we
are neither making you a judge in the matter of our charges against the Tarentines,
Samnites or our other foes nor accepting you as a surety for the payment of any
penalty, but we shall decide the contest by our own arms and exact the penalties as
we ourselves wish. Now that you are forewarned of this, make yourself ready as our
opponent, not as our judge. 4 (18) As for the wrongs you yourself have done us, take
thought whom you will offer as sureties for the payment of penalties; do not expect
the Tarentines or our other enemies to offer just redress. But if you have determined
to make war upon us by all means, know that the same thing will happen to you that
must needs happen to all who wish to fight before investigating against whom they
will be waging the contest. 5 Bearing these things in mind, if you want anything that is
ours, first put aside your threats and drop your regal boastfulness, then go to the
senate and inform and persuade its members, confident that you will not fail of
anything that is either just or reasonable."
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