Texte grec :
| [19,14] Ταῦτα μὲν τῶν τριῶν πρεσβευτῶν
παρόντων ἔλεξεν, ἰδίᾳ δὲ τὸν Φαβρίκιον ἀπολαβών·
Ἐγὼ σέ, φησίν, ὦ Φαβρίκιε, πυνθάνομαι κράτιστον ἐν
ἡγεμονίαις πολέμων εἶναι κἀν τῷ βίῳ δίκαιον καὶ
σώφρονα καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἁπάσας ἔχοντα ἀρετάς, χρημάτων
δ´ ἄπορον καὶ καθ´ ἓν τὸ μέρος τοῦτο ἐλασσούμενον
ὑπὸ τῆς τύχης, ὥστε μηδὲν ἄμεινον τῶν πενεστάτων
βουλευτῶν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον διατελεῖν.
τοῦτο δὴ τὸ μέρος ἐκπληρῶσαι προθυμούμενος ἕτοιμός
εἰμι διδόναι σοὶ πλῆθος ἀργυρίου καὶ χρυσίου τοσοῦτον,
ὅσον κτησάμενος ἅπαντας ὑπερβαλεῖς πλούτῳ τοὺς
μάλιστα δοκοῦντας Ῥωμαίων εὐπορεῖν· καλὸν νομίσας
ἀνάλωμα καὶ πρέπον ἡγεμόνι τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας
ἀναξίως τῆς ἀρετῆς διὰ πενίαν πράττοντας εὐεργετεῖν
καὶ βασιλικοῦ πλούτου τοῦτ´ ἀνάθημα καὶ κατασκεύασμα
λαμπρότατον. μαθὼν δὲ τὴν ἐμὴν προαίρεσιν,
Φαβρίκιε, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀποθέμενος αἰδῶ μέτεχε
τῶν παρ´ ἡμῖν ὑπαρχόντων ἀγαθῶν, ὡς ἐμοῦ μέλλοντος
εἴσεσθαι καὶ μεγάλην σοι χάριν, καὶ μὰ Δί´ οὐκ
ἐλάττω --- καὶ ξένων τοὺς τιμιωτάτους εἶναι
νόμιζε. ἐμοὶ δ´ ἀντὶ τούτων μήτ´ ἄδικον μήτ´ αἰσχρὰν
πρᾶξιν ὑπηρετήσῃς μηδεμίαν, ἀλλ´ ἐξ ὧν αὐτὸς κρείττων
ἔσῃ καὶ τιμιώτερος ἐν τῇ σεαυτοῦ πατρίδι. καὶ
πρῶτον μὲν ἐπὶ τὰς διαλλαγάς, ὅση δύναμις ἐν σοί,
παρόρμησον τὴν ἄχρι τοῦδε δύσεριν καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν
μετρίων φρονοῦσαν βουλήν, διδάσκων, ὡς οὐκ ἐπὶ
κακῷ τῆς πόλεως ὑμῶν ἀφῖγμαι Ταραντίνοις καὶ τοῖς
ἄλλοις Ἰταλιώταις ὑποσχόμενος βοηθήσειν, οὓς οὔτε
ὅσιον οὔτ´ εὔσχημόν ἐστί μοι παρόντι μετὰ δυνάμεως
καὶ τὴν πρώτην νενικηκότι μάχην ἐγκαταλιπεῖν. καὶ
πάνυ πολλὰ καὶ ἀναγκαῖα πράγματα κατὰ τοῦτον γενόμενα
τὸν καιρὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἰδίαν με ἀρχὴν μετακαλεῖ.
πίστεις τε ὑπέχομαι πάσας, ὁπόσαι βεβαιοῦσιν
ἀνθρώπων ὁμολογίας, καὶ μόνῳ καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων
πρεσβευτῶν περὶ τῆς οἴκαδε ἀνακομιδῆς εἶναι Ῥωμαῖοι
ποιήσαιντο φίλοι, ἵνα θαρρῶν πρὸς τοὺς σεαυτοῦ
πολίτας λέγῃς, εἰ δή τισι τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ὄνομα
ὕποπτόν ἐστιν ὡς ἀπατηλὸν ἐν ὁμολογίαις, ἐξ ὧν
ἕτεροί τινες ἐν ὅρκοις καὶ σπονδαῖς παρανομεῖν ἔδοξαν
ὅμοια καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τεκμαιρομένοις. γενομένης δὲ τῆς
εἰρήνης ἴθι μετ´ ἐμοῦ σύμβουλός τε ἁπάντων ἐσόμενος
ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑποστράτηγος καὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς εὐτυχίας
μέτοχος. ἐμοί τε γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ καὶ πιστοῦ φίλου
δεῖ, σοί τε χορηγίας βασιλικῆς καὶ πραγμάτων βασιλικῶν·
ἐὰν δὴ συνενέγκωμεν ταῦτ´ εἰς τὸ κοινόν, τὰ
μέγιστα τῶν ἀγαθῶν παρ´ ἀλλήλων ἀποισόμεθα.
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Traduction française :
| [19,14] (18.8) This much he said while the three ambassadors were present; then, taking
Fabricius aside, he said: "I hear that you, Fabricius, are most (p365) able in military
commands and in your private life are just and prudent and possess all the other
virtues, but that you are without pecuniary means, being in this one respect ill-treated
by Fortune, so that you continue to be no better off than the poorest senators
in the matter of a livelihood. 2 Being eager to supply this defect, I am ready to give
you such an amount of silver and gold as will enable you to surpass in wealth all the
Romans who are reputed to be the most prosperous. For I consider it an excellent
expenditure and one befitting a ruler to confer benefits upon the good men who
because of poverty do not fare according to their merit, and I regard this as the most
splendid dedication and monument of royal wealth. 3 (9) Now that you have been
informed of my purpose, Fabricius, lay aside all modesty and share in the blessings
that are to be found with us, knowing that I shall be exceedingly grateful to you; and,
by Heaven, no less --- believe them? to be the most valued of my guest-friends. And
to me in return for these things you are not to render any service that is either wrong
or shameful, but only services from which you yourself will be more powerful and
more honoured in your own country. 4 First, then, with all the power that lies in you,
urge the senate, which thus far has been contentious and (p367) has shown no
disposition toward moderation, to make the truce, showing them that it is not to the
detriment of your commonwealth that I have come after promising to aid the
Tarentines and the other Italiots, and that it is neither right nor seemly for me to
desert them now that I am present with an army and have won the first battle. And
very many urgent matters that have arisen at this time call me back to my own
kingdom. 5 (10) With regard to my returning home, I offer to you, both alone and
together with the other ambassadors, if the Romans would make me their friend, all
the pledges which make human compacts binding, in order that you may speak
confidently to your fellow citizens, in case there are some who regard the name of
king as suspicious and suggestive of deceitfulness in making compacts and, in view of
the violations of oaths and treaties of which certain others have been thought guilty,
assume the same with regard to me. 6 And when peace has been brought about, come
with me to be my adviser in all matters and my lieutenant in war and to share in all
the royal good fortune. For I need a good man and a loyal friend, while you need royal
largess and kingly emprises. If, then, we combine these needs and abilities for our
mutual advantage, we shall receive the greatest benefits from each other."
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