Texte grec :
| [19,6] Ἄρτι δ´ Αἰμιλίου Βαρβόλα ἐπίκλησιν
τὴν ἀρχὴν παρειληφότος παρῆσαν οἱ σὺν τῷ Ποστομίῳ
πεμφθέντες εἰς τὸν Τάραντα πρέςβεις, ἀπόκρισιν
μὲν οὐδεμίαν φέροντες, τὰς δὲ ὕβρεις ἃς ἦσαν
ὑβρισμένοι πρὸς αὐτῶν διεξιόντες, καὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα
τοῦ Ποστομίου πίστιν τῶν λόγων παρεχόμενοι. ἀγανακτήσεως
δὲ μεγάλης ἐξ ἁπάντων γενομένης συναγαγόντες
τὴν βουλὴν οἱ περὶ τὸν Αἰμίλιον ὕπατοι τί
χρὴ πράττειν ἐσκόπουν, ἕωθεν ἀρξάμενοι μέχρι δύσεως
ἡλίου· καὶ τοῦτ´ ἐποίησαν ἐφ´ ἡμέρας συχνάς. Ἦν
δ´ ἡ ζήτησις οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ λελύσθαι τὰς περὶ τῆς
εἰρήνης ὁμολογίας ὑπὸ τῶν Ταραντίνων, —τοῦτο γὰρ
ἅπαντες ὡμολόγουν—ἀλλ´ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χρόνου τῆς ἀποσταλησομένης
ἐπ´ αὐτοὺς στρατιᾶς. ἦσαν γάρ τινες οἱ
παραινοῦντες μήπω τοῦτον ἀναλαμβάνειν τὸν πόλεμον,
ἕως Λευκανοί τ´ ἀφεστήκασι καὶ Βρέττιοι καὶ τῶν
Σαυνιτῶν πολὺ καὶ φιλοπόλεμον ἔθνος, καὶ Τυρρηνία
παρ´ αὐταῖς οὖσα ταῖς θύραις ἔτι ἀχείρωτος ἦν, ἀλλ´
ὅταν ὑποχείρια γένηται τάδε τὰ ἔθνη, μάλιστα μὲν
ἅπαντα, εἰ δὲ μή γε, τὰ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς καὶ πλησίον
τοῦ Τάραντος κείμενα. τοῖς δὲ τἀναντία τούτοις ἐφαίνετο
συμφέρειν μηδὲ τὸν ἐλάχιστον χρόνον ἀναμένειν,
ἀλλ´ ἐπιψηφίζειν τὸν πόλεμον ἤδη. καὶ ἐπεὶ τὰς
γνώμας ἔδει διαριθμεῖσθαι, πλείους ἐφάνησαν οὗτοι
τῶν ἀναβάλλεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον εἰς ἑτέρους καιροὺς
παραινούντων· καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἐπεκύρωσε τὰ δόξαντα τῇ
βουλῇ {ζήτει ἐν τῷ περὶ στρατηγημάτων}.
|
|
Traduction française :
| [19,6] (17.8) As soon as Aemilius, with the cognomen Barbula, had assumed the
consulship, Postumius and those who had been sent with him as ambassadors to
Tarentum arrived in the city, bringing no answer, to be sure, but relating the insults
that had been offered them and exhibiting the robe of Postumius as proof of their
story. When great indignation was shown by all, Aemilius and his fellow consul
assembled the senate and considered what course they ought to take, remaining in
session from early morning until sunset; and this they did for many days. 2 (10) The
question was not whether the terms of peace had been violated by the Tarentines,
since all were agreed upon that point, but when an army should be sent against them.
For there were some who advised against undertaking this war as yet, while the
Lucanians, the Bruttians, and the large and warlike race of Samnites were in rebellion
and Tyrrhenia, lying at their very doors, was still unconquered, but only after these
nations had been subdued, preferably all of them, but if that should not be possible,
at least those (p351) lying eastward and close to Tarentum. But others thought the
opposite course advisable, namely, not to wait for a moment, but to vote for war at
once. 3 When it was time for counting the votes, those in the latter group were found
to be more numerous than those who advised postponing the war to another time.
And the populace ratified the decision of the senate.
|
|
