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by bringing about murder. 36 Exc. De virt.: That Tarquinius Superbus, having seized power, changed it to be more arrogant, and rendered the state more oppressive, as one would expect, having come to leadership from such deeds; changing the laws, and appointing magistrates contrary to custom, and through them tormenting the people, inventing bonds and scourges, wooden and iron collars, fetters, chains, mines, and exiles; and he was warlike, if ever anyone else was, and arrogant and boastful; whence he also received this surname; for the Romans called the arrogant 'Superbi'. 37 Exc. De insid.: That Tarquinius Superbus, being already an old man, falls from power, having long been hated secretly on account of his character, then indeed the people also inclined to open revolt because of the licentiousness of his son of the same name. For he happened to be besieging the city of the Ardeans, and (read: ten) colonized at 100 stades from Rome. But Tarquinius, the king's namesake, defiled Lucretia, a woman of a most well-known family among the Romans, who was living with Collatinus. She having returned, and reported it to her father and to the rest of her family and to her husband, and having uttered many curses against those of her blood, if they should leave her misfortune unavenged, drawing the sword, which she was carrying unseen beneath her robes, she killed herself in the sight of those present. And this kindled the others to anger out of pity for the woman (for not a few of the Romans were present to see the tragedy), and not least Brutus, who was related to her by birth, a man of the people and a tyrant-hater, who especially incited the populace to revolt from the kings, and completely stripped Tarquinius of his power. For at the same time as the uprising in the city, the army of the Romans which was at Ardea, left the tyrant and departed, paying no heed either to his calling them back or begging them to stay. And Tarquinius, at a loss with the present situation, marched on Rome, as if to stop the disturbance by his arrival, and to recover his rule with persuasion. But having been driven away by the citizens, he departed with his family, having reigned for 24 years. At which time, indeed, the city was freed from tyranny, having endured seven rulers in succession, and having been governed under a monarchy for 243 years, the borders of its rule being still contracted, not extending beyond 100 stades, where it was longest. From then on there were 2 consuls, whom the Greeks called 'hypatoi' on account of their pre-eminence. 38 ibid.: That Darius, king of the Persians, son of Arsames, having advanced his armies as far as Chalcedon in Bithynia, and being escorted by many kings, and revelling in the greatest military arrays, having escaped death at the hands of Bagoas the chamberlain, and having forced him to drink the poison that was offered, destroyed him immediately. And Bagoas, having paid the penalty for the wrongs he committed against the previous kings, Arses and Ochus, is killed by his own poison; and Darius, having ruled for six years and two months, ended his reign along with his life. 39 Exc. Salm.: Darius the son of Arsames, whom Alexander the Macedonian overthrew, when a cup was brought to him by Bagoas the eunuch, forced him to drink, and Bagoas, having drunk, died. 2. That in the time of Abraham, Ninus and Semiramis were reigning. A certain Pharaoh, king of Egypt, having subdued many of his neighbors, and having reformed the men of plunder towards humanity, the other kings of Egypt were also called Pharaoh in his honor. In Egypt there also reigned the so-called shepherds; and they seem to be descended from the sons of Jacob, who were shepherds. 40 Exc. De insid.: That during the reign of Darius the king of the Persians, while Philip was king of Macedonia for 21 years, and had subdued a great part of Greece, and was engaged in the war against the Athenians and the general Demosthenes, having been cut off before
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προσενεγκούσης φόνῳ. 36 Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι Ταρκύνιος Σούπερβος τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐπιλαβόμενος μετεκαίνισεν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐθαδέστερον, καὶ βαρυτέραν τὴν πολιτείαν ἀπέφηνεν, οἷα δὴ ἐκ τοιούτων παρελθὼν εἰς τὴν ἡγεμονίαν δραμάτων· τούς τε νόμους μεταθεὶς, καὶ ἄρχοντας παρὰ τὸ σύνηθες προβαλλόμενος, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὸν δῆμον αἰκιζόμενος, δεσμά τε καὶ μάστιγας, κλοιοὺς ξυλίνους καὶ σιδηροῦς, πέδας, ἀλύσεις, μέταλλα καὶ ἐξορίας ἐφευρών· φιλοπόλεμός τε εἰ καί τις ἄλλος πώποτε γέγονεν, ὑπερόπτης τε καὶ ἀλαζών· ὅθεν καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ταύτην ἀπηνέγκατο· Σουπέρβους γὰρ τοὺς ὑπερηφάνους ὠνόμαζον Ῥωμαῖοι. 37 Exc. De insid.: Ὅτι Ταρκύνιος Σούπερβος ἤδη γέρων ὢν ἐκπίπτει τῆς δυναστείας, πάλαι μὲν ἀδήλως διὰ τὸν τρόπον μισούμενος, τότε δὴ καὶ νεύσαντος τοῦ πλήθους ἐς φανερὰν ἀπόστασιν τῇ τοῦ ὁμωνύμου παιδὸς ἀκολασίᾳ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔτυχεν τὴν Ἀρδεατῶν περικαθήμενος πόλιν καὶ (λ. δέκα) πρὸς τοῖς ρʹ σταδίοις τῆς Ῥώμης ἀπῳκισμένην. Ταρκύνιος δὲ, ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως ὁμώνυμος, Λουκρητίαν γυναῖκα, γένους παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις γνωριμωτάτου, Κολλατίνῳ συνοικοῦσαν, ἐμίανεν. Ἐπανελθούσης, καὶ τῷ πατρὶ τῇ τε λοιπῇ κατεμήνυσε συγγενείᾳ τῷ τε ἀνδρί, ἐπαρασαμένη τε πολλὰ τοῖς ἀφ' αἵματος, εἰ τὴν συμφορὰν αὐτῆς καταλείποιεν ἀτιμώρητον, σπασαμένη τὸ ξίφος, ὅπερ ὑπὸ τοῖς κόλποις ἀφανῶς ἔφερεν, ἑαυτὴν ἐν ὄψει τῶν παρόντων κατειργάσατο. Τοῦτο δὲ τούς τε ἄλλους εἰς ὀργὴν ἀνῆψεν ἐλέῳ τῆς ἀνθρώπου (παρῆσαν γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγοι Ῥωμαίων ἐπὶ θέαν τοῦ πάθους), καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα Βροῦτον, προσήκοντα μὲν κατὰ γένος ἐκείνῃ, ἄνδρα δὲ δημοτικόν τε καὶ μισοτύραννον, ὃς μάλιστα τὸ πλῆθος εἰς τὴν τῶν βασιλέων ἤγειρεν ἀπόστασιν, ἀφείλετό τε τῆς ἐξουσίας παντελῶς τὸν Ταρκύνιον. Ἅμα γὰρ τῇ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐπαναστάσει καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὴν Ἄρδεαν οὖσα στρατιὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ἀπολιποῦσα τὸν τύραννον ᾤχετο, οὐδὲν οὔτε ἀνακαλοῦντος οὐδὲ μένειν δεομένου πεφροντικυῖα. Ταρκύνιος δὲ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀμηχανῶν ἤλαυνεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην, ὡς παύσων τῇ παρόδῳ τὴν ταραχὴν, καὶ τὴν δυναστείαν μετὰ πειθοῦς ἀναληψόμενος. Ἀπεωσθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτῶν, ἀπεχώρει σὺν τοῖς οἰκείοις, βασιλεύσας ἔτη δʹ πρὸς τοῖς κʹ. Καθ' ὃν δὴ χρόνον ἡ πόλις ἀπελύθη τῆς τυραννίδος, ἑπτὰ μὲν δυναστῶν ἐφεξῆς ἀνασχομένη, τρία δὲ καὶ μʹ καὶ σʹ κατὰ μοναρχίαν ἔτη πολιτευσαμένη, συνεσταλμένων αὐτῇ τῶν τῆς ἀρχῆς ὅρων ἔτι, οὐ πέρα τε σταδίων ρʹ, ἔνθα δὴ μήκιστον, ἐκτισμένων. Ἐντεῦθεν ἐγένοντο βʹ κονσοῦλοι, οὓς Ἕλληνες ὑπάτους διὰ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν ἐκάλεσαν. 38 ιβιδ.: Ὅτι ∆αρεῖος ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Ἀρσάμου παῖς, μέχρι τῆς κατὰ Βιθυνίαν Χαλκηδόνος τὰς στρατιὰς προβιβάσας, ὑπὸ πολλῶν τε βασιλέων δορυφορούμενος, καὶ μεγίσταις ἐντρυφῶν παρατάξεσι, τὸν μὲν ὑπὸ Βαγώου τοῦ προκοίτου θάνατον διαφυγὼν, αὐτόν τε τὸ προσφερόμενον πιεῖν ἀναγκάσας φάρμακον, παραχρῆμα διέφθειρεν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Βαγώας δίκας ὑποστὰς ὧν περὶ τοὺς προτέρους ἥμαρτε βασιλέας, Ἄρσαμόν τε καὶ Ὦχον, ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου φαρμάκου ἀναιρεῖται· ὁ δὲ ∆αρεῖος ἓξ ἔτη πρὸς δυσὶ μησὶ δυναστεύσας, ἅμα τῷ βίῳ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν κατέλυσεν. 39 Exc. Salm.: ∆αρεῖος ὁ υἱὸς Ἀρσάμου, ὃν ὁ Μακεδὼν καθεῖλεν Ἀλέξανδρος, προσαχθείσης αὐτῷ κύλικος ὑπὸ Βαγώου τοῦ εὐνούχου, ἠνάγκασεν αὐτὸν πιεῖν, καὶ πιὼν ὁ Βαγώας ἀπέθανεν. 2. Ὅτι κατὰ τοὺς Ἀβραὰμ χρόνους Νῖνος καὶ Σεμίραμις ἐβασίλευον. Φαραὼ τινὸς βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου πολλοὺς τῶν προσοίκων καταγωνισαμένου, καὶ τοὺς λῃστρικοὺς ἄνδρας μεταρρυθμίσαντος πρὸς τὸ φιλάν θρωπον, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ βασιλεῖς Αἰγύπτου εἰς τιμὴν ἐκείνου Φαραὼ ἐκαλοῦντο. Ἐβασίλευσαν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ οἱ καλούμενοι ποιμένες· κατάγεσθαι δὲ δοκοῦσιν ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰακὼβ ὄντων ποιμένων. 40 Exc. De insid.: Ὅτι ἐπὶ ∆αρείου τοῦ βασιλέως Περσῶν, Φιλίππου τῆς Μακεδονίας βασιλεύοντος χρόνους αʹ καὶ κʹ, πολλήν τε τῆς Ἑλλάδος καταστρεψαμένου μοῖραν, καὶ τοῦ τε πρὸς Ἀθηναίους καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν ∆ημοσθένην ἐχομένου πολέμου ἐκκοπεὶς πρότερον