[3] διαφυγόντων δὲ τούτων τοὺς μὲν Σαβίνους ἀνεῳγμένας εὑρόντας τὰς πύλας κατασχεῖν τὸ φρούριον ἔρημον τῶν φυλάκων, τὴν δὲ Τάρπειαν ὡς τὰ παρ᾽ ἑαυτῆς ὅσα συνέθετο παρεσχημένην ἀξιοῦν τοὺς μισθοὺς τῆς προδοσίας κατὰ τοὺς ὅρκους ἀπολαβεῖν.
[3] that after the flight of the garrison the Sabines, finding the gates open, possessed themselves of the stronghold, now stripped of its guards, and that Tarpeia, alleging that she had kept her part of the agreement, insisted upon receiving the reward of her treachery according to the oaths.
[1] ἔπειτα πάλιν ὁ μὲν Πείσων φησὶ τῶν Σαβίνων τὸν χρυσὸν ἑτοίμων ὄντων διδόναι τῇ κόρῃ τὸν περὶ τοῖς ἀριστεροῖς βραχίοσι τὴν Τάρπειαν οὐ τὸν κόσμον ἀλλὰ τοὺς θυρεοὺς παρ᾽ αὐτῶν αἰτεῖν. Τατίῳ δὲ θυμόν τε εἰσελθεῖν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξαπάτῃ καὶ λογισμὸν τοῦ μὴ παραβῆναι τὰς ὁμολογίας. δόξαι δ᾽ οὖν αὐτῷ δοῦναι μὲν τὰ ὅπλα, ὥσπερ ἡ παῖς ἠξίωσε, ποιῆσαι δ᾽ ὅπως αὐτοῖς μηδὲν λαβοῦσα χρήσεται, καὶ αὐτίκα διατεινάμενον ὡς μάλιστα ἰσχύος εἶχε ῥῖψαι [p. 211] τὸν θυρεὸν κατὰ τῆς κόρης καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις παρακελεύσασθαι ταὐτὸ ποιεῖν. οὕτω δὴ βαλλομένην πάντοθεν τὴν Τάρπειαν ὑπὸ πλήθους τε καὶ ἰσχύος τῶν πληγῶν πεσεῖν καὶ περισωρευθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῶν θυρεῶν ἀποθανεῖν.
[40.1] Here again Piso says that, when the Sabines were ready to give the girl the gold they wore on their left arms, Tarpeia demanded of them their shields and not their ornaments. But Tatius resented the imposition and at the same time thought of an expedient by which he might not violate the agreement. Accordingly, he decided to give her the arms as the girl demanded, but to contrive that she should make no use of them; and immediately poising his shield, he hurled it at her with all his might, and ordered the rest to do the same; and thus Tarpeia, being pelted from all sides, fell under the number and force of the blows and died, overwhelmed by the shields.
[2] οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Φάβιον ἐπὶ τοῖς Σαβίνοις ποιοῦσι τὴν τῶν ὁμολογιῶν ἀπάτην: δέον γὰρ αὐτοὺς τὸν χρυσόν, ὥσπερ ἡ Τάρπεια ἠξίου, κατὰ τὰς ὁμολογίας ἀποδιδόναι, χαλεπαίνοντας ἐπὶ τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ μισθοῦ τὰ σκεπαστήρια κατ᾽ αὐτῆς βαλεῖν, ὡς ταῦτα ὅτε ὤμνυσαν αὐτῇ δώσειν ὑπεσχημένους. ἔοικε δὲ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα γενόμενα τὴν Πείσωνος ἀληθεστέραν ποιεῖν ἀπόκρισιν.
[2] But Fabius attributes this fraud in the performance of the agreement to the Sabines; for they, being obliged by the agreement to give her the gold as she demanded, were angered at the magnitude of the reward and hurled their shield at her as if they had engaged themselves by their oaths to give her these. But what followed gives the greater appearance of truth to the statement of Piso.
[3] τάφου τε γὰρ ἔνθα ἔπεσεν ἠξίωται τὸν ἱερώτατον τῆς πόλεως κατέχουσα λόφον, καὶ χοὰς αὐτῇ Ῥωμαῖοι καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπιτελοῦσι, ῾λέγω δὲ ἃ Πείσων γράφεἰ ὧν οὐδενὸς εἰκὸς αὐτήν, εἰ προδιδοῦσα τὴν πατρίδα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπέθανεν, οὔτε παρὰ τῶν προδοθέντων οὔτε παρὰ τῶν ἀποκτεινάντων τυχεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴ τι λείψανον αὐτῆς ἦν τοῦ σώματος ἀνασκαφὲν ἔξω ῥιφῆναι σὺν χρόνῳ φόβου τε καὶ ἀποτροπῆς ἕνεκα τῶν μελλόντων τὰ ὅμοια δρᾶν. ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων κρινέτω τις ὡς βούλεται.
[3] For she was honoured with a monument in the place where she fell and lies buried on the most sacred hill of the city and the Romans every year perform libations to her (I relate what Piso writes); whereas, if she had died in betraying her country to the enemy, it is not to be supposed that she would have received any of these honours, either from those whom she had betrayed or from those who had slain her, but, if there had been any remains of her body, they would in the course of time have been dug up and cast out of the city, in order to warn and deter others from committing the like crimes. But let everyone judge of the matters as he pleases.
[1] ὁ δὲ Τάτιος καὶ οἱ Σαβῖνοι φρουρίου γενόμενοι καρτεροῦ κύριοι καὶ τὰ πλεῖστα τῆς Ῥωμαίων [p. 212] ἀποσκευῆς ἀμοχθεὶ παρειληφότες ἐκ τοῦ ἀσφαλοῦς ἤδη τὸν πόλεμον διέφερον. πολλαὶ μὲν οὖν αὐτῶν ἐγίνοντο καὶ διὰ πολλὰς προφάσεις παρεστρατοπεδευκότων ἀλλήλοις δι᾽ ὀλίγου πεῖραί τε καὶ συμπλοκαὶ οὔτε κατορθώματα μεγάλα ἑκατέρῳ φέρουσαι τῶν στρατευμάτων οὔτε τὰ σφάλματα, μέγισται δ᾽ ἐκ παρατάξεως ὅλαις ταῖς δυνάμεσι πρὸς ἀλλήλας μάχαι διτταὶ καὶ φόνος ἑκατέρων πολύς.
[41.1] As for Tatius and the Sabines, having become masters of a strong fortress and having without any trouble taken the greatest part of the Romans’ baggage, they carried on the war thereafter in safety. And as the armies lay encamped at a short distance from each other and many occasions offered, there were many essays and skirmishes, which were not attended with any great advantages or losses to either side, and there were also two very severe pitched battles, in which all the forces were opposed to each other and there was great slaughter on both sides.
[2] ἑλκομένου δὴ τοῦ χρόνου γνώμην ἀμφότεροι τὴν αὐτὴν ἔσχον ὁλοσχερεῖ κρῖναι τὸν ἀγῶνα μάχῃ, καὶ προελθόντες εἰς τὸ μεταξὺ τῶν στρατοπέδων χωρίον ἡγεμόνες τε ἄριστοι τὰ πολέμια καὶ στρατιῶται πολλῶν ἐθάδες ἀγώνων ἄξια λόγου ἔργ᾽ ἀπεδείκνυντο ἐπιόντες τ᾽ ἀλλήλοις καὶ τοὺς ἐπιόντας δεχόμενοι καὶ ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς εἰς ἴσον αὖθις καθιστάμενοι.
[2] For, as the time dragged along, they both came to the same resolution, namely, to decide the issue by a general engagement. Whereupon leaders of both armies, who were masters of the art of war, as well as common soldiers, trained in many engagements, advanced into the plain that lay between the two camps and performed memorable feats both in attacking and receiving the enemy as well as in rallying and renewing the fight on equal terms.
[3] οἱ δ᾽ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐρυμάτων ἑστῶτες ἰσορρόπου θεαταὶ ἀγῶνος καὶ θαμινὰ ἑκατέρωσε μεταπίπτοντος τῷ μὲν κατορθοῦντι τῶν σφετέρων ἐπικελεύσει τε καὶ παιανισμῷ πολλὴν ἐποίουν τὴν εἰς τὸ εὔψυχον ἐπίδοσιν, τῷ δὲ κάμνοντι καὶ διωκομένῳ δεήσεις τε καὶ οἰμωγὰς προϊέμενοι κωλυταὶ τοῦ εἰς τέλος ἀνάνδρου ἐγίνοντο: ὑφ᾽ ὧν ἀμφοτέρων ἠναγκάζοντο καὶ παρὰ δύναμιν ὑπομένειν τὰ δεινά. ἐκείνην μὲν οὖν τὴν ἡμέραν οὕτ
ω διενέγκαντες ἀγχωμάλως τὴν μάχην, σκότους ὄντος ἤδη ἄσμενοι εἰς τοὺς οἰκείους ἑκάτεροι χάρακας ἀπηλλάσσοντο. [p. 213]
[3] Those who from the ramparts were spectators of this doubtful battle, which, often varying, favoured each side in turn, when their own men had the advantage, inspired them with fresh courage by their exhortations and songs of victory, and when they were hard pressed and pursued, prevented them by their prayers and lamentations from proving utter cowards; and thanks to these shouts of encouragement and entreaty the combatants were compelled to endure the perils of the struggle even beyond their strength. And so, after they had thus carried on the contest all that day without a decision, darkness now coming on, they both gladly retired to their own camps.
[1] ταῖς δ᾽ ἑξῆς ἡμέραις ταφὰς ποιησάμενοι τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ τοὺς κεκμηκότας ὑπὸ τραυμάτων ἀνακτησάμενοι δυνάμεις τε παρασκευάσαντες ἄλλας, ἐπειδὴ ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς αὖθις ἑτέραν συνάψαι μάχην, εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ τῷ προτέρῳ χωρίον συνελθόντες ἄχρι νυκτὸς ἐμάχοντο.
[42.1] But on the following days they buried their dead, took care of the wounded and reinforced their armies; then, resolving to engaged in another battle, they met again in the same plain as before and fought till night.
[2] ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ Ῥωμαίων ἀμφοτέροις ἐπικρατούντων τοῖς κέρασιν, ῾εἶχε δὲ τοῦ δεξιοῦ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν αὐτὸς ὁ Ῥωμύλος, τοῦ δὲ ἀριστεροῦ Λοκόμων ὁ Τυρρηνόσ᾽ τοῦ δὲ μέσου μηδέπω κρίσιν ἔχοντος, ὁ κωλύσας τὴν εἰς τέλος τῶν Σαβίνων ἧτταν καὶ εἰς ἀντίπαλα καταστήσας αὖθις τὰ λειπόμενα τοῖς νικῶσιν εἷς ἀνὴρ ἐγένετο Μέττιος Κούρτιος ὄνομα, ῥώμην τε σώματος πολὺς ἀνήρ, καὶ κατὰ χεῖρα γενναῖος, μάλιστα δ᾽ ἐπὶ τῷ μηδένα ὀκνεῖν φόβον ἢ
[2] In this battle, when the Romans had the advantage on both wings (the right was commanded by Romulus himself and the left by Lucumo, the Tyrrhenian) but in the centre the battle remained as yet undecided, one man prevented the utter defeat of the Sabines and rallied their wavering forces to renew the struggle with the victors. This man, whose name was Mettius Curtius, was of great physical strength and courageous in action, but he was famous especially for his contempt of all fear and danger.
[3] κίνδυνον εὐδοκιμῶν. οὗτος δ᾽ ἐτάχθη μὲν ἡγεῖσθαι τῶν κατὰ μέσην ἀγωνιζομένων τὴν φάλαγγα καὶ τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους ἐνίκα, βουληθεὶς δὲ καὶ τὰ κέρατα τῶν Σαβίνων μοχθοῦντα ἤδη καὶ ἐξωθούμενα εἰς τὸ ἴσον καταστῆσαι, παρακελευσάμενος τοῖς ἀμφ᾽ αὑτὸν ἐδίωκε τοὺς φεύγοντας τῶν πολεμίων ἐσκεδασμένους καὶ μέχρι τῶν πυλῶν αὐτοὺς ἤλασεν, ὥστε ἠναγκάσθη καταλιπὼν ἡμιτελῆ τὴν νίκην ὁ Ῥωμύλος ἐπιστρέψαι τε καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ νικῶντα τῶν πολεμίων ὤσασθαι μέρη.
[3] He had been appointed to command those fighting in the centre of the line and was victorious over those who opposed him; but wishing to restore the battle in the wings also, where the Sabine troops were by now in difficulties and being forced back, he encouraged those about him, and pursuing such of the enemy’s forces as were fleeing and scattered, he drove them back to the gates of the city. This obliged Romulus to leave the victory but half completed and to return and make a drive against the victorious troops of the enemy.
[4] τὸ μὲν δὴ κάμνον τῶν Σαβίνων μέρος ἐν τῷ ἴσῳ πάλιν ἦν ἀπελθούσης τῆς μετὰ Ῥωμύλου δυνάμεως, ὁ δὲ κίνδυνος ἅπας περὶ τὸν Κούρτιον [p. 214] καὶ τοὺς σὺν ἐκείνῳ νικῶντας ἐγεγόνει. χρόνον μὲν οὖν τινα οἱ Σαβῖνοι δεξάμενοι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους λαμπρῶς ἠγωνίσαντο, ἔπειτα πολλῶν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς συνιόντων ἐνέκλινάν τε καὶ διέσωζον ἑαυτοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα, πολλὴν τοῦ Κουρτίου παρέχοντος αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ μὴ διώκεσθαι τεταραγμένως, ἀλλὰ βάδην ἀποχωρεῖν ἀσφάλειαν.
[4] Upon the departure of Romulus with his forces those of the Sabines who had been in trouble were once more upon equal terms with their opponents, and the whole danger was now centred round Curtius and his victorious troops. For some time the Sabines received the onset of the Romans and fought brilliantly, but when large numbers joined in attacking them, they gave way and began to seek safety in their camp, Curtius amply securing their retreat, so that they were not driven back in disorder, but retired without precipitation.
[5] αὐτὸς γὰρ εἱστήκει μαχόμενος καὶ τὸν Ῥωμύλον ἐπιόντα ἐδέχετο, γίνεταί τε τῶν ἡγεμόνων αὐτῶν συμπεσόντων ἀλλήλοις μέγας καὶ καλὸς ἀγών. ἔξαιμος δὲ ὢν ἤδη καὶ καταβελὴς ὁ Κούρτιος ὑπῄει κατ᾽ ὀλίγον, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν κατόπιν ὑπεδέχετο λίμνη βαθεῖα, ἣν περιελθεῖν μὲν χαλεπὸν ἦν περικεχυμένων πανταχόθεν τῶν πολεμίων, διελθεῖν δὲ ὑπό τε ἰλύος πλήθους, ἣν τὰ πέριξ τέλματα εἶχε, καὶ βάθους ὕδατος τοῦ κατὰ μέσην αὐτὴν συνεστῶτος ἄπορον.
[5] For he himself stood his ground fighting and awaited Romulus as he approached; and there ensued a great and glorious engagement between the leaders themselves as they fell upon each other. But at last Curtius, having received many wounds and lost much blood, retired by degrees till he came to a deep lake in his rear which its difficult for him to make his way round, his enemies being massed on all sides of it, and impossible to pass through by reason of the quantity of mud on the marshy shore surrounding it and the depth of water that stood in the middle.
[6] ταύτῃ πλησιάσας ἔρριψεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ νᾶμα σὺν τοῖς ὅπλοις, καὶ ὁ Ῥωμύλος ὡς αὐτίκα δὴ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ διαφθαρησομένου ῾καὶ ἅμα ἀδύνατον ἦν κατὰ τέλματός τε αὐτὸν καὶ δι᾽ ὕδατος πολλοῦ διώκειν᾽ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Σαβίνους τρέπεται: ὁ δὲ Κούρτιος πολλὰ μοχθήσας σὺν χρόνῳ σώζεταί τε ἐκ τῆς λίμνης τὰ ὅπλα ἔχων καὶ εἰς τὸν χάρακα ἀπάγεται. οὗτος ὁ τόπος ἀνακέχωσται μὲν ἤδη, καλεῖται δ᾽ ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦ πάθους Κούρτιος λάκκος ἐν μέσῳ μάλιστα ὢν τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀγορᾶς.
[6] When he came to the lake, he threw himself into the water, armed as he was, and Romulus, supposing that he would immediately perish in the lake, — moreover, it was not possible to pursue him through so much mud and water, — turned upon the rest of the Sabines. But Curtius with great difficulty got safely out of the lake after a time without losing his arms and was led away to the camp. This place is now filled up, but it is called from this incident the Lacus Curtius, being about in the middle of the Roman Forum.
[1] Ῥωμύλος δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους διώκων ἐγγὺς [p. 215] γενόμενος τοῦ Καπιτω
λίου καὶ πολλὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχων αἱρήσειν τὸ φρούριον ἄλλοις τε πολλοῖς τραύμασι καταπονηθεὶς καὶ δὴ καὶ λίθου πληγῇ ἐξαισίῳ κατὰ κροτάφου ἐνεχθέντος ἐκ τῶν ἄνωθεν κακωθείς, αἴρεταί τε πρὸς τῶν παρόντων ἡμιθανὴς καὶ εἰς τὸ
[43.1] Romulus, while pursuing the others, had drawn near the Capitoline and had great hopes of capturing the stronghold, but being weakened by many other wounds and stunned by a severe blow from a stone which was hurled from the heights and hit him on the temple, he was taken up half dead by those about him and carried inside the walls.
[2] τεῖχος ἀποφέρεται. τοῖς δὲ Ῥωμαίοις δέος ἐμπίπτει τὸν ἡγεμόνα οὐκέτι ὁρῶσι, καὶ τρέπεται τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας εἰς φυγήν: οἱ δ᾽ ἐν τῷ εὐωνύμῳ ταχθέντες ἅμα τῷ Λοκόμωνι τέως μὲν ἀντεῖχον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος ἀναθαρρρυνόμενοι, λαμπροτάτου τὰ πολέμια ἀνδρὸς καὶ πλεῖστα ἔργα κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν πόλεμον ἀποδειξαμένου: ἐπεὶ δὲ κἀκεῖνος ἐλασθεὶς διὰ τῶν πλευρῶν σαυνίῳ τῆς δυνάμεως ὑπολιπούσης ἔπεσεν οὐδ᾽ αὐτοὶ διέμειναν, φυγὴ δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο πάντων αὐτῶν ἐγίνετο, καὶ οἱ Σαβῖνοι τεθαρρηκότες ἐδίωκον ἄχρι τῆς πόλεως.
[2] When the Romans no longer saw their leader, they were seized with fear and the right wing turned to flight; but the troops that were posted on the left with Lucumo stood their ground for some time, encouraged by their leader, a man most famous for his warlike prowess and who had performed many exploits during the course of this war. But when he in his turn was pierced through the side with a javelin and fell through weakness, they also gave way; and thereupon the whole Roman army was in flight, and the Sabines, taking courage, pursued them up to the city.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 459