Texte grec :
| [3,15] Τοσαῦτα τοῦ Φουφεττίου λέξαντος καὶ πάντων
τὴν γνώμην ἐπαινεσάντων (ἔτυχον δὲ Ῥωμαίων
τε καὶ Ἀλβανῶν οἱ κράτιστοι παρόντες ἀμφοτέροις)
μικρὸν ἐπισχὼν ὁ Τύλλος λέγει· Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ὀρθῶς
ἐπιλελογίσθαι μοι δοκεῖς, ὦ Φουφέττιε· θαυμαστὴ
γάρ τις ἡ τὴν οὐδέποτε συμβᾶσαν ὁμοιογένειαν
ἐν ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς πόλεσιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας
γενεᾶς ἐξενέγκασα τύχη· ἓν δ´ ἀγνοεῖν ἔοικας, ὃ
πολὺν παρέξει τοῖς νεανίσκοις ὄκνον, ἐὰν ἀξιῶμεν
αὐτοὺς ἀλλήλοις χωρεῖν διὰ μάχης. ἡ γὰρ Ὁρατίων
μήτηρ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀδελφὴ τῆς Κορατίων μητρός
ἐστι τῶν Ἀλβανῶν, καὶ τέθραπται τὰ μειράκια ἐν τοῖς
ἀμφοτέρων τῶν γυναικῶν κόλποις ἀσπάζονταί τ´ ἀλλήλους
καὶ φιλοῦσιν οὐχ ἧττον ἢ πολλοὶ τοὺς
ἑαυτῶν ἀδελφούς. ὅρα δὴ μή ποτε οὐδ´ ὅσιον ᾖ
τούτοις ἀναδιδόναι τὰ ὅπλα καὶ καλεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ
τὸν κατ´ ἀλλήλων φόνον ἀνεψιοὺς καὶ συντρόφους
ὄντας. τὸ γὰρ ἐμφύλιον ἄγος, ἐὰν ἀναγκασθῶσιν ἀλλήλους
μιαιφονεῖν, εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐλεύσεται τοὺς ἀναγκάζοντας.
λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Φουφέττιος· Οὐδ´ ἐμὲ λέληθεν,
ὦ Τύλλε, τὸ συγγενὲς τῶν μειρακίων, οὐδ´ ὡς
ἀναγκάσων αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἀνεψιοῖς διὰ μάχης χωρεῖν
εἰ μὴ βουληθεῖεν αὐτοὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα ὑπομεῖναι παρεσκευασάμην,
ἀλλ´ ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα ἐπὶ νοῦν ἦλθέ μοι
τόδε τὸ βούλευμα τοὺς Ἀλβανοὺς Κορατίους μεταπεμψάμενος
αὐτὸς ἐπ´ ἐμαυτοῦ διάπειραν ἔλαβον εἰ
βουλομένοις αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγών· δεξαμένων δ´ αὐτῶν
τὸν λόγον ἀπίστῳ τινὶ καὶ θαυμαστῇ προθυμίᾳ,
τότε ἀνακαλύπτειν ἔγνων τὸ βούλευμα καὶ φέρειν
εἰς μέσον· σοί τε τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ὑποτίθεμαι ποιεῖν
καλέσαντι τοὺς παρ´ ὑμῖν τριδύμους πεῖραν αὐτῶν
τῆς γνώμης ποιήσασθαι. ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ἑκόντες συνεπιδιδῶσι
κἀκεῖνοι τὰ σώματα προκινδυνεῦσαι τῆς
ἑαυτῶν πατρίδος δέχου τὴν χάριν, ἐὰν δὲ ἀναδύωνται
μηδεμίαν αὐτοῖς πρόσφερε ἀνάγκην. μαντεύομαι δὲ
καὶ περὶ ἐκείνων οἷα καὶ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων, εἴπερ
οὖν εἰσὶν οἵους ἀκούομεν, ἐν ὀλίγοις τοῖς ἄριστα
πεφυκόσιν ὅμοιοι καὶ τὰ πολέμια ἀγαθοί· κλέος γὰρ
αὐτῶν καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐλήλυθε τῆς ἀρετῆς.
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Traduction française :
| [3,15] After Fufetius had thus spoken and his proposal had been received with general
approbation (for the most important both of the Romans (p61) and Albans were with
the two leaders), Tullius, after a short pause, spoke as follows:
"In other respects, Fufetius, you seem to me to have reasoned well; for it must be
some wonderful fortune that has produced in both our cities in our generation a
similarity of birth never known before. But of one consideration you seem to be
unaware — a matter which will cause great reluctance in the youths if we ask them to
fight with one another. For the mother of our Horatii is sister to the mother of the
Alban Curiatii, and the young men have been brought up in the arms of both the
women and cherish and love one another no less than their own brothers. Consider,
therefore, whether, as they are cousins and have been brought up together, it would
not be impious in us to put arms in their hands and invite them to mutual slaughter.
For the pollution of kindred blood, if they are compelled to stain their hands with one
another's blood, will deservedly fall upon us who compel them."
To this Fufetius answered: "Neither have I failed, Tullius, to note the kinship of the
youths, nor did I purpose to compel them to fight with their cousins unless they
themselves were inclined to undertake the combat. But as soon as this plan came into
my mind I sent for the Alban Curiatii and sacred them in private to learn whether
they were willing to engage in the combat; and it was only after they had accepted the
proposal with incredible and wonderful alacrity that I decided to disclose my plan
and bring it forward for consideration. And I advise (p63) you to take the same course
yourself — to send for the triplets on your side and sound out their disposition. And
if they, too, agree of their own accord to risk their lives for their country, accept the
favour; but if hesitate, bring no compulsion to bear upon them. I predict, however,
the same result with them as with our own youths — that is, if they are such men as
we have been informed, like the few most highly endowed by Nature, and are brave in
arms; for the reputation of their valour has reached us also."
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