Texte grec :
| [3,20] Ὁ μὲν δὴ τὸ καίριον τραῦμα λαβὼν εὐθὺς
ἐτεθνήκει, ὁ δὲ τὴν ἰγνύαν τετρωμένος οὐκέτι βέβαιος
ἦν ἑστάναι, σκάζων δὲ καὶ τὰ πολλὰ τῷ θυρεῷ διερειδόμενος
ἀντεῖχεν ὅμως ἔτι καὶ μετὰ τοῦ περιλειπομένου
τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπὶ τὸν ὑπομένοντα Ῥωμαῖον
ἐχώρει, περιέστησάν τε αὐτὸν ὁ μὲν ἐξ ἐναντίας προσιών,
ὁ δὲ κατὰ νώτου. τῷ δὲ Ῥωμαίῳ δείσαντι μὴ
κυκλωθεὶς πρὸς αὐτῶν εὐκατέργαστος γένηται δυσί
τε μαχόμενος καὶ διχόθεν ἐπιοῦσιν, ἦν δὲ ἀκραιφνὴς
ἔτι, λογισμὸς εἰσέρχεται διελεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους ἀπ´
ἀλλήλων καὶ χωρὶς ἑκατέρῳ μάχεσθαι. ῥᾷστα δὲ διαστήσειν
αὐτοὺς ὑπελάμβανεν, εἰ δόξαν παράσχοι φυγῆς·
οὐ γὰρ ὑπ´ ἀμφοτέρων διώξεσθαι τῶν Ἀλβανῶν,
ἀλλ´ ὑφ´ ἑνός, ὁρῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν οὐκέτι καρτερὸν
τῶν ποδῶν. ταῦτα δὴ διανοηθεὶς ὡς εἶχε τάχους
ἔφευγε καὶ συνέπεσεν αὐτῷ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τῆς ἐλπίδος.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἕτερος τῶν Ἀλβανῶν οὐδεμίαν ἔχων
πληγὴν καίριον ἐδίωκεν αὐτὸν ἐκποδός, ὁ δ´ ἐπιβαίνειν
ἀδύνατος ὢν πολὺ τοῦ δέοντος ὑστέρει. ἔνθα
δὴ τῶν Ἀλβανῶν τοῖς σφετέροις ἐγκελευομένων, τῶν
δὲ Ῥωμαίων τὸν αὑτῶν ἀγωνιστὴν κακιζόντων καὶ
τῶν μὲν δὴ παιανιζόντων τε καὶ στεφανουμένων ὡς
ἐπὶ κατορθουμένῳ τῷ ἀγῶνι, τῶν δ´ ὀδυρομένων ὡς
οὐκ ἂν ἔτι τῆς τύχης σφᾶς διαναστησομένης, ταμιευσάμενος
τὸν καιρὸν ὁ Ῥωμαῖος ὑποστρέφει τε ὀξέως
καὶ πρὶν ἢ φυλάξασθαι τὸν Ἀλβανὸν φθάνει τῷ ξίφει
κατὰ τοῦ βραχίονος πληγὴν ἐνέγκας καὶ διελὼν τὸν
ἀγκῶνα. πεσούσης δὲ χαμαὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἅμα τῷ ξίφει
μίαν ἔτι πληγὴν καίριον ἐξενέγκας ἀποκτείνει τὸν
Ἀλβανόν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον ἐπὶ τὸν τελευταῖον ὠσάμενος
ἡμιθνῆτα καὶ παρειμένον ἐπικατασφάττει. σκυλεύσας
δὲ τοὺς τῶν ἀνεψιῶν νεκροὺς εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἠπείγετο πρῶτος
ἀπαγγεῖλαι θέλων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ νίκην τῷ πατρί.
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Traduction française :
| [3,20] The one who had received the mortal wound died instantly, and the other, who
had been wounded in the thigh, was scarcely able to stand, but limped and frequently
leaned upon his shield. Nevertheless, he still made a show of resistance and with his
surviving brother advanced against the Roman, who stood his ground; and they
surrounded him, one coming up to him from in front and the other from behind. The
Roman, fearing that, being thus surrounded by them and obliged to fight with two
adversaries attacking him from two sides, he might easily be overcome — he was still
uninjured — hit upon the plan of separating his enemies and fighting each one singly.
he thought he could most easily separate them by feigning flight; for then he would
not be pursued by both the Albans, but only by one of them, since he saw that the
other no longer had control of his limbs. With this thought in mind he fled as fast as
he could; and it was his good fortune not to be disappointed in his expectation. For
the (p79) Alban who was not mortally wounded followed at his heels, while the other,
being unable to keep going was falling altogether too far behind. Then indeed the
Albans encouraged their men and the Romans reproached their champion with
cowardice, the former singing songs of triumph and crowning themselves with
garlands as if the contest were already won, and the others lamenting as if Fortune
would never raise them up again. But the Roman, having carefully waited for his
opportunity, turned quickly and, before the Alban could put himself on his guard,
struck him a blow on the arm with his sword and clove his elbow in twain,and when
his hand fell to the ground together with his sword, he struck one more blow, a
mortal one, and dispatched the Alban; then, rushing from him to the last of his
adversaries, who was half dead and fainting, he slew him also. And taking the spoils
from the bodies of his cousins, he hastened to the city, wishing to give his father the
first news of his victory.
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