Texte grec :
| [8,1] Οἱ δὲ μετὰ τούτους ἀποδειχθέντες ὕπατοι κατὰ
τὴν ἑβδομηκοστὴν καὶ τρίτην ὀλυμπιάδα, {καθ´} ἣν
ἐνίκα στάδιον Ἀστύλος Κροτωνιάτης ἄρχοντος Ἀθήνησιν
Ἀγχίσου, Γάιος Ἰούλιος Ἰοῦλος καὶ Πόπλιος
Πινάριος Ῥοῦφος, ἄνδρες ἥκιστα πολεμικοὶ καὶ διὰ
τοῦτο μάλιστα τῆς ἀρχῆς ταύτης παρὰ τοῦ δήμου τυχόντες, εἰς
πολλοὺς καὶ μεγάλους ἠναγκάσθησαν κινδύνους καταστῆναι
πολέμου καταρραγέντος ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων
ἀρχῆς, δι´ ὧν ἡ πόλις ὀλίγου ἐδέησεν ἐκ βάθρων
ἀναιρεθῆναι. ὁ γὰρ Μάρκιος ἐκεῖνος ὁ Κοριολάνος, ὁ
τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ τυραννίδι αἰτίαν σχὼν καὶ φυγῇ ἀιδίῳ
ἐλασθείς, ἀγανακτῶν τ´ ἐπὶ τῇ συμφορᾷ καὶ τιμωρίαν
παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν βουλόμενος λαβεῖν, δι´ οὗ δ´ ἂν
αὕτη γένοιτο τρόπου καὶ δι´ οἵας δυνάμεως ἀνασκοπῶν
μίαν εὕρισκε Ῥωμαίοις τότ´ ἀντίπαλον ἰσχὺν τὴν Οὐολούσκων,
εἰ κοινῇ χρησάμενοι γνώμῃ καὶ τυχόντες
ἡγεμόνος ἔμφρονος ἐνστήσονται πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸν πόλεμον.
ἐλογίζετο μὲν οὖν, ὡς εἰ πείσειε τοὺς Οὐολούσκους δέξασθαί τ´
αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐπιτρέψαι
τοῦ πολέμου, ῥᾳδίως αὐτῷ διαπεπράξεται τὸ ἔργον·
ἐτάραττε δ´ αὐτὸν ἡ συνείδησις, ὅτι πλειστάκις κατὰ
τὰς μάχας δεινὰ δεδρακὼς ἦν αὐτοὺς καὶ πόλεις συμμαχίδας
ἀφῃρημένος. οὐ μὴν ἀπέστη γε τῆς πείρας
διὰ τὸ τοῦ κινδύνου μέγεθος, ἀλλ´ εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ δεινὰ
χωρεῖν ἐβουλεύσατο καὶ πάσχειν ὑπ´ αὐτῶν ὁτιοῦν.
φυλάξας δὲ νύκτα καὶ ταύτην σκοταίαν ἧκεν εἰς Ἄντιον, τὴν
ἐπιφανεστάτην τῶν ἐν Οὐολούσκοις πόλεων,
ἡνίκα περὶ δεῖπνον ἦσαν οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν, καὶ παρελθὼν εἰς
οἰκίαν ἀνδρὸς δυνατοῦ, δι´ εὐγένειάν τε καὶ
πλοῦτον καὶ τὰς ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις πράξεις μέγα ἐφ´
ἑαυτῷ φρονοῦντος καὶ τὸ ἔθνος ὅλον ἄγοντος ὡς τὰ
πολλά, ᾧ Τύλλος Ἄττιος ὄνομα ἦν, ἱκέτης τοῦ ἀνδρὸς
γίνεται καθεζόμενος ἐπὶ τῆς ἑστίας. διηγησάμενος δ´
αὐτῷ τὰς κατασχούσας αὐτὸν ἀνάγκας, δι´ ἃς ὑπέμεινεν
ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς καταφυγεῖν, μέτρια ἠξίου φρονῆσαι
καὶ ἀνθρώπινα περὶ ἀνδρὸς ἱκέτου καὶ μηκέτι πολέμιον ἡγεῖσθαι
τὸν ὑποχείριον μηδ´ εἰς τοὺς ἀτυχοῦντας
καὶ τεταπεινωμένους ἀποδείκνυσθαι τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐνθυμούμενον,
ὡς οὐ μένουσιν ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πράγμασιν
αἱ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τύχαι. Δύναιο δ´ ἄν, ἔφη, τοῦτ´
ἐξ αὐτοῦ μάλιστα μαθεῖν ἐμοῦ, ὃς ἐν τῇ μεγίστῃ πόλει
κράτιστός ποτ´ εἶναι τῶν ἄλλων δοκῶν νῦν ἔρημος
καὶ ἄπολις καὶ ταπεινὸς ἐρριμμένος τοῦτο πείσομαι,
ὅ τι ἂν ἐχθρῷ ὄντι σοι δοκῇ. ὑπισχνοῦμαι δέ σοι
τοσαῦτ´ ἀγαθὰ ποιήσειν Οὐολούσκους φίλος τῷ ἔθνει
γενόμενος, ὅσα κακὰ εἰργασάμην ἐχθρὸς ὤν. εἰ δέ τι
ἄλλο γινώσκεις περὶ ἐμοῦ, χρῆσαι τῇ ὀργῇ παραχρῆμα
καὶ θάνατον χάρισαί μοι τὸν τάχιστον αὐτοχειρίᾳ τε
καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἑστίας τῆς σεαυτοῦ καθιερεύσας τὸν ἱκέτην.
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Traduction française :
| [8,1] The consuls who were chosen after these were Gaius Julius Iulus and Publius
Pinarius Rufus, who entered upon their magistracy in the seventy-third Olympiad
(the one in which Astylus of Croton won the foot-race), when Anchises was archon at
Athens. These magistrates, who were not in the least warlike men and for that reason
chiefly had obtained the consulship from the people, were involved against their will
in many great dangers, a war having broken out as a result of their rule which came
near destroying the commonwealth from its foundations. For Marcius Coriolanus,
the man who had been accused of aiming at tyranny and condemned to perpetual
banishment, resented his misfortune and at the same time desired to avenge himself
upon this enemies; and considering in what manner and with the aid of what forces
he might accomplish this, he found that p5the only army which was then a match for
the Romans was that of the Volscians, if these would agree together and make war
upon them under an able general. He reasoned, therefore, that if he could prevail on
the Volscians to receive him and to entrust to him the command of the war, his
purpose could easily be accomplished. On the other hand, he was disturbed by the
consciousness that he had often brought calamities upon them in battle and had
forced many cities to forsake their alliance with them. However, he did not desist
from the attempt because of the greatness of the danger, but resolved to encounter
these very perils and suffer whatever might be the consequence. Having waited,
therefore, for a night — and a dark one — he went to Antium, the most important city
of the Volscians, at the hour when the inhabitants were at supper; and going to the
house of an influential man named Tullus Attius, who by reason of his birth, his
wealth and his military exploits had a high opinion of himself and generally led the
whole nation, he became his suppliant by sitting down at his hearth. Then, having
related to him the dire straits which had forced him to take refuge with his enemies,
he begged of him to entertain sentiments of moderation and humanity toward a
suppliant and no longer to regard as an enemy one who was in his power, nor to
exhibit his strength against the unfortunate and the humbled, bearing in mind that
the fortunes of men are subject to change. "And this," he said, "you may learn most
clearly from my own case. For though I was once looked upon as the most powerful of
all men in the greatest city, I am now cast aside, forsaken, exiled and abased, (p7) and
destined to suffer any treatment you, who are my enemy, shall think fit to inflict upon
me. But I promise you that I will perform as great services for the Volscians, if
I become their friend, as I occasioned calamities to them when I was their enemy.
However, if you have any other purpose concerning me, let loose your resentment at
once and grant me the speediest death by sacrificing the suppliant with your own
hand and at your own hearth."
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