Texte grec :
| [8,40] Ὡς δ´ ἐπῄνεσαν αἱ παροῦσαι τὸν λόγον,
εὐξαμένη τοῖς θεοῖς πειθὼ καὶ χάριν αὐτῶν περιθεῖναι
τῇ δεήσει προῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ τεμένους, αἱ δ´ ἠκολούθουν. καὶ μετὰ
τοῦτο παραλαβοῦσαι τὰς ἄλλας γυναῖκας ἐπορεύοντο ἐπὶ τὴν
οἰκίαν τῆς Μαρκίου μητρὸς
ἀθρόαι. ἰδοῦσα δ´ αὐτὰς προσιούσας ἡ τοῦ Μαρκίου
γυνὴ Οὐολουμνία πλησίον καθημένη τῆς ἑκυρᾶς ἐθαύμασέ τε
καὶ εἶπε· Τίνος δεόμεναι, γυναῖκες, ἐληλύθατε κατὰ πλῆθος εἰς
οἰκίαν δύστηνον καὶ ταπεινήν;
καὶ ἡ Οὐαλερία ἔλεξεν· Ἐν ἐσχάτοις οὖσαι κινδύνοις
καὶ αὐταὶ καὶ τὰ νήπια ταῦτα καταπεφεύγαμεν ἱκέτιδες
ἐπὶ σέ, ὦ Οὐετουρία, τὴν μόνην καὶ μίαν βοήθειαν,
ἀξιοῦσαί σε πρῶτον μὲν οἰκτεῖραι τὴν κοινὴν πατρίδα,
ἣν οὐθενὶ πώποτε γενομένην ὑποχείριον μὴ περιίδῃς
ἀφαιρεθεῖσαν ὑπ´ Οὐολούσκων τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, εἰ δὴ
καὶ φείσονται αὐτῆς κρατήσαντες, ἀλλ´ οὐ πρόρριζον
ἐπιχειρήσουσιν ἀνελεῖν· ἔπειτα ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἀντιβολοῦσαι
καὶ τῶν δυστήνων παιδίων τούτων, ἵνα μὴ
πέσωμεν εἰς ἐχθρῶν ὕβριν οὐθενὸς οὖσαι τῶν συμβεβηκότων
ὑμῖν κακῶν αἴτιαι. εἴ τις ἐστὶν ἐν σοὶ
ψυχῆς ἡμέρου καὶ φιλανθρώπου καταλειπομένη μερίς,
ἐλέησον, ὦ Οὐετουρία, γυνὴ γυναῖκας κοινωνησάσας
ἱερῶν ποτε καὶ ὁσίων, καὶ παραλαβοῦσα μετὰ σεαυτῆς
Οὐολουμνίαν τε τὴν ἀγαθὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας
αὐτῆς καὶ τὰς ἱκέτιδας ἡμᾶς φερούσας τὰ νήπια ταυτὶ
καὶ αὐτὰς γενναίας ἴθι πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πεῖθε καὶ
λιπάρει καὶ μὴ ἀνῇς δεομένη, μίαν ἀντὶ πολλῶν χάριν
αἰτοῦσα παρ´ αὐτοῦ σπείσασθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ πολίτας καὶ
κατελθεῖν εἰς τὴν δεομένην ἀπολαβεῖν αὐτὸν
πατρίδα· πείσεις γάρ, εὖ ἴσθι, καὶ οὐ περιόψεταί σε
ἐρριμμένην παρὰ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ποσὶν ἀνὴρ εὐσεβής.
καταγαγοῦσα δὲ τὸν υἱὸν εἰς τὴν πόλιν αὐτή τ´ ἀθάνατον ἕξεις
κλέος ὥσπερ εἰκὸς ἐκ τηλικούτου κινδύνου
καὶ φόβου ῥυσαμένη τὴν πατρίδα, καὶ ἡμῖν τιμῆς
τινος αἰτία παρὰ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἔσῃ, ὅτι τὸν οὐ δυνηθέντα ὑπ´
ἐκείνων διασκεδασθῆναι πόλεμον αὐταὶ διελύσαμεν· ἐκείνων τ´
ἀληθῶς ἔγγονοι τῶν γυναικῶν
φανησόμεθα, αἳ τὸν συστάντα Ῥωμύλῳ πρὸς Σαβίνους πόλεμον
αὐταὶ πρεσβευσάμεναι διελύσαντο καὶ
συναγαγοῦσαι τούς θ´ ἡγεμόνας καὶ τὰ ἔθνη μεγάλην
ἐκ μικρᾶς ἐποίησαν τὴν πόλιν. καλὸς ὁ κίνδυνος, ὦ
Οὐετουρία, τὸν υἱὸν κομίσασθαι, ἐλευθερῶσαι τὴν πατρίδα,
σῶσαι τὰς ἑαυτῆς πολίτιδας, κλέος ἀρετῆς ἀθάνατον τοῖς
ἐσομένοις καταλιπεῖν. δὸς ἡμῖν ἑκοῦσα καὶ
μετὰ προθυμίας τὴν χάριν καὶ σπεῦσον, ὦ Οὐετουρία·
βουλὴν γὰρ ἢ χρόνον ὁ κίνδυνος ὀξὺς ὢν οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται.
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Traduction française :
| [8,40] This advice having been approved of by all the women who were present, she
prayed to the gods to invest their plea with persuasion and charm, and then set out
from the sanctuary, followed by the others. Afterwards, taking with them the rest of
the women, they went in a body to the house of Marcius' mother. His wife Volumnia
saw them approaching as she sat near her mother-in-law, and being surprised at their
coming, asked: "What is it you want, (p117) women, that so many of you have come to a
household that is distressed and in humiliation?" Then Valeria replied: "Because we
are in the direst peril, both we ourselves and these children have turned as suppliants
to you, Veturia, our one and only succour, entreating you, first, to take compassion on
our common country and not to permit this land, which has never fallen under any
man's hand, to be robbed of its freedom by the Volscians — even supposing that they
will spare it after subduing it and not endeavour to destroy it utterly; and next,
imploring you in our own behalf and in behalf of these unfortunate children that we
may not be exposed to the insolence of the enemy, since we are the cause of none of
the evils that have befallen your family. If there remains in you any portion of a
gentle and humane spirit, do you, Veturia, as a woman, have mercy on women who
once shared with you the same sacrifices and rites, and taking with you Volumnia, the
good wife of Marcius, and her children, and us suppliant women — ourselves too of
noble birth — carrying in our arms these infants, go to your son and try to persuade
him, implore him, and cease not to entreat him, asking of him this one favour in
return for many — to make peace with his fellow citizens and return to his country
that longs to get him back. For you will persuade him, be assured; a man of his piety
will not permit you to lie prostrate at his feet. And when you have brought your son
back to Rome, not only will you yourself most likely gain immortal glory for having
rescued your country from so great a danger and terror, but you will be the cause to
us also of some honour in the eyes of our (p119) husbands for having ourselves put an
end to a war which they had been unable to stop; and we shall show ourselves to be
the true descendants of those women who by their own intercession put an end to the
war that had arisen between Romulus and the Sabines and by bringing together both
the commanders and the nations thatº made this city great from a small beginning.
It is a glorious venture, Veturia, to recover your son, to free your native land, to save
your countrywomen, and to leave to posterity an imperishable reputation for virtue.
Grant us this favour willingly and cheerfully, and make haste, Veturia; for the danger
is acute and admits of no deliberation or delay."
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