Texte grec :
| [8,2] Ἔτι δ´ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος ἐμβαλὼν τὴν
δεξιὰν ὁ Τύλλος καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἑστίας ἀναστήσας θαρρεῖν
τ´ αὐτὸν ἐκέλευσεν, ὡς μηδὲν ἀνάξιον τῆς ἰδίας
ἀρετῆς πεισόμενον καὶ πολλὰς αὐτῷ χάριτας εἰδέναι
τῆς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀφίξεως ἔφη, τιμήν τινα οὐ μικρὰν
εἶναι καὶ ταύτην ἀποφαινόμενος· Οὐολούσκους τ´ αὐτῷ
πάντας ὑπισχνεῖτο ποιήσειν φίλους ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς
ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδος· καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἐψεύσατο τῶν ὑποσχέσεων.
χρόνου δέ τινος οὐ πολλοῦ διελθόντος βουλευομένοις τοῖς
ἀνδράσι κατὰ σφᾶς, Μαρκίῳ τε καὶ
Τύλλῳ, κινεῖν ἐδόκει τὸν πόλεμον. ὁ μὲν οὖν Τύλλος
αὐτίκα μάλα ἐβούλετο πᾶσαν τὴν Οὐολούσκων δύναμιν
παραλαβὼν ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην χωρεῖν, ἕως ἐστασίαζέ τε
καὶ ἡγεμόνας ἀπολέμους εἶχεν, ὁ δὲ Μάρκιος αἰτίαν
πρῶτον ᾤετο δεῖν εὐσεβῆ καὶ δικαίαν ἐνστήσασθαι τοῦ
πολέμου διδάσκων, ὡς ἁπάσαις μὲν πράξεσι θεοὶ
συλλαμβάνουσι, μάλιστα δὲ ταῖς κατὰ πολέμους, ὅσῳ μείζους τέ
εἰσι τῶν ἄλλων καὶ εἰς ἀδήλους φιλοῦσι κατασκήπτειν τύχας.
ἐτύγχανον δὲ τότε Ῥωμαίοις καὶ
Οὐολούσκοις ἐκεχειρίαι τοῦ πολέμου καὶ ἀνοχαὶ πρὸς
ἀλλήλους οὖσαι σπονδαί τε διετεῖς ὀλίγῳ πρότερον
χρόνῳ γενόμεναι. Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ἀπερισκέπτως, ἔφη,
καὶ διὰ τάχους τὸν πόλεμον ἐπιφέρῃς, τοῦ λελύσθαι
τὰς σπονδὰς αἴτιος ἔσῃ καὶ τὸ δαιμόνιον οὐχ ἕξεις
εὐμενές· ἐὰν δὲ περιμείνῃς, ἕως ἐκεῖνοι τοῦτο ποιήσωσιν,
ἀμύνεσθαι δόξεις καὶ λελυμέναις σπονδαῖς βοηθεῖν. ὅπως δ´ ἂν
τοῦτο γένοιτο, καὶ ὅπως ἂν ἐκεῖνοι
μὲν ἄρξειαν παρασπονδεῖν, ἡμεῖς δὲ δόξαιμεν ὅσιον
καὶ δίκαιον ἐπιφέρειν τὸν πόλεμον, ἐγὼ σὺν πολλῇ
φροντίδι ἀνεύρηκα. δεῖ δ´ ὑφ´ ἡμῶν αὐτοὺς ἐξαπατηθέντας ἄρξαι
τῆς παρανομίας. ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῆς ἐξαπάτης, ὃν ἐγὼ τέως μὲν
ἀπόρρητον ἐφύλαττον ἀναμένων
τὸν οἰκεῖον αὐτοῦ καιρόν, νῦν δὲ σοῦ σπουδάζοντος
ἔργου ἔχεσθαι θᾶττον ἐκφέρειν εἰς μέσον ἀναγκάζομαι,
τοιόσδε ἐστίν· θυσίας ἐπιτελεῖν Ῥωμαῖοι μέλλουσι καὶ
ἀγῶνας ἄγειν ἀπὸ πολλῶν χρημάτων σφόδρα λαμπρούς,
ἀφίξονταί τε κατὰ θέαν ἐπὶ τούτους πολλοὶ τῶν
ξένων. τοῦτον ἀναμείνας τὸν χρόνον ἴθι καὶ σὺ καὶ
Οὐολούσκων ὅσους δύνασαι πλείστους παρασκεύασον
ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν θέαν· ὅταν δ´ ἐν τῇ πόλει γένῃ, τῶν
ἀναγκαιοτάτων τινά σοι φίλων κέλευσον ἐλθεῖν ὡς
τοὺς ὑπάτους καὶ δι´ ἀπορρήτων εἰπεῖν, ὅτι μέλλουσιν
ἐπιτίθεσθαι τῇ πόλει Οὐολοῦσκοι νύκτωρ, καὶ ἐπὶ
τοῦθ´ ἥκουσι τὸ ἔργον ἀθρόοι. εὖ γὰρ ἴσθι, ὡς εἰ
τοῦτ´ ἀκούσειαν οὐδὲν ἔτι ἐνδοιάσαντες ἐκβαλοῦσιν
ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ παρέξουσιν ἀφορμὴν δικαίας ὀργῆς.
|
|
Traduction française :
| [8,2] While he was yet speaking these words Tullus gave him his hand and, raising him
for the hearth, bade him be assured that he should not be treated in any manner
unworthy of his valour, and said he felt himself under great obligations to him for
coming to him, declaring that he looked upon even this as no small honour. He
promised him also that he would make all the Volscians his friends, beginning with
those of his own city; and not one of his promises did he fail to make good. Soon
afterwards Marcius and Tullus conferred together in private and came to a decision to
begin war against the Romans. Tullus proposed to put himself immediately at the
head of all the Volscians and march on Rome while the Romans were still at odds and
had generals averse to war. But Marcius insisted that they ought first to establish a
righteous and just ground for war; for he pointed out that the gods take a hand in all
actions, and especially in those relating to war, in so far as these are of greater
consequence than any others and their outcome is generally uncertain. It happened
that there was at that time an armistice and a truce existing between the Romans and
the Volscians and (p9) also a treaty for two years which they had made a short time
before: "If, therefore, you make war upon them inconsiderately and hastily," he said,
"you will be to blame for the breaking of the treaty, and Heaven will not be propitious
to you; whereas, if you wait till they do this, you will seem to be defending yourselves
and coming to the aid of a broken treaty. How this may be brought about and how
they may be induced to violate the treaty first, while we shall seem to be waging a
righteous and just war against them, I have discovered after long consideration. It is
necessary that the Romans should be deceived by us, in order that they may be the
first to commit unlawful acts. The nature of this deceit, which I have hitherto kept
secret while awaiting the proper occasion for its employment, but am now forced,
because of your eagerness for action, to disclose sooner than I wished, is as follows.
The Romans are intending to perform sacrifices and exhibit very magnificent games
at vast expense, at which great numbers of strangers will be present as spectators.
Wait for this occasion, and then not only go thither yourself, but engage as many of
the Volscians as you can to go also and see the games. And when you are in Rome, bid
one of your closest friends go to the consuls and inform them privately that the
Volscians are intending to attack the city by night and that it is for this purpose that
they have come to Rome in so great numbers. For you may be assured that if they
hear this they will expel you Volscians from the city without further hesitation and
furnish you with a ground for just resentment."
|
|
