[12,13] Ὡς δὲ ταῦτ´ ἤκουσαν Οὐιεντανοὶ παρ´ αἰχμαλώτου τινός, ἐπικηρυκεύεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας ἤθελον περὶ καταλύσεως τοῦ πολέμου, πρὶν ἁλῶναι κατὰ κράτος τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἀποδείκνυνται πρέσβεις οἱ πρεσβύτατοι. ἀποψηφισαμένης δὲ τῆς βουλῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὰς διαλλαγὰς οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι πρέσβεις ἀπῄεσαν ἐκ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου σιωπῇ, ὁ δὲ ἐπιφανέστατος ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ κατὰ τὴν μαντικὴν ἐμπειρίαν δοκιμώτατος, ἐπιστὰς ταῖς θύραις καὶ περιβλέψας {εἰς} ἅπαντας τοὺς παρόντας ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ· Καλόν, ἔφησεν, ὦ Ῥωμαῖοι, δόγμα ἐξενηνόχατε καὶ μεγαλοπρεπές, οἱ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἀξιοῦντες ἔχειν τῶν περιοίκων δι´ ἀρετήν, πόλιν οὔτε μικρὰν οὔτε ἄσημον ἀποτιθεμένην τὰ ὅπλα καὶ παραδιδοῦσαν ὑμῖν ἑαυτὴν οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες ὑπήκοον ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ πρόρριζον ἀνελεῖν βουλόμενοι, οὔτε τὸν ἐκ τοῦ θείου δείσαντες χόλον, οὔτε τὴν παρ´ ἀνθρώπων ἐντραπέντες νέμεσιν. ἀνθ´ ὧν ὑμῖν δίκη τιμωρὸς ἥξει παρὰ θεῶν εἰς τὰ ὅμοια ζημιοῦσα· Οὐιεντανοὺς γὰρ ἀφελόμενοι τὴν πατρίδα μετ´ οὐ πολὺ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀποβαλεῖτε. Μετὰ βραχὺ δὲ ἁλισκομένης τῆς πόλεως οἱ μὲν ὁμόσε τοῖς πολεμίοις χωροῦντες ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ γενόμενοι καὶ πολλοὺς ἀποκτείναντες κατεκόπησαν, οἱ δ´ αὐτοχειρίᾳ σφάξαντες αὑτοὺς διεφθάρησαν· ὅσοις δὲ δι´ ἀνανδρίαν τε καὶ ταπεινότητα ψυχῆς πάντ´ ἐφαίνετο τοῦ τεθνάναι τὰ δεινὰ μετριώτερα, ῥίψαντες τὰ ὅπλα παρεδίδοσαν τοῖς κεκρατηκόσιν ἑαυτούς.

[12,13] When the Veientes learned of this from a prisoner, they wished to send heralds to their besiegers to seek a termination of the war before the city should be taken by storm; and the oldest citizens were appointed envoys. 2 When the Roman senate voted against making peace, the other envoys left the senate-chamber in silence, but the most prominent of their number and the one who enjoyed the greatest reputation for skill in divination stopped at the door, and looking round upon all who were present in the chamber, said: "A fine and magnanimous decree you have passed, Romans, you who lay claim to the leadership of your neighbours on the ground of valour, when you disdain to accept the submission of a city, neither small nor undistinguished, which offers to lay down its arms and surrender itself to you, but wish to destroy it root and branch, neither fearing the wrath of Heaven nor regarding the indignation of men! 3 In return for this, avenging justice shall come upon you from the gods, punishing you in like manner. For after robbing the Veientes of their country you shall ere long lose your own." 4 When the city was being captured a short time after this, some of the inhabitants engaged with the (p233) enemy, and after showing themselves brave men and slaying many, were cut down, and others perished by taking their own lives; those, however, who because of cowardice and pusillanimity regarded any hardships as less terrible than death, threw down their arms and surrendered themselves to the conquerors.