§13.1Ταρκυνίου δὲ Ῥωμαίοις δεύτερον πόλεμον ἐν Τυρρηνίᾳ κινοῦντος μέγα σημεῖον λέγεται γενέσθαι·
When Tarquin was stirring up a second war against the Romans in Etruria, a great omen is said to have occurred.
βασιλεύων γὰρ ἔτι καὶ τὸν νεὼν τοῦ Καπιτωλίου Διὸς ἔχων ὁ Ταρκύνιος ὅσον οὔπω συντετελεσμένον, εἴτε μαντείας γενομένης εἴτʼ αὐτῷ δόξαν ἄλλως, ἅρμα κατὰ κορυφὴν ἐπιστῆσαι κεραμεοῦν ἐξέδωκε Τυρρηνοῖς τισιν ἐξ Οὐηίων δημιουργοῖς, εἶτʼ ὀλίγον ὕστερον ἐξέπεσε τῆς ἀρχῆς.
For while Tarquin was still reigning and possessed the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol in an almost completed state, whether because an oracle had been given or because it seemed otherwise to him, he commissioned certain Etruscan artisans from Veii to set up a clay chariot on the summit, and then a little later he fell from power.
§13.2τῶν δὲ Τυρρηνῶν διαπεπλασμένον τὸ τέθριππον ἐμβαλόντων εἰς κάμινον, οὐκ ἔπαθεν ἃ προσήκει πάσχειν πηλὸν ἐν πυρί, πυκνοῦσθαι καὶ συνιζάνειν, ἐκτηκομένης τῆς ὑγρότητος, ἀλλʼ ἐξέστη καὶ ᾤδησε καὶ μέγεθος ἔσχεν ἅμα ῥώμῃ καὶ σκληρότητι τοσοῦτον ὥστε μόλις ἐξαιρεθῆναι τὴν ὀροφὴν ἀπ σκευασα μὲν ων τῆς καμίνου καὶ τῶν τοίχων περιαιρεθέντων.
When the Etruscans put the molded four-horse chariot into the kiln, it did not experience what clay in fire naturally experiences, namely to shrink and contract as the moisture evaporates, but instead it swelled and bloated, and grew to such a size, along with strength and hardness, that it could scarcely be extracted even after they cleared away the roof of the kiln and demolished the walls.
§13.3ὡς οὖν ἐδόκει τοῖς μάντεσι θεῖον εἶναι σημεῖον εὐτυχίας καὶ δυνάμεως παρʼ οἷς ἔσοιτο τὸ τέθριππον, ἔγνωσαν οἱ Οὐήιοι μὴ προέσθαι τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἀπαιτοῦσι, καὶ ἀπεκρίναντο τοῦτο Ταρκυνίοις, οὐ τοῖς Ταρκυνίους ἐκβαλοῦσι προσήκειν.
Since, therefore, it seemed to the seers to be a divine sign of good fortune and power for those with whom the four-horse chariot should remain, the people of Veii resolved not to surrender it to the Romans who demanded it, and replied that this belonged to Tarquin, not to those who had expelled Tarquin.
ὀλίγαις δʼ ὕστερον ἡμέραις ἦσαν ἵππων ἀγῶνες αὐτοῖς.
But a few days later, there were horse races among them.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα θέαν καὶ σπουδὴν εἰωθυῖαν παρεῖχε, τὸ δὲ νικῆσαν τέθριππον ὁ μὲν ἡνίοχος ἐξήλαυνε τοῦ ἱπποδρόμου σχέδην ἐστεφανωμένος,
And while the other events provided the usual spectacle and excitement, the driver of the victorious four-horse chariot was driving out of the racecourse at a slow pace, wearing his wreath, when the horses, startled by no apparent cause, but by some divine power or fortune, rushed at full speed toward the city of the Romans, carrying the driver.
§13.4οἱ δὲ ἵπποι πτοηθέντες ἀπʼ οὐδεμιᾶς ἐμφανοῦς προφάσεως, ἀλλὰ κατά τι δαιμόνιον ἢ τύχην ἵεντο παντὶ τάχει πρὸς τὴν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν, ἔχοντες τὸν ἡνίοχον, ὡς οὐδὲν ἦν ἔργον αὐτοῦ κατατείνοντος οὐδὲ παρηγοροῦντος, ἀλλʼ ἥρπαστο, δόντα τῇ ῥύμῃ καὶ φερόμενον, ἄχρι οὗ τῷ Καπιτωλίῳ προσμίξαντες ἐξέβαλον αὐτὸν ἐνταῦθα παρὰ τὴν πύλην ἣν νῦν Ῥατουμέναν καλοῦσι.
His pulling back and soothing them were of no avail, but he was carried away, yielding to the rush and being swept along, until they reached the Capitol and threw him out there near the gate which they now call Ratumena.
γενομένου δὲ τούτου θαυμάσαντες οἱ Οὐήιοι καὶ φοβηθέντες ἐπέτρεψαν ἀποδοῦναι τὸ ἅρμα τοῖς τεχνίταις.
When this happened, the people of Veii, wondering and fearing, permitted the chariot to be delivered to the craftsmen.