§21.1τὴν δὲ Ταραντίνων πόλιν ἔσχεν ἑαλωκυῖαν ἐκ προδοσίας τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον, ἐστρατεύετο παρʼ αὐτῷ νεανίας Ταραντῖνος ἔχων ἀδελφήν πιστῶς πάνυ καὶ φιλοστόργως διακειμένην πρὸς αὐτόν, ἤρα δὲ ταύτης ἀνὴρ Βρέττιος τῶν τεταγμένων ὑπʼ Ἀννίβου τὴν πόλιν φρουρεῖν ἐφʼ ἡγεμονίας, τοῦτο πράξεως ἐλπίδα τῷ Ταραντίνῳ παρέσχε, καὶ τοῦ Φαβίου συνειδότος εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀφείθη, λόγῳ δʼ ἀποδεδράκει πρὸς τὴν ἀδελφήν εἰς Τάραντα.
He held the city of the Tarentines, which had been captured through treachery, in the following manner. There was serving in his army a young Tarentine who had a sister very loyal and affectionate toward him. A Bruttian man, one of those appointed by Hannibal to guard the city in a position of command, was in love with her. This gave the Tarentine hope of an enterprise, and with the knowledge of Fabius he was sent into the city, under the pretext that he had run away to Tarentum to his sister.
§21.2αἱ μὲν οὖν πρῶται τῶν ἡμερῶν ἦσαν, καὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ὁ Βρέττιος ἀνεπαύετο, λανθάνειν τὸν ἀδελφὸν οἰομένης ἐκείνης, ἔπειτα λέγει πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ νεανίας
καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖ λόγος ἐφοίτα πολὺς ἀνδρί σε τῶν δυνατῶν καὶ μεγάλων συνεῖναι.
During the first few days, while she thought that her brother was unaware of it, the Bruttian remained quiet by himself; but then the young man said to her: "And yet, there was a widespread rumor over there that you are consorting with one of the powerful and great men.
τίς οὗτός ἐστιν;
Who is this?
εἰ γὰρ εὐδόκιμός τίς, ὥς φασιν, ἀρετῇ καὶ λαμπρός, ἐλάχιστα φροντίζει γένους ὁ πάντα συμμιγνὺς πόλεμος· αἰσχρὸν δὲ μετʼ ἀνάγκης οὐδέν, ἀλλʼ εὐτυχία τίς ἐν καιρῷ τὸ δίκαιον ἀσθενὲς ἔχοντι πρᾳοτάτῳ χρήσασθαι τῷ βιαζομένῳ. §21.3ἐκ τούτου μεταπέμπεται μὲν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν Βρέττιον καὶ γνωρίζει τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτῷ ταχὺ δὲ συμπράττων τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκεῖνος καὶ μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον εὔνουν καὶ χειροήθη τῷ βαρβάρῳ παρέχειν δοκῶν τὴν ἀδελφήν, ἔσχε πιστῶς, ὥστε μὴ χαλεπῶς ἐρῶντος ἀνθρώπου μισθοφόρου μεταστῆσαι διάνοιαν ἐπʼ ἐλπίσι δωρεῶν μεγάλων, ἃς ἐπηγγέλλετο παρέξειν αὐτῷ τὸν Φάβιον.
For if he is, as they say, a man of reputation and illustrious in valor, war, which mingles all things, cares very little for pedigree; and there is nothing shameful in necessity, but rather it is a kind of good fortune in a season when justice is weak to find the one who forces you most gentle." Upon this, the woman sent for the Bruttian and introduced her brother to him. As the young man quickly furthered his passion, and seemed to render his sister more favorable and submissive to the barbarian than before, he won his confidence, so that it was not difficult to change the mind of a mercenary who was in love, by means of hopes of great gifts which he declared Fabius would provide for him.
§21.4ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οἱ πλεῖστοι γράφουσι περὶ τούτων· ἔνιοι δὲ τὴν ἄνθρωπον ὑφʼ ἧς ὁ Βρέττιος μετήχθη, φασὶν οὐ Ταραντίνην, ἀλλὰ Βρεττίαν τὸ γένος οὖσαν, τῷ δὲ Φαβίῳ παλλακευομένην, ὡς ᾔσθετο πολίτην καὶ γνώριμον ὄντα τὸν τῶν Βρεττίων ἄρχοντα, τῷ τε Φαβίῳ φράσαι καὶ συνελθοῦσαν εἰς λόγους ὑπὸ τὸ τεῖχος ἐκπεῖσαι καὶ κατεργάσασθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον.
This is the account which most writers give of these matters; but some say that the woman by whom the Bruttian was won over was not a Tarentine, but a Bruttian by birth, and a mistress of Fabius, who, when she perceived that the commander of the Bruttians was her countryman and acquaintance, informed Fabius, and having held parleys with him under the wall, persuaded and won the man over.