§26.1ὁ δʼ οὖν Περπέννας πλείονας ἐνωμότους ἔχων πρὸς τὴν ἐπίθεσιν προσάγεται καί Μάλλιον, ἕνα τῶν ἐφʼ ἡγεμονίας, οὗτος ἐρῶν τινος τῶν ἐν ὥρᾳ μειρακίου καί φιλοφρονούμενος πρὸς αὐτό φράζει τὴν ἐπιβουλήν, κελεύων ἀμελήσαντα τῶν ἄλλων ἐραστῶν αὐτῷ μόνῳ προσέχειν ὡς ἐντὸς ἡμερῶν ὀλίγων μεγάλῳ γενησομένῳ.
Now Perpenna, having many sworn conspirators for the attack, also brought to his side Mallius, one of those in command. This Mallius, loving a youth in the flower of his age and courting him, revealed the plot, urging him to pay no attention to his other lovers and to devote himself to him alone, since within a few days he would become a great man.
τὸ δὲ μειράκιον ἑτέρῳ τινὶ τῶν ἐραστῶν Αὐφιδίῳ μᾶλλον προσπεπονθὸς ἐκφέρει τὸν λόγον.
But the youth, being more attached to another of his lovers, Aufidius, disclosed the story.
§26.2ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Αὐφίδιος ἐξεπλάγη· καί γὰρ αὐτὸς μετεῖχε τῆς ἐπὶ Σερτώριον συνωμοσίας, οὐ μέντοι τὸν Μάλλιον ἐγίνωσκε μετέχοντα, Περπένναν δὲ καί Γραικῖνον καί τινας ἄλλους, ὧν αὐτὸς ᾔδει συνωμοτῶν, ὀνομάζοντος τοῦ μειρακίου, διαταραχθεὶς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μὲν ἐξεφλαύριζε τὸν λόγον, καὶ παρεκάλει τοῦ Μαλλίου καταφρονεῖν ὡς κενοῦ καί ἀλαζόνος, αὐτὸς δὲ πρὸς τὸν Περπένναν πορευθεὶς καί φράσας τὴν ὀξύτητα τοῦ καιροῦ καί τὸν κίνδυνον ἐκέλευσεν ἐπιχειρεῖν.
Hearing this, Aufidius was astounded; for he himself also shared in the conspiracy against Sertorius, but he did not know that Mallius participated. When the youth named Perpenna, Graecinus, and some others whom he himself knew to be conspirators, being deeply disturbed, he dismissed the story to the boy as nonsense, and urged him to despise Mallius as empty and boastful, but he himself went to Perpenna, and having told him the urgency of the moment and the danger, urged him to make the attempt.
§26.3οἱ δὲ ἐπείθοντο, καί παρασκευάσαντες ἄνθρωπον γράμματα κομίζοντα τῷ Σερτωρίῳ προσήγαγον.
And they complied, and having prepared a man carrying a letter, they brought him to Sertorius.
ἐδήλου δὲ τὰ γράμματα νίκην τινὸς τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτῷ στρατηγῶν καί φόνον πολὺν τῶν πολεμίων, ἐφʼ οἷς τοῦ Σερτωρίου περιχαροῦς ὄντος καί θύοντος εὐαγγέλια, Περπέννας ἑστίασιν αὐτῷ καί τοῖς παροῦσι φίλοις ʽοὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν ἐκ τῆς συνωμοσίας ἐπηγγέλλετο, καί πολλὰ λιπαρήσας ἔπεισεν ἐλθεῖν.
The letter announced a victory of one of his generals and a great slaughter of the enemy. At this, as Sertorius was overjoyed and sacrificing for the good news, Perpenna proposed a banquet for him and the friends present (and these were of the conspiracy), and by much entreating persuaded him to come.
§26.4ἀεὶ μὲν οὖν τὰ μετὰ Σερτωρίου δεῖπνα πολλὴν εἶχεν αἰδῶ καί κόσμον, οὔτε ὁρᾶν τι τῶν αἰσχρῶν οὔτε ἀκούειν ὑπομένοντος, ἀλλὰ καί τοὺς συνόντας εὐτάκτοις καί ἀνυβρίστοις παιδιαῖς χρῆσθαι καί φιλοφροσύναις ἐθίζοντος·
Now dinners with Sertorius had always great modesty and order, as he did not tolerate seeing or hearing anything shameful, but accustomed his companions to use orderly and non-insolent jests and friendliness.
τότε δέ, τοῦ πότου μεσοῦντος, ἀρχὴν ἁψιμαχίας ζητοῦντες ἀναφανδὸν ἀκολάστοις ἐχρῶντο ῥήμασι, καί πολλὰ προσποιούμενοι μεθύειν ἠσέλγαινον ὡς παροξυνοῦντες ἐκεῖνον.
But then, when the drinking was at its height, seeking an occasion for a quarrel, they openly used licentious words, and pretending to be very drunk, they behaved insolently to provoke him.
§26.5ὁ δὲ εἴτε δυσχεραίνων τὴν ἀκοσμίαν, εἴτε τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν τῇ θρασύτητι τῆς λαλιᾶς καί τῇ παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ὀλιγωρίᾳ συμφρονήσας, μετέβαλε τὸ σχῆμα τῆς κχισίας, ὕπτιον ἀνεὶς ἑαυτὸν, ὡς οὔτε προσέχων οὔτε κατακούων.
But he, either being displeased by the disorder, or having understood their intent by the boldness of their talk and their unusual disregard, changed his posture on the couch, throwing himself backward as though paying no attention and not listening.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Περπέννας φιάλην τινὰ λαβὼν ἀκράτου μεταξὺ πίνων ἀφῆκεν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν καί ψόφον ἐποίησεν, ὅπερ ἦν αὐτοῖς σύμβολον, Ἀντώνιος ὑπερκατακείμενος παίει τῷ ξίφει τὸν Σερτώριον.
And when Perpenna, having taken a cup of unmixed wine, let it drop from his hands while drinking and made a noise, which was their signal, Antonius, who reclined above him, struck Sertorius with his sword.
§26.6ἀναστρέψαντος δὲ πρὸς τὴν πληγὴν ἐκείνου καί συνεξανισταμένου, περιπεσὼν εἰς τὸ στῆθος κατέλαβε τὰς χεῖρας ἀμφοτέρας, ὥστε μηδὲ ἀμυνόμενον πολλῶν παιόντων ἀποθανεῖν.
And as he turned toward the blow and tried to rise up at the same time, Antonius fell upon his chest and held fast both his hands, so that, without even defending himself, he died as many struck him.