§1.80.1ὡς δὲ Τουβέρων Αἴλιος δεινὸς ἀνὴρ καὶ περὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν τῆς ἱστορίας ἐπιμελὴς γράφει, προειδότες οἱ τοῦ Νεμέτορος θύσοντας τὰ Λύκαια τοὺς νεανίσκους τῷ Πανὶ τὴν Ἀρκαδικὴν ὡς Εὔανδρος κατεστήσατο θυσίαν ἐνήδρευσαν τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον τῆς ἱερουργίας, ἡνίκα χρῆν τοὺς περὶ τὸ Παλλάντιον οἰκοῦντας τῶν νέων ἐκ τοῦ Λυκαίου τεθυκότας περιελθεῖν δρόμῳ τὴν κώμην γυμνοὺς ὑπεζωσμένους τὴν αἰδῶ ταῖς δοραῖς τῶν νεοθύτων.
But as Aelius Tubero, a man of talent and diligent in collecting history, writes, the men of Numitor, knowing beforehand that the young men were going to offer to Pan the Lycaean sacrifice, which was the Arcadian sacrifice established by Evander, lay in wait for them at the very time of that sacred ceremony, when it was necessary for those of the young men who lived around the Palatine, girt about their loins with the skins of the newly slain victims, to run around the village naked after having sacrificed at the Lycaeum.
τοῦτο δὲ καθαρμόν τινα τῶν κωμητῶν πάτριον ἐδύνατο, §1.80.2ὡς καὶ νῦν ἔτι δρᾶται.
This had the power of a traditional purification of the villagers, just as it is still done even now.
ἐν δὴ τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ τοὺς ἱεροποιοὺς νεανίσκους οἱ βουκόλοι λοχήσαντες κατὰ τὸ στενόπορον τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἐπειδὴ τὸ πρῶτον τάγμα τὸ σὺν τῷ Ῥώμῳ κατʼ αὐτοὺς ἐγένετο, τῶν ἀμφὶ Ῥωμύλον τε καὶ ἄλλων ὑστεριζόντων ʽτριχῇ γὰρ ἐνενέμηντο καὶ ἐκ διαστήματος ἔθεονʼ οὐ περιμείναντες τοὺς λοιποὺς ὁρμῶσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πρώτους ἐμβοήσαντες ἀθρόοι καὶ περιστάντες ἔβαλλον οἱ μὲν ἀκοντίοις, οἱ δὲ λίθοις, οἱ δʼ ὡς ἕκαστοί τι διὰ χειρὸς εἶχον.
At this very time, the herdsmen, having ambushed the sacred young men in the narrow part of the road, when the first company with Romus came near them, and since Romulus and the others were lagging behind (for they had been divided into three groups and were running at intervals), did not wait for the rest but rushed upon the first with a shout in a body, and surrounding them, threw at them, some with javelins, some with stones, and others with whatever each had in hand.
οἱ δʼ ἐκπλαγέντες τῷ παραδόξῳ τοῦ πάθους καὶ ἀμηχανοῦντες ὅ τι δράσειαν πρὸς ὡπλισμένους ἄνοπλοι μαχόμενοι κατὰ πολλὴν εὐπέτειαν ἐχειρώθησαν.
The young men, terrified by the suddenness of the event and at a loss what to do, fighting unarmed against armed men, were overpowered with great ease.
§1.80.3ὁ μὲν οὖν Ῥῶμος ἐπὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις γενόμενος οὕτως, εἴθʼ ὡς ὁ Φάβιος παραδέδωκε δέσμιος εἰς τὴν Ἄλβαν ἀπήγετο.
Romus, having thus fallen into the hands of his enemies, was led away bound to Alba, or as Fabius has delivered.
Ῥωμύλος δʼ ἐπειδὴ τὸ περὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἔγνω πάθος, διώκειν εὐθὺς ᾤετο δεῖν τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους ἔχων τῶν νομέων, ὡς ἔτι κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ὄντα καταληψόμενος τὸν Ῥῶμον· ἀποτρέπεται δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ Φαιστύλου.
Romulus, when he learned the misfortune of his brother, thought he ought to pursue them immediately with the most active of the shepherds, in order to overtake Romus while he was still on the road; but he was diverted by Phaestylus.
ὁρῶν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν σπουδὴν μανικωτέραν οὖσαν οὗτος νομισθεὶς ὁ πατήρ, ἃ τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον ἀπόρρητα ποιούμενος τοῖς μειρακίοις διετέλεσεν, ὡς μὴ θᾶττον ὁρμήσωσι παρακινδυνεῦσαί τι πρὶν ἐν τῷ κρατίστῳ τῆς ἀκμῆς γενέσθαι, τότε δὴ πρὸς τῆς ἀνάγκης βιασθεὶς μονωθέντι τῷ Ῥωμύλῳ λέγει.
For this man, who was considered their father, seeing his haste was rather frantic, being forced by necessity, told Romulus when he was alone what he had continued to keep secret from the young men in the former time, lest they should make some hazardous attempt too soon before they were in the full strength of their prime.
§1.80.4μαθόντι δὲ τῷ νεανίσκῳ πᾶσαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὴν κατασχοῦσαν αὐτοὺς τύχην τῆς τε μητρὸς οἶκτος εἰσέρχεται καὶ Νεμέτορος φροντίς, καὶ πολλὰ βουλευσαμένῳ μετὰ τοῦ Φαιστύλου τῆς μὲν αὐτίκα ὁρμῆς ἐπισχεῖν ἐδόκει, πλείονι δὲ παρασκευῇ δυνάμεως χρησάμενον ὅλον ἀπαλλάξαι τὸν οἶκον τῆς Ἀμολίου παρανομίας κίνδυνόν τε τὸν ἔσχατον ὑπὲρ τῶν μεγίστων ἄθλων ἀναρρῖψαι, πράττειν δὲ μετὰ τοῦ μητροπάτορος ὅ τι ἂν ἐκείνῳ δοκῇ.
The young man, having learned the whole fortune that had befallen them from the beginning, was seized with pity for his mother and concern for Numitor, and having consulted much with Phaestylus, he resolved to restrain his immediate impulse, and by using a greater preparation of force, to free his whole house from the lawlessness of Amulius and run the ultimate risk for the greatest rewards, and to act in concert with his maternal grandfather in whatever should seem good to him.