§10.14.1ἐν τοιαύτῃ δὲ ταραχῇ τῆς πόλεως οὔσης ἀνήρ τις ἐκ τοῦ Σαβίνων ἔθνους πατέρων τε οὐκ ἀφανῶν καὶ χρήμασι δυνατός, Ἄππιος Ἑρδώνιος ὄνομα, καταλῦσαι τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν ἐπεβάλετο εἴθʼ ἑαυτῷ τυραννίδα κατασκευαζόμενος εἴτε τῷ Σαβίνων ἔθνει πράττων ἀρχὴν καὶ κράτος εἴτʼ ὀνόματος ἀξιωθῆναι βουλόμενος μεγάλου.
While the city was in such confusion, a certain man from the Sabine nation, of no obscure ancestors and powerful in wealth, Appius Herdonius by name, undertook to overthrow the Roman supremacy, either preparing a tyranny for himself, or procuring dominion and power for the Sabine nation, or desiring to be thought worthy of a great name.
κοινωσάμενος δὲ πολλοῖς τῶν φίλων ἣν εἶχε διάνοιαν καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως ἀφηγησάμενος, ἐπειδὴ κἀκείνοις ἐδόκει συνήθροιζε τοὺς πελάτας καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων οὓς εἶχεν εὐτολμοτάτους· καὶ διʼ ὀλίγου χρόνου συγκροτήσας δύναμιν ἀνδρῶν τετρακισχιλίων μάλιστα, ὅπλα τε καὶ τροφὰς καὶ τἆλλα ὅσων δεῖ πολέμῳ πάντα εὐτρεπισάμενος, §10.14.2εἰς σκάφας ποταμηγοὺς ἐνεβάλετο.
Having communicated the design he had to many of his friends, and having explained the manner of the attempt, when it seemed good to them also, he assembled his clients and the most daring of the servants he had; and in a short time having organized a force of about four thousand men, and having prepared arms, provisions, and all other things necessary for war, he embarked them in river boats.
πλεύσας δὲ διὰ τοῦ Τεβέριος ποταμοῦ προσέσχε τῆς Ῥώμης κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον, ἔνθα τὸ Καπιτώλιόν ἐστιν οὐδʼ ὅλον στάδιον ἀπέχον τοῦ ποταμοῦ.
Having sailed through the Tiber river, he landed at that part of Rome where the Capitol is, which is not a whole stadium distant from the river.
ἦσαν δὲ μέσαι τηνικαῦτα νύκτες, καὶ πολλὴ καθʼ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν ἡσυχία, ἣν συνεργὸν λαβὼν ἐξεβίβασε τοὺς ἄνδρας κατὰ σπουδὴν καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀκλείστων πυλῶν· εἰσὶ γάρ τινες ἱεραὶ πύλαι τοῦ Καπιτωλίου κατά τι θέσφατον ἀνειμέναι, Καρμεντίδας αὐτὰς καλοῦσιν· ἀναβιβάσας τὴν δύναμιν εἶχε τὸ φρούριον.
It was then midnight, and there was great silence throughout the whole city; taking this as his assistant, he landed his men in haste and through the open gates; for there are certain sacred gates of the Capitol left open according to a certain oracle, which they call the Carmentalis gates; and having led his force up, he held the fortress.
ἐκεῖθεν δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄκραν ὠσάμενος, — ἔστι δὲ τῷ Καπιτωλίῳ §10.14.3προσεχής, — κἀκείνης ἐγεγόνει κύριος.
Pushing on from there to the citadel — which is adjacent to the Capitol — he became master of that also.
ἦν δὲ αὐτοῦ γνώμη μετὰ τὸ κρατῆσαι τῶν ἐπικαιροτάτων τόπων τούς τε φυγάδας εἰσδέχεσθαι καὶ τοὺς δούλους εἰς ἐλευθερίαν καλεῖν καὶ χρεῶν ἄφεσιν ὑπισχνεῖσθαι τοῖς ἀπόροις τούς τε ἄλλους πολίτας, οἳ ταπεινὰ πράττοντες διὰ φθόνου καὶ μίσους εἶχον τὰς ὑπεροχὰς καὶ μεταβολῆς ἄσμενοι ἂν ἐλάβοντο, κοινωνοὺς ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ὠφελειῶν.
And his design, after taking possession of the most opportune places, was to receive the exiles, to call the slaves to freedom, to promise a remission of debts to the needy, and to make the other citizens, who being in a low condition through envy and hatred hated the preeminence of others and would gladly have seized upon a change, partners in the advantages.
ἡ δὲ θαρρεῖν τε αὐτὸν ἐπαγομένη καὶ πλανῶσα ἐλπίς, ὡς οὐθενὸς ἀτυχήσοντα τῶν προσδοκωμένων, ἡ πολιτικὴ στάσις ἦν, διʼ ἣν οὔτε φιλίαν οὔτε κοινωνίαν οὐδεμίαν ὑπελάμβανε τῷ δήμῳ πρὸς τοὺς πατρικίους ἔτι γενήσεσθαι.
And the hope that encouraged and misled him, as though he should not fail in any of his expectations, was the civil dissension, because of which he assumed that no friendship or cooperation would ever again exist between the people and the patricians.
§10.14.4ἐὰν δὲ ἄρα μηθὲν αὐτῷ τούτων κατὰ νοῦν χωρῇ, τηνικαῦτα Σαβίνους τε πανστρατιᾷ καλεῖν ἐδέδοκτο καὶ Οὐολούσκους καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πλησιοχώρων ὅσοις ἂν ᾖ βουλομένοις ἀπηλλάχθαι τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐπιφθόνου ἀρχῆς.
But if, after all, none of these things should succeed according to his mind, it had then been resolved to call both the Sabines with their whole army and the Volscians, and any of the other neighbors who might be willing to be rid of the enviable rule of the Romans.