§11.37.1ὡς δὲ ταῦτʼ ἤκουσαν, ὅσοι μὲν ἦσαν ἀκέραιοί τε καὶ τῶν τὰ δίκαια λεγόντων παράκλητοι τὰς χεῖρας ἄραντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνέκραγον ὀδυρμῷ καὶ ἀγανακτήσει μεμιγμένην κραυγήν, οἱ δὲ τῆς ὀλιγαρχίας κόλακες τὴν ἐπικελεύουσάν τε καὶ θάρσος ἐμποιῆσαι δυναμένην τοῖς κρατοῦσι φωνήν.
And when they heard this, all who were both upright and supporters of those speaking what was just, raising their hands to heaven, cried out in a shout mixed with lamentation and indignation; but the flatterers of the oligarchy uttered a voice of encouragement and one able to instill courage in the rulers.
ἠρεθισμένης δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς καὶ παντοδαπῶν γεμούσης λόγων τε καὶ παθῶν σιωπὴν γενέσθαι κελεύσας Ἄππιος ἔλεξεν· §11.37.2εἰ μὴ παύσεσθε διαστασιάζοντες τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἀντιστρατηγοῦντες ἡμῖν οἱ ταραχώδεις, μηδαμῇ χρήσιμοι μήτʼ ἐν εἰρήνῃ μήτε κατὰ πολέμους, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης σωφρονισθέντες εἴξετε.
And when the forum was excited and full of all kinds of words and passions, Appius, having ordered silence to be made, said: "If you do not cease throwing the city into faction and opposing us, you turbulent men, in no way useful either in peace or in wars, you will yield, being brought to your senses by necessity.
μὴ τούτους οἴεσθε τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ Καπετωλίου καὶ τῆς ἄκρας φρουροὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔξωθεν πολεμίους ἡμῖν παρεσκευάσθαι μόνον, ὑμᾶς δὲ τοὺς ἔνδον ὑποκαθημένους καὶ πάντα σήποντας τὰ τῆς πόλεως πράγματα ἐάσειν.
Do not think that these guards on the Capitol and the citadel have been prepared by us only against external enemies, and that they will let you go, who lie in wait within and rot all the affairs of the city.
§11.37.3γνώμην δὴ λαβόντες κρείττονα ἧς ἔχετε νῦν ἄπιτε, οἷς μή τι πρᾶγμα, καὶ πράσσετε τὰ ἑαυτῶν, εἰ σωφρονεῖτε· σὺ δʼ ἄγου τὴν παιδίσκην ἔχων, Κλαύδιε, μηδένα δεδοικὼς διʼ ἀγορᾶς· §11.37.4οἱ γὰρ Ἀππίου σε προπέμψουσι δώδεκα πελέκεις. ὡς δὲ ταῦτʼ εἶπεν, οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι στένοντες καὶ τὰ μέτωπα παίοντες καὶ τὰ δάκρυα κατέχειν οὐ δυνάμενοι παρεχώρουν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, ὁ δὲ Κλαύδιος ἀπῆγε τὴν παῖδα τῷ πατρὶ περιπεπλεγμένην καὶ καταφιλοῦσαν καὶ ταῖς ἡδίσταις φωναῖς ἀνακαλοῦσαν.
Therefore, having taken a better mind than the one you now have, depart, you who have no business here, and do your own affairs, if you are wise; and you, Claudius, take the girl and lead her away, fearing no one through the forum; for Appius's twelve axes will escort you." And when he had said this, the others, groaning and beating their foreheads and unable to restrain their tears, withdrew from the forum; but Claudius was leading away the girl, who was clinging to her father, kissing him, and calling him in the sweetest voices.
ἐν τοιούτοις δὴ κακοῖς Οὐεργίνιος ὢν ἔργον εἰς νοῦν βάλλεται πατρὶ μὲν ταλαίπωρον καὶ πικρόν, ἐλευθέρῳ δʼ ἀνδρὶ §11.37.5καὶ μεγαλόφρονι πρέπον.
Being indeed in such evils, Verginius cast in his mind a deed, wretched and bitter for a father, but for a free man and high-minded, fitting.
αἰτησάμενος γὰρ ἐξουσίαν ἀσπάσασθαι τὴν θυγατέρα τοὺς τελευταίους ἀσπασμοὺς ἐπʼ ἐξουσίας καὶ διαλεχθῆναι μόνῃ μόνος, ὁπόσα βούλεται, πρὶν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς αὐτὴν ἀπαχθῆναι, συγχωρήσαντος τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μικρὸν ἀναχωρησάντων ὑπολαβὼν εἰς τὴν ἐκλυομένην τε καὶ καταρρέουσαν καὶ κατέχουσαν τέως μὲν ἀνεκαλεῖτό τε καὶ κατεφίλει καὶ τὰς λιβάδας ἐξέματτε τῶν δακρύων, ἔπειτα κατὰ μικρὸν ὑπάγων, ὡς ἦν ἐγγὺς ἐργαστηρίου μαγειρικοῦ, μάχαιραν ἐξαρπάσας ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης παίει τὴν θυγατέρα διὰ τῶν σπλάγχνων τοσοῦτον εἰπών· §11.37.6ἐλευθέραν σε καὶ εὐσχήμονα, τέκνον, ἀποστέλλω τοῖς κατὰ γῆς προγόνοις· ζῶσα γὰρ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐξῆν ἔχειν ἀμφότερα διὰ τὸν τύραννον. κραυγῆς δὲ γενομένης ᾑμαγμένην ἔχων τὴν σφαγίδα καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνάμεστος αἵματος γενόμενος, ᾧ προσέφυρεν αὐτὸν ἡ σφαγὴ τῆς κόρης, ἔθει διὰ τῆς πόλεως ἐμμανὴς ἐπὶ §11.37.7τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τοὺς πολίτας καλῶν.
For having asked for permission to embrace his daughter in her final embraces in private and to talk to her alone, as much as he wished, before she was led away from the forum, the general having consented and his enemies having stepped back a little, taking her up as she was fainting and collapsing and clinging to him, for a while he called out to her and kissed her and wiped away the streams of her tears; then drawing her away little by little, when he was near a butcher's shop, having snatched a knife from the table, he struck his daughter through the breast, saying only this: "I send you, child, free and honorable, to our ancestors below the earth; for while living, it was not possible for you to keep both of these because of the tyrant." And when a cry arose, holding the blood-stained knife and having himself become covered with blood, with which the slaughter of the girl had bespattered him, he ran through the city like a madman calling the citizens to freedom.
διεκπαισάμενος δὲ τὰς πύλας ἀνέβη τὸν ἵππον, ὃς ἦν παρεσκευασμένος αὐτῷ, καὶ συνέτεινεν ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον, Ἰκιλίου τε καὶ Νομιτωρίου τῶν ἀγαγόντων αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος νεανίσκων καὶ τότε συμπροπεμπόντων.
And having forced his way through the gates, he mounted his horse, which had been prepared for him, and hastened to the camp, with Icilius and Numitorius, the young men who had brought him from the camp and were then escorting him back.
ἠκολούθει δʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἄλλος ὄχλος δημοτῶν οὐκ ὀλίγος, ὥστε τοὺς σύμπαντας ἀμφὶ τετρακοσίους γενέσθαι.
And another not small crowd of plebeians followed them, so that all together they were about four hundred.