§12.13.1ὡς δὲ ταῦτʼ ἤκουσαν Οὐιεντανοὶ παρʼ αἰχμαλώτου τινός, ἐπικηρυκεύεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας ἤθελον περὶ καταλύσεως τοῦ πολέμου, πρὶν ἁλῶναι κατὰ κράτος τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἀποδείκνυνται πρέσβεις οἱ πρεσβύτατοι.
When the Veientes heard this from a certain prisoner, they wished to send envoys to the besiegers to treat for the termination of the war before the city should be taken by storm, and the oldest men were appointed as envoys.
§12.13.2ἀποψηφισαμένης δὲ τῆς βουλῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὰς διαλλαγὰς οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι πρέσβεις ἀπῄεσαν ἐκ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου σιωπῇ, ὁ δὲ ἐπιφανέστατος ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ κατὰ τὴν μαντικὴν ἐμπειρίαν δοκιμώτατος, ἐπιστὰς ταῖς θύραις καὶ περιβλέψας ἅπαντας τοὺς παρόντας ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ· καλόν, ἔφησεν, ὦ Ῥωμαῖοι, δόγμα ἐξενηνόχατε καὶ μεγαλοπρεπές, οἱ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἀξιοῦντες ἔχειν τῶν περιοίκων διʼ ἀρετήν, πόλιν οὔτε μικρὰν οὔτε ἄσημον ἀποτιθεμένην τὰ ὅπλα καὶ παραδιδοῦσαν ὑμῖν ἑαυτὴν οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες ὑπήκοον ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ πρόρριζον ἀνελεῖν βουλόμενοι, οὔτε τὸν ἐκ τοῦ θείου δείσαντες χόλον, §12.13.3οὔτε τὴν παρʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐντραπέντες νέμεσιν.
But when the senate of the Romans voted against the reconciliation, the other envoys departed from the senate-house in silence; but the most illustrious of them, who was also most esteemed for his skill in divination, stopping at the door and looking around at all who were present in the council, said: "A fine and magnificent decree you have brought forth, O Romans! You who claim to hold the hegemony over your neighbors by virtue, yet do not think it worthy to have as subjects a city, neither small nor obscure, which is laying down its arms and surrendering itself to you, but wish to destroy it root and branch, neither fearing the wrath from the divine, nor respecting the retribution from men.
ἀνθʼ ὧν ὑμῖν δίκη τιμωρὸς ἥξει παρὰ θεῶν εἰς τὰ ὅμοια ζημιοῦσα· Οὐιεντανοὺς γὰρ ἀφελόμενοι τὴν πατρίδα μετʼ οὐ πολὺ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀποβαλεῖτε. §12.13.4μετὰ βραχὺ δὲ ἁλισκομένης τῆς πόλεως οἱ μὲν ὁμόσε τοῖς πολεμίοις χωροῦντες ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ γενόμενοι καὶ πολλοὺς ἀποκτείναντες κατεκόπησαν, οἱ δʼ αὐτοχειρίᾳ σφάξαντες αὑτοὺς διεφθάρησαν· ὅσοις δὲ διʼ ἀνανδρίαν τε καὶ ταπεινότητα ψυχῆς πάντʼ ἐφαίνετο τοῦ τεθνάναι τὰ δεινὰ μετριώτερα, ῥίψαντες τὰ ὅπλα παρεδίδοσαν τοῖς κεκρατηκόσιν ἑαυτούς.
In return for these things, an avenging justice from the gods will come upon you, punishing you with the like; for having deprived the Veientes of their country, you shall before long lose your own." A short time after, when the city was being taken, some, charging against the enemy, acted like brave men and, after killing many, were cut down; others destroyed themselves by their own hands; and as many as, through cowardice and meanness of spirit, looked upon any terror as more tolerable than dying, threw down their arms and surrendered themselves to the conquerors.