§2.44.1ταῖς δʼ ἑξῆς ἡμέραις οἵ τε Σαβῖνοι ἐν βουλῇ ἐγίνοντο πότερον ἀποίσουσιν ἐπʼ οἴκου τὰς δυνάμεις, ὅσα δύνανται τῆς χώρας τῶν πολεμίων κακώσαντες, ἢ προσμεταπέμπωνται στρατιὰν ἑτέραν οἴκοθεν καὶ προσμένωσι λιπαροῦντες ἕως τὸ κάλλιστον §2.44.2ἐπιθήσουσι τῷ πολέμῳ τέλος.
In the following days, the Sabines were deliberating whether they should withdraw their forces homeward, after ravaging as much of the enemy's territory as they could, or send for another army from home and remain, persisting obstinately until they should put a most glorious end to the war.
πονηρὸν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ ἀπιέναι μετʼ αἰσχύνης τῆς ἀπράκτου ἀναχωρήσεως ἐφαίνετο εἶναι καὶ τὸ μένειν οὐδενός σφισι χωροῦντος κατʼ ἐλπίδα.
For both to depart with the shame of an unsuccessful retreat and to remain when nothing was succeeding for them according to expectation seemed to them to be grievous.
συμβάσεως δὲ πέρι τὸ διαλέγεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθρούς, ἥνπερ ἐδόκουν εἶναι μόνην εὐπρεπῆ τοῦ πολέμου ἀπαλλαγήν, οὐχ ἑαυτοῖς §2.44.3μᾶλλον ἢ Ῥωμαίοις ἁρμόττειν ὑπελάμβανον·
And as for negotiating with the enemy about an agreement, which they thought was the only honorable escape from the war, they supposed that it was no more fitting for themselves than for the Romans.
Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον τῶν Σαβίνων εἰς πολλὴν ἀπορίαν ἐνέπιπτον ὅ τι χρήσαιντο τοῖς πράγμασιν.
The Romans, on their part, no less but even more than the Sabines, were falling into great perplexity as to how they should handle the situation.
οὔτε γὰρ ἀποδιδόναι τὰς γυναῖκας ἠξίουν οὔτε κατέχειν· τῷ μὲν ἧτταν ὁμολογουμένην ἀκολουθεῖν οἰόμενοι καὶ ἀναγκαῖόν σφισιν ἐσόμενον πᾶν ὅ τι ἂν ἄλλο ἐπιταχθῶσιν ὑπομένειν, τῷ δὲ πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ ἐπιδεῖν χωρας τε πορθουμένης καὶ νεότητος τῆς κρατίστης ἀπολλυμένης· περὶ φιλίας τε εἰ διαλέγοιντο πρὸς τοὺς Σαβίνους, οὐδενὸς ὑπελάμβανον τεύξεσθαι τῶν μετρίων διὰ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα, μάλιστα δʼ ὅτι ταῖς αὐθαδείαις οὐ μετριότης γίνεται πρὸς τὸ ἀντίπαλον ἐπὶ θεραπείας τραπόμενον ἀλλὰ βαρύτης.
For they thought it right neither to return the women nor to keep them; thinking that upon the former, an acknowledged defeat would follow and it would be necessary for them to submit to whatever else might be commanded, and upon the latter, they would witness many terrible things as their land was being ravaged and the best of their youth was perishing; and if they should negotiate concerning friendship with the Sabines, they supposed they would obtain no moderate terms, for many other reasons, but especially because in arrogant minds, moderation does not arise toward an opponent who turns to conciliation, but rather severity.