§3.12.1τὰ μὲν δὴ λεχθέντα περὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας τῶν πόλεων δικαιώματα ὑπʼ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν στρατηγῶν τοιάδε ἦν· τέλος δὲ τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῶν ἠκολούθησεν οἷον ὁ Ῥωμαῖος ὑπετίθετο.
Such were the justifications concerning the hegemony of the cities spoken by both generals; and in the end, their conference was followed by the kind of outcome that the Roman had proposed.
οἱ γὰρ ἐν τῷ συλλόγῳ παρόντες Ἀλβανῶν τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων ταχεῖαν ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦ πολέμου ποιήσασθαι ζητοῦντες ὅπλοις τὸ νεῖκος ἔγνωσαν διελεῖν.
For those of the Albans and Romans present in the assembly, seeking to make a swift riddance of the war, decided to settle the dispute by arms.
συγχωρηθέντος δὲ καὶ τούτου περὶ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἀγωνιουμένων ζήτησις ἐγίνετο οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν ἑκατέρου τῶν στρατηγῶν διάνοιαν ἀποδεικνυμένου.
When this also had been agreed upon, an inquiry was made concerning the number of those who should fight, as each of the generals did not display the same opinion.
§3.12.2Τύλλος μὲν γὰρ ἐβούλετο ἐν ἐλαχίστοις σώμασι γενέσθαι τὴν τοῦ πολέμου κρίσιν ἑνὸς Ἀλβανοῦ τοῦ λαμπροτάτου πρὸς ἕνα Ῥωμαῖον τὸν ἄριστον μονομαχήσοντος καὶ πρόθυμος ἦν αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδος ἀγωνίσασθαι προκαλούμενος εἰς τὴν ὁμοίαν φιλοτιμίαν τὸν Ἀλβανόν, καλοὺς ἀποφαίνων τοῖς ἀνειληφόσι τὰς τῶν στρατοπέδων ἡγεμονίας τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἀρχῆς καὶ δυναστείας ἀγῶνας, οὐ μόνον ἐὰν νικήσωσιν ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας, ἀλλὰ κἂν αὐτοὶ κρατηθῶσιν ὑπʼ ἀγαθῶν, καὶ διεξιὼν ὅσοι στρατηγοὶ καὶ βασιλεῖς τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς προκινδυνεῦσαι τῶν κοινῶν παρέσχον δεινὸν ἡγούμενοι τῶν μὲν τιμῶν πλέον αὐτοὶ φέρεσθαι, τῶν δὲ πόνων ἔλαττον.
For Tullus wished the decision of the war to rest upon the fewest persons, with one most illustrious Alban fighting in single combat against one most excellent Roman; and he himself was eager to fight on behalf of his own country, challenging the Alban to a similar rivalry, declaring that for those who have taken upon themselves the command of armies, contests for rule and power are honorable, not only if they conquer and are shown to be brave men, but even if they themselves are defeated by brave men. And he went through how many generals and kings had offered their own lives to danger for the common weal, thinking it a dreadful thing that they themselves should carry off more of the honors but less of the labors.
§3.12.3ὁ δὲ Ἀλβανὸς τὸ μὲν ὀλίγοις σώμασι κινδυνεύειν τὰς πόλεις ὀρθῶς ἐνόμιζεν εἰρῆσθαι, περὶ δὲ τῆς ἑνὶ πρὸς ἕνα μάχης διεφέρετο λέγων ὅτι τοῖς μὲν ἡγουμένοις τῶν στρατοπέδων ὅταν ἰδίαν κατασκευάζωνται δυναστείαν καλὸς καὶ ἀναγκαῖός ἐστιν ὁ περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγών, ταῖς δὲ πόλεσιν αὐταῖς ἐπειδὰν ὑπὲρ τῶν πρωτείων διαφέρωνται πρὸς ἀλλήλας οὐ μόνον σφαλερὸς ἀλλὰ καὶ αἰσχρὸς ὁ διὰ μονομαχίας κίνδυνος, ἐάν τε τῆς κρείττονος λάβωνται τύχης ἐάν τε τῆς χείρονος.
But the Alban thought it had been rightly said that the cities should run the risk with few persons; however, concerning the combat of one against one he disagreed, saying that for the leaders of armies, when they are establishing a personal power for themselves, the contest against one another for rule is honorable and necessary, but for the cities themselves, when they contend against one another for the primacy, the danger through single combat is not only hazardous but also shameful, whether they obtain the better fortune or the worse.
§3.12.4τρεῖς δὲ ἄνδρας ἐπιλέκτους ἀφʼ ἑκατέρας πόλεως συνεβούλευεν ὑπὸ τὴν ἁπάντων ὄψιν Ἀλβανῶν τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων διαγωνίσασθαι.
And he advised that three chosen men from each city should fight in the sight of all the Albans and Romans.
ἐπιτηδειότατον γὰρ εἶναι τόνδε τὸν ἀριθμὸν εἰς ἅπασαν ἀμφισβητουμένου πράγματος διαίρεσιν ἀρχήν τε καὶ μέσα καὶ τελευτὴν ἔχοντα ἐν ἑαυτῷ.
For he said that this number was the most suitable for every decision of a disputed matter, having within itself a beginning, a middle, and an end.
ταύτῃ προσθεμένων τῇ γνώμῃ Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Ἀλβανῶν ὅ τε σύλλογος διελύθη καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἰδίους ἀπῄεσαν ἑκάτεροι χάρακας.
When both the Romans and the Albans had assented to this opinion, the assembly was dissolved and they each departed to their own camps.