§3.18.1ἀπαιτούσης δὲ τῆς ὑποθέσεως καὶ τὸν τρόπον διεξελθεῖν τῆς μάχης ἀκριβῶς καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταύτην γενόμενα πάθη θεατρικαῖς ἐοικότα περιπετείαις μὴ ῥᾳθύμως διελθεῖν πειράσομαι καὶ περὶ τούτων ἐπʼ ἀκριβείας ἕκαστον, ὡς ἐμὴ δύναμις, εἰπεῖν.
But since the subject matter requires me both to go through the manner of the battle in detail and not to pass over carelessly the sufferings that occurred after it, which resemble theatrical reversals of fortune, I shall try to speak of each of these matters with precision, to the best of my ability.
ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ χρόνος ἧκεν ἐν ᾧ τέλος ἔδει λαβεῖν τὰς ὁμολογίας, ἐξῄεσαν μὲν αἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων δυνάμεις πανστρατιᾷ, ἐξῄεσαν δὲ μετὰ ταῦθʼ οἱ νεανίσκοι τοῖς πατρῴοις θεοῖς εὐξάμενοι καὶ προῆγον ἅμα τῷ βασιλεῖ κατευφημούμενοί τε ὑπὸ παντὸς τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ὄχλου καὶ παττόμενοι τὰς κεφαλὰς ἄνθεσιν· ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν Ἀλβανῶν ἐξεληλύθει στρατιά.
For when the time came in which the treaty had to receive its fulfillment, the forces of the Romans marched out with their entire army, and after this the young men, having prayed to their ancestral gods, went forth and advanced together with the king, while being cheered by all the crowd in the city and having their heads sprinkled with flowers; and already the army of the Albans also had marched out.
§3.18.2ἐπεὶ δὲ κατεστρατοπεδεύσαντο πλησίον ἀλλήλων μεταίχμιον ποιησάμενοι τὸν διείργοντα τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀλβανῶν ὅρον, ἔνθα καὶ πρότερον εἶχον ἑκάτεροι τοὺς χάρακας, πρῶτον μὲν ἱερὰ θύσαντες ὤμοσαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐμπύρων στέρξειν τὴν τύχην, ἣν ἂν ἐκ τῆς μάχης τῶν ἀνεψιῶν ἑκατέρα πόλις ἐξενέγκηται, καὶ φυλάξειν τὰς ὁμολογίας βεβαίους μηδένα προσάγοντες αὐταῖς δόλον αὐτοί τε καὶ γένος τὸ ἐξ αὐτῶν·
And when they had encamped near one another, making the boundary that divided the Roman territory from the Alban a neutral zone—where indeed both sides had previously had their palisades—first, having offered sacrifices, they swore upon the burning victims to accept the fortune which either city might bring away from the battle of their cousins, and to keep the treaty secure, bringing no deceit to it, both themselves and the offspring born from them.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ πρὸς θεοὺς ὅσια διεπράξαντο, θέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα προῆγον ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἀμφότεροι θεαταὶ τῆς μάχης ἐσόμενοι τριῶν ἢ τεττάρων σταδίων τὸ μεταξὺ χωρίον τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις καταλιπόντες·
When they had performed their sacred duties to the gods, they laid down their arms and both sides advanced from their palisades to be spectators of the battle, leaving the intervening space of three or four stades for the combatants.
καὶ μετʼ οὐ πολὺ παρῆν τούς τε Κορατίους ὁ τῶν Ἀλβανῶν στρατηγὸς ἄγων καὶ τοὺς Ὁρατίους ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς ὡπλισμένους τε κάλλιστα καὶ τὸν ἄλλον ἔχοντας κόσμον οἷον ἄνθρωποι λαμβάνουσιν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ.
And not long after, the general of the Albans arrived leading the Curiatii, and the king of the Romans leading the Horatii, most beautifully armed and having the other adornments such as men take at the time of death.
§3.18.3γενόμενοι δὲ σύνεγγυς ἀλλήλων τὰ μὲν ξίφη τοῖς ὑπασπισταῖς παρέδωκαν, προσδραμόντες δὲ περιέβαλλον ἀλλήλοις κλαίοντες καὶ τοῖς ἡδίστοις ὀνόμασιν ἀνακαλοῦντες, ὥστε εἰς δάκρυα προπεσεῖν ἅπαντας καὶ πολλὴν ἀστοργίαν κατηγορεῖν σφῶν τε αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἡγεμόνων, ὅτι παρὸν ἄλλοις τισὶ σώμασι κρῖναι τὴν μάχην εἰς ἐμφύλιον αἷμα καὶ συγγενικὸν ἄγος τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν πόλεων ἀγῶνα κατέκλεισαν.
And when they had come near one another, they delivered their swords to their shield-bearers, and running forward they embraced one another weeping and calling out each other's sweetest names, so that everyone fell into tears and accused both themselves and their leaders of great heartlessness, because, when it was possible to decide the battle with some other bodies, they had confined the contest for the cities to kindred blood and the pollution of family slaughter.
παυσάμενοι δὲ τῶν ἀσπασμῶν οἱ νεανίσκοι καὶ τὰ ξίφη παρὰ τῶν ὑπασπιστῶν λαβόντες ἀναχωρησάντων τῶν πέλας ἐτάξαντό τε καθʼ ἡλικίαν καὶ συνῄεσαν ὁμόσε.
When they ceased from their embraces, the young men received their swords from their shield-bearers, and when those nearby had withdrawn, they drew up in order of age and advanced to close quarters.