§4.38.1ὡς δὲ καὶ ταύτης διήμαρτε τῆς πείρας ὁ Ταρκύνιος, ἀδημονῶν ἐπὶ τῷ μηδεμίαν αὐτῷ βοήθειαν παρὰ τῆς βουλῆς, ᾗ μάλιστα ἐπεποίθει, γενέσθαι, χρόνον μέν τινα διέτριβε κατʼ οἰκίαν τοῖς ἑταίροις μόνοις διαλεγόμενος·
When Tarquinius had failed in this attempt as well, being deeply dispirited that no help came to him from the senate, in which he had placed his greatest trust, he spent some time at home, conversing only with his close companions.
ἔπειτα γνώμην ἀποδειξαμένης τῆς γυναικὸς μηδὲν ἔτι μαλακίζεσθαι μηδὲ κατοκνεῖν, ἀλλὰ καταβαλόντα τοὺς λόγους ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα χωρεῖν διαλλαγὰς πρῶτον εὑρόμενον διὰ φίλων πρὸς τὸν Τύλλιον, ἵνα πιστεύσας ὡς φίλῳ γεγονότι ἧττον αὐτὸν φυλάττοιτο, δόξας δʼ αὐτὴν τὰ κράτιστα ὑποθέσθαι μετανοεῖν τε περὶ τῶν γεγονότων ἐσκήπτετο καὶ πολλὰ διὰ φίλων λιπαρῶν τὸν Τύλλιον ἠξίου συγγνώμονα γενέσθαι.
Then, his wife having expressed the opinion that he should no longer show weakness or hesitate, but, putting aside words, should proceed to action, having first obtained a reconciliation with Tullius through friends, so that Tullius, trusting him as having become a friend, might be less on his guard against him, and thinking that she had suggested the best course, he pretended to repent of what had happened, and through friends, with many entreaties, begged Tullius to be forgiving.
§4.38.2ῥᾷστα δὲ πείσας τὸν ἄνδρα φύσει τʼ εὐδιάλλακτον ὄντα καὶ οὐκ ἀξιοῦντα πόλεμον ἄσπειστον θυγατρὶ καὶ γαμβρῷ πολεμεῖν, ἐπειδὴ τὸν οἰκεῖον καιρὸν ἔλαβε διεσκεδασμένου τοῦ δήμου κατὰ τοὺς ἀγροὺς ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν καρπῶν συγκομιδήν, ἐξῆλθε μετὰ τῶν ἑταίρων ἐχόντων ὑπὸ ταῖς περιβολαῖς ξίφη, τούς τε πελέκεις ὑπηρέταις τισὶν ἀναδοὺς καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν βασιλικὴν ἐσθῆτα λαβὼν καὶ τἆλλα παράσημα τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐπαγόμενος·
And having very easily persuaded the man, who was by nature placable and did not think he should wage an irreconcilable war against his daughter and son-in-law, when he found his own convenient opportunity, while the people were scattered through the fields for the harvesting of the crops, he went out with his companions who had swords under their cloaks, having delivered the axes to some attendants, and himself having assumed the royal garb and bringing along the other insignia of authority.
ἐλθὼν δʼ εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν καὶ πρὸ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου στὰς ἐκέλευσε τῷ κήρυκι τοὺς βουλευτὰς καλεῖν εἰς τὸ συνέδριον.
And having come to the forum and standing before the senate-house, he ordered the herald to summon the senators to the council.
ἦσαν δʼ ἐκ παρασκευῆς ἕτοιμοι περὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν οἱ συνειδότες αὐτῷ τὴν πρᾶξιν §4.38.3καὶ παρορμῶντες ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων συχνοί.
And those who were privy to his plan were, by preparation, ready around the forum, and many of the patricians were encouraging him.
οἱ μὲν δὴ συνῄεσαν· τῷ δὲ Τυλλίῳ λέγει τις ἐλθὼν ὄντι κατʼ οἰκίαν, ὅτι Ταρκύνιος ἐν ἐσθῆτι βασιλικῇ προελήλυθε καὶ καλεῖ τοὺς βουλευτὰς εἰς τὸ συνέδριον.
Indeed they assembled; and someone came to Tullius while he was at home and told him that Tarquinius had come forward in royal garb and was calling the senators to the council.
ὁ δὲ θαυμάσας τὴν τόλμαν αὐτοῦ τάχιον ἢ φρονιμώτερον προῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας οὐ πολλοὺς περὶ ἑαυτὸν ἔχων.
And he, marveling at his boldness, came out of his house too quickly rather than wisely, having not many around him.
ἐλθὼν δʼ εἰς τὸ συνέδριον καὶ τὸν Ταρκύνιον ἰδὼν ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς καθήμενον ἕδρας καὶ τὸν ἄλλον βασίλειον ἔχοντα κόσμον· §4.38.4τίς, εἶπεν, ὦ μιαρώτατε ἀνθρώπων, τοῦτό σοι τὸ σχῆμα συνεχώρησε λαβεῖν; καὶ ὃς ὑπολαβών· ἡ σὴ τόλμα καὶ ἀναίδεια, εἶπεν, ὦ Τύλλιε, ὃς οὐδʼ ἐλεύθερος ὤν, ἀλλὰ δοῦλος ἐκ δούλης, ἣν οὑμὸς ἐκτήσατο πάππος ἐκ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων, ἐτόλμησας βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων σεαυτὸν ἀναδεῖξαι. ὡς δὲ ταῦτʼ ἤκουσεν ὁ Τύλλιος, ἐκπικρανθεὶς ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ παρὰ τὸ συμφέρον ὥρμησεν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐξαναστήσων τῆς ἕδρας.
And having come to the council and seeing Tarquinius sitting on the royal seat and having the other royal adornment: "Who, O most abominable of men," he said, "permitted you to assume this garb?" And he, replying, said: "Your own boldness and impudence, O Tullius, who, not even being a free man, but a slave born of a slave woman whom my grandfather acquired from the captives, dared to declare yourself king of the Romans." And when Tullius heard this, being deeply embittered at the speech, contrary to his own interest, he rushed at him to remove him from the seat.
§4.38.5καὶ ὁ Ταρκύνιος ἄσμενος τοῦτʼ ἰδὼν ἀναπηδᾷ τʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ δίφρου, καὶ συναρπάσας τὸν γέροντα κεκραγότα καὶ τοὺς ὑπηρέτας ἐπικαλούμενον ἔφερε.
And Tarquinius, gladly seeing this, leaped up from his seat, and having seized the old man, who was crying out and calling upon his attendants, carried him out.
γενόμενος δʼ ἔξω τοῦ βουλευτηρίου μετέωρον ἐξαρπάσας αὐτὸν ἀκμάζων τὸ σῶμα καὶ ῥωμαλέος ἀνὴρ ῥιπτεῖ κατὰ τῶν κρηπίδων τοῦ βουλευτηρίου τῶν εἰς τὸ ἐκκλησιαστήριον φερουσῶν.
And when he was outside the senate-house, having lifted him up in the air, being a man in the prime of bodily strength and robust, he threw him down the steps of the senate-house that led to the assembly-place.
§4.38.6μόγις δʼ ἐκ τοῦ πτώματος ἀναστὰς ὁ πρεσβύτης ὡς εἶδε μεστὰ τὰ πέριξ ἅπαντα τῆς περὶ τὸν Ταρκύνιον ἑταιρείας, τῶν δʼ αὐτοῦ φίλων πολλὴν ἐρημίαν, ἀπῄει στένων κρατούντων καὶ παραπεμπόντων αὐτὸν ὀλίγων, αἵματι πολλῷ ῥεόμενος καὶ κακῶς ὅλον ἑαυτὸν ἐκ τοῦ πτώματας ἔχων.
And the old man, having with difficulty risen from his fall, when he saw that all the surroundings were full of the faction of Tarquinius, and that there was a great desertion of his own friends, went away groaning, with a few holding him up and escorting him, flowing with much blood and being in a wretched state all over from the fall.