§4.59.1Ταρκύνιος δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἀναπαύσας τὸν λεὼν τῶν στρατειῶν καὶ πολέμων περὶ τὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν ἱερῶν ἐγίνετο τὰς τοῦ πάππου προθυμούμενος εὐχὰς ἐπιτελέσαι.
After this deed, Tarquin, having rested his army from expeditions and wars, applied himself to the construction of the temples, being eager to fulfill the vows of his grandfather.
ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἐν τῷ τελευταίῳ πολέμῳ μαχόμενος πρὸς Σαβίνους εὔξατο τῷ Διὶ καὶ τῇ Ἥρᾳ καὶ τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ, ἐὰν κρατήσῃ τῇ μάχῃ, ναοὺς αὐτοῖς κατασκευάσειν· καὶ τὸν μὲν σκόπελον, ἔνθα ἱδρύσεσθαι τοὺς θεοὺς ἔμελλεν, ἀναλήμμασί τε καὶ χώμασι μεγάλοις ἐξειργάσατο, καθάπερ ἔφην ἐν τῷ πρὸ τούτου λόγῳ, τὴν δὲ τῶν ναῶν κατασκευὴν οὐκ ἔφθη τελέσαι.
For the latter, while fighting against the Sabines in the last war, had vowed to Zeus, Hera, and Athena that, if he should win the battle, he would build temples to them; and although he had prepared the cliff where the gods were to be established with retaining walls and great mounds of earth, as I said in the preceding book, he did not live to complete the construction of the temples.
τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ἔργον ὁ Ταρκύνιος ἀπὸ τῆς δεκάτης τῶν ἐκ Συέσσης λαφύρων ἐπιτελέσαι προαιρούμενος ἅπαντας τοὺς τεχνίτας ἐπέστησε ταῖς ἐργασίαις.
Tarquin, choosing to complete this work from the tenth part of the spoils of Suessa, set all the artisans to the tasks.
§4.59.2ἔνθα δὴ λέγεται τέρας τι θαυμαστὸν ὑπόγειον ὀρυττομένων τε τῶν θεμελίων καὶ τῆς ὀρυγῆς εἰς πολὺ βάθος ἤδη προϊούσης, εὑρῆσθαι κεφαλὴ νεοσφαγοῦς ἀνθρώπου τό τε πρόσωπον ἔχουσα τοῖς ἐμψύχοις ὅμοιον καὶ τὸ καταφερόμενον ἐκ τῆς ἀποτομῆς αἷμα θερμὸν ἔτι καὶ νεαρόν.
It was then, while the foundations were being dug and the excavation had already proceeded to a great depth, that a wonderful prodigy is said to have been found underground. This was the head of a newly slain man, which had its face like those of the living, and the blood flowing down from the cut still warm and fresh.
§4.59.3τοῦτο τὸ τέρας ἰδὼν ὁ Ταρκύνιος τοῦ μὲν ὀρύγματος ἐπισχεῖν ἐκέλευσε τοὺς ἐργαζομένους· συγκαλέσας δὲ τοὺς ἐπιχωρίους μάντεις ἐπυνθάνετο παρʼ αὐτῶν, τί βούλεται σημαίνειν τὸ τέρας.
Upon seeing this prodigy, Tarquin ordered the workmen to stop the excavation; and having called together the local soothsayers, he inquired of them what the prodigy meant.
οὐδὲν δʼ αὐτῶν ἀποφαινομένων, ἀλλὰ Τυρρηνοῖς ἀποδιδόντων τὴν περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπιστήμην ἐξετάσας παρʼ αὐτῶν καὶ μαθὼν τὸν ἐπιφανέστατον τῶν ἐν Τυρρηνοῖς τερατοσκόπων, ὅστις ἦν, πέμπει τῶν ἀστῶν τοὺς δοκιμωτάτους πρέσβεις πρὸς αὐτόν.
But since they declared nothing, but ascribed the knowledge of such matters to the Tyrrhenians, he made inquiries of them and, having learned who was the most illustrious of the prodigy-interpreters among the Tyrrhenians, sent the most approved of the citizens as ambassadors to him.