§4.60.1τούτοις τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἀφικομένοις εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ τερατοσκόπου περιτυγχάνει τι μειράκιον ἐξιόν, ᾧ φράσαντες, ὅτι Ῥωμαίων εἰσὶ πρέσβεις τῷ μάντει βουλόμενοι συντυχεῖν, παρεκάλουν ἀπαγγεῖλαι πρὸς αὐτόν.
When these men arrived at the house of the soothsayer, they met a certain youth coming out, to whom they explained that they were ambassadors of the Romans wishing to meet the seer, and entreated him to announce them.
καὶ ὁ νεανίας, Πατὴρ ἐμός ἐστιν, ἔφησεν, ᾧ χρῄζετε συντυχεῖν· ἀσχολεῖται δὲ κατὰ τὸ παρόν· ἔσται δʼ ὑμῖν ὀλίγου χρόνου παρελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν.
And the young man said, "He whom you wish to meet is my father; but he is busy at present; it will, however, be possible for you to go in to him in a short time.
§4.60.2ἐν ᾧ δʼ ἐκεῖνον ἐκδέχεσθε, πρὸς ἐμὲ δηλώσατε, περὶ τίνος ἥκετε.
But while you are waiting for him, declare to me for what purpose you have come.
περιέσται γὰρ ὑμῖν, εἴ τι μέλλετε διὰ τὴν ἀπειρίαν σφάλλεσθαι κατὰ τὴν ἐρώτησιν, ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ διδαχθεῖσι μηδὲν ἐξαμαρτεῖν· μοῖρα δʼ οὐκ ἐλαχίστη τῶν ἐν μαντικῇ θεωρημάτων ἐρώτησις ὀρθή. ἐδόκει τοῖς ἀνδράσιν οὕτω ποιεῖν, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ τὸ τέρας.
For it will be to your advantage, if you are likely to make any mistake in your questioning through inexperience, to commit no error at all, having been instructed by me; for a correct questioning is no small part of the rules in the art of divination." It seemed good to the men to do so, and they told him of the prodigy.
ὁ δʼ ὡς ἤκουσε μικρὸν ἐπισχὼν χρόνον, ἀκούσατʼ, ἔφησεν, ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι· τὸ μὲν τέρας ὑμῖν ὁ πατὴρ διελεῖται καὶ οὐδὲν ψεύσεται· μάντει γὰρ οὐ θέμις·
When he had heard it, after pausing for a short time, he said, "Listen, Roman men; as for the prodigy, my father will interpret it for you and will tell no lie; for it is not permitted for a soothsayer to do so.
ἃ δὲ λέγοντες ὑμεῖς καὶ ἀποκρινόμενοι πρὸς τὰς ἐρωτήσεις ἀναμάρτητοί τε καὶ ἀψευδεῖς ἔσεσθε· διαφέρει γὰρ ὑμῖν προεγνωκέναι ταῦτα· παρʼ ἐμοῦ μάθετε.
But as for the things which you, by saying and answering in reply to his questions, will remain free from error and undeceived—for it is of importance to you to have foreknown these things—learn them from me.
§4.60.3ὅταν ἀφηγήσησθε αὐτῷ τὸ τέρας, οὐκ ἀκριβῶς μανθάνειν φήσας ὅ τι λέγετε περιγράψει τῷ σκήπωνι τῆς γῆς μέρος ὅσον δή τι· ἔπειθʼ ὑμῖν ἐρεῖ, Τουτὶ μέν ἐστιν ὁ Ταρπήιος λόφος, μέρος δʼ αὐτοῦ τουτὶ μὲν τὸ πρὸς τὰς ἀνατολὰς βλέπον, τουτὶ δὲ τὸ πρὸς τὰς δύσεις, §4.60.4βόρειον δʼ αὐτοῦ τόδε καὶ τοὐναντίον νότιον. ταῦτα τῷ σκήπωνι δεικνὺς πεύσεται παρʼ ὑμῶν, ἐπὶ ποίῳ τῶν μερῶν τούτων εὑρέθη ἡ κεφαλή.
When you relate the prodigy to him, he will say that he does not understand precisely what you mean, and will trace out with his staff some portion of the ground; then he will say to you, 'This here is the Tarpeian hill, and this part of it is the one facing the east, and this the one facing the west, and this is its northern side, and the opposite one the southern.' Showing these with his staff, he will inquire of you on which of these parts the head was found.
τί οὖν ὑμῖν ἀποκρίνασθαι παραινῶ;
What, then, do I advise you to answer?
μὴ συγχωρεῖν ἐν μηδενὶ τῶν τόπων τούτων, οὓς ἂν ἐκεῖνος τῷ σκήπωνι δεικνὺς πυνθάνηται, τὸ τέρας εὑρεθῆναι, ἀλλʼ ἐν Ῥώμῃ φάναι παρʼ ἡμῖν ἐν Ταρπηίῳ λόφῳ. ταύτας ἐὰν φυλάττητε τὰς ἀποκρίσεις καὶ μηδὲν παράγησθε ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, συγγνούς, ὅτι τὸ χρεὼν οὐκ ἔνεστι μετατεθῆναι, διελεῖται τὸ τέρας ὑμῖν ὅ τι βούλεται σημαίνειν καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύψεται.
Not to concede that the prodigy was found in any of these places which he may inquire about while pointing with his staff, but to say, 'In Rome, among us on the Tarpeian hill.' If you maintain these answers and are not at all misled by him, he, realizing that destiny cannot be altered, will interpret for you what the prodigy wishes to signify and will conceal nothing."