§5.27.1οὐκ ἀνασχομένων δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὰς ἐπιταγάς, ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ δεινὰ ὑπομένειν βουλομένων, καταμαθὼν ὁ Μούκιος, ὅτι δυεῖν αὐτοῖς συμβήσεται θάτερον ἢ μὴ διαμεῖναι πολὺν ἐν τοῖς λελογισμένοις χρόνον ὑπὸ τῆς ἀπορίας τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐκβιασθεῖσιν, ἢ φυλάττουσι βεβαίας τὰς κρίσεις τὸν οἴκτιστον ἀπολέσθαι μόρον, δεηθεὶς τῶν ὑπάτων τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῷ συναγαγεῖν, ὡς μέγα τι καὶ ἀναγκαῖον ἐξοίσων πρὸς αὐτήν, ἐπειδὴ συνήχθη, λέγει τοιάδε·
But when the Romans did not submit to these demands, but were willing to endure every extremity, Mucius, perceiving that one of two things must happen to them—either that, forced by the scarcity of provisions, they would not remain long in their calculated resolutions, or, if they kept their decisions steadfast, they must perish by the most pitiable death—entreated the consuls to assemble the senate for him, intending to propose to it something great and necessary.
ἄνδρες πατέρες, ἐγχείρημα τολμᾶν διανοούμενος, ὑφʼ οὗ τῶν παρόντων ἀπαλλαγήσεται κακῶν ἡ πόλις, τῷ μὲν ἔργῳ πάνυ θαρρῶ καὶ ῥᾳδίως αὐτοῦ κρατήσειν οἴομαι· περὶ δὲ τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, εἰ περιέσται μοι μετὰ τὸ ἔργον, οὐ πολλὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχω, μᾶλλον δʼ εἰ χρὴ τἀληθὲς λέγειν οὐδεμίαν.
When it was assembled, he spoke as follows: "Fathers, intending to attempt an enterprise by which the city will be delivered from its present evils, I have indeed every confidence in the deed itself and think I shall easily succeed in it; but as for my own life, whether it will remain to me after the deed, I have not much hope, or rather, if I must tell the truth, none at all.
§5.27.2εἰς τοσοῦτον δὴ κίνδυνον ἐμαυτὸν καθιέναι μέλλων οὐκ ἀξιῶ λαθεῖν ἅπαντας αἰωρηθεὶς ὑπὲρ μεγάλων, ἐὰν ἄρα συμβῇ μοι διαμαρτεῖν τῆς πείρας, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ καλοῖς ἔργοις μεγάλων ἐπαίνων τυγχάνειν, ἐξ ὧν ἀντὶ τοῦ θνητοῦ σώματος ἀθάνατον ὑπάρξει μοι κλέος.
Being about to throw myself into so great a danger, I do not think it right, if I should chance to fail in the attempt, to remain unknown to all, having suspended myself for great things; but rather to obtain great praise for noble deeds, through which, instead of a mortal body, immortal glory will belong to me.
§5.27.3δήμῳ μὲν φράζειν ἃ διανοοῦμαι πράττειν οὐκ ἀσφαλές, μή τις ἴδια κέρδη περιβαλλόμενος πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους αὐτὰ ἐξενέγκῃ, δέον αὐτοῖς ὥσπερ μυστηρίου ἀπορρήτου φυλακῆς·
To tell the people what I intend to do is not safe, lest someone, seeking private gain, should disclose it to the enemy, when there is need of guarding these things as if they were a secret mystery.
ὑμῖν δʼ οὓς καθέξειν αὐτὰ πεπίστευκα ἐγκρατῶς πρώτοις τε καὶ μόνοις ἐκφέρω· παρʼ ὑμῶν δʼ οἱ ἄλλοι πολῖται ἐν τῷ προσήκοντι καιρῷ μαθήσονται.
But to you, whom I have trusted to keep them firmly, I reveal them first and alone; and from you the other citizens will learn of them at the proper time.
§5.27.4τὸ δʼ ἐγχείρημά μου τοιόνδε ἐστίν.
And my enterprise is of this sort.
αὐτομόλου σχῆμα μέλλω λαβὼν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα τῶν Τυρρηνῶν πορεύεσθαι.
I intend, having assumed the guise of a deserter, to go to the camp of the Tyrrhenians.
ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ἀπιστηθεὶς πρὸς αὐτῶν ἀποθάνω, ἑνὶ πολίτῃ μόνον ἐλάττους οἱ λοιποὶ γενήσεσθε· ἐὰν δὲ παρελθεῖν εἴσω τοῦ χάρακος ἐκγένηταί μοι, τὸν βασιλέα τῶν πολεμίων ἀποκτενεῖν ὑμῖν ὑποδέχομαι·
If, then, being suspected by them, I am put to death, you who remain will be fewer by only one citizen; but if it is granted to me to get inside the camp, I promise you that I will kill the king of the enemy.
ἀποθανόντος δὲ Πορσίνου καταλυθήσεται μὲν ὁ πόλεμος, ἐγὼ δʼ εἰ ὅ τι ἂν τῷ δαιμονίῳ δόξῃ πείσομαι, τούτων συνίστορας ὑμᾶς ἕξων καὶ μάρτυρας πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἄπειμι τὴν κρείττονα τύχην τῆς πατρίδος ἡγεμόνα τῆς ὁδοῦ ποιησάμενος.
And when Porsena is dead, the war will be brought to an end; while I, though I shall suffer whatever seems best to the divine power, will depart having you as conscious witnesses of these things and as testifiers to the people, having made the better fortune of my country the guide of my journey."