§5.28.1ἐπαινεθεὶς δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ καὶ λαβὼν οἰωνοὺς αἰσίους τῆς πράξεως διαβαίνει τὸν ποταμόν.
Having been praised by those in the senate and having received auspicious omens for the deed, he crossed the river.
καὶ παραγενόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα τῶν Τυρρηνῶν εἰσέρχεται, παρακρουσάμενος τοὺς φυλάττοντας τὰς πύλας ὡς τῶν ὁμοεθνῶν τις, ὅπλον τʼ οὐθὲν φανερὸν ἔχων καὶ γλώττῃ Τυρρηνικῇ διαλεγόμενος, ἣν ἐξέμαθεν ἔτι παῖς ὢν ὑπὸ τροφοῦ Τυρρηνίδος τὸ §5.28.2γένος ἐκδιδαχθείς.
And having arrived at the camp of the Tyrrhenians, he entered, having deceived those guarding the gates as if he were one of their own nation, keeping no weapon visible, and speaking in the Tyrrhenian tongue, which he had learned thoroughly while still a child, having been taught by a nurse who was Tyrrhenian by birth.
ὡς δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν καὶ τὸ στρατήγιον ἀφίκετο, ἄνδρα ὁρᾷ μεγέθει τε καὶ ῥώμῃ σώματος διαφέροντα, ἐσθῆτα πορφυρᾶν ἐνδεδυκότα, καθήμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατηγικοῦ βήματος, καὶ περὶ αὐτὸν ἑστῶτας ἐνόπλους συχνούς.
And when he arrived at the market-place and the general's tent, he saw a man outstanding in both size and strength of body, clad in a purple robe, sitting upon the military tribunal, and about him stood many armed men.
διαμαρτὼν δὲ τῆς δόξης, οἷα δὴ μηδέποτε τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Τυρρηνῶν θεασάμενος, τοῦτον τὸν ἄνδρα ὑπέλαβε Πορσίναν εἶναι· ὁ δʼ ἦν ἄρα γραμματεὺς τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐκάθητο δʼ ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος διαριθμῶν τοὺς στρατιώτας καὶ διαγράφων αὐτοῖς τοὺς ὀψωνιασμούς.
But having missed his mark in his opinion, since he had never seen the king of the Tyrrhenians, he supposed this man to be Porsena; whereas he was, as it turned out, the king's secretary, and was sitting on the tribunal, numbering the soldiers and writing down their pay for them.
§5.28.3ἐπὶ τοῦτον δὴ τὸν γραμματέα χωρήσας διὰ τοῦ περιεστηκότος ὄχλου καὶ ἀναβὰς ὡς ἄνοπλος ὑπʼ οὐθενὸς κωλυόμενος ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα, σπᾶται τὸ ξιφίδιον, ὃ τῆς περιβολῆς ἐντὸς ἔκρυπτε, καὶ παίει τὸν ἄνδρα κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς.
Advancing, then, toward this secretary through the crowd that stood around, and having ascended the tribunal, being hindered by no one as he was unarmed, he drew the dagger which he had been hiding inside his garment and struck the man on the head.
ἀποθανόντος δὲ τοῦ γραμματέως πληγῇ μιᾷ, συλληφθεὶς εὐθὺς ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ τὸ βῆμα πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα πεπυσμένον ἤδη τὴν τοῦ γραμματέως ἀναίρεσιν ἀπάγεται.
When the secretary died from a single blow, he was immediately seized by those about the tribunal and led away to the king, who had already been informed of the murder of his secretary.
§5.28.4ὁ δʼ ὡς εἶδεν αὐτόν, Ὦ μιαρώτατε πάντων, εἶπεν, ἀνθρώπων, καὶ δίκας ὑφέξων οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ὧν ἄξιος εἶ, λέγε, τίς εἶ καὶ πόθεν ἀφιγμένος καὶ τίνι βοηθείᾳ πεποιθὼς ἐπεχείρησας ἔργῳ τηλικῷδε·
And when the king saw him, he said, "O most abominable of all men, who shall before long suffer the punishment of which you are worthy, tell me, who are you and whence have you come, and trusting in what help did you attempt so great a deed?
καὶ πότερον τὸν γραμματέα τὸν ἐμὸν ἀποκτεῖναί σοι προὔκειτο μόνον ἢ κἀμέ·
And did you purpose to kill only my secretary, or me as well?
καὶ τίνας ἔχεις κοινωνοὺς τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἢ συνίστορας;
And what accomplices or conscious partners do you have in this plot?
ἀποκρύψῃ δὲ μηδὲν τῶν ἀληθῶν, ἵνα μὴ βασανιζόμενος ἀναγκασθῇς λέγειν.
Conceal nothing of the truth, lest you be forced to speak under torture."