§5.31.1ταῦτα μὲν τότε πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τοὺς παρόντας εἶπεν· ὀλίγαις δʼ ὕστερον ἡμέραις αὐτὸς ἠναγκάσθη πρότερος ἄρχειν λόγων διαλλακτηρίων διὰ τοιαύτην αἰτίαν·
He said these things at that time to his son and to those who were present; but a few days later, he himself was compelled to be the first to begin the talks of reconciliation for the following reason.
ἐσκεδασμένων ἀνὰ τὴν χώραν τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ τὰς ἀγομένας εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀγορὰς ἀφαιρουμένων καὶ τοῦτο ποιούντων συνεχῶς, οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὕπατοι λοχήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐν καλῷ χωρίῳ διαφθείρουσί τε συχνοὺς καὶ ἔτι πλείους τῶν ἀναιρεθέντων αἰχμαλώτους λαμβάνουσιν.
Since the soldiers were dispersed throughout the countryside and were carrying off the provisions that were being brought into the city, and were doing this continually, the Roman consuls, having laid an ambush for them in a favorable place, destroyed many of them and took even more captives than those who had been slain.
ἐφʼ ᾧ χαλεπαίνοντες οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ διελέγοντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους κατὰ συστροφάς, δι’ αἰτίας τόν τε βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἡγεμόνας ἔχοντες ἐπὶ τῇ τριβῇ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι ποθοῦντες ἐπὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα.
Resenting this, the Tyrrhenians conversed with one another in groups, holding both the king and the other leaders in blame for the protraction of the war, and longing to depart for their homes.
§5.31.2δόξας μὲν οὖν ἅπασι κεχαρισμένας φανήσεσθαι τὰς διαλλαγάς, ἀποστέλλει πρεσβευτὰς ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων φίλων τοὺς ἀναγκαιοτάτους.
Therefore, thinking that the reconciliation would appear acceptable to all, he sent the most intimate of his own friends as ambassadors.
τινὲς μὲν οὖν φασι καὶ τὸν Μούκιον ἅμα τούτοις ἀποσταλῆναι δόντα τὴν πίστιν τῷ βασιλεῖ διʼ ὅρκων ὑπὲρ τοῦ πάλιν ἐλεύσεσθαι· ἕτεροι δὲ λέγουσιν ὅμηρον, ἕως αἱ διαλλαγαὶ γένωνται, τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ φυλάττεσθαι· καὶ τάχʼ ἂν εἴη τοῦτʼ §5.31.3ἀληθέστερον.
Now some say that Mucius also was sent along with them, having given a pledge to the king by oaths concerning his return; but others say that this man was kept in the camp as a hostage until the reconciliation should be effected; and perhaps this would be more true.
ἐντολαὶ δʼ ἦσαν, ἃς ἔδωκε τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς ὁ βασιλεύς, τοιαίδε· περὶ μὲν καθόδου Ταρκυνίων μηδένα ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, τὰ δὲ χρήματα αὐτοῖς ἀξιοῦν ἀποδοθῆναι, μάλιστα μὲν ἅπαντα ὅσα Ταρκύνιός θʼ ὁ πρεσβύτατος κατέλιπε καὶ αὐτοὶ σὺν τῷ δικαίῳ κτησάμενοι κατέσχον· εἰ δὲ μή γʼ ὅσα δυνατὰ ἀγρῶν τε καὶ οἰκιῶν καὶ βοσκημάτων καὶ ὧν ἐκ γῆς ἀνῄρηνται καρπῶν τὰς ἀξίας, ὁποτέρως ἂν αὐτοῖς δόξῃ συμφέρειν, ἐάν τε τοὺς κατέχοντας αὐτὰ καὶ καρπουμένους εἰσφέρειν, ἐάν τʼ ἐκ τοῦ δημοσίου διαλύειν.
The instructions which the king gave to the ambassadors were as follows: to make no mention of the return of the Tarquinii, but to demand that their property be restored to them, preferably all that Tarquinius the Elder had left and they themselves had acquired and held with justice; but if not that, at least the value of as much as possible of the lands, houses, herds, and the crops they had taken from the land, in whichever of the two ways should seem advantageous to them—whether that those who held and enjoyed them should contribute, or that they should make settlement from the public treasury.
§5.31.4ταῦτα μὲν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων, ἑαυτῷ δʼ αἰτεῖσθαι διαλυομένῳ τὴν ἔχθραν τοὺς καλουμένους Ἑπτὰ πάγους· αὕτη Τυρρηνῶν ἡ χώρα τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἦν, Ῥωμαῖοι δʼ αὐτὴν κατέσχον πολέμῳ τοὺς ἔχοντας ἀφελόμενοι· καὶ ἵνα μένωσι Ῥωμαῖοι Τυρρηνοῖς βέβαιοι φίλοι, παῖδας ἐκ τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων οἰκιῶν τοὺς ὁμηρεύσοντας ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως αἰτεῖν παρʼ αὐτῶν.
These things were on their behalf, but for himself he was to ask, upon dissolving the enmity, for the place called the Seven Hills (Septem Pagi); this was anciently the territory of the Tyrrhenians, but the Romans had seized it in war, having taken it from those who possessed it; and in order that the Romans might remain faithful friends to the Tyrrhenians, they were to demand hostages from them from the most illustrious houses on behalf of the city.