§8.43.1παυσαμένης δʼ αὐτῆς τοσοῦτος ὀδυρμὸς ἐκ τῶν παρουσῶν γυναικῶν ἐγένετο, καὶ τηλικαύτη κατέσχε τὸν οἶκον οἰμωγή, ὥστʼ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐξακουσθῆναι τῆς πόλεως τὴν βοὴν καὶ μεστοὺς γενέσθαι τοὺς ἐγγὺς τῆς οἰκίας στενωποὺς ὄχλου.
When she had ceased, there arose such great lamentation from the women who were present, and such a great wailing seized the house, that the cry was heard far off in the city and the streets near the house became full of a crowd.
§8.43.2ἔπειθʼ ἥ τε Οὐαλερία πάλιν ἑτέρας ἐξέτεινε μακρὰς καὶ συμπαθεῖς δεήσεις, αἵ τʼ ἄλλαι γυναῖκες αἱ κατὰ φιλίαν ἢ συγγένειαν ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν γυναικῶν προσήκουσαι, καὶ παρέμενον λιπαροῦσαί τε καὶ γονάτων ἁπτόμεναι, ὥστʼ οὐκ ἔχουσα, ὅ τι πάθῃ πρὸς τοὺς ὀδυρμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς πολλὰς δεήσεις, εἶξεν ἡ Οὐετουρία καὶ τελέσειν τὴν πρεσβείαν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος ὑπέσχετο τήν τε γυναῖκα τοῦ Μαρκίου παραλαβοῦσα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτίδων τὰς βουλομένας.
Then Valeria again made other long and moving supplications, and the other women who were related to either of the two women by friendship or kinship remained by them, entreating and touching their knees, so that Veturia, not knowing what to do in the face of their lamentations and many supplications, yielded and promised to perform the embassy on behalf of her country, taking with her the wife of Marcius, his children, and those of the other female citizens who wished to go.
§8.43.3αἱ μὲν δὴ περιχαρεῖς γενόμεναι καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐπικαλεσάμεναι συλλαβέσθαι σφίσι τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀπῄεσαν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ προσήγγειλαν τὰ γενόμενα τοῖς ὑπάτοις· οἱ δὲ τὴν προθυμίαν αὐτῶν ἐπαινέσαντες συνεκάλουν τὴν βουλὴν καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐξόδου τῶν γυναικῶν, εἰ συγχωρητέον αὐταῖς, γνωμηδὸν ἐπυνθάνοντο.
They indeed, becoming overjoyed and calling upon the gods to assist them in their hope, departed from the house and reported what had happened to the consuls; and they, having praised their eagerness, called the senate together and asked for their opinions one by one concerning the departure of the women, whether it should be granted to them.
πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν ἐλέχθησαν καὶ παρὰ πολλῶν λόγοι, καὶ μέχρι τῆς ἑσπέρας διετέλεσαν ὅ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν βουλευόμενοι.
Many arguments indeed were spoken by many men, and they continued deliberating what ought to be done until evening.
§8.43.4οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐ μικρὸν ἀπέφαινον εἶναι τῇ πόλει κινδύνευμα γυναῖκας ἅμα τέκνοις εἰς πολεμίων στρατόπεδον πορευομένας ἐᾶσαι· εἰ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὑπεριδοῦσι τῶν νενομισμένων ὁσίων περί τε πρεσβείας καὶ ἱκεσίας δόξειε μηκέτι προίεσθαι τὰς γυναῖκας, ἀμαχητὶ σφῶν ἁλώσεσθαι τὴν πόλιν· ἠξίουν τʼ αὐτὰς μόνον ἐᾶσαι τὰς προσηκούσας τῷ Μαρκίῳ γυναῖκας ἅμα τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτοῦ πορευομένας.
For some declared that it was no small danger to the city to permit women together with children to go to the enemy's camp; for if the enemy, disregarding the established sacred laws concerning embassies and supplications, should decide not to release the women any longer, their city would be captured without a fight; and they deemed it right to permit only those women related to Marcius to go together with his children.
ἕτεροι δʼ οὐδὲ ταύταις ᾤοντο δεῖν ἐπιτρέπειν τὴν ἔξοδον, ἐπιμελῶς δὲ καὶ ταύτας παρῄνουν φυλάττειν, ὅμηρα νομίσαντας ἔχειν παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἐχέγγυα τοῦ μηδὲν τὴν πόλιν ἀνήκεστον ὑπʼ §8.43.5αὐτῶν παθεῖν.
But others thought that they should not permit the departure even to these, and advised to guard them carefully, considering that they held them as hostages from the enemy, as guarantees that the city would suffer nothing fatal at their hands.
οἱ δὲ πάσαις συνεβούλευον συγχωρῆσαι ταῖς βουλομέναις γυναιξὶ τὴν ἔξοδον, ἵνα σὺν μείζονι ἀξιώματι αἱ τῷ Μαρκίῳ προσήκουσαι ποιήσωνται τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος δέησιν.
But others advised to grant the departure to all the women who wished, so that those related to Marcius might make their supplication for their country with greater dignity.
τοῦ δὲ μηθὲν αὐταῖς συμβήσεσθαι δεινὸν ἐγγυητὰς ἀπέφαινον ἐσομένους θεοὺς μὲν πρῶτον, οἷς καθοσιωθεῖσαι τὰς ἱκεσίας ποιήσονται· ἔπειτα τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτόν, πρὸς ὃν ἔμελλον πορεύεσθαι, §8.43.6πάσης ἀδίκου τε καὶ ἀνοσίου πράξεως καθαρὸν καὶ ἀμίαντον ἐσχηκότα τὸν βίον.
And they declared that the guarantors that no harm would happen to them would be, first, the gods, to whom they, having consecrated themselves, would make their supplications; and next, the man himself to whom they were about to go, who had kept his life clean and undefiled of every unjust and unholy deed.
ἐνίκα δʼ ὅμως ἡ συγχωροῦσα γνώμη ταῖς γυναιξὶ τὴν ἔξοδον μέγιστον ἀμφοῖν ἐγκώμιον ἔχουσα, τῆς μὲν βουλῆς τοῦ φρονίμου, ὅτι τὰ κράτιστα καὶ γενησόμενα προείδετο οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ κινδύνου τηλικοῦδε ὄντος ἐπιταραχθεῖσα· τοῦ δὲ Μαρκίου τῆς εὐσεβείας, ὅτι πολέμιος ὤν ἐπιστεύετο μηδὲν ἀσεβήσειν εἰς τὸ ἀσθενέστατον τῆς πόλεως μέρος κύριος αὐτοῦ καταστάς.
Nevertheless, the opinion granting the departure to the women prevailed, which contained the greatest praise for both: for the wisdom of the senate, because, not at all disturbed by so great a danger, it foresaw what was best and what would happen; and for the piety of Marcius, because, though being an enemy, he was trusted that he would commit no impiety against the weakest part of the city when he became master of it.
§8.43.7ὡς δὲ τὸ προβούλευμα ἐγράφη, προελθόντες οἱ ὕπατοι εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν καὶ συναγαγόντες ἐκκλησίαν σκότους ὄντος ἤδη τὰ δόξαντα τῷ συνεδρίῳ διεσάφησαν καὶ προεῖπον ἥκειν ἅπαντας ἕωθεν ἐπὶ τὰς πύλας προπέμψοντας ἐξιούσας τὰς γυναῖκας· αὐτοὶ δὲ τῶν κατεπειγόντων ἔλεγον ἐπιμελήσεσθαι.
And when the preliminary decree of the senate was drafted, the consuls, going out into the forum and calling an assembly, though it was already dark, made clear the decisions of the council, and commanded everyone to come at dawn to the gates to escort the departing women; and they said that they themselves would take care of the urgent matters.