§8.48.1παυσαμένου δʼ αὐτοῦ μικρὸν ἡ Οὐετουρία ἐπισχοῦσα χρόνον, ἕως ὁ τῶν περιεστηκότων ἔπαινος ἐπαύσατο πολύς τε καὶ μέχρι πολλοῦ γενόμενος, λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν· ἀλλʼ ἔγωγέ σε, ὦ Μάρκιε τέκνον, οὔτε προδότην Οὐολούσκων γενέσθαι ἀξιῶ, οἵ σε φεύγοντα ὑποδεξάμενοι τοῖς τʼ ἄλλοις ἐτίμησαν καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἡγεμονίαν ἐπίστευσαν, οὔτε παρὰ τὰς ὁμολογίας καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους, οὓς ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς, ὅτε τὰς δυνάμεις παρελάμβανες, ἄνευ κοινῆς γνώμης ἰδίᾳ καταλύσασθαι τὴν ἔχθραν βούλομαι·
When he had ceased speaking, Veturia, after waiting a short time until the loud and long-continued praise of the bystanders had stopped, said to him: “But for my part, Marcius, my child, I neither demand that you become a traitor to the Volscians, who welcomed you in your exile, honored you in other ways, and entrusted you with their own command; nor do I wish you, contrary to the agreements and oaths which you gave them when you took over the forces, to end the hostility privately without their common consent.
μηδʼ ὑπολάβῃς τὴν σεαυτοῦ μητέρα τοσαύτης ἀναπεπλῆσθαι θεοβλαβείας, ὥστε τὸν ἀγαπητὸν καὶ μόνον υἱὸν εἰς αἰσχρὰς καὶ §8.48.2ἀνοσίους πράξεις παρακαλεῖν.
Do not suppose that your mother is filled with such great madness as to summon her beloved and only son to shameful and unholy deeds.
ἀλλὰ μετὰ κοινῆς γνώμης ἀποστῆναί σε ἀξιῶ τοῦ πολέμου, πείσαντα τοὺς Οὐολούσκους μετριάσαι περὶ τὰς διαλλαγὰς καὶ ποιήσασθαι τὴν εἰρήνην ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς ἔθνεσι καλὴν καὶ πρέπουσαν.
But I demand that, with common consent, you withdraw from the war, having persuaded the Volscians to be moderate concerning the terms of reconciliation and to make a peace that is beautiful and fitting for both nations.
τοῦτο δὲ γένοιτʼ ἄν, εἰ νῦν μὲν ἀναστήσας τὴν στρατιὰν ἀπαγάγοις ἐνιαυσίους ποιησάμενος ἀνοχάς, ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ χρόνῳ πρέσβεις ἀποστέλλων τε καὶ δεχόμενος ἀληθῆ φιλίαν πράττοις καὶ §8.48.3διαλλαγὰς βεβαίας.
And this would happen if, for the present, you should raise your army and lead it away after making a one-year truce, and in the intervening time, by sending and receiving ambassadors, you should bring about true friendship and firm reconciliation.
καὶ εὖ ἴσθι· Ῥωμαῖοι μέν, ὅσα μήτε τὸ ἀδύνατον μήτʼ ἄλλη τις ἀδοξία προσπεσοῦσα κωλύσει, πάντα ὑπομενοῦσι πράττειν λόγῳ καὶ παρακλήσει πειθόμενοι, ἀναγκαζόμενοι δʼ, ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν ἀξιοῖς, οὐθὲν ἂν πώποτε χαρίσαιντο ὑμῖν οὔτε μεῖζον οὔτʼ ἔλαττον, ὡς ἐξ ἄλλων τε πολλῶν πάρεστί σοι καταμαθεῖν καὶ τὰ τελευταῖα ἐξ ὧν Λατίνοις συνεχώρησαν ἀποστᾶσιν ἀπὸ τῶν ὅπλων·
And know well: the Romans, as long as neither impossibility nor any other dishonor prevent them, will submit to do everything when persuaded by reason and entreaty, but if forced, as you now demand, they would never grant you anything, either greater or less, as you may learn from many other instances and most recently from what they conceded to the Latins when they laid down their arms.
Οὐολοῦσκοι δὲ πολὺ τὸ αὔθαδες ἔχουσιν, ὃ συμβαίνει τοῖς μεγάλα εὐτυχήσασιν.
But the Volscians possess a great deal of arrogance, which is apt to happen to those who have met with great success.
§8.48.4ἐὰν δὲ διδάσκῃς αὐτούς, ὅτι πᾶσα μὲν εἰρήνη παντός ἐστι πολέμου κρείττων, σύμβασις δὲ φίλων κατὰ τὸν ἑκούσιον γινομένη τρόπον τῶν ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης συγχωρηθέντων βεβαιοτέρα, καὶ ὅτι σωφρόνων ἐστὶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅταν μὲν εὖ πράττειν δοκῶσι, ταμιεύεσθαι τὰς τύχας, ὅταν δʼ εἰς ταπεινὰς καὶ φαύλας ἔλθωσι, μηθὲν ὑπομένειν ἀγεννές· καὶ τἆλλα, ὅσα εἰς ἡμερότητα καὶ ἐπιείκειαν ἐπαγωγὰ παιδεύματα εὕρηται λόγων, οὕς ὑμεῖς οἱ τὰ πολιτικὰ πράττοντες μάλιστʼ ἐπίστασθε, ἴστε ὅτι τοῦ τε αὐχήματος, ἐφʼ οὗ νῦν εἰσιν, ἑκόντες ὑποβήσονται καὶ ποιήσουσιν ἐξουσίαν σοι τοῦ πράττειν, ὅ τι ἂν αὐτοῖς ὑπολαμβάνῃς συνοίσειν.
¦1618 But if you instruct them that every peace is better than any war, and that an agreement between friends made in a voluntary manner is firmer than concessions made under necessity, and that it is the part of wise men, when they seem to prosper, to husband their fortunes, but when they fall into low and humble circumstances, to submit to nothing ignoble; and all the other persuasive lessons of words leading to mildness and fairness, which you who handle public affairs understand best, know that they will voluntarily step down from the boastfulness in which they now stand and will give you authority to do whatever you suppose will be of advantage to them.
§8.48.5ἐὰν δʼ ἀντιπράττωσί σοι καὶ τοὺς λόγους μὴ προσδέχωνται ταῖς διὰ σὲ καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τὴν σὴν γενομέναις περὶ αὐτοὺς τύχαις ὡς ἀεὶ διαμενούσαις ἐπαιρόμενοι, τῆς στρατηγίας αὐτοῖς ἀφίστασο φανερῶς, καὶ μήτε προδότης γίνου τῶν πεπιστευκότων μήτε πολέμιος τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων· ἀσεβὲς γὰρ ἑκάτερον.
But if they oppose you and do not accept your words, being puffed up by the fortunes that have come to them through you and through your leadership as if they would remain forever, openly resign the command for them, and be neither a traitor to those who trusted you nor an enemy to your closest kin; for each is unholy.
ταῦτα ἥκω δεομένη σου γενέσθαι μοι παρὰ σοῦ, Μάρκιε τέκνον, οὔτʼ ἀδύναθʼ, ὡς σὺ φῄς, πάσης τʼ ἀδίκου καὶ ἀνοσίου συνειδήσεως καθαρά.
These things I have come entreating to obtain from you, Marcius, my child—things that are neither impossible, as you say, and are pure of all unjust and unholy conscience.”