§1.24.1forte in duobus tum exercitibus erant trigemini fratres nec aetate nec viribus dispares.
It happened that in the two armies at that time there were triplet brothers, unequal neither in age nor in strength.
Horatios Curiatiosque fuisse satis constat, nec ferme res antiqua alia est nobilior; tamen in re tam clara nominum error manet, utrius populi Horatii, utrius Curiatii fuerint.
It is well established that they were the Horatii and the Curiatii, and scarcely any other ancient event is more famous; yet in so famous a matter an error regarding the names remains, as to which people the Horatii and to which the Curiatii belonged.
auctores utroque trahunt; plures tamen invenio, qui Romanos Horatios vocent; hos ut sequar, inclinat animus.
Authors draw them to both sides; yet I find more who call the Romans Horatii; my mind inclines to follow these.
§1.24.2cum trigeminis agunt reges, ut pro sua quisque patria dimicent ferro: ibi imperium fore, unde victoria fuerit.
The kings negotiate with the triplets, that each should fight with the sword for his own country: rule would be there, whence victory should come.
nihil recusatur; tempus et locus convenit.
Nothing was refused; the time and place were agreed upon.
§1.24.3priusquam dimicarent, foedus ictum inter Romanos et Albanos est his legibus, ut, cuius populi cives eo certamine vicissent, is alteri populo cum bona pace imperitaret.
Before they fought, a treaty was struck between the Romans and the Albans on these terms: that whichever people's citizens should win in that contest, that people should rule over the other in good peace.
§1.24.4foedera alia aliis legibus, ceterum eodem modo omnia fiunt.
Other treaties are made on other terms, but all in the same manner.
tum ita factum accepimus, nec ullius vetustior foederis memoria est.
At that time we receive that it was done as follows, nor is there memory of any older treaty.
fetialis regem Tullum ita rogavit: “iubesne me, rex, cum patre patrato populi Albani foedus ferire?” iubente rege “sagmina” inquit “te, rex, posco. ” §1.24.5rex ait: “puram tollito. ” fetialis ex arce graminis herbam puram attulit.
The fetial asked King Tullus as follows: "Do you, king, order me to strike a treaty with the pater patratus of the Alban people?" Upon the king ordering it, he said, "I demand of you, king, the sacred herbs." The king said: "Take it clean." The fetial brought clean grass from the citadel.
postea regem ita rogavit: “rex, facisne me tu regium nuntium populi Romani Quiritium, vasa comitesque meos?” rex respondit: “quod sine fraude mea populique Romani Quiritium fiat, facio. ” §1.24.6fetialis erat M. Valerius; is patrem patratum Sp. Fusium fecit verbena caput capillosque tangens.
Afterward he asked the king in this way: "King, do you make me the royal messenger of the Roman people of Quirites, along with my vessels and companions?" The king replied: "What may be done without detriment to myself and to the Roman people of Quirites, I do." The fetial was Marcus Valerius; he made Spurius Fusius pater patratus, touching his head and hair with verbena.
pater patratus ad ius iurandum patrandum id est sanciendum fit foedus multisque id verbis, quae longo effata carmine non operae est referre, peragit.
The pater patratus is made for executing the oath, that is, for ratifying the treaty, and he performs it with many words, which, being spoken in a long formula, it is not worth the trouble to repeat.
§1.24.7legibus deinde recitatis “audi” inquit, “Iuppiter, audi, pater patrate populi Albani, audi tu, populus Albanus: ut illa palam prima postrema ex illis tabulis cerave recitata sunt sine dolo malo utique ea hic hodie rectissime, intellecta sunt, illis legibus populus Romanus prior non deficiet.
Then, after the terms were read out, he said, "Hear, Jupiter, hear, pater patratus of the Alban people, hear you, Alban people: as those things have been publicly read from beginning to end from those tablets or wax, without evil deceit and in the way they have been most correctly understood here today, from those terms the Roman people will not be the first to depart.
§1.24.8si prior defexit publico consilio dolo malo, tum illo die, Diespiter, populum Romanum sic ferito, ut ego hunc porcum hic hodie feriam; tantoque magis ferito, quanto magis potes pollesque. ” §1.24.9id ubi dixit, porcum saxo silice percussit.
If they should be the first to depart by public counsel and with evil deceit, then on that day, Diespiter, strike the Roman people in such a way as I shall strike this pig here today; and strike them so much the more, as you are more able and powerful." When he had said this, he struck the pig with a flint stone.
sua item carmina Albani suumque ius iurandum per suum dictatorem suosque sacerdotes peregerunt.
The Albans likewise performed their own formulas and their own oath through their dictator and their priests.