§2.4.1Vitelliis Aquiliisque fratribus primo commissa res est.
The affair was first entrusted to the Vitellii and Aquilii brothers.
Vitelliorum soror consuli nupta Bruto erat, iamque ex eo matrimonio adulescentes erant liberi, Titus Tiberiusque; eos quoque in societatem consilii avunculi adsumunt.
The sister of the Vitellii was married to the consul Brutus, and from that marriage there were already young men as children, Titus and Tiberius; these also their uncles admitted into the partnership of the plan.
§2.4.2praeterea aliquot nobiles adulescentes conscii adsumpti, quorum vetustate memoria abiit.
In addition, several noble young men were admitted as accomplices, whose memory has been lost through lapse of time.
interim cum in senatu vicisset sententia, §2.4.3quae censebat reddenda bona, eamque ipsam causam morae in urbe haberent legati, quod spatium ad vehicula conparanda a consulibus sumpsissent, quibus regum asportarent res, omne id tempus cum coniuratis consultando absumunt evincuntque instando, ut litterae sibi ad Tarquinios darentur:
Meanwhile, when the opinion had prevailed in the senate, which advocated that the goods should be returned, and the envoys had this very reason for delay in the city, namely that they had obtained from the consuls a period of time to prepare vehicles in which they might carry away the property of the kings, they spent all that time in consulting with the conspirators, and by persisting they prevailed that letters should be given to them for the Tarquinii: for otherwise, how would they believe that nothing empty was being brought by the envoys concerning such great matters?
§2.4.4nam aliter qui credituros eos non vana ab legatis super rebus tantis adferri? datae litterae, ut pignus fidei essent, manifestum facinus fecerunt.
The letters, given so that they might be a pledge of faith, made the crime manifest.
§2.4.5nam cum pridie, quam legati ad Tarquinios proficiscerentur, cenatum forte apud Vitellios esset, coniuratique ibi remotis arbitris multa inter se de novo, ut fit, consilio egissent, sermonem eorum ex servis unus excepit, §2.4.6qui iam antea id senserat agi, sed eam occasionem, ut litterae legatis darentur, quae deprehensae rem coarguere possent, expectabat.
For when, on the day before the envoys were to set out to the Tarquinii, they happened to dine at the house of the Vitellii, and the conspirators there, having removed witnesses, had discussed many things among themselves concerning their new plan, as usually happens, one of the slaves overheard their conversation, who had already before this sensed that this was being done, but was waiting for that opportunity, namely that letters should be given to the envoys, which, if seized, could prove the matter.
postquam datas sensit, rem ad consules detulit.
After he perceived that they had been given, he reported the matter to the consuls.
§2.4.7consules ad deprehendendos legatos coniuratosque profecti domo sine tumultu rem omnem oppressere; litterarum in primis habita cura, ne interciderent.
The consuls, having set out from home to arrest the envoys and the conspirators, suppressed the whole affair without any tumult; care was taken especially of the letters, lest they should be lost.
proditoribus extemplo in vincla coniectis de legatis paululum addubitatum est, et quamquam visi sunt commisisse, ut hostium loco essent, ius tamen gentium valuit.
The traitors having been immediately thrown into chains, there was a little hesitation concerning the envoys; and although they seemed to have committed an offense such that they should be in the place of enemies, yet the law of nations prevailed.