Livy Lines 1-10 - Translation

senatum adit.

He approached the Senate.

“transire Tiberum,” inquit, “patres, et intrare, si possim, castra hostium volo, non praedo nec populationum in vicem ultor;

“Senators,” he said, “I wish to cross the Tiber and, if I can, enter the camp of the enemy, not as a brigand, nor as an avenger in retaliation for the enemy’s plundering;

maius si di iuvant in animo est facinus.”

adprobant ap

abdito intra vestem ferro proficiscitur.

having hidden a sword inside his clothing, he set off.

ubi eo venit, in confertissima turba prope regium tribunal constitit.

When he arrived there, he took up a position near the royal platform in the thickest part of the crowd.

ibi cum stipendium militibus forte daretur et scriba cum rege sedens pari fere ornatu multa ageret eumque milites volgo adirent, timens sciscitari uter Porsenna esset, ne ignorando regem semet ipse aperiret quis esset, quo temere traxit fortuna facinus, scribam pro rege obtruncant.

Since by chance pay was being given to the soldiers there and a clerk sitting with the king dressed in roughly the same apparel was doing many tasks and the soldiers were generally approaching him , Mucius fearing to inquire which of the two was Porsenna, lest by not knowing the king he might reveal who he was himself, as fortune blindly directed the deed, he slew the clerk instead of the king.