Livy Page 8

Obsidio erat nihilo minus et frumenti cum summa caritate inopia, sedendoque expugnaturum se urbem spem Porsinna habebat, cum C. Mucius, adulescens nobilis,

The blockade [continued] with no less [force] and there was a scarcity of grain with the utmost price, and by remaining encamped, Porsenna held hope that he would capture the city, when Gaius Mucius, a noble young man,

cui indigum videbatur populum Romanum servientem cum sub regibs esset nollo bello nec ab hostibus ullis obsessum esse,

to whom it seemed a disgrace that the Roman people, subservient when they were under the kings, had not been besieged by any war or any other enemy,

liberum eundem populum ab iisdem Etruscis obsideri quorum saepe exercitus fuderit-

and that the same free people be besieged by the same Etrsucans, whose army they often routed-

itaque magno audacique aliquo facinore eam indignitatem vindicandam ratus, primo sua sponte penetrare in hostium castra constituit;

And so, believing that this disgrace should be vindicated by a great act of boldness or another crime, at first decided to penetrate into the camp of the enemies of his own accord;

dein metuens ne si consulum iniussu et ignaris omnibus iret, forte deprehensus a custodibus Romanis retraheretur ut transfuga, fortuna tum urbis crimen adfirmante, senatum adit.

Then fearing that if he should go without the order of the consuls and without anyone knowing, perhaps having been seized he would be brought back by the Roman guards as a deserter, the with the circumstances of the city strengthening the crime, he went to the senate.

‘Transire Tiberim’ inquit ‘patres, et intrare, si possim, castra hostium volo, non praedo nec populationum in vicem ultor; maius si di iuvant in animo est facinus.’

H said ‘Fathers, I want to cross the Tiber and enter the camp of the enemies, if I am allowed to, not for booty nor to be an avenger laying waster reciprocally; it is in my mind to do a greater deed, if the gods help.’

Adprobant patres; adbito intra vestem ferro proficiscitur.

The fathers approved; he set out with a sword concealed in his cloak.

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

When he came to that place, he stood fast in the densest part of the crowd near the royal tribunal.