whole kd mucius

senatum adit. 'transire Tiberim,' inquit, 'patres, et intrare, si possim, castra hostium volo,

Mucius approached the Senate. 'I wish, senators,' he said, 'to cross the Tiber and enter the enemy camp if I can -

non praedo nec populationum in vicem ultor:

not as a brigand, nor as an avenger of looting in return:

maius si di iuvant in animo est facinus.' adprobant patres;

I have in mind a greater deed, if the gods help me.' The senators approved;

abdito intra vestem ferro proficiscitur. ubi eo venit, in confertissima turba prope regium tribunal constitit.

with a sword concealed within his clothing, he set out. When he arrived there, he stood in the densest part of the crowd near the royal platform.

ibi cum stipendium militibus forte daretur

There, since it happened to be the case that pay was being handed out to the soldiers,

et scriba cum rege sedens pari fere ornatu multa ageret

and the secretary (who was sitting with the king and in almost identical clothing) was doing many jobs -

eumque milites volgo adirent, timens sciscitari uter Porsenna esset,

and the soliders were generally approaching him (the secretary), Mucius was afraid of enquiring as to which of the two men was Porsenna,

ne ignorando regem semet ipse aperiret quis esset,

in case, by failing to recognise the king, he might reveal who he himself was and,

quo temere traxit fortuna facinus, scribam pro rege obtruncat.

as fate blindy directed the deed, he killed the secretary instead of the king.

vadentem inde qua per trepidam turbam cruento mucrone sibi ipse fecerat viam,

Going from there by means of a path through the panicked crowd which he had made for himself with his bloody-stained blade,

cum concursu ad clamorem facto comprehensum regii satellites retraxissent,

when, after a rush of people had formed towards the noise, the royal bodyguards had seized him and dragged him back and,

ante tribunal regis destitutus, tum quoque

having been left in front of the king's platform, even at that point,

inter tantas fortunae minas metuendus magis quam metuens,

amid such great threats of fortune, he was a man to be feared, rather than a man afraid.

Romanus sum' inquit, 'civis; Gaium Mucium vocant. hostis hostem occidere volui, nec ad mortem minus animi est quam fuit ad caedem;

'I am a Roman citizen,' he said. 'They call me Gaius Mucius. As an enemy, I want to kill my enemy, and I have no less courage to face death than I had for assassination;

et facere et pati fortia Romanum est. nec unus in te ego hos animos gessi; longus post me ordo est idem petentium decus.

it is the Roman way both to commit and to suffer brave things. And I am not alone in carrying this determination against you: behind me there is a long line of others who seek this same distinction.

proinde in hoc discrimen, si iuvat, accingere, ut in singulas horas capite dimices tuo, ferrum hostemque in vestibulo habeas regiae.

And so, if it pleases you, ready yourself for this struggle to fight for your life every single hour, and to have an armed enemy at your palace entrance.

hoc tibi iuventus Romana indicimus bellum. nullam aciem, nullum proelium timueris;

This is the war that we, the Roman youth, declare against you. Fear no battle line, no battle:

uni tibi et cum singulis res erit.'

the contest will be for you alone and with us one by one.'

cum rex simul ira incensus periculoque conterritus circumdari ignes minitabundus iuberet …

When the king, at the same time blazing with anger and terrified by the danger,

menacingly ordered fires to be placed around…

'en tibi' inquit, 'ut sentias quam vile corpus sit iis qui magnam gloriam vident';

(Mucius) said 'Look! So that you may realise how cheap the body is in the eyes of those who understand great glory';

dextramque accenso ad sacrificium foculo inicit.

and he put his right hand into a brazier lit for a sacrifice.

quam cum velut alienato ab sensu torreret animo,

When he was scorching this (hand) as if his mind was separated from his feeling,

prope attonitus miraculo rex cum a sede sua prosiluisset

and the king, virtually thunderstruck by the extraordinary event, had leapt forth from his chair

amoverique ab altaribus iuvenem iussisset,

and ordered the young man to be moved away from the altar,

'tu vero abi' inquit, 'in te magis quam in me hostilia ausus. iuberem macte virtute esse, si pro mea patria ista virtus staret;

said, 'Indeed, you, depart, since you have dared (to commit) hostile actions more against yourself than against me.

iuberem macte virtute esse, si pro mea patria ista virtus staret;

I would congratulate you on your courage if that courage of yours was standing on my own country's side;

nunc iure belli liberum te, intactum inviolatumque hinc dimitto.'

as it is, by the right of war, I release you from here a free man, untouched and

unharmed!

tunc Mucius, quasi remunerans meritum, 'quando quidem' inquit, 'est apud te virtuti honos,

Then Mucius, as if paying back the kindness, said, 'Since, indeed, there is esteem for courage in your eyes,

ut beneficio tuleris a me quod minis nequisti,

so that you have obtained from me by your kindness what you could not (obtain) by threats,

trecenti coniuravimus principes iuventutis Romanae ut in te hac via grassaremur.

we 300 leaders of the Roman youth formed a conspiracy to attack you in this way.

mea prima sors fuit; ceteri ut cuiusque ceciderit primi quoad te opportunum fortuna dederit, suo quisque tempore aderunt.'

Mine was the first lot; the rest will be here, each at his own time, according to

whoever's (lot) falls out first, until fortune makes you suitable (to attack)'

ergo ita honorata virtute, feminae quoque ad publica decora excitatae,

Therefore, as courage had been honoured in this way, the women too were spurred to seek public glory,

et Cloelia virgo una ex obsidibus, cum castra Etruscorum forte haud procul ripa Tiberis locata essent,

and, since the camp of the Etruscans happened to have been pitched not far from the bank of the Tiber, one of the hostages, the girl Cloelia,

frustrata custodes, dux agminis virginum inter tela hostium Tiberim tranavit,

having deceived the guards, as leader of a band of young women swam across the Tiber amidst the enemy's missiles,

sospitesque omnes Romam ad propinquos restituit.

and restored them all safe to Rome to their families.

quod ubi regi nuntiatum est, primo incensus ira oratores Romam misit

When this was announced to the king, at first, blazing with anger, he sent spokesmen to Rome

ad Cloeliam obsidem deposcendam: alias haud magni facere.

to demand back the hostage, Cloelia: he considered the other hostages of no great value.

deinde in admirationem versus, supra Coclites Muciosque dicere id facinus esse,

Then, turning into admiration, he said that that deed was greater than the likes of Cocles and Mucius,

et prae se ferre quemadmodum si non dedatur obses, pro rupto foedus se habiturum,

and he declared that, just as he would consider the treaty broken, if the hostage was not surrendered,

sic deditam intactam inviolatamque ad suos remissurum.

so too would he send her back to her family, untouched and unharmed, if she were surrendered.

utrimque constitit fides; et Romani pignus pacis ex foedere restituerunt,

Trust stood on both sides; and, in accordance with the treaty, the Romans gave her back as a pledge of peace;

et apud regem Etruscum non tuta solum sed honorata etiam virtus fuit,

and in the presence of the Etruscan king, her bravery was not only safe but was even honoured,

laudatamque virginem parte obsidum se donare dixit;

and, having praised the young girl, he said that he was presenting her with part of the hostages;

ipsa quos vellet legeret …

and that she herself should choose whom she wanted …

pace redintegrata Romani novam in femina virtutem novo genere honoris, statua equestri, donavere;

When peace was restored, the Romans rewarded this unusual bravery in a woman with an unusual type of honour - an equestrian statue;

in summa Sacra Via fuit posita virgo insidens equo.

it was set up at the top of the Sacred Way, a young girl sitting on a horse.