Non tulit populus nec patris lacrimas nec ipsius parem in omni periculo animum, absolveruntque admiratione magis
virtutis quam iure causae.
The people did not bear neither the tear of
the father nor the courage of the young man himself, which was the same in
every danger, and they acquitted him more because of admiration of (his) virtue
than the justice of his cause.
Itaque, ut caedes manifesta aliquo tamen piaculo lueretur,
imperatum est patri ut filium expiaret pecunia publica. Is, quibusdam
piacularibus sacrificiis factis, quae deinde genti Horatiae tradita sunt,
transmisso per viam tigillo, capite adoperto velut sub iugum misit iuvenem.
Thus, so that the obvious slaughter would be
atoned for by some sacrifice (ritual of purification), it was ordered to the
father that he purify his son at public expense. With certain expiatory
sacrifices having been made, which then became a tradition for the family of
the Horatii (= which were afterwards handed down to the family of the Horatii
as tradition), with a small beam having been send across the street, he (the
father) sent the young man as if under the yoke with his head having been
covered.
Id hodie quoque publice semper refectum manet:
sororium tigillum vocant. Horatiae sepulcrum, quo loco corruerat icta, constructum
est saxo quadrato.
Even today it always remains repaired at
public expense: they called it the Sister’s Beam. A tomb of squared stone was
built for Horatia in the very place where she had fallen having been stabbed.
