Titus Maccius Plautus — Amphitryo (1519)

It was conquered and stormed by the might and virtue of the soldiers.
By the leading, command, and auspices of my master Amphitryo especially,
Who with booty, land, and glory, affected his own people.
And he stabilized the kingdom for the Theban King Creon.
And he sent me from the port home, so that I might announce these things to his wife,
How he conducted the public affairs by his leading, command, and auspices.
I shall now meditate on these things, how I will speak to her, when I have arrived there.
If I tell a lie, I shall do it in my usual manner,
For when they were fighting most intensely, I was fleeing most intensely,
But I shall pretend as if I had been present, and I will declare what I have heard.
But in what manner, and with what words it may be fitting for me to speak,
I want to meditate on it even now here myself, thus I will speak it.
In the beginning when we arrived there, as soon as we touched the land,
Amphitryo immediately chose the princes of the first men,
He sends them to the Teleboans, he orders them to say their opinion.
If without force and without war, they might be willing to hand over the stolen goods and the thieves,
If they would hand over what they had carried off, he would immediately lead his army home,
That he would lead back, the Argives would depart for Argos, peace and leisure
He would give to them. But if they were animated otherwise, nor give what he might seek,
He would therefore storm their town with the greatest force and men.
When those whom Amphitryo had placed in charge related these things in order to the Teleboans,
The magnanimous men, trusting in their virtue and forces,
They rebuke our legates too proudly and fiercely,
They respond that they can defend themselves and their own with war, accordingly
They should hastily lead the army from their borders.
When the legates carried these things back, Amphitryo immediately [led] the army to the camp.