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aberant. Mūris validīs et saxīs altīs crēdēbant. Frūstra Sabīnī tēla iaciēbant, frūstrā portās dūrās petēbant; castellum occupāre nōn poterant. Deinde novum cōnsilium cēperunt.^[1]

Tarpēia erat puella Rōmāna pulchra et superba. Cotīdiē aquam cōpiīs Rōmānīs in Capitōlium portābat. Eī^[2] nōn nocēbant Sabīnī,

TARPEIA PUELLA PERFIDA

quod ea sine armīs erat neque Sabīnī bellum cum fēminīs līberīsque gerēbant. Tarpēia autem maximē amābat ōrnāmenta aurī. Cotīdiē Sabīnōrum ōrnāmenta vidēbat et mox ea dēsīderāre incipiēbat. Eī ūnus ex^[3] Sabīnīs dīxit, "Dūc cōpiās Sabīnās intrā portās, Tarpēia, et maxima erunt praemia tua."

1. cōnsilium capere, to make a plan. Why is the perfect tense used here and the imperfect in the preceding sentences? Explain the use of tenses in the next paragraph.
2. Dative with nocēbant. (Cf. § 154.)
3. ex, out of, i.e. from the number of; best translated of.