Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79)

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [2] Thereupon, it being still night, the consuls sent some horsemen out to reconnoitre, and stationing guards upon the walls and posting themselves before the gates with the troops which were most lightly equipped, they waited for the report of the horsemen. Then, as soon as it was day and the forces in the city had joined them, they marched against their foes. These, however, after plundering and burning the fort, had retired in haste.

  [3] τότε μὲν οὖν οἱ ὕπατοι σβέσαντες τὰ ἔτι καιόμενα καὶ τοῦ χωρίου φυλακὴν καταλιπόντες ἀπῄεσαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν: ὀλίγαις δ᾽ ὕστερον ἡμέραις τάς τ᾽ οἰκείας ἔχοντες δυνάμεις καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν συμμάχων ἐξῄεσαν ἀμφότεροι, Οὐεργίνιος μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν Αἰκανῶν, Νομίκιος δ᾽ ἐπὶ τὴν Οὐολούσκων: καὶ αὐτοῖς ἀμφοτέροις κατὰ

  [3] The consuls extinguished what was still burning, and leaving a guard over the place, returned to the city. A few days later they both took the field with not only their own forces but those of the allies as well, Verginius marching against the Aequians and Numicius against the Volscians; and the campaigns of both proceeded according to plan.

  [4] γνώμην τὰ τοῦ πολέμου ἐχώρησεν. Οὐεργινίῳ τε γὰρ Αἰκανοὶ δῃοῦντι τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐτόλμησαν εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόχον τινὰ ὑποκαθίσαντες ἐν ὕλαις ἐπιλέκτων ἀνδρῶν, οἳ ἔμελλον ἐσκεδασμένοις ἐπιθήσεσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις, διήμαρτον τῆς ἐλπίδος ταχείας γενομένης τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις αἰσθήσεως καὶ μάχης καρτερᾶς, ἐξ ἧς πολλοὺς τῶν σφετέρων οἱ Αἰκανοὶ ἀπέβαλον: ὥστ᾽ οὐδ᾽ εἰς πεῖραν ἑτέρας μάχης ἔτ᾽ ἤρχοντο.

  [4] The Aequians, when Verginius was laying waste their country, not only did not dare come to an engagement, but even when they placed an ambush of chosen men in the woods with orders to fall upon their enemies when they were scattered, they were disappointed of their hopes, inasmuch as the Romans soon became aware of their design and a sharp action ensued, in which the Aequians lost many of their men; the result was that they would no longer even try the fortune of another engagement.

  [5] Νομικίῳ τ᾽ ἄγοντι τὴν στρατιὰν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀντιατῶν πόλιν, ἣ ἐν ταῖς πρώταις τότε τῶν Οὐολούσκων πόλεσιν ἦν, οὐδεμία ἠναντιώθη δύναμις, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἀναγκάζοντο ἕκαστοι ἀμύνεσθαι. ἐν δὲ τούτῳ ἥ τε γῆ αὐτῶν ἡ πολλὴ ἐτμήθη, καὶ πολίχνη τις ἐπιθαλάττιος ἑάλω, ᾗ ἐπινείῳ τε καὶ ἀγορᾷ τῶν εἰς τὸν βίον ἀναγκαίων ἐχρῶντο, ἐκ θαλάττης τε καὶ διὰ λῃστηρίων τὰς πολλὰς ἐπαγόμενοι ὠφελείας. ἀνδράποδα μὲν οὖν καὶ χρήματα καὶ βοσκήματα καὶ τοὺς ἐμπορικοὺς φόρτους ἡ στρατιὰ συγχωρήσει τοῦ ὑπάτου [p. 374] διήρπασε, τὰ δ᾽ ἐλεύθερα σώματα, ὁπόσα μὴ ὁ πόλεμος ἔφθη διειργασμένος, ἐπὶ τὸ λαφυροπώλιον ἀπήχθη. ἐλήφθησαν δὲ καὶ νῆες τῶν Ἀντιατῶν εἴκοσι καὶ δύο μακραὶ καὶ ἄλλα νεῶν ὅπλα τε καὶ παρασκευαί.

  [5] Neither did any army oppose Numicius as he was marching on Antium, which was at that time among the foremost cities of the Volscians; but the people were forced in every instance to defend themselves from their walls. In the meantime not only was the greater part of their country laid waste, but also a small town on the coast was taken which they used as a station for their ships and a market for the necessaries of life, bringing thither the many spoils they took both from the sea and by raids on land. The slaves, goods, cattle and merchandise were seized as plunder by the army with the consul’s permission; but all the free men who had not lost their lives in the war were taken away to be sold at an auction of spoils. There were also captured twenty-two warships belonging to the Antiates together with rigging and equipment for ships besides.

  [6] μετὰ ταῦτα κελεύσαντος τοῦ ὑπάτου τάς τ᾽ οἰκίας ἐνεπίμπρασαν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ τοὺς νεωσοίκους κατέσκαπτον καὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἤρειπον ἐκ θεμελίων: ὥστε μηδ᾽ ἀπελθόντων σφῶν χρηστὸν ἔτι τοῖς Ἀντιάταις εἶναι τὸ φρούριον. ταῦτά τε δὴ ἐπράχθη χωρὶς ἑκατέρῳ τῶν ὑπάτων, καὶ ἀμφοτέροις ἔτι καινὴ στρατεία τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐπὶ τὴν Σαβίνων γῆν, ἣν δῃώσαντες ἀπῆγον ἐπ᾽ οἴκου τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ ὁ ἐνιαυτὸς οὗτος ἐτελεύτα.

  [6] After that at the consul’s command the Romans set fire to the houses, destroyed the docks and demolished the wall to its foundations, so that even after their departure the fortress could be of no use to the Antiates. These were the exploits of the two consuls while they acted separately. They afterwards joined forces and made an incursion into the territory of the Sabines; and having laid it waste, they returned home with the army. Thus that year ended.

  [1] τῷ δ᾽ ἑξῆς ἔτει Τίτου Κοιντίου Καπετωλίνου καὶ Κοίντου Σερουιλίου Πρίσκου τὴν ὕπατον ἀρχὴν παρειληφότων ἥ τ᾽ οἰκεία δύναμις Ῥωμαίων ἅπασα ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἦν, καὶ τὰ συμμαχικὰ ἑκούσια παρῆν, πρὶν ἐπαγγελθῆναι αὐτοῖς στρατείαν. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτ᾽ εὐχάς τε ποιησάμενοι τοῖς θεοῖς οἱ ὕπατοι καὶ καθήραντες τὸν στρατὸν ἐξῄεσαν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους.

  [57] The next year, when Titus Quintius Capitolinus and Quintus Servilius Priscus had succeeded to the consulship, not only were the Romans’ forces all under arms, but the allied contingents as well presented themselves of their own accord before they were notified of the expedition. Thereupon the consuls, after they had offered upon their vows to the gods and performed the lustration of the army, set out against their enemies.

  [2] Σαβῖνοι μὲν οὖν, ἐφ᾽ οὓς ὁ Σερουίλιος ἤλασεν, οὔτ᾽ εἰς μάχην κατέστησαν οὔτ᾽ ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὴν ὕπαιθρον: μένοντες δ᾽ ἐν τοῖς φρουρίοις ἠνείχοντο γῆς τ᾽ αὐτοῖς τεμνομένης καὶ οἰκιῶν ἐμπιμπραμένων θεραπείας τ᾽ αὐτομολούσης: ὥστε κατὰ πολλὴν εὐπέτειαν ἀπελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς χώρας αὐτῶν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ὠφελείαις τε βαρεῖς [p. 375] καὶ αὐχήμασι λαμπρούς, καὶ ἡ μὲν Σερουιλίου στρατεία τοῦτ᾽ ἔσχε τὸ τέλος:

  [2] The Sabines, against whom Servilius marched, neither drew up for battle nor came out into the open, but remaining in their fortresses, permitted their land to be laid waste, their houses to be burned and their slaves to desert, so that the Romans retired from their country entirely at their ease, loaded down with spoils and exulting in their success. This was the outcome of the expedition led by Servilius.

  [3] οἱ δὲ σὺν τῷ Κοιντίῳ στρατεύσαντες ἐπί τ᾽ Αἰκανοὺς καὶ Οὐολούσκους — συνεληλύθεσαν γὰρ εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ἐθνῶν οἱ προαγω�
�ιούμενοι τῶν ἄλλων, καὶ πρὸ τῆς Ἀντιατῶν πόλεως ἀντεστρατοπεδεύσαντο — θᾶττον ἢ βάδην χωροῦντες ἐπιφαίνονται αὐτοῖς: καὶ οὐ πολὺν τόπον τοῦ χάρακος αὐτῶν ἀποσχόντες, ἐν ᾧ πρῶτον ὤφθησάν τε καὶ εἶδον ἐκείνους χωρίῳ ταπεινῷ ὄντι τὰς ἀποσκευὰς ἔθεντο, τοῦ μὴ δεδοικέναι τὰ πολέμια πλήθει μακρῷ προὔχοντα δόξαν ποιῆσαι βουλόμενοι.

  [3] The forces which had marched under Quintius against the Aequians and the Volscians — for the contingents from both nations who were to fight in behalf of the rest had joined together and had encamped before Antium — advancing at a quick pace, suddenly appeared before them and set down their baggage not far from the enemy’s camp in the place where they had first been visible to each other, even though it was a low position; for they wished to avoid the appearance of fearing the enemy’s numbers, which were much larger than their own.

  [4] ὡς δ᾽ εὐτρεπῆ τὰ εἰς μάχην ἑκατέροις ἅπαντα ἦν, ἐξῄεσαν εἰς τὸ πεδίον, καὶ συμπεσόντες ἠγωνίζοντο μέχρι μεσούσης ἡμέρας οὔτ᾽ εἴκοντες τοῖς πολεμίοις οὔτ᾽ ἐπιβαίνοντες, ἀεί τε τὸ κάμνον μέρος ἀνισοῦντες τοῖς ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐφεδρείαις τεταγμένοις ἑκάτεροι. ἐν δὲ τούτῳ μάλιστα οἱ Αἰκανοὶ καὶ Οὐολοῦσκοι πλήθει τῶν Ῥωμαίων προὔχοντες ἀνέφερον καὶ περιῆσαν, τῶν πολεμίων οὐκ ἐχόντων ἴσον τῇ προθυμίᾳ τὸ πλῆθος.

  [4] When everything was ready for battle on both sides, they advanced into the plain, and engaging, fought till midday, neither yielding to nor charging their opponents, and both sides continually bringing up to equal strength with the enemy, by means of the troops held in reserve, any part of their line that was in distress. In this respect particularly the Aequians and Volscians, being more numerous than the Romans, rallied and had the advantage, since their foes’ numbers were not equal to their ardour.

  [5] ὁ δὲ Κοίντιος ὁρῶν νεκρούς τε πολλοὺς τῶν σφετέρων καὶ τῶν περιόντων τοὺς πλείους τραυματίας ἐμέλλησε μὲν ἀνακαλεῖσθαι τὴν δύναμιν, δείσας δέ, μὴ δόξαν παράσχῃ τοῖς πολεμίοις φυγῆς, παρακινδυνευτέον σφίσιν εἶναι ἔγνω. ἐπιλεξάμενος δὲ τῶν ἱππέων τοὺς κρατίστους κατὰ τὸ δεξιόν, ὃ μάλιστα ἔκαμνεν, τοῖς σφετέροις παρεβοήθει.

  [5] Quintius, seeing many of his men dead and the greater part of the survivors wounded, was on the point of recalling his forces, but fearing that this would give the enemy the impression of a flight, he decided that they must make a bold stroke. Choosing, therefore, the best of his horse, he hastened to the aid of his men on the right wing, which was hardest pressed.

  [6] καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπιτιμῶν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν [p. 376] αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀνανδρίας, τὰ δ᾽ ὑπομιμνήσκων τῶν προτέρων ἀγώνων, τὰ δὲ τὴν αἰσχύνην ἐπιλεγόμενος καὶ τὸν κίνδυνον, ὃς καταλήψεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἔμελλεν ἐν τῇ φυγῇ, τελευτῶν εἶπεν οὐκ ἀληθές, ὃ μάλιστα μὲν τοῖς σφετέροις θάρσος παρέστησε, τοῖς δὲ πολεμίοις δέος. ἔφη γάρ, ὅτι θάτερον αὐτῶν ἤδη κέρας ἐξέωσε τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ ἐγγὺς ἤδη ἐστὶ τοῦ ἐκείνων χάρακος.

  [6] And upbraiding the officers themselves for their want of courage, reminding them of their former exploits, and showing them to what shame and danger they would be exposed in fleeing, he ended with an untruth, which more than anything else inspired his own men with confidence and the enemy with fear. For he told them that their other wing had already put the enemy to flight and was by now close to their camp.

  [7] ταῦτ᾽ εἰπὼν ἐνσείει τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ καταβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἵππου σὺν τοῖς ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐπιλέκτοις τῶν ἱππέων συστάδην ἐμάχετο. ἐκ δὲ τούτου τόλμα τις ἐμπίπτει τοῖς κάμνουσι τέως, καὶ ὠθοῦνται ἅπαντες ὥσπερ ἕτεροί τινες γεγονότες: καὶ οἱ Οὐολοῦσκοι — τῇδε γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ἐτάξαντο — μέχρι πολλοῦ διακαρτερήσαντες ἐνέκλιναν. ὡς δὲ τούτους ὁ Κοίντιος ἀπεώσατο, ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον παρήλαυνεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτέραν τάξιν, καὶ ἐδείκνυε τοῖς ἐκεῖ πεζοῖς τὸ ἡττώμενον τῶν πολεμίων μέρος, καὶ παρεκελεύετο μὴ λείπεσθαι ἀρετῇ τῶν ἑτέρων.

  [7] Having said this, he charged the enemy, and dismounting from his horse, he and the chosen horsemen with him fought hand to hand. Upon this a kind of daring came to those whose spirits till then had flagged, and as if they had become different men, all pressed forward; and the Volscians — for these stood opposite to them — after holding out for a long time, gave way. Quintius, having repulsed these opponents, mounted his horse and, riding along to the other wing, showed to the foot posted there the part of the enemy which was defeated, and exhorted them not to be behind the others in valour.

  [1] καὶ μετὰ τοῦτ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔτι διέμενε τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλὰ πάντες εἰς τὸν χάρακα ξυνέφευγον. οὐ μέντοι δίωξίς γ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐγένετο, ἀλλ᾽ εὐθὺς οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἀπετράποντο, ὑπὸ κόπου τὰ σώματα παρειμένοι καὶ οὐδὲ τὰ ὅπλα ἔτι ὅμοια ἔχοντες. ὀλίγων δὲ [p. 377] διελθουσῶν ἡμερῶν, ἃς ἐσπείσαντο ταφῆς τε τῶν οἰκείων νεκρῶν καὶ θεραπείας τῶν κεκμηκότων ἕνεκα, παρεσκευασμένοι τὰ εἰς τὸν πόλεμον ἐλλείποντα, ἑτέραν ἠγωνίσαντο μάχην περὶ τῷ Ῥωμαίων χάρακι.

  [58.1] After this no part of the enemy stood their ground but all fled together to their camp. The Romans, however, did not pursue them far, but promptly turned back, as their bodies were spent with toil and their weapons no longer what they had been. But after a few days had passed, for which they had made a truce in order to bury their dead and care for their sick, and they had supplied themselves with whatever was lacking for the war, they fought another battle, this time about the camp of the Romans.

  [2] προσελθούσης γὰρ ἄλλης δυνάμεως τοῖς Οὐολούσκοις τε καὶ Αἰκανοῖς ἐκ τῶν πέριξ χωρίων οὐ διὰ μακροῦ ὄντων, ἐπαρθεὶς ὁ στρατηγὸς αὐτῶν, ὅτι καὶ πενταπλάσιοι τῶν πολεμίων ἦσαν οἱ σφέτεροι, τήν τε παρεμβολὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων οὐκ ἐν ἐχυρῷ οὖσαν ὁρῶν κράτιστον ὑπέλαβεν εἶναι καιρὸν ἐπιχειρεῖν αὐτοῖς. ἐνθυμηθεὶς δὲ ταῦτα περὶ μέσας νύκτας ἦγε τὴν δύναμιν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα τῶν Ῥωμαίων, καὶ κύκλῳ περιστήσας ἐφρούρει, μὴ λάθοιεν ἀπιόντες.

  [2] For, reinforcements having come to the Volscians and Aequians from the neighbouring forts round about, their general grew elated because his forces were actually five times as large as those of the enemy, and observing that the
Romans’ camp was not strongly situated, he thought this was a most excellent opportunity for attacking them. Having so reasoned, he led his army to their camp about midnight, and surrounding it with his men, kept it under guard so that the Romans should not steal away.

  [3] ὁ δὲ Κοίντιος, ὡς ἔμαθε τῶν πολεμίων τὸ πλῆθος, ἀγαπητῶς ἐδέξατο καὶ περιμείνας, ἕως ἡμέρα τ᾽ ἐγένετο καὶ ὥρα πληθυούσης μάλιστ᾽ ἀγορᾶς, κάμνοντας ἤδη τοὺς πολεμίους αἰσθόμενος ὑπό τ᾽ ἀγρυπνίας καὶ ἀκροβολισμῶν, καὶ οὐ κατὰ λόχους οὐδὲ ἐν τάξει προσάγοντας, ἀλλὰ πολλαχῇ κεχυμένους καὶ σποράδας, ἀνοίξας τὰς πύλας τοῦ χάρακος ἐξέδραμεν ἅμα τοῖς ἐπιλέκτοις τῶν ἱππέων: καὶ οἱ πεζοὶ πυκνώσαντες τοὺς λόχους ἠκολούθουν.

  [3] Quintius, upon being informed of the numbers of the enemy, welcomed this move and bided his time till it was day and about the hour of full market. Then, perceiving that the enemy were already suffering both from lack of sleep and from the flying missiles and that they were advancing neither by centuries nor by ranks but widely extended and scattered, he opened the gates of the camp and sallied out with the flower of the horse; and the foot, closing their ranks, followed.

  [4] οἱ δὲ Οὐολοῦσκοι καταπλαγέντες αὐτῶν τὸ θράσος καὶ τὸ μανικὸν τῆς ἐφόδου βραχὺν ἀνασχόμενοι χρόνον ἀνακρούονταί τε καὶ ἅμα ὑποχωροῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ χάρακος καί — ἦν γάρ τις οὐ πρόσω τοῦ στρατοπέδου λόφος ὑψηλὸς ἐπιεικῶς — εἰς τοῦτον οὖν ἀνατρέχουσιν [p. 378] ὡς ἀναπαυσόμενοί τε καὶ αὖθις εἰς τάξιν καταστησόμενοι. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐξεγένετο καταστῆναί τε καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἀναλαβεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ ποδὸς ἠκολούθησαν αὐτοῖς οἱ πολέμιοι πιλήσαντες, ὡς μάλιστ᾽ ἦν δυνατὸν τοὺς λόχους, ἵνα μὴ καταραχθῶσι πρὸς ἄναντες χωρίον βιαζόμενοι.