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

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  [63.1] The consul, realizing that the army under his command would not be strong enough to contend against both these nations, sent some of his horsemen to Rome with letters in which he asked that reinforcements might speedily reach him, as his whole army was in danger of being destroyed.

  [2] ταῦτ᾽ ἐπιλεξάμενος [p. 388] ὁ συνύπατος αὐτοῦ Ποστόμιος — ἦσαν δὲ μέσαι νύκτες μάλιστα, ὅτε οἱ ἱππεῖς ἀφίκοντο — διὰ κηρύκων πολλῶν τοὺς βουλευτὰς ἐκ τῶν οἰκιῶν συνεκάλει: καὶ γίνεται δόγμα βουλῆς, πρὶν ἡμέραν λαμπρὰν γενέσθαι, Τῖτον μὲν Κοίντιον τὸν ὑπατεύσαντα τὸ τρίτον, ἔχοντα τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους τῶν νέων πεζούς τε καὶ ἱππεῖς, ἀρχῇ κοσμηθέντα ἀνθυπάτῳ χωρεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐξ ἐφόδου: Αὖλον δὲ Ποστόμιον τὸν ἕτερον τῶν ὑπάτων τὰς λοιπὰς δυνάμεις συναγαγόντα, ἃς ἔδει χρονιώτερον συνελθεῖν, ὡς ἂν αὐτῷ τάχους ἐγγένηται βοηθεῖν. ἡμέρα δ᾽ ἤδη.

  [2] When his colleague Postumius had read the letter — it was about midnight when the horsemen arrived — he sent out numerous heralds to call the senators together from their homes; and before it was broad daylight a decree was passed by them that Titus Quintius, who had been thrice consul, should take the flower of the young men, both fortune than horse, and, invested with proconsular power, should march against the enemy and attack them immediately; also that Aulus Postumius, the other consul, should get together the rest of the troops, whose assembling would require more time, and go to the assistance of the others as speedily as possible.

  [3] διέφωσκε, καὶ ὁ Κοίντιος συνήγαγε τοὺς ἐθελοντὰς πεντακισχιλίους μάλιστ᾽ ἄνδρας: καὶ οὐ πολὺ ἐπισχὼν ἐξῆγεν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως. τοῦθ᾽ ὑποπτεύσαντες ἔμενον οἱ Αἰκανοὶ καὶ πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ἐπικουρίαν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις προσβάλλειν τῷ χάρακι αὐτῶν καὶ διανοηθέντες ὡς βίᾳ καὶ πλήθει ἁλωσόμενον ἐξῆλθον ἀθρόοι διχῇ νείμαντες αὑτούς.

  [3] By the time day began to break Quintius got together the volunteers, about five thousand in number; and after waiting only a short time he led them out of the city. The Aequians, suspecting this move, remained where they were; and having determined, before reinforcements should come to the Romans, to attack their camp, in the belief that it would be taken by main strength and superior numbers, they sallied out in force after dividing themselves into two bodies.

  [4] γίνεταί τε μέγας ἀγὼν δι᾽ ὅλης τῆς ἡμέρας ἰταμῶς αὐτῶν ἐπιβαινόντων τοῖς προτειχίσμασι κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη, καὶ οὔτε παλτῶν οὔτε βελῶν ὑπὸ τοξοτῶν οὔτε χερμάδων ἀπὸ σφενδόνης ἀφιεμένων ἀδιαλείπτοις βολαῖς ἀνειργομένων. ἔνθα δὴ παρακελευσάμενοι ἀλλήλοις ὅ τε ὕπατος καὶ ὁ πρεσβευτὴς ὑφ᾽ ἕνα καιρὸν ἀναπετάσαντες [p. 389] τὰς πύλας, ἅμα τοῖς ἀκμαιοτάτοις ἐκτρέχουσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους, κατ᾽ ἄμφω τε τὰ μέρη τῆς προσβολῆς συρράξαντες αὐτοῖς ἀποτρέπουσι τοὺς ἐπιβαίνοντας τῷ χάρακι. τροπῆς δὲ γενομένης ὁ μὲν ὕπατος ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγον διώξας τοὺς καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν τεταγμένους ἀνέστρεψεν:

  [4] There ensued a mighty struggle, lasting throughout the entire day, as the enemy boldly mounted the outworks in many places and were not repulsed, though exposed to a continual shower of javelins, missiles shot from bows, and stones thrown by slings. Then it was that the consul and the legate, after encouraging one another, both opened the gates at the same time, and sallying out against their opponents with the best of their men, engaged them where they were attacking on both sides of the camp, and repulsed those who were mounting the ramparts.

  [5] ὁ δ᾽ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ πρεσβευτὴς Πόπλιος Φούριος ὑπὸ λήματός τε καὶ προθυμίας φερόμενος ἄχρι τῆς παρεμβολῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἤλασε διώκων τε καὶ κτείνων. ἦσαν δὲ δύο σπεῖραι περὶ αὐτὸν οὐ πλείους ἀνδρῶν ἔχουσαι χιλίων. τοῦτο μαθόντες οἱ πολέμιοι περὶ πεντακισχιλίους μάλιστα γενόμενοι, χωροῦσιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος: καὶ οὗτοι μὲν ἐξ ἐναντίας προσῄεσαν, ἱππεῖς δ᾽ αὐτῶν κύκλῳ περιελάσαντες κατὰ

  [5] When the enemy had been routed, the consul pursued for a short distance those who had been arrayed opposite to him, and then returned. But his brother and legate, Publius Furius, inspired by courage and ardour, drove ahead, pursuing and slaying, till he came to the enemy’s camp. He had with him two cohorts, not exceeding a thousand men. Upon learning of this, the enemy, who were about five thousand, advanced against him from their camp. These attacked the Romans in front, while their horse, circling round them, fell upon their rear.

  [6] νώτου τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐφίστανται. τούτῳ δὴ τῷ τρόπῳ κυκλωθέντες ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν οἱ σὺν τῷ Ποπλίῳ καὶ δίχα τῶν σφετέρων ἀποληφθέντες, ἐξὸν αὐτοῖς σώζεσθαι παραδοῦσι τὰ ὅπλα: προὐκαλοῦντο γὰρ αὐτοὺς εἰς τοῦτο οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ περὶ πολλοῦ ἐποιοῦντο χιλίους Ῥωμαίων τοὺς ἀρίστους αἰχμαλώτους λαβεῖν, ὡς διὰ τούτων διαλύσεις εὑρησόμενοι καλὰς τοῦ πολέμου: καταφρονήσαντες αὐτῶν καὶ παρακελευσάμενοι ἀλλήλοις μηδὲν ἀνάξιον πρᾶξαι τῆς πόλεως, μαχόμενοι καὶ πολλοὺς ἀποκτείναντες τῶν πολεμίων ἅπαντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν.

  [6] The troops of Publius, when thus surrounded and cut off from their own army, though they had it in their power to save their lives by giving up their arms — for the enemy urged them to do so and were extremely anxious to take prisoner a thousand of the bravest Romans, in order to obtain through them an honourable peace — nevertheless scorned the enemy and exhorting one another to do nothing unworthy of the commonwealth, all died fighting after they had killed many of the enemy.

  [1] διαφθαρέντων δὲ τούτων ἐπαρθέντες οἱ Αἰκανοὶ τῷ προτερήματι παρῆσαν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα τῶν Ῥωμαίων, τήν τε τοῦ Ποπλίου κεφαλὴν ἐπὶ δορατίου [p. 390] πεπηγυῖαν ἀνατείνοντες καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, ὡς δὴ τούτῳ καταπληξόμενοι τοὺς ἔνδον καὶ ἀναγκάσοντες παραδοῦναι σφίσι τὰ ὅπλα. τοῖς δ᾽ ἄρα πρὸς μὲν τὴν συμφορὰν τῶν ἀπολωλότων ἔλεός τις παρέστη καὶ ἀνεκλάοντο αὐτῶν τὴν τύχην, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα θράσος διπλάσιον ἐνέφυ, καὶ τοῦ νικᾶν ἢ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκείνοις τρόπον ἀποθανεῖν, πρὶν εἰς πολεμίων χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, καλὸς ἔρως.

  [64.1] When these men had been slain, the Aequians, elated by their success, advanced to the camp of the Romans, bearing aloft, fixed to their
spears, the heads of Publius and the other prominent men, hoping to terrify the troops inside by this spectacle and compel them to surrender to them their arms. But though the Romans were indeed somewhat stirred by compassion at the fate of the slain and lamented their misfortune, yet they were inspired with a double boldness for the struggle and with a noble passion either to conquer or to die like their comrades rather than fall into the enemy’s hands.

  [2] ἐκείνην μὲν οὖν τὴν νύκτα παρεστρατοπεδευκότων τῷ χάρακι τῶν πολεμίων ἄγρυπνοί τε οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἐπισκευάζοντες τὰ πεπονηκότα τοῦ χάρακος διετέλεσαν, τά τ᾽ ἄλλα, οἷς ἀπερύκειν ἔμελλον αὐτούς, εἰ πειραθεῖεν πάλιν τειχομαχεῖν πολλὰ καὶ παντοῖα εὐτρεπιζόμενοι. τῇ δ᾽ ἑξῆς αἵ τε προσβολαὶ πάλιν ἐγίνοντο, καὶ ὁ χάραξ διεσπᾶτο κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη: καὶ πολλάκις μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐξιόντων κατὰ συστροφὰς ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἐξεκρούσθησαν οἱ Αἰκανοί, πολλάκις δ᾽ ἀνεκόπησαν ὑπ᾽ ἐκείνων οἱ θρασύτερον ἐπεξιόντες.

  [2] That night, accordingly, while the enemy bivouacked beside their camp, the Romans went without sleep as they repaired the damaged portions of their camp and made ready the other means, of many and various kinds, with which to ward off the enemy if they should attempt again to breach their walls. The next day the assaults were renewed and the rampart was torn apart at many points. Often the Aequians were repulsed by sorties of massed troops from the camp, and often the men who rushed out to recklessly were beaten back by the Aequians. And this kept happening all day long.

  [3] καὶ τοῦτο δι᾽ ὅλης τῆς ἡμέρας ἐγίνετο: ἔνθα ὅ θ᾽ ὕπατος ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων σαυνίῳ διὰ τοῦ θυρεοῦ διαπερονηθεὶς τιτρώσκεται τὸν μηρόν, καὶ ἄλλοι συχνοὶ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, ὅσοι περὶ αὐτὸν ἐμάχοντο: ἤδη δὲ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἀπειρηκόσιν ἀπροσδόκητος ἐπιφαίνεται περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν προσιὼν Κοίντιος, ἄγων τὴν ἐθελούσιον ἐπικουρίαν τῶν ἀκμαιοτάτων, οὓς ἰδόντες οἱ πολέμιοι προσιόντας ἀνέστρεφον ἀφέντες [p. 391] τὴν πολιορκίαν ἀτελῆ: καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐπεξελθόντες αὐτοῖς ἀπιοῦσι τοὺς ὑστερίζοντας ἐφόνευον.

  [3] In these encounters the Roman consul was wounded in the thigh by a javelin that pierced his shield; wounded also were many other persons of distinction who fought at his side. At last, when the Romans had reached exhaustion, Quintius unexpectedly appeared in the late afternoon with his reinforcement of volunteers composed of the choicest troops. When the enemy saw these approaching, they turned back, leaving the siege and completed; and the Romans, sallying out against them as they withdrew, set about slaying the laggards.

  [4] οὐ μέντοι ἐπὶ πολύν γε χρόνον ἐδίωξαν ἀσθενεῖς ὄντες οἱ πολλοὶ ὑπὸ τραυμάτων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τάχους ἀνέστρεψαν. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα διὰ φυλακῆς εἶχον ἑκάτεροι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς μένοντες ἐν ταῖς παρεμβολαῖς ἄχρι πολλοῦ.

  [4] They did not pursue them for long, however, weakened as most of them were by their wounds, but speedily returned. After this both sides acted upon the defensive, remaining a long time in their camps.

  [1] ἔπειτ᾽ Αἰκανῶν τε καὶ Οὐολούσκων ἑτέρα δύναμις καλὸν ὑπολαμβάνουσα καιρὸν ἔχειν προνομεῦσαι τὴν Ῥωμαίων γῆν, ἐξεστρατευμένης αὐτῶν τῆς κρατίστης δυνάμεως, ἐξῆλθε νυκτός: καὶ ἐμβαλοῦσα εἰς τὴν προσωτάτω χώραν, ἔνθα τοῖς γεωργοῖς δέος οὐδὲν εἶναι ἐδόκει, πολλῶν γίνονται χρημάτων καὶ

  [65.1] Later another force of Aequians and Volscians, thinking they now had a fine opportunity to plunder the Romans’ country while their best troops were in the field, set out in the night; and invading the remotest part of the land, where the husbandmen thought there was nothing to fear, they gained possession of much booty and many captives.

  [2] σωμάτων ἐγκρατεῖς. οὐ μὴν καλάς γ᾽ οὐδ᾽ εὐτυχεῖς τὰς ἐσχάτας ἔσχον ἐκεῖθεν ἀπαλλαγάς. ὁ γὰρ ἕτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Ποστόμιος ἄγων τὴν συναχθεῖσαν ἐπικουρίαν τοῖς ἐν τῷ χάρακι πολεμουμένοις, ὡς ἔμαθε τὰ γινόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, ἐπιφαίνεται αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἀνελπίστου.

  [2] But in the end their return from there proved neither glorious nor fortunate. For the other consul, Postumius, who was bringing the reinforcements he had got together for the relief of the Romans besieged in their camp, when he learned what the enemy were doing, appeared before them unexpectedly.

  [3] οἱ δ᾽ οὔτε κατεπλάγησαν οὔτ᾽ ἔδεισαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἔφοδον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀποθέμενοι σχολῇ τὰς ἀποσκευὰς καὶ τὰ λάφυρα εἰς ἓν χωρίον ἐχυρὸν καὶ φυλακὴν τὴν ἀρκοῦσαν ἐπὶ τούτοις καταλιπόντες οἱ λοιποὶ συντεταγμένοι χωροῦσι τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ὁμόσε: καὶ συμπεσόντες ἄξια λόγου ἔργα ἀπεδείκνυντ᾽ ὀλίγοι μὲν πρὸς πολλοὺς ἀγωνιζόμενοι — συνέρρεον γὰρ ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς συχνοὶ ἤδη διεσκεδασμένοι — ψιλῇ [p. 392] ὁπλίσει πρὸς ἄνδρας ὅλα τὰ σώματα ἔχοντας ἐν φυλακῇ ἐποίησάν τε πολλοὺς τῶν Ῥωμαίων νεκροὺς καὶ μικροῦ ἐδέησαν ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ γῇ καταληφθέντες τρόπαια τῶν ἐλθόντων ἐπὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀναστῆσαι.

  [3] They were neither astonished nor terrified at his approach, but when they had leisurely deposited their baggage and booty in a single strong place and left a sufficient guard to defend it, the rest marched in good order to meet the Romans. And when they had joined combat, they performed notable deeds, though they fought few against many — for large numbers came streaming in to oppose them from their farms, to which they had earlier scattered — and lightly-armed against men whose bodies were entirely protected. They killed many of the Romans and, though intercepted in a foreign land, came very near erecting trophies over those who had come to attack them.

  [4] ἀλλ᾽ ὅ γ᾽ ὕπατος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ Ῥωμαίων ἱππεῖς ἐπίλεκτοι, ἀχαλινώτοις ἐπελάσαντες τοῖς ἵπποις κατὰ τὸ καρτερώτατόν τε καὶ ἄριστα μαχόμενον αὐτῶν μέρος, διασπῶσι τὴν τάξιν καὶ καταβάλλουσι συχνούς. διαφθαρέντων δὲ τῶν προμάχων καὶ ἡ λοιπὴ δύναμις ἀποτραπεῖσα ἐνέκλινεν εἰς φυγήν, οἵ τε φυλάττοντες τὰς ἀποσκευὰς μεθέμενοι αὐτῶν ἀπιόντες ᾤχοντο ἀνὰ τὰ πλησίον ὄρη. κατ᾽ αὐτὸν μὲν οὖν τὸν ἀγῶνα ὀλίγοι τινὲς αὐτῶν διεφθάρησαν, ἐν δὲ τῇ φυγῇ πάνυ πολλοί, χώρας τ᾽ ἄπειροι ὄντες καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἵππου διωκόμενοι.

  [4] But the consul and the Roman horsemen who were with him, a
ll chosen men, charging with their horses unbridled that part of the enemy which was firmest and fought best, broke their ranks and killed a goodly number. When those in the front line had been slain, the rest of the army gave way and fled; and the men appointed to guard the baggage abandoned it and made off by way of the near-by mountains. In the action itself only a few of them were slain, but very many in the rout, as they were both unacquainted with the country and pursued by the Roman horse.

  [1] ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτ᾽ ἐγίνετο χρόνῳ, πεπυσμένος ἅτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Σερούιος ἐπὶ βοήθειαν αὐτῷ προσιόντα τὸν συνύπατον δείσας, μὴ ὑπαντήσωσιν αὐτῷ οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ διακλείσωσι τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁδοῦ, περισπᾶν αὐτοὺς διενοεῖτο προσβολὰς ποιούμενος τῷ

  [66.1] While these things were occurring, the other consul, Servius, being informed that his colleague was coming to his assistance and fearing that the enemy might go out to meet him and prevent him from getting through to him, planned to divert them from this purpose by delivering attacks upon their camp.

  [2] χάρακι. ἀλλὰ γὰρ φθάσαντες αὐτὸν οἱ πολέμιοι, ἐπειδὴ ἔγνωσαν τὴν συμφορὰν τῶν σφετέρων, ἣν ἀπήγγειλαν οἱ περισωθέντες ἐκ τῆς προνομῆς, λύσαντες τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ νυκτὶ μετὰ τὴν μάχην εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀπῆραν, οὐχ ἅπαντα πεπραχότες, ὅσα ἐβούλοντο. [p. 393]