[2] But the enemy forestalled him; for as soon as they learned of the disaster that had befallen their forces, the report being brought by those who had survived the pillaging expedition, they broke camp the first night after the battle and retired to their city without having accomplished all that they desired.
[3] χωρὶς γὰρ τῶν ἀποθανόντων ἔν τε ταῖς μάχαις καὶ κατὰ τὰς προνομὰς τοὺς ὑστερήσαντας ἐν τῇ τότε φυγῇ πολλῷ πλείους τῶν προτέρων ἀπέβαλον. οἱ γὰρ ὑπὸ καμάτου τε καὶ τραυμάτων βαρυνόμενοι σχολῇ προβαίνοντες ἐγκαταλιπόντων αὐτοὺς τῶν μελῶν ἔπιπτον, μάλιστα δὲ περὶ τὰ νάματα καὶ ποταμοὺς ὑπὸ δίψης φλεγόμενοι: οὓς οἱ Ῥωμαίων ἱππεῖς καταλαμβάνοντες ἐφόνευον.
[3] For, besides those who had lost their lives in the battles and the pillaging expeditions, they lost many more stragglers in their retreat at this time than on the former occasion. For those who were overcome by fatigue and their wounds marched slowly, and when their limbs failed them, they fell down, particularly at the fountains and rivers, as they were parched with thirst; and the Roman horse, overtaking them, put them to the sword.
[4] οὐ μὲν δὴ οὐδὲ Ῥωμαῖοι πάντα ἐκ τοῦ τότε ἀγῶνος εὐτυχηκότες ἀνέστρεψαν, ἄνδρας μὲν γὰρ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ πολλοὺς ἐν ταῖς μάχαις ἀπολωλέκεσαν, καὶ πρεσβευτὴν ἁπάντων λαμπρότατον γενόμενον ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνι: νίκην δ᾽ οὐδεμιᾶς ἥττονα τῇ πόλει φέροντες ἀνέστρεψαν. ταῦτ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἐκείνων τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐπράχθη.
[4] Nor did the Romans, either, return home completely successful from this campaign; for they had lost many brave men in the several actions and a legate who had distinguished himself above all the rest in the combat; but they did return with a victory second to none for the commonwealth. These were the achievements of that consulship.
[1] τῷ δὲ κατόπιν ἔτει Λευκίου Αἰβουτίου καὶ Ποπλίου Σερουιλίου Πρίσκου παρειληφότων τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐδὲν οὔτε κατὰ πολέμους ἔργον ἀπεδείξαντο Ῥωμαῖοι λόγου ἄξιον οὔτε πολιτικόν, ὑπὸ νόσου κακωθέντες ὡς οὔπω πρότερον λοιμικῆς: ἣ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἵππων τε φορβάδων καὶ βοῶν ἀγέλαις προσῆλθεν, ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων εἴς τ᾽ αἰπόλια καὶ ποίμνας κατέσκηψε, καὶ διέφθειρεν ὀλίγου δεῖν πάντα τὰ τετράποδα: ἔπειτα τῶν νομέων τε καὶ γεωργῶν ἥψατο, καὶ διελθοῦσα διὰ πάσης τῆς χώρας εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐνέπεσε.
[67.1] The next year, when Lucius Aebutius and Publius Servilius Priscus had assumed office, the Romans accomplished nothing worthy of mention either in war or at home, as they were afflicted by a pestilence more severely than ever before. It first attacked the studs of mares and herds of cattle and then seize upon the flocks of goats and sheep and destroyed almost all the live-stock. After that it fell upon the herdsmen and husbandmen, and having spread through the whole country, it invaded the city.
[2] θεραπόντων μὲν οὖν καὶ θητῶν καὶ τοῦ πένητος ὄχλου πλῆθος ὅσον διέφθειρεν, οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἦν εὑρεῖν. κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς μὲν γὰρ ἐφ᾽ ἁμάξαις σωρηδὸν οἱ θνήσκοντες [p. 394] ἀπεκομίζοντο, τελευτῶντες δ᾽, ὧν ἐλάχιστος ἦν ὁ λόγος, εἰς τὸ τοῦ παραρρέοντος ποταμοῦ ῥεῖθρον ὠθοῦντο. τῶν δ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ βουλευτικοῦ συνεδρίου τὸ τέταρτον μέρος συνελογίσθη διεφθαρμένον, ἐν οἷς ἦσαν οἵ θ᾽ ὕπατοι ἀμφότεροι καὶ τῶν δημάρχων οἱ πλείους.
[2] It was no easy matter to discover the number of servants, labourers and poor people who were carried off by it. For at first the dead bodies were carried away heaped up in carts and at last the persons of least account were shoved into the river that flows past the city. Of the senate the fourth part was estimated to have perished, including not only both consuls but also most of the tribunes.
[3] ἤρξατο μὲν οὖν ἡ νόσος περὶ τὰς καλάνδας τοῦ Σεπτεμβρίου μηνός, διέμεινε δὲ τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἐκεῖνον ὅλον, ἅπασαν ὁμοίως καταλαμβάνουσα καὶ διεργαζομένη φύσιν τε καὶ ἡλικίαν. γενομένης δὲ τοῖς πλησιοχώροις γνώσεως τῶν κατεχόντων τὴν Ῥώμην κακῶν, καλὸν ἡγησάμενοι καιρὸν εἶναι Αἰκανοί τε καὶ Οὐολοῦσκοι καταλῦσαι τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῆς, συνθήκας τε καὶ ὅρκους ἐποιήσαντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ συμμαχίας: καὶ παρασκευασάμενοι τὰ εἰς πολιορκίαν ἐπιτήδεια, ὡς εἶχον ἀμφότεροι τάχους, ἐξῆγον τὰς δυνάμεις.
[3] The pestilence began about the calends of September and continued all that year, seizing and destroying people without distinction of sex or age. When the neighbouring peoples learned of the evils that were afflicting Rome, the Aequians and the Volscians, thinking they had an excellent opportunity to overthrow her supremacy, concluded a treaty of alliance with each other, confirmed by oaths; and after making the preparations necessary for a siege, both led out their forces as speedily as possible.
[4] ἵνα δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν συμμάχων ἀφέλοιντο τῆς Ῥώμης ἐπικουρίαν εἰς τὴν Λατίνων τε καὶ Ἑρνίκων γῆν πρῶτον ἐνέβαλον. ἀφικομένης δὲ πρεσβείας ἐπὶ τὴν βουλὴν ἀφ᾽ ἑκατέρου τῶν πολεμουμένων ἐθνῶν ἐπὶ συμμαχίας παράκλησιν ὁ μὲν ἕτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Λεύκιος Αἰβούτιος ἐκείνην ἔτυχε τὴν ἡμέραν τεθνηκώς, Πόπλιος δὲ Σερουίλιος ἐγγὺς ὢν τοῦ θανάτου: ὃς ἔτι ὀλίγον ἐμπνέων συνεκάλει
[4] In order to deprive Rome of the assistance of her allies, they first invaded the territories of the Latins and the Hernicans. When envoys from the two nations which were attacked came to the senate to beg assistance, it chanced that one of the consuls, Lucius Aebutius, had died that very day, while Publius Servilius was at the point of death.
[5] τὴν βουλήν. τῶν δ᾽ οἱ πλείους ἡμιθνῆτες ἐπὶ κλινιδίων κομισθέντες καὶ συνεδρεύσαντες ἀπεκρίναντο τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀγγέλλειν τοῖς σφετέροις, ὅτι διὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀρετῆς τοὺς πολεμίους ἀμύνεσθαι ἡ βουλὴ αὐτοῖς ἐπιτρέπει, μέχρις ἂν ὁ ὕπατος ῥαίσῃ, καὶ ἡ [p. 395]
[5] Though he could barely breathe, he convened the senate, of whom the larger part were brought in half dead in litters; and after deliberating, they instructed the envoys to report to their countrymen that the senate gave them leave to repulse the enemy by their own courage till the consul should recover and the army that was to participate with them in the conflict should be assembled.
[6] συναγωνιουμένη δύναμις αὐτοῖς συναχθῇ. ταῦτα Ῥωμαίων ἀποκριναμένων Λατῖνοι μὲν ὅσα ἠδυνήθησαν ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν εἰς τὰς πόλεις ἀνασκευασάμενοι
φυλακὴν ἐποιοῦντο τῶν τειχῶν, τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα περιεώρων ἀπολλύμενα. Ἕρνικες δὲ δυσανασχετοῦντες ἐπὶ τῇ λύμῃ καὶ διαρπαγῇ τῶν ἀγρῶν, ἀναλαβόντες τὰ ὅπλα ἐξῆλθον. ἀγωνισάμενοι δὲ λαμπρῶς καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν ἀποβαλόντες τῶν σφετέρων, πολλῷ δ᾽ ἔτι πλείους ἀποκτείναντες τῶν πολεμίων, ἐκβιασθέντες εἰς τὰ τείχη κατέφυγον, καὶ οὐκέτι μάχης ἐπειρῶντο.
[6] When the Romans had garden this answer, the Latins removed everything they could out of the country into their cities, and keeping their walls under guard, permitted everything else to be destroyed. But the Hernicans, resenting the ruin and desolation of their lands, took up their arms and marched out. And though they fought brilliantly and, while losing many of their own men, slew many more of the enemy, they were forced to take refuge inside their walls and no longer risked an engagement.
[1] Αἰκανοὶ δὲ καὶ Οὐολοῦσκοι προνομεύσαντες αὐτῶν τὴν χώραν ἀδεῶς ἐπὶ τοὺς Τυσκλάνων ἀγροὺς ἀφίκοντο. διαρπάσαντες δὲ καὶ τούτους οὐδενὸς ἀμυνομένου παρῆσαν εἰς τοὺς Γαβίνων ὅρους. ἐλάσαντες δὲ καὶ διὰ ταύτης ἀδεῶς τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην ἀφικνοῦντο.
[68.1] When the Aequians and Volscians had laid waste the Hernicans’ territory, they came unopposed to the lands of the Tusculans. And having plundered these also, none offering to defend them, they arrived at the borders of the Gabini. Then, passing through their territory also without opposition, they advanced upon Rome.
[2] ἐθορύβησαν μὲν οὖν ἱκανῶς τὴν πόλιν, οὐ μὴν κρατῆσαί γ᾽ αὐτῆς ἠδυνήθησαν: ἀλλὰ καίπερ ἐξασθενοῦντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ σώματα καὶ τοὺς ὑπάτους ἀπολωλεκότες ἀμφοτέρους — καὶ γὰρ ὁ Σερουίλιος ἐτεθνήκει νεωστί — καθοπλισάμενοι παρὰ δύναμιν τοῖς τείχεσιν ἐπέστησαν, τοῦ περιβόλου τῆς πόλεως ὄντος ἐν τῷ τότε χρόνῳ, ὅσος Ἀθηναίων τοῦ ἄστεος ὁ κύκλος: καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ λόφοις κείμενα καὶ πέτραις ἀποτόμοις ὑπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐστιν ὠχυρωμένα τῆς φύσεως καὶ ὀλίγης δεόμενα φυλακῆς: τὰ δ᾽ ὑπὸ τοῦ [p. 396] Τεβέριος τετειχισμένα ποταμοῦ, οὗ τὸ μὲν εὖρός ἐστι τεττάρων πλέθρων μάλιστα, βάθος δ᾽ οἷόν τε ναυσὶ πλεῖσθαι μεγάλαις, τὸ δὲ ῥεῦμα ὥσπερ τι καὶ ἄλλο ὀξὺ καὶ δίνας ἐργαζόμενον μεγάλας: ὃν οὐκ ἔνεστι πεζοῖς διελθεῖν εἰ μὴ κατὰ γέφυραν, ἣ ἦν ἐν τῷ τότε χρόνῳ μία ξυλόφρακτος, ἣν ἔλυον ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις.
[2] They caused the city enough alarm, it is true, yet they could not make themselves masters of it; on the contrary, the Romans, though they were utterly weakened in body and had lost both consuls — for Servilius had recently died — armed themselves beyond their strength and manned the walls, the circuit of which was at that time of the same extent as that of Athens. Some sections of the walls, standing on hills and sheer cliffs, have been fortified by Nature herself and require but a small garrison; others are protected by the river Tiber, the breadth of which is about four hundred feet and the depth capable of carrying large ships, while its current is as rapid as that of any river and forms great eddies. There is no crossing it on foot except by means of a bridge, and there was at that time only one bridge, constructed of timber, and this they removed in time of war.
[3] ἓν δὲ χωρίον, ὃ τῆς πόλεως ἐπιμαχώτατόν ἐστιν, ἀπὸ τῶν Αἰσκυλίνων καλουμένων πυλῶν μέχρι τῶν Κολλίνων, χειροποιήτως ἐστὶν ὀχυρόν. τάφρος τε γὰρ ὀρώρυκται πρὸ αὐτοῦ πλάτος ᾗ βραχυτάτη μείζων ἑκατὸν ποδῶν, καὶ βάθος ἐστὶν αὐτῆς τριακοντάπουν: τεῖχος δ᾽ ὑπερανέστηκε τῆς τάφρου χώματι προσεχόμενον ἔνδοθεν ὑψηλῷ καὶ πλατεῖ, οἷον μήτε κριοῖς κατασεισθῆναι μήτε ὑπορυττομένων τῶν θεμελίων ἀνατραπῆναι.
[3] One section, which is the most vulnerable part of the city, extending from the Esquiline gate, as it is called, to the Colline, is strengthened artificially. For there is a ditch excavated in front of it more than one hundred feet in breadth where it is narrowest, and thirty in depth; and above this ditch rises a wall supported on the inside by an earthen rampart so high and broad that it can neither be shaken by battering rams nor thrown down by undermining the foundations.
[4] τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον ἑπτὰ μέν ἐστι μάλιστ᾽ ἐπὶ μῆκος σταδίων, πεντήκοντα δὲ ποδῶν ἐπὶ πλάτος: ἐν ᾧ τότε οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τεταγμένοι κατὰ πλῆθος ἀνεῖρξαν τῶν πολεμίων τὴν ἔφοδον οὔτε χελώνας χωστρίδας εἰδότων κατασκευάζειν τῶν τότ᾽ ἀνθρώπων, οὔτε τὰς καλουμένας ἑλεπόλεις μηχανάς. οἱ μὲν δὴ πολέμιοι ἀπογνόντες τῆς πόλεως τὴν ἅλωσιν ἀπῄεσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους, καὶ δῃώσαντες τὴν χώραν, ὅσην διεξῆλθον, ἀπῆγον ἐπ᾽ οἴκου τὰς δυνάμεις.
[4] This section is about seven stades in length and fifty feet in breadth. Here the Romans were drawn up at that time in force and checked the enemy’s assault; for the men of that day were unacquainted with the building of either sheds to protect the men filling up ditches or the engines called helepoleis. The enemy, therefore, despairing of taking the city, retired from the walls, and after laying waste all the country through which they marched, led their forces home.
[1] Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τοὺς καλουμένους ἀντιβασιλεῖς ἑλόμενοι τῶν ἀρχαιρεσίων ἕνεκα, ὃ ποιεῖν εἰώθασιν, [p. 397] ὅταν ἀναρχία κατάσχῃ τὴν πόλιν, ὑπάτους ἀπέδειξαν Λεύκιον Λοκρήτιον καὶ Τῖτον Οὐετούριον Γέμινον. ἐπὶ τῆς τούτων ἀρχῆς ἥ τε νόσος ἐπαύσατο καὶ τὰ πολιτικὰ ἐγκλήματα ἀναβολῆς ἔτυχε, τά τ᾽ ἴδια καὶ τὰ κοινά, πειραθέντος μὲν αὖθις τὸ περὶ τῆς κληρουχίας πολίτευμα κινεῖν ἑνὸς τῶν δημάρχων Σέξτου Τιτίου, κωλύσαντος δὲ τοῦ δήμου καὶ εἰς ἐπιτηδειοτέρους ὑπερθεμένου καιρούς.
[69.1] The Romans, after choosing interreges, as they are called, to preside at the election of magistrates — a course they are accustomed to take whenever a state of “anarchy,” or lack of a regular government, occurs — elected Lucius Lucretius and Titus Veturius Geminus consuls. In their consulship the pestilence ceased and all civil complaints, both public and private, were postponed. Sextus Titius, one of the tribunes, endeavoured, it is true, to revive the measure for the allotment of land, but the populace would not permit it and deferred the matter to more suitable times.
[2] προθυμία τε πολλὴ πᾶσιν ἐνέπεσε τιμωρήσασθαι τοὺς ἐπιστρατεύσαντας τῇ πόλει κατὰ τὸν τῆς νόσου καιρόν: καὶ αὐτίκα τῆς βουλῆς ψηφισαμένης καὶ τοῦ δήμου τὸ
ν πόλεμον ἐπικυρώσαντος κατεγράφοντο τὰς δυνάμεις, οὐδενὸς τῶν ἐχόντων στρατεύσιμον ἡλικίαν οὐδ᾽, εἴ τινα ὁ νόμος ἀπέλυεν, ἀξιοῦντος ἐκείνης ἀπολειφθῆναι τῆς στρατείας: νεμηθείσης δὲ τριχῇ τῆς δυνάμεως μία μὲν ὑπελείφθη φυλάττειν τὴν πόλιν, ἧς ἡγεῖτο Κόιντος Φούριος ἀνὴρ ὑπατικός: αἱ δὲ δύο σὺν τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐξῆλθον ἐπί τ᾽
[2] A great eagerness came upon all to take revenge on those who had made expeditions against the city on the occasion of the pestilence. And the senate having straightway voted for war and the people having confirmed the decree, they proceeded to enrol their forces; and no man who was of military age, not even if the law exempted him, wished to be left out of the expedition. The army having been divided into three bodies, one of them, commanded by Quintus Furius, an ex-consul, was left to defend the city, while the other two marched out with the consuls against the Aequians and the Volscians.
[3] Αἰκανοὺς καὶ Οὐολούσκους. τὸ δ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ἔτυχεν ἤδη γεγονός. ἡ μὲν γὰρ κρατίστη δύναμις ἀφ᾽ ἑκατέρου τῶν ἐθνῶν συνελθοῦσα ὑπαίθριος ἦν ὑπὸ δυσὶν ἡγεμόσι, καὶ ἔμελλεν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑρνίκων γῆς, ἐν ᾗ τότ᾽ ἦν, ἀρξαμένη πᾶσαν ἐπελεύσεσθαι τὴν Ῥωμαίων ὑπήκοον: ἡ δ᾽ ἧττον ἐκείνης χρησίμη τὰ οἰκεῖα πολίσματα ὑπελείφθη φυλάττειν, μή
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 658