Texte grec :
| [9,63] Ὁ δ´ ὕπατος ἐνθυμούμενος, ὅτι οὐκ ἀξιόμαχος
ἔσται ἡ σὺν αὐτῷ δύναμις ἀγωνιζομένη πρὸς
ἀμφότερα τὰ ἔθνη, πέμπει τινὰς ἐκ τῶν ἱππέων γράμματα
εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην κομίζοντας, δι´ ὧν ἠξίου ταχεῖαν
αὐτοῖς ἐλθεῖν ἐπικουρίαν, ὡς κινδυνευούσης ὅλης
διαφθαρῆναι τῆς σὺν αὐτῷ στρατιᾶς. ταῦτ´ ἐπιλεξάμενος
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 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. 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
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· 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
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.
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Traduction française :
| [9,63] 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. 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.By the time day began to break Quintius got
together the volunteers, about five thousand in (p139) 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. 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.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.The troops of Publius, when thus
surrounded and cut off from their own army, though (p141) 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.
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