Texte grec :
| [9,57] 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.
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
καὶ αὐχήμασι λαμπρούς, καὶ ἡ μὲν Σερουιλίου
στρατεία τοῦτ´ ἔσχε τὸ τέλος· οἱ δὲ σὺν τῷ Κοιντίῳ
στρατεύσαντες ἐπί τ´ Αἰκανοὺς καὶ Οὐολούσκους -
συνεληλύθεσαν γὰρ εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων
τῶν ἐθνῶν οἱ προαγωνιούμενοι 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.
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. 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. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπιτιμῶν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν
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.
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.
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Traduction française :
| [9,57] (p113) 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.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.
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.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 (p115) 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. 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. 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. 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 (p117) 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.
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