[3,59] Τελευταία δὲ μάχη Ῥωμαίων καὶ Τυρρηνῶν ἐγένετο πόλεως Ἠρήτου πλησίον ἐν τῇ Σαβίνων γῇ. δι´ ἐκείνης γὰρ ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἔλασιν οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ πεισθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκεῖ δυνατῶν, ὡς συστρατευσομένων σφίσι τῶν Σαβίνων. αἱ γὰρ ἑξαετεῖς αὐτοῖς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης πρὸς Ταρκύνιον ἀνοχαὶ διεληλύθεσαν ἤδη, καὶ πολλοῖς τῶν Σαβίνων πόθος ἦν ἐπανορθώσασθαι τὰς προτέρας ἥττας ἐπιτεθραμμένης ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι νεότητος ἱκανῆς. οὐ μὴν ἐχώρησέ γε αὐτοῖς ἡ πεῖρα κατὰ νοῦν θᾶττον ἐπιφανείσης τῆς Ῥωμαίων στρατιᾶς, οὐδ´ ἐξεγένετο παρ´ οὐδεμιᾶς τῶν πόλεων κοινὴν ἀποσταλῆναι τοῖς Τυρρηνοῖς συμμαχίαν, ἀλλ´ ἐθελονταί τινες ἐπεκούρησαν αὐτοῖς ὀλίγοι μισθοῖς μεγάλοις ὑπαχθέντες. ἐκ ταύτης τῆς μάχης μεγίστης τῶν προτέρων γενομένης, ὅσας πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐπολέμησαν, τὰ μὲν Ῥωμαίων πράγματα θαυμαστὴν ὅσην ἐπίδοσιν ἔλαβε νίκην ἐξενεγκαμένων καλλίστην, καὶ βασιλεῖ Ταρκυνίῳ τὴν τροπαιοφόρον πομπὴν κατάγειν ἥ τε βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἐψηφίσατο, τὰ δὲ τῶν Τυρρηνῶν ἔπεσε φρονήματα πάσας μὲν ἐξαποστειλάντων εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα τὰς ἐξ ἑκάστης πόλεως δυνάμεις, ὀλίγους δέ τινας ἐκ πολλῶν τοὺς διασωθέντας ὑποδεξαμένων. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῇ παρατάξει μαχόμενοι κατεκόπησαν, οἱ δ´ ἐν τῇ τροπῇ δυσχωρίαις ἐγκυρήσαντες ἀνεξόδοις παρέδοσαν τοῖς κεκρατηκόσιν ἑαυτούς. τοιαύτης μέντοι συμφορᾶς πειραθέντες οἱ δυνατώτατοι τῶν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἔργον ἐποίησαν ἀνθρώπων φρονίμων. ἑτέραν γὰρ στρατιὰν ἐπ´ αὐτοὺς ἐξαγαγόντος βασιλέως Ταρκυνίου συναχθέντες εἰς μίαν ἀγορὰν περὶ καταλύσεως τοῦ πολέμου διαλέγεσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐψηφίσαντο καὶ πέμπουσι τοὺς πρεσβυτάτους ἄνδρας καὶ τιμιωτάτους ἐξ ἑκάστης πόλεως αὐτοκράτορας ἀποδείξαντες τῶν περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ὁμολογιῶν.

[3,59] The last battle between the Romans and Tyrrhenians was fought near the city of Eretum in the territory of the Sabines. For the Tyrrhenians had been prevailed on by the influential men there to march through that country on their expedition against the Romans, on the assurance that the Sabines would join them in the campaign; for the six-years' truce, looking to peace, which the Sabines had made with Tarquinius, had already expired, and many of them longed to retrieve their former defeats, now that a sufficient body of youths had grown up in the meantime in their cities. But their attempt did not succeed according to their desire, the Roman army appearing too soon, nor was it possible for aid to be sent publicly to the Tyrrhenians from any of the Sabine cities; but a few went to their assistance of their own accord, attracted by the liberal pay. This battle, the greatest of any that had yet taken place between the two nations, gave a wonderful increase to the power of the Romans, who were gained a most glorious victory, for which both the senate and people decreed a triumph to King Tarquinius. But it broke the spirits of the Tyrrhenians, who, after sending out all the forces from every city to the struggle, received back in safety only a few out of all that great number. For some of them were cut down while fighting in the battle, and others, having in the route found themselves in rough country from (p221) which they could not extricate themselves, surrendered to the conquerors. The leading men of their cities, therefore, having met with so great a calamity, acted as became prudent men. For when King Tarquinius led another army against them, they met in a general assembly and voted to treat with him about ending the war; and they sent to him the oldest and most honoured men from each city, giving them full powers to settle the terms of peace.