[3,63] Ἑνὸς δὲ καταλειπομένου τοῦ Σαβίνων ἔθνους ἀντιπάλου Ῥωμαίοις ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἄνδρας τε μαχητὰς ἔχοντος καὶ χώραν νεμομένου πολλὴν καὶ ἀγαθὴν καὶ τῆς Ῥώμης οὐ πρόσω κειμένην, πολλὴν ἔσχεν ὁ Ταρκύνιος προθυμίαν καὶ τούτους ὑπαγαγέσθαι καὶ προεῖπεν αὐτοῖς τὸν πόλεμον ἐγκαλῶν ταῖς πόλεσιν, ὅτι τοὺς ὑποσχομένους Τυρρηνοῖς ἐὰν ἀφίκωνται στρατὸν ἄγοντες εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν ἐκείνοις μὲν φίλας, Ῥωμαίοις δ´ ἐχθρὰς ποιήσειν τὰς σφετέρας πατρίδας οὐκ ἐβούλοντο ἐκδοῦναι. οἱ δὲ ἄσμενοί τε ὑποδέχονται τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες τοὺς δυνατωτάτους τῶν ἀστῶν ἀφαιρεθῆναι, καὶ πρὶν ἀφικέσθαι Ῥωμαίων δύναμιν ἐπὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὶ στρατὸν ἐξάγουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκείνων. βασιλεὺς δὲ Ταρκύνιος ὡς ἤκουσε διαβεβηκότας τοὺς Σαβίνους Ἀνίητα ποταμὸν καὶ λεηλατούμενα ὑπ´ αὐτῶν τὰ περὶ τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἅπαντα, ἀναλαβὼν τὴν εὐζωνοτάτην Ῥωμαίων νεότητα ὡς εἶχε τάχους ἐξῆγεν ἐπὶ τοὺς διεσπαρμένους ἐπὶ τὰς προνομάς. ἀποκτείνας δὲ πολλοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν λείαν ὅσην ἦγον ἀφελόμενος ἐγγὺς τῆς ἐκείνων παρεμβολῆς τίθεται τὸν χάρακα καὶ διαλιπὼν ὀλίγας τινὰς ἡμέρας, ἕως ἥ τε λοιπὴ δύναμις ἐκ τῆς πόλεως πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφίκετο καὶ αἱ παρὰ τῶν συμμάχων ἐπικουρίαι συνήχθησαν, κατέβαινεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον ὡς μαχησόμενος.

[3,63] Since there now remained as a rival to the Romans for the supremacy only the Sabine race, which not only possessed warlike men but also inhabited a large and fertile country lying not far from Rome, Tarquinius was extremely desirous of subduing these also and declared war against them. He complained that their cities had refused to deliver up those who had promised the Tyrrhenians that if they entered their country with an army they would make their cities friendly to them and hostile to the Romans. The Sabines not only cheerfully accepted the war, being unwilling to be deprived of the most influential of their citizens, but also, before the Roman army could come against them, they themselves invaded the others' territory. As soon as King Tarquinius heard that the Sabines had crossed the river Anio and that all the country round their camp was being laid waste, he took with him such of the Roman youth as were most lightly equipped, and led them with all possible speed against those of the enemy who were dispersed in foraging. Then, having slain many of them and taken away all the booty which they were driving off, he pitched his camp near theirs; and after remaining quiet there for a few days till not only the remainder of his army (p229) from Rome had reached him but the auxiliary forces also from his allies had assembled, he descended into the plain ready to give battle.