[3,64] Ἰδόντες δὲ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους οἱ Σαβῖνοι προθύμως ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα χωροῦντας ἐξῆγον καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰς δυνάμεις οὔτε πλήθει λειπόμενοι τῶν πολεμίων οὔτε ἀρετῇ καὶ συμπεσόντες ἐμάχοντο πᾶσαν ἀποδεικνύμενοι τόλμαν, ἕως ἦν αὐτοῖς εἷς μόνος ὁ πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους ἀγών. ἔπειτα μαθόντες ἐπιόντα σφίσι κατὰ νώτου στρατὸν πολεμίων ἕτερον ἐν τάξει τε καὶ κόσμῳ χωροῦντα καταλιπόντες τὰ σημεῖα τρέπονται πρὸς φυγήν. ἦσαν δὲ Ῥωμαίων ἄνδρες ἐπίλεκτοι πεζοί τε καὶ ἱππεῖς οἱ κατόπιν ἐπιφανέντες τοῖς Σαβίνοις, οὓς ὁ Ταρκύνιος ἐν ἐπιτηδείοις χωρίοις διὰ νυκτὸς ἐλόχισε. τούτους δὴ τοὺς ἄνδρας οἱ Σαβῖνοι δείσαντες ἐκ τοῦ ἀδοκήτου σφίσιν ἐπιφαινομένους οὐθὲν ἔτι γενναῖον ἔργον ἀπεδείξαντο, ἀλλ´ ὡς κατεστρατηγημένοι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ συμφορᾷ πεπληγότες ἀμάχῳ σώζειν ἑαυτοὺς ἄλλοι κατ´ ἄλλας ὁδοὺς ἐπειρῶντο, κἂν τούτῳ μάλιστα πολὺς αὐτῶν φόνος ἐγένετο διωκομένων ὑπὸ τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς ἵππου καὶ πανταχόθεν ἀποκλειομένων· ὥστε ὀλίγους τινὰς ἐξ αὐτῶν κομιδῇ γενέσθαι τοὺς διασωθέντας εἰς τὰς ἔγγιστα πόλεις, τὸ δὲ πλεῖον μέρος ὅσον μὴ κατὰ τὴν μάχην ἔπεσεν ὑποχείριον τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις γενέσθαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἐν τῷ χάρακι τὴν ἔφοδον ἀποκρούσασθαι τῶν ἐπιόντων σφίσιν ἐθάρρησαν οὐδ´ εἰς πεῖραν ἦλθον μάχης, ἀλλ´ ἐκταραχθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ παρ´ ἐλπίδα κακοῦ παρέδοσαν ἀμαχητὶ σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸ ἔρυμα. αἱ μὲν δὴ τῶν Σαβίνων πόλεις ὡς κατεστρατηγημέναι καὶ οὐκ ἀρετῇ τὴν νίκην ἀφῃρημέναι πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλὰ δόλῳ μείζονας αὖθις ἀποστέλλειν δυνάμεις παρεσκευάζοντο καὶ στρατηγὸν ἐμπειρότερον. ὁ δὲ Ταρκύνιος μαθὼν τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν συνῆγε τὴν στρατιὰν διὰ τάχους καὶ πρὶν ἐκείνους ἅπαντας δὴ συνελθεῖν φθάνει διαβὰς τὸν Ἀνίητα ποταμόν. ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ τῶν Σαβίνων στρατηγὸς ἐξῄει μὲν ὡς εἶχε τάχους τὴν νεωστὶ συνηγμένην δύναμιν ἀναλαβὼν καὶ στρατοπεδεύεται πλησίον τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐπὶ λόφου τινὸς ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἀποτόμου, μάχης δὲ ἄρχειν οὐκ ἐδοκίμαζεν ἕως αἱ λοιπαὶ τῶν Σαβίνων δυνάμεις συνέλθωσιν, ἀλλ´ ἐπὶ τοὺς προνομεύοντας τὴν χώραν ἐκπέμπων ἀεί τινας τῶν ἱππέων καὶ λόχους ἐγκαθίζων ὕλαις ἢ νάπαις εἶργε τοὺς Ῥωμαίους τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν χώραν ἐξόδων.

[3,64] When the Sabines saw the Romans eagerly advancing to the combat, they also led out their forces, which were not inferior to the enemy either in numbers or in courage, and engaging, they fought with all possible bravery, so long as they had to contend only with those who were arrayed opposite them. Then, learning that another hostile army was advancing in their rear in orderly battle formation, they deserted their standards and turned to flight. The troops that appeared behind the Sabines were chosen men of the Romans, both horse and foot, whom Tarquinius had placed in ambush in suitable positions during the night. The unexpected appearance of these troops struck such terror into the Sabines that they displayed no further deed of bravery, but, feeling that they had been outmanoeuvred by the enemy and overwhelmed by an irresistible calamity, they endeavoured to save themselves, some in one direction and some in another; and it was in this route that the greatest slaughter occurred among them, while the were being pursued by the Roman horse and surrounded on all sides. Consequently, those of their number who escaped to the nearest cities were very few and the greater part of those who were not slain in the battle fell into the hands of the Romans. Indeed, not even the forces that were left in the camp had the courage to repulse the assault of the enemy or to hazard an engagement, but, terrified by their unexpected (p231) misfortune, surrendered both themselves and their entrenchments without striking a blow. The Sabine cities, feeling that they had been outmanoeuvred and deprived of the victory by their foes, not by valour but by deceit, were preparing to send out again a more numerous army and a more experienced commander. But Tarquinius, being informed of their intention, hastily collected his army, and before the enemy's forces were all assembled, forestalled them by crossing the river Anio. Upon learning of this the Sabine general marched out with his newly raised army as speedily as possible and encamped near the Romans upon a high and steep hill; however, he judged it inadvisable to engage in battle till he was joined by the rest of the Sabine forces, but by continually sending some of the cavalry against the enemy's foragers and placing ambuscades in the woods and glades he barred the Romans from the roads leading into his country.