Texte grec :
| [3,39] Μετὰ τοῦτο γίνονται Λατίνων τε καὶ
Ῥωμαίων μεγάλαις δυνάμεσι παραταξαμένων μάχαι
διτταί. τῇ μὲν οὖν προτέρᾳ μέχρι πολλοῦ διαγωνισάμενοι
καὶ δόξαντες ἰσόρροποι γεγονέναι διεκρίθησαν
καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἰδίους ἑκάτεροι χάρακας ἀπηλλάγησαν,
τῇ δ´ ὑστέρᾳ Ῥωμαῖοι νικῶσι τοὺς Λατίνους καὶ μέχρι
στρατοπέδου διώκουσι. μετὰ δὲ τὰς μάχας ταύτας
ἀγὼν μὲν ἐκ παρατάξεως οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἔτι πρὸς ἀλλήλους
συνέστη, καταδρομαὶ δὲ τῆς ὁμόρου χώρας
ὑπ´ ἀμφοτέρων ἐγίνοντο συνεχεῖς καὶ συμπλοκαὶ τῶν
περιπόλων τῆς γῆς ἱππέων τε καὶ ψιλῶν, ἐν αἷς ἐπεκράτουν
ὡς τὰ πολλὰ Ῥωμαῖοι δύναμιν ὕπαιθρον
ἔχοντες ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαίροις φρουρίοις ὑποκαθημένην,
ἧς ὁ Τυρρηνὸς Ταρκύνιος ἡγεῖτο. ἀπέστησαν δὲ καὶ
Φιδηναῖοι Ῥωμαίων κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους οὐκ
ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ τὸν πόλεμον ἀναδείξαντες, ἀλλὰ κατ´
ὀλίγους καὶ κρύφα τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν καταδρομαῖς
κακουργοῦντες· ἐφ´ οὓς ὁ Μάρκιος εὐζώνῳ στρατιᾷ
ἐλάσας, πρὶν ἢ παρασκευάσασθαι τοὺς Φιδηναίους
τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως τίθεται τὸν
χάρακα. οἱ δὲ κατ´ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἀγνοεῖν ἐσκήπτοντο
ἀντὶ ποίων ἀδικημάτων στρατὸς ἐπ´ αὐτοὺς Ῥωμαίων
ἀφῖκται, τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως εἰπόντος ὅτι δίκας παρ´
αὐτῶν ἥκει ληψόμενος ὧν διήρπασάν τε καὶ κατέβλαψαν
αὐτοῦ τὴν γῆν, ἀπελογοῦντο πρὸς ταῦτα ὡς οὐ
τὸ κοινὸν αἴτιον εἴη τῶν ἀδικημάτων, καὶ χρόνον
ᾐτοῦντο εἰς διάγνωσίν τε καὶ ζήτησιν τῶν ἐνόχων
ταῖς αἰτίαις καὶ πολλὰς κατέτριψαν ἡμέρας πράττοντες
μὲν οὐδὲν τῶν δεόντων, ἐπικαλούμενοι δὲ κρύφα
τοὺς συμμάχους καὶ περὶ κατασκευὴν ὅπλων γινόμενοι.
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Traduction française :
| [3,39] After this the Latins and Romans fought two pitched battles with large armies. in
the first, after they had been engaged a considerable time without any seeming
advantage on either side, they parted, each returning to their own camp. But in the
later contest the Romans gained the victory and pursued the Latins to their camp.
After these actions there was no other pitched battle fought between them, (p165) but
continual incursions were made by both into the neighbouring territory and there
were all skirmishes between the horse and light-armed foot who patrolled the
country; in these the victors were generally the Romans, who had their forces in the
field posted secretly in advantageous strongholds, under the command of Tarquinius
the Tyrrhenian. About the same time the Fidenates also revolted from the Romans.
They did not, indeed, openly declare war, but ravaged their country by making raids
in small numbers and secretly. Against these Marcius led out an army of light troops,
and before the Fidenates had made the necessary preparations for war he encamped
near their city. At first they pretended not to know what injuries they had committed
to draw the Roman army against them, and when the king informed them that he had
come to punish them for their plundering and ravaging of his territory, they excused
themselves by alleging that their city was not responsible for these injuries, and asked
for time in which to make an investigation and to search out the guilty; and they
consumed many days in doing nothing that should have been done, but rather in
sending to their allies secretly for assistance and busying themselves with the
preparing of arms.
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