[5,38] Ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἑτέρων τοῦ ποταμοῦ μερῶν ἡ τῶν Σαβίνων ἔκειτο παρεμβολὴ τοῦ ῥεύματος οὐδ´ αὐτὴ πολὺν ἀπέχουσα τόπον ἐπὶ γεωλόφου τινὸς ἠρέμα κατακλινοῦς οὐ σφόδρα ἐχυροῦ. κατ´ ἀρχὰς μὲν οὖν δι´ εὐλαβείας εἶχον ἀλλήλους ἑκάτεροι καὶ μάχης ἄρχειν διαβάντες τὸν ποταμὸν ὤκνουν, χρόνῳ δ´ ὕστερον οὐ κατὰ λογισμὸν καὶ πρόνοιαν τοῦ συμφέροντος, ἀλλ´ ὑπ´ ὀργῆς τε καὶ φιλονεικίας ἐξαφθέντες συνάπτουσι μάχην. ὑδρευόμενοι γὰρ καὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἄγοντες ἐπὶ τὸν πότον ἐνέβαινον ἐπὶ πολὺ τοῦ ποταμοῦ· βραχὺς δ´ ἔρρει τηνικαῦτα οὔπω τοῖς χειμερινοῖς ὕδασι πληθύων, ὥστ´ ὀλίγον ὑπὲρ τοῦ γόνατος ἔχοντες αὐτὸν ἐπεραιοῦντο. συμπλοκῆς δή τινος πρῶτον ὀλίγοις πρὸς οὐ πολλοὺς γινομένης ἐξέδραμόν τινες ἐπικουροῦντες τοῖς σφετέροις ἐξ ἑκατέρου χάρακος· ἔπειθ´ ἕτεροι πάλιν ἀμυνοῦντες τοῖς κατισχυομένοις ἐκ θατέρου· καὶ τοτὲ μὲν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τοὺς Σαβίνους ἀνέστελλον ἀπὸ τοῦ νάματος, τοτὲ δ´ οἱ Σαβῖνοι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἐξεῖργον τοῦ ποταμοῦ. πολλῶν δὲ φόνων καὶ τραυμάτων γενομένων καὶ φιλονεικίας ἅπασιν ἐμπεσούσης, οἷα περὶ τὰς ἁψιμαχίας τὰς ἐκ καιροῦ συμπεσούσας γίνεσθαι φιλεῖ, προθυμία τοῖς ἡγεμόσι τῶν στρατοπέδων ὁμοία παρέστη διαβαίνειν τὸν ποταμόν. ἔφθασε δὲ πρῶτος ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὕπατος καὶ διαβιβάσας τὸν στρατὸν ἔτι τῶν Σαβίνων ὁπλιζομένων τε καὶ εἰς τάξιν καθισταμένων ἐν χερσὶν ἦν. οὐ μὴν ἐμέλλησάν γ´ οὐδ´ ἐκεῖνοι θέσθαι μάχην, καταφρονήσει πολλῇ ἐπαρθέντες, ὅτι οὔτε πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους τοὺς ὑπάτους οὔτε πρὸς ἅπασαν τὴν Ῥωμαίων δύναμιν ἔμελλον ἀγωνιεῖσθαι, καὶ συρράξαντες ἐμάχοντο πᾶσαν εὐτολμίαν καὶ προθυμίαν ἀποδεικνύμενοι.

[5,38] On the other side of the river was placed the camp of the Sabines, this too at no great distance from the stream, upon a gently sloping hill that was not very strongly situated. At first both armies observed one another with caution and were unwilling to cross the river and begin an engagement. But after a time they were no longer guided by reason and a prudent regard for their advantage, but becoming inflamed with anger and rivalry, they joined battle. For, going to the river for water and (p111) leading their horses there to drink, they advanced a good way into the stream, which was then low, not yet being swollen with the winter's rains, so that they crossed it without having the water much above their knees. And first, when a skirmish occurred between small parties, some ran out of each camp to assist their comrades, then others again from one camp or the other to aid those who were being overpowered. And at times the Romans forced the Sabines back from the river, at times the Sabines kept the Romans from it. Then, after many had been killed and wounded and a spirit of rivalry had possessed them all, as is apt to happen when skirmishes occur on the spur of the mot, the generals of both armies felt the same eagerness to cross the river. But the Roman consul got the start of the enemy, and after getting his army across, was already close upon the Sabines while they were still arming themselves and taking their positions. However, they too were not backward in engaging, but, elated with a contempt of their foes, since they were not going to fight against both consuls nor the whole Roman army, they joined battle with all the boldness and eagerness imaginable.