[5,46] Ὡς δὲ συνεῖδον ἀμφότεροι τὰ τῶν πολεμίων πράγματα, τῷ τε μεγέθει τῶν στρατοπέδων εἰκάσαντες καὶ παρ´ αἰχμαλώτων ἀκούσαντες, τοῖς μὲν Σαβίνοις θάρσος παρέστη καὶ καταφρόνησις τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ὀλιγότητος, τοῖς δὲ Ῥωμαίοις δέος πρὸς τὸ τῶν ἀντιπολεμούντων πλῆθος· ἐθάρρησαν δὲ καὶ οὐ μικρὰς ἐλπίδας ὑπὲρ τῆς νίκης ἔλαβον ἄλλων τε σημείων γενομένων σφίσι θεοπέμπτων καὶ δὴ καὶ τελευταίου φάσματος, ὅτε παρατάττεσθαι ἔμελλον, τοιοῦδε. ἐκ τῶν καταπεπηγμένων παρὰ ταῖς σκηναῖς ὑσσῶν· ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα βέλη Ῥωμαίων, ἃ συνιόντες εἰς χεῖρας ἐξακοντίζουσι, ξύλα προμήκη τε καὶ χειροπλήθη τριῶν οὐχ ἧττον ποδῶν σιδηροῦς ὀβελίσκους ἔχοντα προὔχοντας κατ´ εὐθεῖαν ἐκ θατέρου τῶν ἄκρων, μετρίοις ἀκοντίοις ἴσα σὺν τῷ σιδήρῳ· ἐκ τούτων δὴ τῶν ὑσσῶν περὶ τοῖς ἄκροις τῶν ὀβελίσκων φλόγες ἀνήπτοντο, καὶ δι´ ὅλου τοῦ στρατοπέδου τὸ σέλας ἦν, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ λαμπάδων, καὶ κατέσχε τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπὶ πολύ. ἐκ τούτου κατέλαβον τοῦ φάσματος, ὥσπερ οἱ τερατοσκόποι ἀπέφαινον καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις συμβαλεῖν οὐ χαλεπὸν ἦν, ὅτι νίκην αὐτοῖς ταχεῖαν καὶ λαμπρὰν σημαίνει τὸ δαιμόνιον, ἐπειδήπερ ἅπαν εἴκει τῷ πυρὶ καὶ οὐδὲν ὅ τι οὐχ ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς διαφθείρεται. τοῦτο δ´ ὅτι ἐκ τῶν ἀμυντηρίων αὐτοῖς ὅπλων ἀνήφθη, μετὰ πολλοῦ θάρσους προῄεσαν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος καὶ συρράξαντες τοῖς Σαβίνοις ἐμάχοντο πολλαπλασίοις ἐλάττους ἐν τῷ θαρρεῖν τὸ πιστὸν ἔχοντες· καὶ ἡ ἐμπειρία δὲ σὺν τῷ φιλοπόνῳ πολλὴ αὐτοῖς παροῦσα παντὸς ἐπήγετο δεινοῦ καταφρονεῖν. πρῶτος μὲν οὖν ὁ Ποστόμιος τὸ εὐώνυμον ἔχων κέρας ἀναλύσασθαι τὴν προτέραν ἧτταν προθυμούμενος τὸ δεξιὸν τῶν πολεμίων ἐξωθεῖ κέρας πρόνοιαν οὐδεμίαν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς παρὰ τὸ νικᾶν ποιούμενος, ἀλλ´ ὥσπερ οἱ μεμηνότες καὶ θανατῶντες εἰς μέσους τοὺς πολεμίους ῥιπτῶν ἑαυτόν· ἔπειτα καὶ οἱ σὺν τῷ Μενηνίῳ θάτερον ἔχοντες κέρας κάμνοντες ἤδη καὶ ἐξωθούμενοι τῆς στάσεως, ὡς ἔμαθον, ὅτι νικῶσι τοὺς κατὰ σφᾶς οἱ τοῦ Ποστομίου, θαρρήσαντες εἰς ἀντίπαλα χωροῦσι· καὶ γίνεται τῶν κεράτων ἀμφοτέρων τοῖς Σαβίνοις ἐκκλινάντων τροπὴ παντελής. οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ ἐν μέσῃ τῇ φάλαγγι ταχθέντες ἐψιλωμένων τῶν ἄκρων ἔτι παρέμειναν, ἀλλ´ ὑπὸ τῆς ἵππου τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς ἐξελαυνούσης κατὰ τέλη βιασθέντες ἀνεστάλησαν. φυγῆς δὲ πάντων γενομένης ἐπὶ τοὺς χάρακας ἀκολουθήσαντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ συνεισπεσόντες ἀμφότερα λαμβάνουσιν αὐτῶν τὰ ἐρύματα. τοῦ δὲ μὴ πανσυδὶ τὸν τῶν πολεμίων διαφθαρῆναι στρατὸν ἥ τε νὺξ αἰτία ἐγένετο καὶ τὸ ἐν οἰκείᾳ γῇ τὸ πάθος αὐτοῖς συμβῆναι· ῥᾷον γὰρ οἱ φεύγοντες ἐπὶ τὰ σφέτερα ἐσώζοντο δι´ ἐμπειρίαν τῶν τόπων.

[5,46] When each side observed the enemy's condition, of which they judged by the size of the camps and the information given by prisoners, the Sabines were inspired with confidence and felt contempt for the small numbers of the enemy, while the Romans were seized with fear by reason of the multitude of their opponents. But they took courage and entertained no small hopes of victory because of various omens sent to them by the gods, and particularly from a final portent which they saw when they were about to array themselves for battle. It was as follows: From the javelins that were fixed in the ground beside their tents (these javelins are Roman weapons which they hurl and having pointed iron heads, not less than three feet in length, projecting (p135) straight forward from one end, and with the iron they are as long as spears of moderate length) — from these javelins flames issued forth round the tips of the heads and the glare extended through the whole camp like that of torches and lasted a great part of the night. From this portent they concluded, as the interpreters of prodigies informed them and as was not difficult for anyone to conjecture, that Heaven was portending to them a speedy and brilliant victory, because, as we know, everything yields to fire and there is nothing that is not consumed by it. And inasmuch as this fire issued from defensive weapons, they came out with great boldness from their camp, and engaging the Sabines, fought, few in number, with enemies many times superior, placing their reliance in their own good courage. Besides, their long experience joined to their willingness to undergo toil encouraged them to despise every danger. First, then, Postumius, who commanded the left wing, desiring to repair his former defeat, forced back the enemy's right, taking no thought for his own life in comparison with gaining the victory, but, like those who are mad and court death, hurling himself into the midst of his enemies. Then those also with Menenius on the other wing, though they were already in distress and being forced to give ground, when they found that the forces under Postumius were victorious over those who confronted them, took courage and advanced against the enemy. And now, as both their wings gave way, the Sabines were utterly routed. For (p137) not even those who were posted in the centre of the line, when once their flanks were left bare, stood their ground any longer, but being hard pressed by the Roman horse that charged them in separate troops, they were driven back. And when they all fled toward their entrenchments, the Romans pursued them, and entering with them, captured both camps. All that saved the army of the enemy from being totally destroyed was that night came on and their defeat happened in their own land. For those who fled got safely home more easily because of their familiarity with the country.