[6,11] Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν οἱ κατὰ μέσην τὴν φάλαγγα
τεταγμένοι Ῥωμαίων, ἔνθα ὁ δικτάτωρ {Ποστούμιος}
ἦν λογάδας ἔχων περὶ αὑτὸν ἱππεῖς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν
πρώτοις μαχόμενος, τὸ καθ´ αὑτοὺς ἐξωθοῦσι μέρος,
τρωθέντος ὑσσῷ τὸν δεξιὸν ὦμον θατέρου τῶν Ταρκυνίου
παίδων Τίτου καὶ μηκέτι δυναμένου τῇ χειρὶ
χρῆσθαι. Λικίννιος μὲν γὰρ καὶ οἱ περὶ Γέλλιον οὐδὲν
ἐξητακότες οὔτε τῶν εἰκότων οὔτε τῶν δυνατῶν
αὐτὸν εἰσάγουσι τὸν βασιλέα Ταρκύνιον ἀγωνιζόμενον
ἀφ´ ἵππου καὶ τιτρωσκόμενον, ἄνδρα ἐνενήκοντα ἔτεσι
προσάγοντα. πεσόντος δὲ Τίτου μικρὸν ἀγωνισάμενοι
χρόνον οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἔμψυχον ἀράμενοι
γενναῖον οὐδὲν ἔτι ἔπραξαν, ἀλλ´ ἀνεχώρουν ἐπιοῦσι
τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐπὶ πόδα· ἔπειτ´ αὖθις ἔστησάν τε καὶ
εἰς ἀντίπαλα ἐχώρουν, θατέρου τῶν Ταρκυνίου παίδων
Σέξτου μετὰ τῶν ἐκ Ῥώμης φυγάδων τε καὶ τῶν
ἄλλων ἐπιλέκτων ἱππέων ἐπιβοηθήσαντος αὐτοῖς. οὗτοι
μὲν οὖν πάλιν ἀναλαβόντες αὑτοὺς ἐμάχοντο, οἱ δὲ
τῆς φάλαγγος ἡγεμόνες ἑκατέρας Τῖτος Αἰβούτιος καὶ
Μαμίλιος Ὀκταούιος λαμπρότατα πάντων ἀγωνιζόμενοι,
καὶ τρέποντες μὲν τοὺς ὑφισταμένους καθ´ ὃ χωρήσειαν
μέρος, ἀντικαθιστάντες δὲ τῶν σφετέρων τοὺς
θορυβηθέντας, χωροῦσιν ἐκ προκλήσεως ὁμόσε, καὶ
συρράξαντες πληγὰς κατ´ ἀλλήλων φέρουσιν ἰσχυράς,
οὐ μὴν καιρίους, ὁ μὲν ἱππάρχης εἰς τὰ στέρνα τοῦ
Μαμιλίου διὰ θώρακος ἐλάσας τὴν αἰχμήν, ὁ δὲ Μαμίλιος
μέσον περονήσας τὸν δεξιὸν ἐκείνου βραχίονα·
καὶ πίπτουσιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἵππων.
| [6,11] First, the Romans posted in the centre of the line, where the dictator stood with a
chosen body of horse about him, he himself fighting among the foremost, forced back
that part of the enemy that stood opposite to them, after Titus, one of the sons of
Tarquinius, had been wounded in the right shoulder (p271) with a javelin and was no
longer able to sue his arm. Licinius and Gellius, indeed, without inquiring into the
probabilities or possibilities of the matter, introduce King Tarquinius himself, a man
approaching ninety years of age, fighting on horseback and wounded. When Titus
had fallen, those about him, after fighting a little while and taking him up while he
was yet alive, showed no bravery after that, but retired by degrees as the Romans
advanced. Afterwards they again stood their ground and advanced against the enemy
when Sextus, the other son of Tarquinius, came to their relief with the Roman exiles
and the flower of the horse. These, therefore, recovering themselves, fought again.
In the meantime Titus Aebutius and Mamilius Octavius, the commanders of the foot
on either side, fought the most brilliantly of all, driving their opponents before them
wherever they charged and rallying those of their own men who had become
disordered; and, then, challenging each other, they came to blows and in the
encounter gave one another grievous wounds, though not mortal, the Master of the
Horse driving his spear through the corslet of Mamilius into his breast, and Mamilius
running the other through the middle of his right arm; and both fell from their
horses.
|