[6,3] Παρεσκευασμένῳ δ´ αὐτῷ πάντα τἀπιτήδεια
πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ἧκον ἀγγέλλοντες οἱ σκοποὶ πανστρατιᾷ
Λατίνους ἐξεληλυθότας· καὶ αὖθις ἕτεροι δηλοῦντες ἐξ
ἐφόδου τι καταληφθῆναι πρὸς αὐτῶν χωρίον
ἐχυρὸν Κορβιῶνα καλούμενον, ἐν ᾧ φρουρά τις ἦν
Ῥωμαίων ἐνοικουροῦσα ὀλίγη· ἣν ἅπασαν διαφθείραντες καὶ
τὸ χωρίον αὐτὸ κατασχόντες ὁρμητήριον ἐποιοῦντο τοῦ
πολέμου· ἀνδράποδα δὲ καὶ βοσκήματα οὐ
κατελάμβανον ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς χωρὶς τῶν ἐν τῷ Κορβιῶνι
ἐγκαταληφθέντων, προανεσκευασμένων πρὸ πολλοῦ
τῶν γεωργῶν εἰς τὰ προσεχέστατα τῶν ἐρυμάτων,
ὅσα δύναμις ἦν ἑκάστοις φέρειν τε καὶ ἄγειν· οἰκίας
δ´ αὐτῶν ἐνεπίμπρασαν ἐρήμους ἀφειμένας καὶ γῆν
ἐδῄουν. ἀφίκετο δ´ αὐτοῖς ἐξεστρατευμένοις ἤδη ἐξ
Ἀντίου πόλεως ἐπιφανεστάτης τοῦ Οὐολούσκων ἔθνους
στρατιά τε ἱκανὴ καὶ ὅπλα καὶ σῖτος καὶ ὅσων ἄλλων
εἰς τὸν πόλεμον ἐδέοντο. ἐφ´ οἷς πάνυ θαρρήσαντες
ἐν ἐλπίσι χρησταῖς ἦσαν, ὡς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Οὐολούσκων
συναρουμένων σφίσι τοῦ πολέμου τῆς Ἀντιατῶν
πόλεως ἀρξαμένης. ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ Ποστόμιος ἐξεβοήθει διὰ
ταχέων πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους
ἅπαντας· ἀγαγὼν δ´ ἐν νυκτὶ τὴν σὺν αὑτῷ στρατιὰν
πορείᾳ συντόνῳ πλησίον γίνεται τῶν Λατίνων
ἐστρατοπεδευκότων παρὰ λίμνῃ Ῥηγίλλῃ καλουμένῃ ἐν
ἐχυρῷ χωρίῳ καὶ τίθεται τὸν χάρακα κατὰ κεφαλῆς
τῶν πολεμίων ἐν ὑψηλῷ λόφῳ καὶ δυσβάτῳ, ἔνθ´ ὑπομένων
πολλὰ πλεονεκτήσειν ἔμελλεν.
| [6,3] After the dictator had prepared everything that was necessary for the war, his
scouts brought him word that the Latins had taken the field with all their forces; and
others in turn informed him that they had captured by storm a strong place called
Corbio, in which there was stationed a small garrison of the Romans. The garrison
they wiped out completely, and the place itself, now that they had gained possession
of it, they were making a base for the war. They were not capturing any slaves or
cattle in the country districts, except those taken at Corbio, since the husbandmen
had long before removed into the nearest fortresses everything that they could drive
or carry away; but they were setting fire to the houses that had been abandoned and
laying waste the country. After the Latins had (p247) already taken the field, an army of
responsible size came to them from Antium, the most important city of the Volscian
nation, with arms, grain, and everything else that was necessary for carrying on the
war. Greatly heartened by this, they were in excellent hopes that the other Volscians
would join them in the war, now that the city of Antium had set the example.
Postumius, being informed of all this, set out hastily to the rescue before all the
enemy's forces could assemble; and having led his army out by a forced march in the
night, he arrived near the Latins, who lay encamped in a strong position near the lake
called Regillus, and pitched his camp above them on a hill that was high and difficult
of access, where, if he remained, he was sure to have many advantages over them.
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