[6,4] Οἱ δὲ τῶν Λατίνων ἡγεμόνες, Ὀκταούιός τε ὁ Τυσκλανὸς ὁ Ταρκυνίου τοῦ βασιλέως γαμβρός, ὡς δέ τινες γράφουσιν, υἱὸς τοῦ γαμβροῦ, καὶ Σέξτος Ταρκύνιος· ἐτύγχανον γὰρ δὴ τηνικαῦτα χωρὶς ἀλλήλων ἐστρατοπεδευκότες· εἰς ἓν συνάγουσι τὰς δυνάμεις χωρίον καὶ παραλαβόντες τοὺς χιλιάρχους τε καὶ λοχαγοὺς ἐσκόπουν, ὅστις ἔσται τρόπος τοῦ πολέμου· καὶ πολλαὶ γνῶμαι ἐλέχθησαν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ἐφόδου χωρεῖν ἠξίουν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἅμα τῷ δικτάτορι καταλαβομένους τὸ ὄρος, ἕως ἔτι ἦσαν αὐτοῖς φοβεροί, οὐκ ἀσφαλείας σημεῖον εἶναι νομίζοντες τὴν τῶν ἐχυρῶν κατάληψιν, ἀλλὰ δειλίας· οἱ δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἀποταφρεύσαντας ὀλίγῃ τινὶ κατείργειν φυλακῇ, τὴν δ´ ἄλλην δύναμιν ἀναλαβόντας ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην ἄγειν ὡς ῥᾳδίαν ἁλῶναι τῆς κρατίστης νεότητος ἐξεληλυθυίας· οἱ δὲ τὰς Οὐολούσκων τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων συμμάχων βοηθείας ἀναμένειν συνεβούλευον τὰ ἀσφαλέστερα πρὸ τῶν θρασυτέρων αἱρουμένους· Ῥωμαίους μὲν γὰρ οὐθὲν ἀπολαύσειν ἐκ τῆς τριβῆς τοῦ χρόνου, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ βραδυνόμενα κρείττω γενήσεσθαι τὰ πράγματα. ἔτι δ´ αὐτῶν βουλευομένων ἧκεν ἐκ Ῥώμης ὁ ἕτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Τῖτος Οὐεργίνιος ἔχων τὴν σὺν ἑαυτῷ δύναμιν αἰφνίδιος ἐν τῇ κατόπιν νυκτὶ τὴν ὁδὸν διανύσας καὶ στρατοπεδεύεται δίχα τοῦ δικτάτορος ἐφ´ ἑτέρας ῥάχεως ὀρεινῆς πάνυ καὶ ἐχυρᾶς· ὥστ´ ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἀποκεκλεῖσθαι τοὺς Λατίνους τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν πολεμίαν ἐξόδων, τοῦ μὲν ὑπάτου τῶν ἀριστερῶν προκαθημένου μερῶν, τοῦ δὲ δικτάτορος τῶν δεξιῶν. ἔτι δὲ πλείονος ταραχῆς κατασχούσης τοὺς οὐδὲν πλεῖον τῶν ἀσφαλῶν προελομένους ἡγεμόνας καὶ δέους, μὴ τὰ οἰκεῖα οὐ πολλὰ ὄντα δαπανᾶν ἀναγκάζωνται βραδύνοντες, μαθὼν ὁ Ποστόμιος, ὅσον ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ ἄπειρον στρατηγίας, πέμπει τὸν ἱππάρχην Τῖτον Αἰβούτιον ἄγοντα τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους ἱππεῖς τε καὶ ψιλούς, καταλαβέσθαι κελεύσας ὄρος τι καλῶς ἐν παρόδῳ κείμενον ταῖς παρακομιζομέναις Λατίνοις ἀγοραῖς οἴκοθεν· καὶ φθάνει πρὶν αἰσθέσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους ἡ σὺν τῷ ἱππάρχῃ πεμφθεῖσα δύναμις νύκτωρ παρενεχθεῖσα καὶ δι´ ὕλης ἀτριβοῦς διελθοῦσα καὶ γενομένη ἐγκρατὴς τοῦ λόφου.

[6,4] The generals4 of the Latins, Octavius of Tusculum, the son-in-law or, as some state, the son of the son-in-law of King Tarquinius, and Sextus Tarquinius — for they happened at that time to be encamped separately — joined their forces, and assembling the tribunes and centurions, they considered with them in what manner they should carry on the war; and many opinions were expressed. Some thought they ought to charge the troops under the dictator which had occupied the hill, while they could still inspire them with fear; for they regarded their occupation of the strong positions as a sign, not of assurance, but of cowardice. Others thought they ought to surround the camp of the Romans with a ditch, and keeping them hemmed in (p249) by means of a small guard, march with the rest of the army to Rome, which they believed might easily be captured now that the best of its youth had taken the field. Still others advised them to await the reinforcements from both the Volscians and their other allies, choosing safe measures in preference to bold; for the Romans, they say, would reap no benefit from the delay, whereas their own situation would be improved by it. While they were still debating, the other consul, Titus Verginius, suddenly arrived from Rome with his army, after making the march during the very next night, and encamped apart from the dictator upon another ridge that was exceeding craggy and strongly situated. Thus the Latins were cut off on both sides from the roads leading into the enemy's country, the consul encamping on the left- hand side and the dictator on the right. This still further increased the confusion of their commanders, who had chosen safety in preference to every other consideration, and also their fear that by delaying they should be forced to use up their supplies of food, which were not plentiful. When Postumius observed the inexperience of these commanders, he sent the Master of the Horse, Titus Aebutius, with the flower both of the horse and light-armed troops with orders to occupy a hill which lay close beside the road by which provisions were brought to the Latins from home; and before the enemy was aware of it, the forces sent with the Master of the Horse passed by their camp in the night, and marching through a pathless wood, gained possession of the hill.