[6,42] Ταῦτ´ εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ πᾶς ὁ δῆμος ἄσμενος ἀκούσας ὡς οὐδὲν ἔτι φενακισθησόμενος ὑπέσχετο συνάρασθαι τοῦ πολέμου, καὶ γίνεται δέκα στρατιωτικὰ τάγματα, ἐξ ἀνδρῶν τετρακισχιλίων ἕκαστον. τούτων τρία μὲν ἑκάτερος τῶν ὑπάτων ἔλαβε καὶ τῶν ἱππέων ὅσον ἑκάστῳ προσεμερίσθη· τὰ δὲ τέτταρα καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἱππεῖς ὁ δικτάτωρ. καὶ αὐτίκα παρασκευασάμενοι ᾤχοντο διὰ τάχους ἐπὶ μὲν Αἰκανοὺς Τῖτος Οὐετούριος, ἐπὶ δ´ Οὐολούσκους Αὖλος Οὐεργίνιος, αὐτὸς δ´ ὁ δικτάτωρ Οὐαλέριος ἐπὶ Σαβίνους, τὴν δὲ πόλιν ἅμα τοῖς γεραιτέροις καὶ ὀλίγῳ τινὶ στρατεύματι ἀκμαίῳ Τῖτος Λάρκιος ἐφύλαττεν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Οὐολούσκων πόλεμος ταχεῖαν τὴν κρίσιν ἔλαβε· πλήθει γὰρ ὑπεραίρειν πολὺ νομίσαντες τῶν προτέρων κακῶν ἀναμνησθέντες, ἀγωνισταὶ ταχίους ἢ φρονιμώτεροι ἀναγκασθέντες γενέσθαι θᾶττον πρῶτοι ὥρμησαν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, ἡνίκα ὤφθησαν ἐν συνόψει στρατοπεδεύσαντες. γενομένης δὲ μάχης καρτερᾶς πολλὰ μὲν δράσαντες γενναῖα, πλείω δὲ τὰ δεινὰ ὑπομείναντες εἰς φυγὴν τρέπονται, καὶ ὅ τε χάραξ αὐτῶν ἑάλω καὶ πόλις ἐπιφανὴς ἐκ πολιορκίας παρέστη· Οὐέλιτραι δ´ ὄνομα αὐτῇ. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸ Σαβίνων φρόνημα ἐν ὀλίγῳ πάνυ ἐταπεινώθη χρόνῳ μιᾷ παρατάξει ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων βουληθέντων ἐπικρατεῖν. ἔπειτα ἥ τε χώρα προὐνομεύθη, καὶ πολίχναι τινὲς ἑάλωσαν, ἐξ ὧν πολλὰ καὶ σώματα καὶ χρήματα οἱ στρατιῶται ἔλαβον. Αἰκανοὶ δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας ἑαυτῶν ὑφορῶντες ἐπεὶ τὰ τῶν συμμάχων τέλος ἔχοντα ἐπύθοντο, χωρίοις τ´ ἐχυροῖς ἐπεκάθηντο καὶ εἰς μάχας οὐ προῄεσαν, τάς τ´ ἀποχωρήσεις, ὅπῃ ἐδύναντο, δι´ ὀρῶν ἢ δρυμῶν κρυφαίας ἐποιοῦντο, καὶ διέτριψαν μὲν ἄχρι τινὸς διαφέροντες τὸν πόλεμον· οὐ μέντοιγε διασώσασθαι ἀθῶον τὴν στρατιὰν ἐδυνήθησαν ἐπιθεμένων αὐτοῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐν χωρίοις κρημνώδεσι τολμηρῶς καὶ λαβόντων τὸ στρατόπεδον κατὰ κράτος. ἔπειτα φυγή τ´ αὐτῶν ἐκ τῆς Λατίνων γῆς ἐγένετο καὶ παραδόσεις τῶν πόλεων, ἃς ἔτυχον αὑτῶν τῇ πρώτῃ ἐφόδῳ καταλαβόμενοι, εἰσὶ δ´ ὧν καὶ ἐκ φιλονεικίας οὐκ ἐκλιπόντων τὰς ἄκρας ἁλώσεις.

[6,42] While he was speaking, all the people listened with great pleasure, and believing that they were no longer to be imposed upon, promised their assistance in the war; and ten legions were raised, each consisting of four thousand men. Of these each of the consuls took three, and as many of the horse as belonged to the several legions; the other four, together with the rest of the horse, were commanded by the dictator. And having straightway got everything ready, they set out in haste, Titus Veturius against the Aequians, Aulus Verginius against the Volscians, and the dictator Valerius himself against the Sabines, while the city was guarded by Titus Larcius together with the older men and a small body of troops of military age. The Volscian war was speedily decided. For these foes, looking upon themselves as much superior in number and (p363) recalling the wrongs they had suffered, were driven to fight with greater hasten than prudence, and were the first to attack the Romans, which they did too impetuously, as soon as the latter had encamped within sight of them. There ensued a sharp battle, in which, though they performed many brave deeds, they nevertheless suffered greater losses and were put to flight; and their camp was taken, and a city of note, Velitrae by name, reduced by siege. In like manner the pride of the Sabines was also humbled in a very short time, both nations having wished to win the war by a single pitched battle. After this their country was plundered and some small towns were captured, from which the soldiers took many persons and great store of goods. The Aequians, distrusting their own weakness and learning that the war waged by their allies was at an end, not only encamped in strong positions and would not come out to give battle, but also effected their retreat secretly, wherever they could, through mountains and woods, and thus dragged out and prolonged the war for some time; but they were not able to preserve their army unscathed to the last, since the Romans boldly fell upon them in their rugged fastnesses and took their camp by storm. Then followed the flight of the Aequians from the territory of the Latins and the surrender of the cities they had seized in their first invasion, as well as the captured of some of the men who in a spirit of rivalry had refused to abandon the citadels.