[7,19] Ταῦτα δ´ ὁρῶσι τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐδόκει τῆς βουλῆς ἐπιτρεπούσης στρατοπέδου ποιεῖσθαι καταγραφὴν καὶ ἐξάγειν ἔξω τὴν δύναμιν· εἰλήφεσαν δ´ ἀφορμὴν τῷ ἐγχειρήματι πρέπουσαν ἐπιδρομάς τε καὶ λεηλασίας κακουμένης τῆς χώρας ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων θαμινά, τά τ´ ἄλλα, ὅσα ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος χρηστὰ ἦν, ἐπιλογιζομένοις, ὑπερορίου στρατιᾶς ἐκπεμφθείσης ὡς εὐπορωτέρᾳ μὲν ἕξουσι τῇ ἀγορᾷ χρῆσθαι οἱ ὑπολειφθέντες ἐλάττους γενόμενοι, ἐν ἀφθονωτέροις δὲ διάξουσι τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις οἱ τὰ ὅπλα ἔχοντες ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων ἐπισιτιζόμενοι, λωφήσει δ´ ἡ στάσις, ὅσον ἂν ἡ στρατεία κατέχῃ χρόνον· μάλιστα δ´ ἐφαίνετο ἔργῳ βεβαιώσειν αὐτῶν τὰς διαλλαγὰς συστρατευόντων ἀλλήλοις πατρικίων καὶ δημοτῶν ἡ γενησομένη παρὰ τοὺς κινδύνους κακῶν τε καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἰσομοιρία. ἀλλ´ οὐκ ἦν τὸ πλῆθος ὑπήκοον αὐτοῖς οὐδ´ ὥσπερ πρότερον ἑκούσιον ὑπήντα πρὸς τὴν καταγραφήν· ἀνάγκην δὲ προσφέρειν τοῖς μὴ βουλομένοις οὐκ ἐδικαίουν τὴν ἐκ τῶν νόμων οἱ ὕπατοι· ἀλλ´ ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων ἐθέλονταί τινες κατεγράφησαν ἅμα τοῖς πελάταις, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐξιοῦσιν ὀλίγον τι ἀπὸ τοῦ δήμου μέρος συνεστράτευεν. ἡγεμὼν δὲ τῶν ἐξελθόντων ἦν Γάιος Μάρκιος ὁ τὴν Κοριολάνων πόλιν ἑλὼν κἂν τῇ πρὸς Ἀντιάτας ἀριστεύσας μάχῃ, καὶ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἀραμένων τὰ ὅπλα δημοτῶν τοῦτον ἐξιόντα ὁρῶντες ἐπερρώσθησαν, οἱ μὲν δι´ εὔνοιαν, οἱ δὲ τοῦ κατορθώσειν ἐλπίδι· περιβόητος γὰρ ἦν ἤδη ὁ ἀνήρ, καὶ δέος αὐτοῦ μέγα παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐγεγόνει. αὕτη προελθοῦσα ἡ στρατιὰ μέχρι πόλεως Ἀντίου δίχα πόνου σίτου πολλοῦ καταληφθέντος ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς καὶ ἀνδραπόδων καὶ βοσκημάτων συχνῶν ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο, καὶ μετ´ οὐ πολὺ παρῆν εὐπορωτέρα γεγονυῖα τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον, ὥστε τοῖς ὑπομείνασι πολλὴν κατήφειαν καὶ κατάμεμψιν τῶν δημαγωγῶν ἐμπεσεῖν, δι´ οὓς ἀποστερεῖσθαι ἐδόκουν τῆς ὁμοίας εὐτυχίας. ὁ μὲν δὴ Γεγάνιος καὶ Μηνύκιος οἱ τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ὑπατεύοντες ἐν μεγάλοις καὶ παντοδαποῖς χειμῶσι γενόμενοι καὶ πολλάκις ἀνατρέψαι κινδυνεύσαντες τὴν πόλιν οὐθὲν δεινὸν εἰργάσαντο, ἀλλὰ διέσωσαν τὰ κοινὰ φρονιμώτερον μᾶλλον ἢ εὐτυχέστερον τοῖς συμβαίνουσι χρησάμενοι.

[7,19] (p203) The consuls, observing these things, thought fit, with the approval of the senate, to levy an army and to march with the forces out of the city (they had found a plausible excuse for their plan in the frequent incursions and depredations of their enemies by which the country was being laid waste); and they also considered the other advantages that would result from this action, namely, that by sending an army into the field those, on the one hand, who were left, becoming fewer in number, would enjoy a greater plenty of provisions, while those under arms, by supplying themselves from the enemy's stores, would live in greater abundance, and the sedition would be in abeyance as long as the expedition lasted. But, above all, it seemed that if the patricians and plebeians served together, their sharing equally in both good and ill fortune amid the dangers of the war would effectually confirm their reconciliation. But the plebeians were not inclined to obey them, nor willingly, as before, to offer themselves to enlist in the service; and the consuls did not think it wise to enforce the law against those who were unwilling to serve. But some patrician volunteers together with their clients were enlisted, and when they marched out of the city they were joined by a small number of plebeians. The army was commanded by Gaius Marcius, who had taken the city of Corioli and distinguished himself above all others in the battle against the Antiates; and the greater part of the plebeians who now took up arms were encouraged to (p205) do so upon seeing him take the field, some of them out of affection for him, and others in the hope of a successful campaign; for he was already famous and the enemy had come to have great fear of him. This army, having advanced as far as the city of Antium without any trouble, captured a great deal of corn that they found in the fields, and many slaves and cattle; and after a short time it returned better supplied than before with all the necessaries of life, so that those who had remained at home were greatly dejected and blamed their demagogues, through whom they felt they had been deprived of the same good fortune. Thus Geganius and Minucius, the consuls of this year, though involved in great and various storms and often in danger of wrecking the state, caused it no harm, but brought it safely through its perils by dealing with events rather with prudence than with good fortune.