Texte grec :
| [7,3] Ἐπὶ τῆς ἑξηκοστῆς καὶ τετάρτης ὀλυμπιάδος
ἄρχοντος Ἀθήνησι Μιλτιάδου Κύμην τὴν ἐν Ὀπικοῖς
Ἑλληνίδα πόλιν, ἣν Ἐρετριεῖς τε καὶ Χαλκιδεῖς ἔκτισαν,
Τυρρηνῶν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἰόνιον κόλπον κατοικοῦντες
ἐκεῖθέν θ´ ὑπὸ τῶν Κελτῶν ἐξελασθέντες σὺν χρόνῳ,
καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς Ὀμβρικοί τε καὶ Δαύνιοι καὶ συχνοὶ
τῶν ἄλλων βαρβάρων ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνελεῖν οὐδεμίαν
ἔχοντες εἰπεῖν πρόφασιν τοῦ μίσους δικαίαν ὅτι μὴ
τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν τῆς πόλεως. ἦν γὰρ Κύμη κατ´ ἐκείνους τοὺς
χρόνους περιβόητος ἀνὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ὅλην
πλούτου τε καὶ δυνάμεως ἕνεκα καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀγαθῶν
γῆν τε κατέχουσα τῆς Καμπανῶν πεδιάδος τὴν πολυκαρποτάτην
καὶ λιμένων κρατοῦσα τῶν περὶ Μισηνὸν
ἐπικαιροτάτων. τούτοις ἐπιβουλεύσαντες τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς
οἱ βάρβαροι στρατεύουσιν ἐπ´ αὐτήν, πεζοὶ μὲν οὐκ
ἐλάττους πεντήκοντα μυριάδων, ἱππεῖς δὲ δυεῖν χιλιάδων
ἀποδέοντες εἶναι δισμύριοι. ἐστρατοπεδευκόσι δ´
αὐτοῖς οὐ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως τέρας γίνεται θαυμαστόν, οἷον
ἐν οὐδενὶ χρόνῳ μνημονεύεται γενόμενον
οὔθ´ Ἑλλάδος οὔτε βαρβάρου γῆς οὐδαμόθι. οἱ γὰρ
παρὰ τὰ στρατόπεδα ῥέοντες αὐτῶν ποταμοί, Οὐολτοῦρνος
ὄνομα θατέρῳ, τῷ δ´ ἑτέρῳ Γλάνις, ἀφέντες
τὰς κατὰ φύσιν ὁδοὺς ἀνέστρεψαν τὰ νάματα καὶ μέχρι
πολλοῦ διετέλεσαν ἀπὸ τῶν στομάτων ἀναχωροῦντες
ἐπὶ τὰς πηγάς. τοῦτο καταμαθόντες οἱ Κυμαῖοι τότ´
ἐθάρρησαν ὁμόσε τοῖς βαρβάροις χωρεῖν ὡς τοῦ δαιμονίου
ταπεινὰ μὲν τἀκείνων μετέωρα θήσοντος, ὑψηλὰ
δὲ τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι σφῶν ταπεινά. νείμαντες δὲ τὴν
ἐν ἀκμῇ δύναμιν ἅπασαν τριχῇ, μιᾷ μὲν τὴν πόλιν
ἐφρούρουν, τῇ δ´ ἑτέρᾳ τὰς ναῦς εἶχον ἐν φυλακῇ, τῇ
δὲ τρίτῃ πρὸ τοῦ τείχους ταξάμενοι τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἐδέχοντο.
τούτων ἱππεῖς μὲν ἦσαν ἑξακόσιοι, πεζοὶ δὲ
τετρακισχίλιοι καὶ πεντακόσιοι· καὶ οὕτως ὄντες τὸν
ἀριθμὸν ὀλίγοι τὰς τοσαύτας ὑπέστησαν μυριάδας.
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Traduction française :
| [7,3] In the sixty-fourth Olympiad, when Miltiades (p153) was archon at Athens, the
Tyrrhenians who had inhabited the country lying near the Ionian Gulf,8 but had been
driven from thence in the course of time by the Gauls, joined themselves to the
Umbrians, Daunians, and many other barbarians, and undertook to overthrow
Cumae, the Greek city in the country of the Opicans founded by Eretrians and
Chalcidians, though they could allege no other just ground for their animosity than
the prosperity of the city. For Cumae was at that time celebrated throughout all Italy
for its riches, power, and all the other advantages, as it possessed the most fertile part
of the Campanian plain and was mistress of the most convenient havens round about
Misenum. The barbarians, accordingly, forming designs upon these advantages,
marched against this city with an army consisting of no less than 500,000 foot and
18,000 horse. While they lay encamped not far from the city, a remarkable prodigy
appeared to them, the like of which is not recorded as ever having happened
anywhere in either the Greek or the barbarian world. The rivers, namely, which ran
near their camp, one of which is called the Volturnus and the other the Glanis,
abandoning their natural course, turned their streams backwards and for a long time
continued to run up from their mouths toward their sources. The Cumaeans, being
informed of this prodigy, were then at last encouraged to engage with the barbarians,
in the assurance that Heaven designed to bring low the lofty eminence of their foes
and to raise their own fortunes, which seemed at low ebb. And having (p155) divided all
their youth into three bodies, with one of these they defended the city, with another
they guarded their ships, and the third they drew up before the walls to await the
enemy's attack. These consisted of 600 horse and of 4500 foot. And though so few in
number, they sustained the attack of so many myriads.
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