[8,13] Ἐπειδὴ δὲ συνῆκτο ἤδη πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις, ἐβουλεύετο μετὰ τοῦ συνάρχοντος ὁ Μάρκιος, ὅπως χρηστέον τοῖς λοιποῖς πράγμασιν. ἔφη δ´ οὖν λέγων· Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, ὦ Τύλλε, κράτιστον εἶναι νείμασθαι τὰς δυνάμεις ἡμᾶς διχῇ· ἔπειτα τὸν μὲν ἕτερον ἡμῶν ἄγοντα τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους καὶ προθυμοτάτους ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις {μαχησόμενον}, καὶ εἰ μὲν ὑπομενοῦσιν εἰς χεῖρας ἡμῖν ἰέναι μιᾷ κρῖναι τὸν ἀγῶνα μάχῃ, εἰ δ´ ἀποκνήσουσιν, ὡς ἐγὼ πείθομαι, στρατιᾷ νεοσυλλέκτῳ καὶ ἡγεμόσιν ἀπείροις πολέμου τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων κίνδυνον ἐπιτρέπειν, τήν τε χώραν αὐτῶν ἐπιόντα πορθεῖν καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους περισπᾶν καὶ τὰς ἀποικίας ἀναιρεῖν καὶ πᾶν ἄλλο κακὸν ὅ τι δύναιτο ποιεῖν. τὸν δ´ ἕτερον ἐνθάδε ὑπομένοντα φυλακὴν ποιεῖσθαι τῆς τε χώρας καὶ τῶν πόλεων, μὴ λάθωσιν ἀφυλάκτοις ἐπιπεσόντες αὐτοῖς οἱ πολέμιοι, καὶ πρᾶγμα αἴσχιστον πάθωμεν, ἐν ᾧ τῶν ἀπόντων ἐφιέμεθα τὰ παρόντα ἀφαιρεθέντες. ἀλλὰ χρὴ τὸν ἐνθάδε ὑπομένοντα ἤδη τείχη τ´ ἀνορθοῦν, ὅσα πέπτωκε, καὶ τάφρους ἀνακαθαίρειν καὶ φρούρια ὀχυροῦν, ἵνα τοῖς γεωργοῦσι τὴν χώραν ὑπάρχωσι καταφυγαί, στρατιάν τ´ ἄλλην προσκαταγράφειν καὶ τροφὰς τοῖς ἔξω οὖσιν ἐπιχορηγεῖν καὶ ὅπλα χαλκεύειν καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ἀναγκαῖον ἔσται πρᾶγμα ὀξέως ὑπηρετεῖν. δίδωμι δέ σοι τὴν αἵρεσιν, εἴτε τῆς ὑπερορίου στρατιᾶς εἴτε τῆς ἐνθάδε ὑπομενούσης ἐθέλεις στρατηγεῖν. ταῦτα λέγοντος αὐτοῦ σφόδρα ἠγάσθη τὴν γνώμην ὁ Τύλλος, καὶ τὸ δραστήριον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς εἰδὼς καὶ ἐπιτυχὲς ἐπέτρεψεν ἐκείνῳ τῆς ἔξω στρατιᾶς ἄρχειν.

[8,13] When all their forces were now assembled, (p37) Marcius took counsel with his colleague how they should conduct their future operations; and he said to him: "In my opinion, Tullus, it will be best for us to divide our army into two bodies; then one of us, taking the most active and eager of the troops, should engage the enemy, and if they can bring themselves to come to close quarters with us, should decide the contest by a single battle, or, if they hesitate, as I think they will, to stake their all upon a newly raised army and inexperienced generals, then he should attack and lay waste their country, detach their allies, destroy their colonies, and do them any other injury he can. And the other should remain here and defend both the country and the cities, lest the enemy fall upon these unawares, if they are unguarded, and we ourselves suffer the most shameful of all disgraces in losing what we have while endeavouring to gain what we have not. But it is necessary that the one who remains here should at once repair the walls of the cities that have fallen in ruin, clear out the ditches, and strengthen the fortresses to serve as places of refuge for the husbandmen. He should also enrol another army, supply the forces that are in the field with provisions, forge arms, and speedily supply anything else that shall be necessary. Now I give you the choice whether you will command the army that is to take the field, or the one which is to remain here." While he was speaking these words Tullus was greatly delighted with his proposal, and knowing the man's energy and good fortune in battle, yielded to him the command of the army that was to take the field.