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Denys d'Halicarnasse, Les Antiquités romaines, livre VIII

Chapitre 18

  Chapitre 18

[8,18] δὲ στρατηγός, ἐπειδὴ τὰ σώματα καὶ τὰ χρήματα πάντα ἐξεκεκόμιστο, τὴν πόλιν ἔρημον καταλιπὼν ἀπῆγε τὴν δύναμιν ἐπὶ Βῶλαν Λατίνων ἑτέραν πόλιν. ἔτυχον δὲ καὶ οἱ Βωλανοὶ προεγνωκότες αὐτοῦ τὴν ἔφοδον καὶ παρεσκευασμένοι πάντα τὰ πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐπιτήδεια. μὲν οὖν Μάρκιος ὡς ἐξ ἐφόδου τὴν πόλιν αἱρήσων κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη τοῦ τείχους ἐποιεῖτο τὰς προσβολάς· οἱ δὲ Βωλανοὶ περιμείναντες καιρὸν ἐπιτήδειον ἀνοίγουσι τὰς πύλας, καὶ φερόμενοι κατὰ πλῆθος ἐν τάξει τε καὶ κόσμῳ συρράττουσι τοῖς κατὰ μέτωπον, καὶ πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἀποκτείναντες, ἔτι δὲ πλείους κατατραυματίσαντες τούς τε λοιποὺς αἰσχρῶς ἀναγκάσαντες φυγεῖν ἀνέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν. ὡς δ´ ἔγνω τὴν τροπὴν τῶν Οὐολούσκων Μάρκιος· οὐ γὰρ ἔτυχε παρὼν ἐν χωρίῳ τὸ πάθος ἐγένετο· παρῆν σὺν ὀλίγοις κατὰ σπουδὴν καὶ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς τροπῆς σκεδασθέντας ἀναλαβὼν συνίστατο καὶ παρεθάρρυνε, καὶ ἐπειδὴ κατέστησεν εἰς τάξεις, ὑποδείξας, δεῖ πράττειν, ἐκέλευσε προσβάλλειν τῇ πόλει κατὰ τὰς αὐτὰς πύλας. χρησαμένων δὲ πάλιν τῶν Βωλανῶν τῇ αὐτῇ πείρᾳ καὶ κατὰ πλῆθος ἐκδραμόντων οὐ δέχονται αὐτοὺς οἱ Οὐολοῦσκοι, ἀλλ´ ἐγκλίναντες ἔφευγον κατὰ τοῦ πρανοῦς, ὡς στρατηγὸς αὐτοῖς ὑπέθετο· καὶ οἱ Βωλανοὶ τὴν ἀπάτην οὐκ εἰδότες ἐδίωκον ἄχρι πολλοῦ. ἐπεὶ δὲ πρόσω τῆς πόλεως ἐγένοντο, ἔχων τοὺς ἐπιλέκτους τῶν νέων Μάρκιος ὁμόσε τοῖς Βωλανοῖς ἐχώρει· καὶ γίνεται πολὺς αὐτῶν ἐνταῦθα φόνος τῶν μὲν ἀμυνομένων, τῶν δὲ φευγόντων. δ´ ἀκολουθῶν τοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ὠθουμένοις φθάνει, πρὶν ἐπιρραχθῆναι τὰς πύλας εἰςβιασάμενος εἰς τὸ τεῖχος. ὡς δ´ στρατηγὸς ἅπαξ ἐγκρατὴς τῶν πυλῶν ἐγένετο, ἠκολούθει καὶ τὸ ἄλλο τῶν Οὐολούσκων πλῆθος, οἱ δὲ Βωλανοὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἐκλιπόντες ἔφευγον ἐπὶ τὰς οἰκίας. γενόμενος δὲ καὶ ταύτης κύριος τῆς πόλεως ἐπέτρεψε τοῖς στρατιώταις τά τε σώματα ἐξανδραποδίσασθαι καὶ τὰ χρήματα διαρπάσαι καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον ἅπασαν ἐκκομίσας τὴν λείαν σὺν χρόνῳ τε καὶ κατὰ πολλὴν ἐξουσίαν μετὰ τοῦτο τὴν πόλιν ἐνέπρησεν. [8,18] The general, after all the prisoners and effects had been removed out of the city, left it desolate and drew off his forces to Bola, another town of the Latins. The Bolani also, as it chanced, had been apprised of his intended attack and had prepared everything necessary for the struggle. Marcius, who expected to take the town by storm, delivered his attacks upon many parts of the wall. But the Bolani, after watching for a favourable opportunity, opened their gates, and sallying out in force in regular array, engaged the front ranks of the enemy; then, after killing many of them and wounding still more and after forcing the rest to a shameful flight, they (p51) retired into the city. When Marcius learned of rout of the Volscians — for it chanced that he was not present in the place where this defeat occurred — he came up in haste with a few of his men, and rallying those who were dispersed in the flight, he formed them into a body and encouraged them. Then, having got them back in their ranks and indicated what they were to do, he ordered them to attack the town at the same gates. When the Bolani once more tried the same expedient, sallying out in force, the Volscians did not await them, but gave way and fled down hill, as their general had instructed them to do; and the Bolani, ignorant of the ruse, pursued them a considerable way. Then, when they were at a distance from the town, Marcius fell upon them with a body of chosen youth; and many of the Bolani fell, some while defending themselves and others while endeavouring to escape. Marcius pursued those who were being pushed back toward the town and forced his way inside the walls before the gates could be slammed shut. When the general had once made himself master of the gates, the rest of the Volscian host followed, and the Bolani, abandoning the walls, fled to their houses. Marcius, having possessed himself of this city also, gave leave to the soldiers to make slaves of the inhabitants and to seize their effects; and after carrying away all the booty at his leisure and with full liberty, as before, he set fire to the town.


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