[8,63] Ἡμέραις δ´ ὀλίγαις ὕστερον ἐξελθόντες εἰς τὴν ὕπαιθρον Ῥωμαῖοι πολλῇ στρατιᾷ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀγόντων ἀμφοτέρων, καὶ προελθόντες ἄχρι τῶν ὅρων τῆς σφετέρας κατεστρατοπέδευσαν ἐπὶ λόφοις δυσίν, ἴδιον ἑκατέρου τῶν ὑπάτων στρατόπεδον ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐρυμνοτάτοις καταστησαμένου. οὐ μὴν ἔδρασάν γε οὐδὲν οὔτε μεῖζον οὔτ´ ἔλαττον, ἀλλ´ ἀνέστρεψαν ἄπρακτοι, καίτοι καλὰς ἀφορμὰς δόντων αὐτοῖς τῶν πολεμίων δρᾶσαί τι γενναῖον. πρότεροι γὰρ ἔτι τούτων Οὐολοῦσκοί τε καὶ Αἰκανοὶ στρατὸν ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥωμαίων γῆν ἤγαγον γνώμην ποιησάμενοι μὴ ἀνεῖναι τὸν καιρόν, ἀλλ´, ἕως ἔτι καταπεπλῆχθαι τὸ ἀντίπαλον ἐδόκουν, χωρεῖν ἐπ´ αὐτό, ὡς καὶ ἑκούσιον διὰ δέος παραστησόμενον. στασιάσαντες δὲ περὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας κατ´ ἀλλήλων τὰ ὅπλα ἥρπασαν καὶ συμπεσόντες ἐμάχοντο, οὔτε κατὰ τάξιν οὔτ´ ἐκ παραγγέλματος, ἀλλὰ φύρδην καὶ ἀναμίξ, ὥστε πολὺν ἐξ ἀμφοῖν γενέσθαι φόνον· καὶ εἰ μὴ δὺς ὁ ἥλιος ἔφθασεν, ἅπασαι ἂν αὐτῶν αἱ δυνάμεις διεφθάρησαν. τῇ δὲ νυκτὶ λυούσῃ τὸ νεῖκος ἀκούσιοι εἴξαντες διεχρίθησάν τ´ ἀπ´ ἀλλήλων καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἰδίους χάρακας ἀπηλλάγησαν· ἕωθεν δ´ ἀναστήσαντες τὰς δυνάμεις ἀπῄεσαν ἑκάτεροι ἐπὶ τὰ σφέτερα. οἱ δ´ ὕπατοι παρά τ´ αὐτομόλων καὶ αἰχμαλώτων, οἳ παρ´ αὐτὸ ἔργον ἀπέδρασαν, ἀκούσαντες, οἷα κατέσχε λύσσα καὶ θεοβλάβεια τὰ πολέμια, οὔτε συνεπέθεντο τῷ κατ´ εὐχὴν δοθέντι καιρῷ τριάκοντα σταδίων οὐ πλεῖον ἀπέχοντες, οὔτ´ ἀπιόντας ἐδίωξαν, ἐν ᾧ κεκμηκότας καὶ τραυματίας καὶ ὀλίγους πολλῶν καὶ ἀτάκτους χωροῦντας ἀκραιφνεῖς αὐτοὶ καὶ σὺν κόσμῳ ἑπόμενοι ῥᾳδίως ἂν διέφθειραν πασσυδί. λύσαντες δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ τοὺς χάρακας ἀπῄεσαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν· εἴτ´ ἀρκούμενοι τῷ παρὰ τῆς τύχης δοθέντι ἀγαθῷ, εἴτ´ οὐ πιστεύοντες ἀνασκήτῳ στρατιᾷ τῇ σφετέρᾳ, εἴτε περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμενοι τὸ μηδ´ ὀλίγους τῶν σφετέρων ἀποβαλεῖν. ἀφικόμενοι δ´ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐν αἰσχύνῃ πολλῇ ἦσαν δειλίας δόξαν ἐπὶ τῷ ἔργῳ φερόμενοι· καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἔξοδον ἔτι ποιησάμενοι παρέδοσαν τοῖς μεθ´ ἑαυτοὺς ὑπάτοις τὴν ἀρχήν.

[8,63] A few days later the Romans took the field with a large army commanded by both consuls, and advancing to the confines of their own territory, encamped on two hills, each of the consuls placing his camp in the strongest position. Nevertheless, they accomplished nothing, either great or little, but returned unsuccessful, though excellent opportunities had been afforded them by the enemy for performing some gallant action. It seems that even before their expedition the Volscians and the Aequians had led an army against the Roman territory, having resolved not to let the opportunity slip, but to attack their adversaries while they seemed to be sit panic- stricken; for they thought that in their fear they would surrender of their own accord. But quarrelling among themselves over the command, they rushed to arms, and falling upon one another, fought without keeping their ranks or receiving orders, but in confusion and disorder, so that many were killed on both sides; and if the sun had not set in time to prevent it, all their forces would have been utterly destroyed. But yielding reluctantly to the night which put an (p185) end to the quarrel, they separated and retired to their own camps; and rousing their forces at dawn, both sides returned home. The consuls, though they learned both from deserters and from prisoners who had escaped during the action itself what fury and madness had possessed the enemy, neither embraced an opportunity so desirable when it offered, though they were no more than thirty stades distant, nor pursued them in their retreat — a situation in which their own troops, being fresh and following in good order, might easily have destroyed to a man those of the enemy, who were fatigued, wounded, reduced from a large to a small number, and were retiring in disorder. But they too broke camp and returned to Rome, either being contented with the advantage Fortune had given them, or having no confidence in their troops, who were undisciplined, or considering it very important not to lose even a few of their own men. When they got back to Rome, however, they found themselves in great disgrace and had to bear the stigma of cowardice for their behaviour. And without undertaking any other expedition they surrendered their magistracy to their successors.