[8,68] Οἱ δὲ παρὰ τούτων τὴν ὑπατείαν παραλαβόντες Πόπλιος Οὐεργίνιος καὶ Σπόριος Κάσσιος τρίτον τότ´ ἀποδειχθεὶς ὕπατος, τάς τε πολιτικὰς καὶ τὰς συμμαχικὰς ἀναλαβόντες δυνάμεις ἐξῆγον εἰς τὴν ὕπαιθρον, Οὐεργίνιος μὲν ἐπὶ τὰς Αἰκανῶν πόλεις, Κάσσιος δ´ ἐπὶ τὰς Ἑρνίκων τε καὶ Οὐολούσκων, κλήρῳ διαλαχόντες τὰς ἐξόδους. Αἰκανοὶ μὲν οὖν ὀχυρώσαντες τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὰ πλείστου ἄξια ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν ἀνασκευασάμενοι τήν τε γῆν περιεώρων δῃουμένην καὶ τὰς αὐλὰς ἐμπιμπραμένας, ὥστε κατὰ πολλὴν εὐπέτειαν ὁ Οὐεργίνιος ὅσην ἐδύνατο πλείστην αὐτῶν γῆν κείρας τε καὶ λωβησάμενος, ἐπειδὴ οὐδεὶς ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἐξῄει μαχούμενος ἀπῆγε τὴν στρατιάν. Οὐολοῦσκοι δὲ καὶ Ἕρνικες, ἐφ´ οὓς ὁ Κάσσιος ἐστράτευσε, γνώμην μὲν ἐποιήσαντο δῃουμένης τῆς χώρας περιορᾶν καὶ συνέφυγον εἰς τὰς πόλεις· οὐ μὴν ἔμεινάν γ´ ἐν τοῖς ἐγνωσμένοις χώρας τ´ ἀγαθῆς κειρομένης, ἣν οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἀνακτήσεσθαι ἔτι ἤλπισαν, οἴκτῳ ὑπαχθέντες, καὶ τοῖς ἐρύμασιν οὐ σφόδρα ἐχυροῖς οὖσιν, εἰς ἃ κατεπεφεύγεσαν, ἀπιστοῦντες, ἀλλὰ πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς τὸν ὕπατον ὑπὲρ καταλύσεως τοῦ πολέμου δεησομένους· Οὐολοῦσκοι μὲν πρότεροι, καὶ θᾶττον οὗτοι τῆς εἰρήνης ἔτυχον ἀργύριόν τε δόντες, ὅσον αὐτοῖς ὁ ὕπατος ἔταξε, καὶ τἆλλα, ὅσων ἔδει τῇ στρατιᾷ, πάντα ὑπηρετήσαντες· καὶ οὗτοι μὲν ὑπήκοοι Ῥωμαίοις ἔσεσθαι ὡμολόγησαν οὐθενὸς ἔτι μεταποιούμενοι τῶν ἴσων. Ἕρνικες δ´ ὕστεροι, ἐπειδὴ μεμονωμένους ἑαυτοὺς εἶδον, ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης τε καὶ φιλίας διελέγοντο πρὸς τὸν ὕπατον. ὁ δὲ Κάσσιος πολλὴν κατηγορίαν πρὸς τοὺς πρέσβεις κατ´ αὐτῶν διαθέμενος πρῶτον ἔφη δεῖν αὐτοὺς τὰ τῶν κεκρατημένων τε καὶ ὑπηκόων ποιήσαντας, τότε διαλέγεσθαι περὶ φιλίας· τῶν δὲ πρεσβευτῶν εἰπόντων ποιήσειν τὰ δυνατὰ καὶ μέτρια ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοῖς ἀργύριόν τε, ὃ κατ´ ἄνδρα τοῖς στρατιώταις εἰς ὀψωνιασμὸν ἔθος ἦν ἓξ μηνῶν δίδοσθαι καὶ διὰ μηνὸς τροφὰς ἀποφέρειν. ἕως δ´ ἂν ταῦτ´ εὐπορήσωσι, τάξας τινὰ χρόνον ἡμερῶν ἀνοχὰς αὐτοῖς ἐδίδου τοῦ πολέμου. ὑπηρετησάντων δ´ αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα τῶν Ἑρνίκων διὰ τάχους καὶ μετὰ προθυμίας, καὶ τοὺς περὶ τῆς φιλίας διαλεξομένους ἀποστειλάντων αὖθις, ἐπαινέσας αὐτοὺς ὁ Κάσσιος ἀνέπεμψεν ἐπὶ τὴν βουλήν. τοῖς δ´ ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου πολλὰ βουλευσαμένοις ἔδοξε δέχεσθαι μὲν τοὺς ἄνδρας εἰς φιλίαν, ἐφ´ οἷς δὲ γενήσονται δικαίοις αἱ πρὸς αὐτοὺς συνθῆκαι, Κάσσιον τὸν ὕπατον γνῶναί τε καὶ στῆσαι, ὅ τι δ´ ἂν ἐκείνῳ δόξῃ, τοῦτ´ εἶναι σφίσι κύριον.

[8,68] These consuls were succeeded by Proculus Verginius and Spurius Cassius (the latter being then chosen consul for the third time), who took the field with both the citizen forces and those of the allies. It fell to the lot of Verginius to lead his army against the Aequians and to that of Cassius to march against the Hernicans and the Volscians. The Aequians, having fortified their cities and removed thither out of the country everything that was most valuable, permitted their land to be laid waste and their country-houses to be set on fire, so that Verginius with great ease ravaged and ruined as much of their country as he could, since no one came out to defend it, and then led his army home. The Volscians and the Hernicans, against whom Cassius took the field, had resolved to permit their land to be laid waste and had taken refuge in their cities. Nevertheless, they did not persist in their resolution, being overcome with regret at seeing the desolation of a fertile country which they could not expect to restore easily to its former condition, and at the same time distrusting the defences in which they had taken refuge, as these were not very strong; but they sent ambassadors to the consul to sue for a termination of the war. The Volscians were the first to send envoys and they obtained peace the sooner by giving as (p205) much money as the consul ordered and furnishing everything else the army needed; and they agreed to become subject to the Romans without making any further claims to equality. After them the Hernicans, seeing themselves isolated, treated with the consul for peace and friendship. But Cassius made many accusations against them to their ambassadors, and said that they ought first to act like men conquered and subjects and then treat for friendship. When the ambassadors agreed to do everything that was possible and reasonable, he ordered them to furnish the amount of money it was customary to give each soldier as pay for six months, as well as provisions for two months; and in order that they might raise these supplies he granted them a truce, appointing a definite number of days for it to run. When the Hernicans, after supplying them with everything promptly and eagerly, sent ambassadors again to treat for friendship, Cassius commended them and referred them to the senate. The senators after much deliberation resolved to receive this people into their friendship, but as to the terms on which the treaty with them should be made, they voted that Cassius the consul should decide and settle these, and that whatever he approved of should have their sanction.