[8,85] Οἱ δ´ ὑπολαβόντες αὐτοὺς ἄρχειν φυγῆς ἠκολούθουν βάδην μὲν ἀπιοῦσι καὶ αὐτοὶ σὺν κόσμῳ ἑπόμενοι, ἐπειδὴ δὲ δρόμῳ χωροῦντας ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα ἐθεάσαντο, ταχείᾳ καὶ αὐτοὶ διώξει καὶ ἀσυντάκτῳ χρώμενοι. οἱ δὲ δὴ τελευταῖοί τε καὶ ὀπισθοφυλακοῦντες λόχοι νεκρούς τ´ ἐσκύλευον, ὡς κεκρατηκότες ἤδη τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ ἐφ´ ἁρπαγὴν τῆς χώρας ἐτράποντο. μαθόντες δ´ οἱ Οὐολοῦσκοι ταῦτ´ οἵ τε δόξαν παρασχόντες φυγῆς, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς ἐρύμασι τοῦ χάρακος ἐπλησίασαν, ὑποστραφέντες ἔστησαν, καὶ οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τὰς πύλας ἀναπετάσαντες ἐξέδραμον ἀθρόοι κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη· γίνεταί τ´ αὐτῶν παλίντροπος ἡ μάχη· οἱ μὲν γὰρ διώκοντες ἔφευγον, οἱ δὲ φεύγοντες ἐδίωκον. ἔνθα πολλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ Ῥωμαίων θνήσκουσιν οἷα εἰκὸς ὠθούμενοι κατὰ πρανοῦς χωρίου καὶ ὑπὸ πολλῶν ὀλίγοι κυκλωθέντες. ἀδελφὰ δὲ τούτοις ἔπασχον, ὅσοι πρὸς σκῦλά τε καὶ ἁρπαγὰς τραπόμενοι τὸ ἐν κόσμῳ τε καὶ τάξει ὑποχωρεῖν ἀφῃρέθησαν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι καταληφθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων οἱ μὲν ἐσφάγησαν, οἱ δ´ αἰχμάλωτοι ἐλήφθησαν. ὅσοι δὲ τούτων τε καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ἀπαραχθέντων διεσώθησαν, ὀψὲ τῆς ὥρας τῶν ἱππέων αὐτοῖς ἐπιβοηθησάντων, ἀπῆλθον ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα. ἐδόκει τ´ αὐτοῖς συλλαβέσθαι τοῦ μὴ πασσυδὶ διαφθαρῆναι χειμὼν πολὺς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταρραγεὶς καὶ σκότος, οἷον ἐν ταῖς βαθείαις ὁμίχλαις γίνεται, ὃ τοῖς πολεμίοις ὄκνον τῆς ἐπὶ πλέον διώξεως παρέσχεν οὐ δυναμένοις τὰ πόρρω καθορᾶν. τῇ δ´ ἐπιούσῃ νυκτὶ ἀναστήσας τὴν στρατιὰν ὁ ὕπατος ἀπῆγε σιγῇ καὶ ἐν κόσμῳ, λαθεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους προνοούμενος· καὶ κατεστρατοπέδευσε παρὰ πόλει λεγομένῃ Λογγόλᾳ περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν, γήλοφον ἱκανὸν ἐρύκειν τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἐκλεξάμενος. ἔνθα ὑπομένων τούς τε ὑπὸ τραυμάτων κάμνοντας ἀνεκτᾶτο θεραπείαις, καὶ τοὺς ἀδημονοῦντας ἐπὶ τῇ παραδόξῳ τοῦ πάθους αἰσχύνῃ παραμυθούμενος ἀνελάμβανε.

[8,85] The Romans, supposing that they were beginning flight, kept pace with them as they slowly withdrew, they too maintaining good order as they followed, but when they saw them running toward their camp, they also pursued swiftly and in disorder; and the centuries which were last and guarded the rear fell to stripping the dead, as if they had already (p259) conquered the enemy, and turned to plundering the country. When the Volscians perceived this, not only did those who had feigned flight face about and stand their ground as soon as they drew near the ramparts of their camp, but those also who had been left behind in the camp opened the gates and ran out in great numbers at several points. And now weight fortune of the battle was reversed; for the pursuers fled and the fugitives pursued. Here many brave Romans lost their lives, as may well be imagined, being driven down a declivity as they were and surrounded a few by many. And a like fate was suffered by those who had turned to despoiling the dead and to plundering and now found themselves deprived of the opportunity of making an orderly and regular retreat; for these too were overtaken by the enemy, and some of them were killed and others taken prisoner. As many as came through safely, both of these and of the others, who had been driven from the hill, returned to their camp when the horse came to their relief late in the day. It seemed, moreover, that their escape from utter destruction had been due in part to a violent rainstorm that burst from the sky and to a darkness like that occurring in thick mists, which made the enemy reluctant to pursue them any farther, since they were unable to see things at a distance. The following night the consul broke camp and led his army away in silence and in good order, taking care to escape the notice of the enemy; and late in the afternoon he encamped near a town called Longula, having chosen a hill strong enough to keep off any who might attack him. While he remained there, he employed himself both in restoring with (p261) medical attention those who suffered from wounds and in raising the spirits of those who were disheartened at the unexpected disgrace of defeat by speaking words of encouragement to them.