[8,88] Τότε δ´ οὖν οἱ δημόται τῆς δημαρχικῆς ἐξουσίας οὐδὲν ἀπολαύοντες ὑφεῖντο τοῦ θράσους καὶ προσιόντες τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς στρατολογίας τεταγμένοις τὸν ἱερὸν ὅρκον ὤμνυσαν, καὶ ὑπὸ τὰς σημαίας κατεγράφοντο. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ ἐλλιπὲς τῶν λόχων ἐξεπληρώθη, διεκληρώσαντο τὰς ἡγεμονίας τῶν στρατοπέδων οἱ ὕπατοι· καὶ ὁ μὲν Φάβιος τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ βοηθείᾳ τῶν συμμάχων ἀποσταλεῖσαν δύναμιν παρελάμβανεν, ὁ δὲ Οὐαλέριος τὴν ἐν Οὐολούσκοις στρατοπεδεύουσαν ἄγων τοὺς νεωστὶ καταγραφέντας. μαθοῦσι δὲ τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐδόκει στρατιάν θ´ ἑτέραν μεταπέμπεσθαι καὶ ἐν ἰσχυροτέρῳ τὸ στρατόπεδον ποιήσασθαι χωρίῳ καὶ μηδὲν ἐκ τοῦ καταφρονεῖν αὐτῶν ἔτι προπετὲς κινδύνευμα ὡς πρότερον ὑπομένειν. ἐγεγόνει ταῦτα διὰ ταχέων, ἀμφοτέροις τε παρέστη τοῖς ἡγεμόσι τῶν δυνάμεων ὁμοία περὶ τοῦ πολέμου γνώμη, τὰ ἑαυτῶν φυλάττειν ἐρύματα, ἐάν τις ἐπίῃ, τοῖς δὲ τῶν πολεμίων ὡς βίᾳ κρατηθησομένοις μὴ ἐπιχειρεῖν. καὶ ὁ διὰ μέσου χρόνος οὐκ ὀλίγος ἐγένετο φόβῳ τῶν ἐπιχειρήσεων τριβόμενος· οὐ μέντοι καὶ εἰς τέλος γε διαμένειν ἐν τοῖς ἐγνωσμένοις ἐδυνήθησαν. ὁπότε γὰρ ἐπισιτισμοῦ χάριν ἢ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων τινός, ὧν ἀμφοτέροις ἔδει, μοῖρά τις ἀποσταλείη τῆς στρατιᾶς, συμβολαί τ´ αὐτῶν ἐγίνοντο καὶ πληγαί, καὶ τὸ νικᾶν οὐκ ἀεὶ παρὰ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἔμενε· πολλάκις δὲ συμπλεκομένων ἀλλήλοις ἀπέθνησκόν τ´ οὐκ ὀλίγοι καὶ τραυματίαι πλείους ἐγίνοντο. τοῖς μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαίοις τὸ ἀπαναλούμενον τῆς στρατιᾶς οὐδεμία ποθὲν ἐπικουρία ἐξεπλήρου, τὸ δὲ τῶν Οὐολούσκων στρατόπεδον ἄλλων ἐπ´ ἄλλοις ἡκόντων πολλὴν αὔξησιν ἐλάμβανε· καὶ τούτῳ ἐπαρθέντες οἱ ἡγεμόνες ἐξῆγον ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος τὴν δύναμιν ὡς εἰς μάχην.

[8,88] But on the occasion of which we are now speaking the plebeians, receiving no assistance from the tribunician power, moderated their boldness, and coming to the persons appointed to raise the levies, took the sacred oath and enlisted under their (p273) standards. When the gaps in the several centuries had been filled, the consuls drew lots for the command of the legions; as a result, Fabius took over the army which had been sent to the assistance of the allies, while Valerius received the one which lay encamped in the country of the Volscians, and took with him the new levies. When the enemy were informed of his arrival, they resolved to send for another army and to encamp in a place of greater strength, and no longer out of contempt for the Romans to expose themselves to reckless danger, as before. These resolutions were quickly carried out; and the commanders of the two armies both came to the same decision regarding the war, namely, to defend their own entrenchments if they were attacked, but to make no attempt upon those of the enemy in the expectation of carrying them by assault. And meanwhile not a little time was wasted, because of their fear of making any attack upon each other. Nevertheless, they were not able to abide by betray resolutions to the end. For whenever any detachments were sent out to bring in provisions or anything else that was necessary to the two armies, there were encounters and blows were exchanged, and the victory did not always rest with the same side; and since they frequently clashed, not a few men were killed and more wounded. For the Romans the wastage of their army was made good by no replacements from any quarter; but the army of the Volscians was greatly increased by the arrival of one effort after another, and their generals, (p275) elated at this, led out the army from the camp ready for battle.