Texte grec :
| [8,67] Ὁ δ´ ἕτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Τῖτος Σίκκιος,
ὁ πεμφθεὶς ἐπὶ Οὐολούσκους, ὅσον ἦν κράτιστον τῆς
δυνάμεως μέρος ἀναλαβὼν εἰς τὴν Οὐελιτρανῶν χώραν
εἰσέβαλεν. ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἦν Τύλλος Ἄττιος ὁ τῶν
Οὐολούσκων ἡγεμὼν τὴν ἀκμαιοτάτην συσκευασάμενος
στρατιάν, γνώμην ἔχων τὰ συμμαχικὰ Ῥωμαίων κακῶσαι
πρῶτον, ὥσπερ ὁ Μάρκιος ἔδρασεν, ὅτ´ ἤρχετο
τοῦ πολέμου, δόξας ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ φόβῳ Ῥωμαίους ἔτι
διαμένειν καὶ μηδεμίαν τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν κινδυνεύουσι
πέμψειν ἐπικουρίαν. ὡς δ´ ὤφθησάν τε καὶ εἶδον
ἀλλήλας αἱ δυνάμεις, οὐδὲν ἔτι ἀναβαλόμεναι συνῄεσαν
εἰς ταὐτόν. ἦν δ´ ὁ χῶρος ὁ μεταξὺ τῶν στρατοπέδων, ἐν ᾧ τὴν
μάχην ἔδει γενέσθαι, λόφος πετρώδης
πολλαχῇ περικατεαγώς, ἔνθα οὐδετέροις ἡ ἵππος ἔμελλεν
ἔσεσθαι χρησίμη. μαθόντες δὲ τοῦθ´ οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἱππεῖς καὶ ἐν
αἰσχύνῃ θέμενοι, εἰ παρόντες τῷ
ἀγῶνι μηδὲν προσωφελήσουσιν, ἐδέοντο τοῦ ὑπάτου
προσελθόντες ἀθρόοι, ἐᾶσαι σφᾶς καταβάντας ἀπὸ τῶν
ἵππων μάχεσθαι πεζούς, εἰ τοῦτ´ αὐτῷ δοκεῖ κράτιστον
εἶναι. κἀκεῖνος πολλὰ ἐπαινέσας αὐτοὺς καταβιβάζει
τ´ ἀπὸ τῶν ἵππων, καὶ σὺν ἑαυτῷ τεταγμένους εἶχεν
ἐπισκόπους τε καὶ ἐπανορθωτὰς τοῦ κάμνοντος ἐσομένους· καὶ
ἐγένοντο τῆς τότε νίκης λαμπρᾶς σφόδρα
γενομένης οὗτοι Ῥωμαίοις αἴτιοι. τὸ μὲν γὰρ πεζὸν
ἀμφοτέρων πλήθει τ´ ἀνθρώπων ὡς μάλιστα ἦν καὶ
ὁπλισμοῖς ὁμοιότροπον, τάξεώς τε κόσμῳ καὶ μάχης
ἐμπειρίᾳ κατά τ´ ἐπαγωγὰς καὶ ὑποχωρήσεις πληγάς
τ´ αὖ καὶ φυλακὰς παραπλήσιον. μετέμαθον γὰρ οἱ
Οὐολοῦσκοι πάντα τὰ πολέμια, ἐξ οὗ Μάρκιον ἔσχον
ἡγεμόνα, καὶ εἰς τὰ Ῥωμαίων προσεχώρησαν ἔθη. διέμενον οὖν
ἐπὶ πλεῖστον χρόνον τῆς ἡμέρας ἀγχωμάλως
αἱ φάλαγγες ἀγωνιζόμεναι, καὶ ἡ τοῦ χωρίου φύσις
ἀνώμαλος οὖσα ἑκατέροις πολλὰ εἰς τὸ πλεονεκτεῖν
κατ´ ἀλλήλων παρείχετο. οἱ δ´ ἱππεῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων
διχῇ νείμαντες ἑαυτούς, οἱ μὲν κατὰ τὰ πλάγια τῶν
πολεμίων ἀπὸ τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρως ἐμβάλλουσιν, οἱ δὲ
περιελθόντες διὰ τοῦ λόφου τοῖς κατόπιν ἐπιρράττουσιν.
ἔπειθ´ οἱ μὲν εἰσακοντίζοντες τὰς λόγχας, οἱ δὲ τοὺς
ὁμόσε χωροῦντας τοῖς ἱππικοῖς ξίφεσι μακροτέροις οὖσι
κατὰ βραχιόνων παίοντες καὶ παρὰ τὰς ἀγκύλας καταφέροντες,
πολλῶν μὲν τὰς {ἀμυνομένας, ἢ σκεπούσας
τὰ σώματα} χεῖρας αὐτοῖς σκεπάσμασί τε καὶ ἀμυντηρίοις
ἀπέκοπτον, πολλοὺς δὲ γονάτων τε καὶ ἀστραγάλων πληγαῖς
βαθείαις ἀπὸ κρατίστης βάσεως ἐρρίπτουν
ἡμιθανεῖς. περιειστήκει τε πάντοθεν τοῖς Οὐολούσκοις τὸ δεινόν·
ἐκ μὲν γὰρ τῶν κατὰ πρόσωπον οἱ
πεζοὶ αὐτοῖς ἐνέκειντο, ἐκ δὲ τῶν πλαγίων τε καὶ τῶν
κατόπιν οἱ ἱππεῖς, ὥστε ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἀγαθοὶ γενόμενοι καὶ
πολλὰ ἔργα τόλμης τε καὶ ἐμπειρίας ἀποδειξάμενοι, μικροῦ δεῖν
πάντες οἱ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας ἔχοντες
κατεκόπησαν. οἱ δ´ ἐν μέσῃ τε τῇ φάλαγγι τεταγμένοι
καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου κέρως ἐπειδὴ τὸ δεξιόν τε παρερρηγμένον
εἶδον καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐπιόντας σφίσι
τοὺς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἱππεῖς, ἐξελίξαντες τοὺς λόχους
βάδην ἀπεχώρουν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα, καὶ οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων
ἱππεῖς ἐν τάξει ἠκολούθουν. ἐπεὶ δὲ πρὸς
τῷ ἐρύματι ἦσαν, ἑτέρα γίνεται μάχη τῶν ἱππέων ἐπιβαινόντων
τοῖς περισταυρώμασι κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη τοῦ
χάρακος ὀξεῖα καὶ παλίντροπος. πονουμένων δὲ τῶν
Ῥωμαίων ὁ ὕπατος κελεύσας τοῖς πεζοῖς ὕλην προσενέγκαντας
ἀποχῶσαι τὰς τάφρους, πρῶτος ἐχώρει κατὰ
τὸ ἐπίβατον ἔχων τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν ἱππέων ἐπὶ τὰς
ἐχυρωτάτας τοῦ χάρακος πύλας· ἀναστείλας δὲ τοὺς
πρὸ αὐτῶν μαχομένους καὶ τοὺς καταρράκτας τῶν πυλῶν
διακόψας ἐντὸς ἐγεγόνει τῶν ἐρυμάτων, καὶ τοὺς
ἐπιόντας τῶν σφετέρων πεζῶν ἐδέχετο. Τύλλος δ´
Ἄττιος ἔχων τοὺς ἐρρωμενεστάτους καὶ εὐτολμοτάτους
Οὐολούσκων ὁμόσε αὐτῷ χωρεῖ καὶ πολλὰ ἔργα γενναῖα
ἀποδειξάμενος· ἦν γὰρ ἀγωνιστὴς μὲν πολέμων
σφόδρ´ ἄλκιμος, στρατηγῆσαι δ´ οὐχ ἱκανός· ὑπὸ κόπου
τε καὶ πλήθους τραυμάτων καταπονηθεὶς ἀποθνήσκει.
τῶν δ´ ἄλλων Οὐολούσκων, ἐπειδὴ ὁ χάραξ ἡλίσκετο,
οἱ μὲν ἀγωνιζόμενοι κατεκόπησαν, οἱ δὲ τὰ ὅπλα ῥίψαντες πρὸς
ἱκεσίας τῶν κεκρατηκότων ἐτράποντο,
ὀλίγοι δέ τινες ἐπὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα φεύγοντες ἀπεσώθησαν.
ἀφικομένων δ´ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀγγέλων, οὓς ἀπέστειλαν οἱ
ὕπατοι, μεγίστη χαρὰ τὸν δῆμον κατέσχε, καὶ
αὐτίκα τοῖς μὲν θεοῖς χαριστηρίους ἐψηφίσαντο θυσίας,
τοῖς δ´ ὑπάτοις τὴν τῶν θριάμβων τιμὴν προσέθεσαν.
οὐ μέντοι τὴν αὐτήν γ´ ἀμφοτέροις· ἀλλὰ Σικκίῳ μέν,
ἐπειδὴ φόβου μείζονος ἠλευθερωκέναι ἐδόκει τὴν πόλιν
τὸν Οὐολούσκων ὑβριστὴν καθελὼν στρατὸν καὶ τὸν
ἡγεμόνα αὐτῶν ἀποκτείνας τὴν μείζονα πομπὴν ἐψηφίσαντο· καὶ
εἰσήλασεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἄγων τὰ λάφυρα καὶ
τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους καὶ τὴν συναγωνισαμένην δύναμιν
ἅρματι παρεμβεβηκὼς χρυσοχαλίνων ἵππων τὴν βασιλικὴν
ἠμφιεσμένος ἐσθῆτα, ὡς περὶ τοὺς μείζονας
θριάμβους νόμος. Ἀκυλλίῳ δὲ τὸν ἐλάττονα θρίαμβον
ἀπέδοσαν, ὃν αὐτοὶ καλοῦσιν οὐαστήν· δεδήλωται δέ
μοι διὰ τῶν προτέρων, ἣν ἔχει διαφορὰν οὗτος πρὸς
τὸν μείζονα· καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ ἀνὴρ πεζὸς τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς
πομπῆς ἐπαγόμενος. καὶ τὸ ἔτος τοῦτο ἐτελεύτα.
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Traduction française :
| [8,67] The other consul, Titus Siccius, who had been sent against the Volscians, took
with him the flower of the army and made an irruption into the territory of Velitrae.
For Tullus Attius, the Volscian general, was there with the most vigorous part of the
army, which he had assembled with the intention of (p197) first harassing the Romans'
allies as Marcius had done when he began the war, thinking that the Romans still
continued in the same state of fear and would not send any assistance to those who
were incurring danger for their sake. As soon as the two armies were seen by and saw
each other, they engaged without delay. The ground between their camps on which
the battle would have to take place was a rocky hill broken away in many parts of its
circuit, where the horse could be of no use to either side. The Roman cavalry,
observing this, thought it would be a shame for them to be present at the action
without assisting in it; and coming to the consul in a body, they begged him to permit
them to quit their horses and fight on foot, if this seemed best to him. He
commended them heartily, and ordering them to dismount, drew them up and kept
them with him to observe any part of the line that might be hard pressed and to go to
its relief; and they proved to be the cause of the very brilliant victory which the
Romans then gained. For the foot on both sides were remarkably alike both in
numbers and in armament, and were very similar in the tactical formation of their
lines and in their experience in fighting, whether in attacking or retreating, or again
in dealing blows or in warding them off. For the Volscians had changed all their
military tactics after securing Marcius as their commander, and had adopted the
customs of the Romans.
Accordingly, the legion aries of the two armies continued fighting the greater part of
the day with equal success; and the unevenness of the terrain afforded each side
many advantages against the other. The (p199) Roman horsemen having divided
themselves into two bodies, one of these attacked the enemy's right wing in flank,
while the other, going round the hill, stormed across it against their rear. Thereupon
some of them hurled their spears at the Volscians, and others with their cavalry
swords, which are longer than those of the infantry, struck all whom they
encountered on the arms and slashed them down to the elbows, cutting off the
forearms of many together with the clothing that covered them and their weapons of
defence, and by inflicting deep wounds on the knees and ankles of many others,
hurled them, no matter how firmly they had stood, half dead upon the ground. And
now danger encompassed the Volscians on every side, the foot pressing them in front
and the horse on their flank in the rear; so that, after having displayed bravery
beyond their strength and given many proofs of hardihood and experience, nearly all
who held the right wing were cut down. When those arrayed in the centre and on the
other wing saw their right wing broken and the Roman horse charging them in the
same manner, they caused their files to countermarch and retired slowly to their
camp; and the Roman horse followed, keeping their ranks.
When they were near the ramparts, there ensued another battle, as the horsemen
endeavoured to surmount the breastworks of the camp in my different places —
a battle that was sharp and of shifting fortunes. When the Romans found themselves
hard pressed, the consul ordered the foot to bring brushwood and fill up the ditches;
then, putting himself at the head of the bravest horsemen, he advanced (p201) over the
passage they had made to the strongest gate of the camp, and having driven back the
defenders in front of it and cut asunder the portcullis, he got inside the ramparts and
let in those of his foot who followed. Here Tullus Attius encountered him with the
sturdiest and most daring of the Volscians, and after performing many gallant deeds
— for he was a very valiant warrior, though not competent as a general — at last,
overcome by weariness and the many wounds he had received, he fell dead. As for the
other Volscians, as soon as their camp was being taken, some were slain while
fighting, others threw down their arms and turned to supplicating the conquerors,
while some few took to flight and got safely home.
When the couriers sent by the consuls arrived in Rome, the people were filled with
the greatest joy, and they immediately voted sacrifices of thanksgiving for the gods
and decreed the honour of a triumph to the consuls, though not the same to both. For
as Siccius was thought to have freed the state from the greater fear by destroying the
insolent army of the Volscians and killing their general, they granted to him the
greater triumph. He accordingly drove into the city with the spoils, the prisoners, and
the army that had fought under him, he himself riding in a chariot drawn by horses
with golden bridles and being arrayed in the royal robes, as is the custom in the
greater triumphs. To Aquilius they decreed the lesser triumph, which they call an
ovation (I have earlier shown the difference between this and the (p203) greater
triumph); and he entered the city on foot, bringing up the remainder of the
procession. Thus that year ended.
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