Texte grec :
[8,16] Οἱ δὲ παρὰ τούτων τὴν ἀρχὴν παραλαβόντες,
Σπόριος Ναύτιος καὶ Σέξτος Φούριος, στρατιάν θ´
ὅσην ἐδύναντο πλείστην ἐκ τοῦ πολιτικοῦ κατεστήσαντο
καταλόγου, καὶ φρυκτωρίας καὶ σκοποὺς ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαιροτάτοις
φρουρίοις ἔταξαν, ἵνα μηδὲν ἀγνοήσωσι
τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας πραττομένων· χρήματά τε καὶ σῖτον
καὶ ὅπλα ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πολλὰ ἡτοιμάσαντο. τὰ μὲν
οὖν οἰκεῖα παρεσκεύαστο αὐτοῖς ὡς ἐνῆν ἄριστα, καὶ
οὐδὲν αὐτῶν ἔτι δεῖν ἐδόκει· τὰ δὲ συμμαχικὰ οὐχ
ἅπαντα ὑπήκουε προθύμως ἑκούσιά τ´ οὐκ ἦν, οἷα
συνάρασθαι τοῦ πολέμου, ὥστ´ οὐδὲ προσαναγκάζειν
αὐτὰ ἠξίουν φοβούμενοι προδοσίαν. ἤδη δέ τινα καὶ
ἀφίστατο αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ καὶ τοῖς Οὐολούσκοις
συνελάμβανε. πρῶτοι δ´ ἦρξαν Αἰκανοὶ τῆς ἀποστάσεως, ἅμα τῷ
συστῆναι τὸν πόλεμον εὐθὺς ἐλθόντες
ὡς τοὺς Οὐολούσκους καὶ συμμαχίαν μεθ´ ὅρκων συνθέμενοι,
στρατιάν τ´ ἀπέστειλαν οὗτοι τῷ Μαρκίῳ
πλείστην τε καὶ προθυμοτάτην. ἀρξαμένων δὲ τούτων
πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων συμμάχων κρύφα συνελάμβανον
τοῖς Οὐολούσκοις οὐκ ἀπὸ ψηφισμάτων οὐδ´ ἀπὸ κοινοῦ
δόγματος ἀποστέλλοντες αὐτοῖς τὰς συμμαχίας, εἰ
δέ τισιν ἦν βουλομένοις μετέχειν τῆς στρατείας τῶν
σφετέρων, οὐχ ὅπως ἀποτρέποντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρορμῶντες.
ἐγεγόνει τ´ ἐν οὐ πολλῷ χρόνῳ τοσαύτη
δύναμις περὶ τοὺς Οὐολούσκους, ὅσην οὐ πώποτ´ ἔσχον,
ὅτε μάλιστ´ ἤκμαζον ταῖς πόλεσιν· ἣν ἐπαγόμενος ὁ
Μάρκιος ἐνέβαλεν αὖθις εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων γῆν, καὶ
ἐγκαθεζόμενος ἡμέρας συχνὰς ἐδῄου τῆς γῆς, ὅσην ἐν
τῇ πρότερον εἰσβολῇ παρέλιπε. σωμάτων μὲν οὖν
ἐλευθέρων οὐκέτι πολλῶν ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο κατὰ ταύτην τὴν
στρατείαν· οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τὰ πλείστου ἄξια
συσκευασάμενοι παλαίτερον ἔτι κατεπεφεύγεσαν, οἱ μὲν
εἰς τὴν πόλιν, οἱ δ´ εἰς τὰ πλησίον φρούρια, εἴ τινα
ἦν ἐχυρώτατα· τὰ δὲ βοσκήματα αὐτῶν, ὅσα οὐχ οἷοί
τ´ ἦσαν ἀπελάσαι, καὶ τοὺς νέμοντας θεράποντας λαμβάνει τόν
τε σῖτον τὸν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἅλωσιν ἔτι κείμενον
καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους καρπούς, τοὺς μὲν ἐν χερσὶν ὄντας,
τοὺς δὲ καὶ συγκεκομισμένους ἀναιρεῖται. προνομεύσας
δὲ καὶ διαπορθήσας ἅπαντα οὐθενὸς ὁμόσε χωρῆσαι
τολμήσαντος ἀπῆγεν ἐπ´ οἴκου τὴν στρατιὰν βαρεῖαν
οὖσαν ἤδη τῷ πλήθει τῶν ὠφελειῶν καὶ σχολῇ πορευομένην.
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Traduction française :
[8,16] Those who assumed office after them, Spurius Nautius and Sextus Furius, raised
as large an army as they could from the register of citizens, and placed beacons and
lookouts in the most convenient fortresses, in order that they might not be unaware
of anything that passed in the country. They also got ready a great quantity of money,
corn and arms in a short time. These preparations at home, then, were made in the
best manner possible, and nothing now seemed to be wanting; but the allies did not
all obey their summons with alacrity nor were they disposed to assist them
voluntarily in the war, so that the consuls did not think fit to use compulsion either
with them, for fear of treachery. Indeed, some of the allies were already openly
revolting from them and aiding the Volscians. The Aequians had begun the revolt by
going at once to the Volscians as soon as the war arose and entering into an alliance
with them under oath; and these sent to Marcius a very numerous and zealous army.
After these had taken the lead, many of the other allies also secretly assisted the
Volscians and sent them reinforcements, though not in pursuance of any votes or
general decree, but if any of their people desired to take part in the campaign of
Marcius, they not only did not attempt to dissuade them, but even encouraged them.
Thus in a short time the Volscians had got so large an army as they had never
possessed when their cities had been in the most flourishing state. At the head of this
(p45) army Marcius made another irruption into the territory of the Romans, and
encamping there for many days, laid waste all the country which he had spared in his
former incursion. He did not, it is true, capture many persons of free condition on
this expedition; for the inhabitants had long since fled, after getting together
everything that was most valuable, some to Rome and others to such of the
neighbouring fortresses as were most capable of defence; but he took all the cattle
they had not been able to driven away, together with the slaves who tended them, and
carried off the corn, that still lay upon the threshing-floors, and all the other fruits of
the earth, whether then gathering or already gathered. Having ravaged and laid
everything waste, as none dared to come to grips with him, he led homeward his
army, which was now heavily burdened with the great amount of its spoils and was
proceeding in leisurely fashion.
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