Texte grec :
| [8,66] Τῇ δ´ ἐπιούσῃ νυκτὶ ψόφος τ´ ἠκούετο
πολὺς ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος τῶν Ἑρνίκων καὶ βοή, καὶ πολλὰ
ἐφαίνετο σέλα λαμπάδων. ἀπογνόντες γὰρ ἔτι ἀνθέξειν ἑτέρᾳ
μάχῃ καταλιπεῖν τὸν χάρακα ἔγνωσαν
αὐτοκέλευστοι· καὶ τὸ ποιῆσαν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀταξίαν καὶ
βοὴν τοῦτ´ ἦν. ὡς γὰρ ἕκαστοι δυνάμεως εἶχον καὶ
τάχους, ἔφευγον ἐπιβοῶντές τ´ ἀλλήλους καὶ ἐπιβοώμενοι, τῶν δ´
ὑπολειπομένων διὰ τραύματα ἢ νόσους
οἰμωγὰς καὶ λιτανείας ἐν οὐδενὶ λόγῳ τιθέμενοι. τοῦτ´
ἀγνοοῦντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, πεπυσμένοι δὲ παρὰ τῶν
αἰχμαλώτων πρότερον, ὅτι δύναμις Ἑρνίκων ἑτέρα
μέλλοι βοηθὸς ἥξειν τοῖς σφετέροις, καὶ τὴν βοήν τε
καὶ ταραχὴν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐκείνων ἀφίξει γεγονέναι νομίζοντες, τά τ´
ὅπλα ἀνέλαβον καὶ τὸν χάρακα περιστεφανώσαντες, μή τις
ἔφοδος αὐτοῖς γένοιτο νύκτωρ, τοτὲ
μὲν ὅπλων κτύπον ἐποίουν ἀθρόοι, τοτὲ δ´ ὥσπερ εἰς
μάχην ὁρμώμενοι θαμινὰ ἐπηλάλαζον. τοῖς δ´ Ἕρνιξι
καὶ ταῦτα δέος μέγα παρεῖχε, καὶ ὡς διωκόμενοι πρὸς
τῶν πολεμίων σποράδες ἄλλοι κατ´ ἄλλας ὁδοὺς ἔθεον.
ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης, ἐπειδὴ ἀπήγγειλαν αὐτοῖς οἱ
πεμφθέντες ἐπὶ τὴν κατασκοπὴν ἱππεῖς, ὡς οὔτε δύναμις ἑτέρα
παρῄει σύμμαχος τοῖς πολεμίοις, οἵ τε τῇ
προτέρᾳ παραταξάμενοι μάχῃ πεφεύγασιν, ἐξαγαγὼν
τὴν δύναμιν ὁ Ἀκύλλιος τόν τε χάρακα τῶν πολεμίων
αἱρεῖ μεστὸν ὄντα ὑποζυγίων τε καὶ ἀγορᾶς καὶ ὅπλων,
καὶ τοὺς τραυματίας αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐλάττους ὄντας τῶν
πεφευγότων λαμβάνει, τήν τε ἵππον ἐκπέμψας ἐπὶ τοὺς
ἐσκεδασμένους ἀνὰ τὰς ὁδούς τε καὶ τὰς ὕλας πολλῶν
γίνεται σωμάτων ἐγκρατής· καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη τὴν Ἑρνίκων γῆν
ἐπῄει λεηλατῶν ἀδεῶς, οὐδενὸς ἔτι ὑπομένοντος εἰς χεῖρας ἰέναι.
ταῦτα μὲν Ἀκύλλιος ἔδρασεν.
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Traduction française :
| [8,66] The following night there was much noise and shouting heard in the camp of the
Hernicans, and the lights of many torches were seen. For the enemy, despairing of
being able to hold their own in another engagement, had resolved to leave their camp
of their own accord; and this was the cause of the disorder and shouting. For they
were fleeing with all the strength and speed which each man was capable of, calling to
and being called by one another, without showing the least regard for the
lamentations and entreaties of those who were being left behind on account of their
wounds and sickness. The Romans, who knew nothing of this but had been
(p195) informed earlier by the prisoners that another army of Hernicans was intending
to come to the aid of their countrymen, imagined that this shouting and tumult had
been occasioned by the arrival of those reinforcements, and they accordingly took up
their arms once more, and forming a circle about their entrenchments, for fear some
attack might be made upon them in the night, they would now make a din by all
clashing their weapons together at the same time and now raise their war-cry
repeatedly as if they were going into battle. The Hernicans were greatly alarmed at
this also, and believing themselves pursued by the enemy, dispersed and fled, some
by one road and some by another. When day came and the horse sent out to
reconnaitre had reported to the Romans that not only was there no fresh force
coming to the enemy's assistance, but that even those who had been arrayed in battle
the day before had fled, Aquilius marched out with his army and seized the enemy's
camp, which was full of beasts of burden, provisions, and arms, and also took captive
their wounded, not fewer in number than those who had fled; and sending the horse
in pursuit of such as were scattered along the roads and in the woods, he captured
many of them. Thereafter he overran the Hernican's territory and laid it waste with
impunity, no one any longer daring to encounter him. These were the exploits of
Aquilius.
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