[10,44] Ταῦθ´ ὁρῶσι τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐδόκει μηκέτι διατρίβειν τὸν πόλεμον. ἦν δ´ ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἡ τοῦ πολεμεῖν ἐξουσία Ῥωμιλίῳ προσήκουσα, καὶ ὁ τὸ σύνθημα διδοὺς καὶ εἰς τάξιν καθιστὰς ἄρχειν τε καὶ παύεσθαι μάχης τὸν καιρὸν ταμιεύων ἐκεῖνος ἦν· ὃς ἐπειδὴ τὰ σημεῖα ἐκέλευσεν ἀρθῆναι ἐκ τῆς μάχης καὶ προῆγεν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος τὸν στρατόν, τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἔτασσεν ἱππεῖς τε καὶ τοὺς πεζοὺς κατὰ σπείρας ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις ἑκάστους τόποις, τὸν δὲ Σίκκιον καλέσας λέγει· Ἡμεῖς μέν, ὦ Σίκκιε, μαχούμεθα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνθάδε, σὺ δ´ ἐν ὅσῳ μέλλομεν ἔτι καὶ παρασκευαζόμεθα τὰ πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἀμφότεροι, χώρει τὴν πλαγίαν ἐκείνην ὁδὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος, ἔνθα ἡ τῶν πολεμίων ἐστὶ παρεμβολή, καὶ μάχην τίθεσο πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῷ χάρακι, ἵν´ ἢ περὶ τῷ φρουρίῳ δείσαντες οἱ πρὸς ἡμᾶς μαχόμενοι καὶ βοηθεῖν προθυμούμενοι νῶτά τε δείξωσι καὶ εὐκατέργαστοι γένωνται, καθάπερ εἰκὸς ἐν ἀναχωρήσει ταχείᾳ, καὶ εἰς μίαν ὁδὸν ἅπαντες βιαζόμενοι, ἢ μένοντες αὐτόθι τὸν χάρακα ἀποβάλωσιν. οὔτε γὰρ ἡ φυλάττουσα αὐτὸν δύναμις ἀξιόμαχός ἐστιν, ὡς εἰκάσειεν ἄν τις, ἐπὶ τῷ ἐρυμνῷ τοῦ τόπου δοκοῦσα εἶναι πᾶν τὸ ἀσφαλές· ἥ τε ἅμα σοι δύναμις ἀποχρῶσα γένοιτ´ ἄν, ἄνδρες ὀκτακόσιοι πολλῶν ἀθληταὶ πολέμων, τεταραγμένους σκηνοφύλακας ἀπροσδόκητοι προσπεσόντες τῷ τολμηρῷ ἑλεῖν. καὶ ὁ Σίκκιος ἔφησεν· Ἀλλ´ ἔγωγε ἅπαντα μὲν ἕτοιμος ὑπηρετεῖν· τὸ μέντοι ἔργον οὐ ῥᾴδιον ὥσπερ σοι δοκεῖ. ὑψηλή τε γὰρ ἡ πέτρα καὶ ἀπότομος, ἐφ´ ἧς ὁ χάραξ, ὁδόν τε οὐδεμίαν ὁρῶ φέρουσαν ἐπ´ αὐτοὺς ἔξω τῆς μιᾶς, ᾗ καταβήσονται οἱ πολέμιοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, φυλακήν τ´ εἰκὸς ἀξιόμαχον εἶναι ἐν αὐτῇ· κἂν ὀλίγη δὲ πάνυ καὶ φαύλη τις οὖσα τύχῃ, πρὸς πολλῷ πλείονα ἢ τὴν σὺν ἐμοὶ δύναμιν ἀντέχειν οἵα τε ἔσται, τό τε χωρίον αὐτὸ παρέξει τῇ φυλακῇ τοῦ μὴ ἁλώσεσθαι τὸ ἀσφαλές. ἀλλὰ μάλιστα μὲν ἀνάθου τὴν γνώμην - ἡ πεῖρα γὰρ ἐπισφαλής - εἰ δὲ πάντως ἔγνωσταί σοι δύο τίθεσθαι μάχας ἐν ἑνὶ καιρῷ, δύναμιν ἀξιόχρεων ἀνδρῶν ἐπιλέκτων τάξον ἀκολουθεῖν μοι σὺν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις. οὐ γὰρ κλέψοντες τὸ χωρίον, ἀλλὰ βίᾳ καὶ φανερῶς ἐξελοῦντες ἄνιμεν.

[10,44] The consuls, seeing this, resolved to put off the fighting no longer. During those days it was Romilius' turn to decide whether to fight or not, and it was he who gave the watchword, drew up the army and determined the proper moment both for beginning and for ending battle. He, having ordered (p315) the battle standards to be raised and led his army out of the camp, posted the horse and foot according to their companies, each in their proper places, and then, summoning Siccius, said: "We, Siccius, are going to engage the enemy here; but as for you, while we are still waiting and preparing on both sides for the contest, do you march by yonder transverse road to the top of the hill where the enemy's camp is placed and give battle to the men inside, in order that those who are engaged with us may either, fearing for their stronghold and eager to relieve it, show their backs and thus be easily defeated, as likely they will be when they are making a hasty retreat and are all forcing their way into one road, or may, by staying here, lose their camp. For not only is the force guarding it not a match for you, in all probability, believing as it does that its whole security depends on the natural strength of the position, but the force with you, eight hundred men, veterans of many wars, should be sufficient to capture by a bold stroke mere tent-guards when thrown into confusion by your unexpected attack." And Siccius replied: "For my part, I am ready to obey in everything; but the task is not so easy as it seems to you. For the cliff on which the camp is situated is lofty and steep, and I see no road leading to it except the one by which the enemy will come down against us, and it is probable that there is an adequate guard placed over it; but even if it should chance to be a very small and weak one, it will be able to hold out against a much larger force than the one I have, and the place itself will afford the guard security against being captured. (p317) Do then, if possible, reconsider your purpose, for the attempt is hazardous; but if you are absolutely determined to fight two battles at the same time, then order a sufficient force of chosen men to follow me and the older men. For we are not going up to take the place by surprise, but by main force and openly."