[15,8] Τοιαῦτα τοῦ Ῥωμαίου λέξαντος βουλευσάμενοι καθ´ αὑτοὺς οἱ πρόβουλοι τῶν Σαυνιτῶν τοιαύτην ἐξήνεγκαν ἀπόκρισιν· Τοῦ μὲν ὀψισμοῦ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν κατὰ Λατίνων πόλεμον συμμαχίας οὐ τὸ κοινὸν αἴτιον - ἐψηφισάμεθα γὰρ ἀποσταλῆναι τὴν στρατιὰν ὑμῖν - οἱ δὲ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἔχοντες αὐτῆς πλείονα χρόνον ἀναλώσαντες ἐν τῇ παρασκευῇ, καὶ ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ θᾶττον ἐπειχθέντες ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα. τρισὶ γοῦν ἢ τέτταρσιν ἡμέραις ὕστερον τῆς μάχης οἱ πεμφθέντες ὑφ´ ἡμῶν ἀφίκοντο. περὶ δὲ τῆς Νεαπολιτῶν πόλεως, ἐν ᾗ τῶν ἡμετέρων τινές εἰσιν, τοσούτου δέομεν ἀδικεῖν ὑμᾶς, εἴ τινα τοῖς κινδυνεύουσι βοήθειαν εἰς σωτηρίαν κοινῇ παρεχόμεθα, ὥστ´ αὐτοὶ δοκοῦμεν ὑφ´ ὑμῶν ἀδικεῖσθαι μεγάλα. φίλην γὰρ ἡμῶν καὶ σύμμαχον οὖσαν τὴν πόλιν ταύτην οὐκ ἔναγχος οὐδ´ ἀφ´ οὗ τὰς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐποιησάμεθα ὁμολογίας, ἀλλὰ δευτέρᾳ γενεᾷ πρότερον διὰ πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας εὐεργεσίας, οὐθὲν ἀδικηθέντες ὑμεῖς κατεδουλώσασθε. Οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τούτῳ γε τῷ ἔργῳ τὸ κοινὸν ὑμᾶς τῶν Σαυνιτῶν ἠδίκησεν· ἰδιόξενοι δέ τινές εἰσιν, ὡς πυνθανόμεθα, καὶ φίλοι τῶν Νεαπολιτῶν οἱ κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν προαίρεσιν τῇ πόλει βοηθοῦντες καί τινες καὶ δι´ ἀπορίαν ἴσως βίου μισθοφόροι. φέρειν δὲ τοὺς ὑπηκόους ὑμῶν οὐθὲν δεόμεθα· καὶ γὰρ ἄνευ Φουνδανῶν καὶ Φορμιανῶν ἱκανοὶ βοηθεῖν αὑτοῖς ἐσμεν, ἐὰν καταστῶμεν εἰς ἀνάγκην πολέμου. ἡ δὲ παρασκευὴ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἡμῶν ἐστιν οὐχ ὡς ἀφαιρησομένων τοὺς ὑμετέρους ἀποίκους τὰ ἴδια, ἀλλ´ ὡς τὰ ἴδια ἑξόντων διὰ φυλακῆς. ἀντιπροκαλούμεθά τε ὑμᾶς, εἰ βούλεσθε τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν, ἐκχωρεῖν Φρεγέλλης, ἣν οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ πολέμῳ κρατησάντων ἡμῶν, ὅσπερ ἐστὶ νόμος κτήσεως δικαιότατος, ὑμεῖς οὐδενὶ δικαίῳ σφετερισάμενοι δεύτερον ἔτος ἤδη κατέχετε. τούτων ἡμεῖς τυχόντες οὐδὲν ὑποληψόμεθα ἀδικεῖσθαι.

[15,8] When the Roman had spoken to this effect, the deputies of the Samnites, after consulting together, delivered the following reply: 2 "For the delay on the part of our contingent in going to war against the Latins the state is not to blame — for we voted that the army should be sent to you — but rather those in command of it, who spent too much (p309) time in preparation, and you yourselves, who were too hasty in rushing into the struggle. In any case it was only three or four days after the battle that the troops sent by us arrived. 3 As for the city of Neapolis, in which there are some of our troops, far from wronging you if we as a state contribute some aid toward the safety of those who are in danger, it is rather we ourselves who seem to be greatly wronged by you. For, though this city had become our friend and ally, not just recently nor from the time when we made our compact with you, but two generations earlier, in return for many great services, you enslaved it, though you had been wronged in no respect. 5 Yet not even in this action has the Samnite state wronged you; rather it is some men connected by private ties of hospitality, as we learn, and friends of the Neapolitans who are aiding that city of their own free will, together with some also who through lack of a livelihood, perhaps, are serving as mercenaries. As for stealing away your subjects, we have no need of such a course; for even without the Fundans and Formians we are quite able to succour ourselves if we are driven to the necessity of war. 4 The getting of our army in readiness is not the act of those who are intending to rob your colonists of their possessions, but rather of those who intend to keep their own possessions under guard. We ask you in turn, if you wish to pursue the just course, to retire from Fregellae, which, after we had conquered it in war (p311) a short time ago — and this is the most just title to possession — you appropriated with no show of justice and now hold for the second year. If we on our side gain these points, we shall not feel that we are wronged in any respect."