History of Rome

​In the following year, Quintus Servilius—for he was consul with Spurius Postumius—having been sent against the Aequi, held a permanent camp in the Latin territory. A necessary rest kept the army, which was afflicted with disease, there.

​The war was prolonged into the third year under the consulship of Quintus Fabius and Titus Quinctius. To Fabius, out of the regular order, because he as victor had granted peace to the Aequi, that province was assigned.

​He, having set out with no doubtful hope that the reputation of his name would pacify the Aequi, ordered envoys sent to the council of the nation to announce that the consul Quintus Fabius said that he had brought peace to Rome from the Aequi, and was now bringing war to the Aequi from Rome with the same armed right hand which he had previously given to them in peace.

​That of whose bad faith and perjury this was happening, the gods were now witnesses, and would soon be the avengers. That he, however, whatever the case might be, even now preferred that the Aequi should repent of their own accord rather than suffer hostilities.

​If they should repent, there would be a safe retreat to his tried clemency; but if they should delight in perjury, they would wage war with the gods more angry than their enemies.

​These words so little moved anyone that the envoys were nearly violated, and an army was sent to Algidus against the Romans.

​When these things were reported to Rome, the indignity of the matter more than the danger aroused the other consul from the city. Thus, two consular armies approached the enemy in battle array, so as to fight immediately.

​But when by chance not much of the day remained, one man from the outpost of the enemy shouted:

”This is to make a show of war, Romans, not to wage it. You form your line of battle for the impending night; we need longer light for this conflict that lies before us. Return to the line of battle tomorrow at sunrise; there will be plenty of opportunity to fight; do not fear.”

​Provoked by these words, the soldiers were led back to the camp until the following day, thinking that a long night was coming which would delay the battle. Then indeed they refreshed their bodies with food and sleep; when it dawned on the next day, the Roman line stood in position considerably earlier; at length the Aequi also advanced.

​A fierce battle ensued on both sides, because the Roman fought with anger and hatred, and the consciousness of the danger contracted by their own fault and the despair of future credit thereafter compelled the Aequi to dare and try the utmost.

​The Aequi, however, did not withstand the Roman line; and when, having been repulsed, they had retreated into their own territory, with minds in no way more inclined toward peace, the fierce multitude reproached their leaders because the matter had been committed to a pitched battle, a mode of warfare in which the Roman excelled; they argued that the Aequi were better at devastating raids and incursions, ​and that many small bands scattered about carried on wars more successfully than the great mass of a single army.