§13.1μετὰ δὲ τὴν μάχην Φάβιος μὲν ὅσους ἔκτεινε τῶν πολεμίων σκυλεύσας ἀνεχώρησεν, οὐδὲν ὑπερήφανον οὐδʼ ἐπαχθὲς εἰπὼν περὶ τοῦ συνάρχοντος· Μινούκιος δὲ τὴν αὑτοῦ στρατιὰν ἀθροίσας,
ἄνδρες,
ἔφη,
συστρατιῶται, τὸ μ?ὲν ἁμαρτεῖν μηδὲν ἐν πράγμασι μεγάλοις μεῖζον ἢ
κατʼ ἄνθρωπόν ἐστι, τὸ δʼ ἁμαρτόντα χρήσασθαι τοῖς πταίσμασι διδάγμασι πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ καὶ νοῦν ἔχοντος. §13.2ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ὁμολογῶ μικρὰ μεμφόμενος τὴν τύχην περὶ μειζόνων ἐπαινεῖν.
\nAfter the battle, Fabius, having despoiled as many of the enemy as he had slain, withdrew, saying nothing haughty or offensive about his colleague; while Minucius, having assembled his own army, said:\n"Men, fellow-soldiers, to make no mistake at all in great matters is something greater than is according to human nature; but after making a mistake, to use one's failures as lessons for the future is the part of a good and sensible man.\n\nI, then, confess that while finding fault with fortune in small things, I praise her for greater ones.
ἃ γὰρ οὐκ ᾐσθόμην χρόνον τοσοῦτον, ἡμέρας μέρει μικρῷ πεπαίδευμαι, γνοὺς ἐμαυτὸν οὐκ ἄρχειν ἑτέρων δυνάμενον, ἀλλʼ ἄρχοντος ἑτέρου δεόμενον καὶ φιλοτιμούμενον νικᾶν ὑφʼ ὧν ἡττᾶσθαι κάλλιον.
For what I did not perceive for so long a time, I have been taught in a small part of a day, learning that I am not able to rule others, but stand in need of another to rule me, and that I was ambitious to conquer those by whom it is more honorable to be defeated.
ὑμῖν δὲ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἐστὶν ἄρχων ὁ δικτάτωρ, τῆς δὲ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον εὐχαριστίας αὐτὸς ἡγεμὼν ἔσομαι, πρῶτον ἐμαυτὸν εὐπειθῆ καὶ ποιοῦντα τὸ κελευόμενον ὑπʼ ἐκείνου παρεχόμενος. §13.3ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν καὶ τοὺς ἀετοὺς ἄρασθαι κελεύσας καὶ πάντας ἀκολουθεῖν, ἦγε πρὸς τὸν χάρακα τοῦ Φαβίου.
For you, the dictator is leader in all other things, but in gratitude toward him, I myself shall be your leader, showing myself first of all obedient and doing what is commanded by him."\n\nHaving said this, and ordering the eagles to be raised and all to follow, he led them to the camp of Fabius.
καὶ παρελθὼν ἐντὸς ἐβάδιζεν ἐπὶ τὴν στρατηγικὴν σκηνήν, ὥστε θαυμάζειν καὶ διαπορεῖν πάντας.
And having gone inside, he proceeded toward the general's tent, so that all wondered and were perplexed.
προελθόντος δὲ τοῦ Φαβίου θέμενος ἔμπροσθεν τὰς σημαίας αὐτὸς μὲν ἐκεῖνον πατέρα μεγάλῃ φωνῇ, οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται τοὺς στρατιώτας πάτρωνας ἠσπάζοντο. τοῦτο δʼ ἔστι τοῖς ἀπελευθέροις προσφώνημα πρὸς τοὺς ἀπελευθερώσαντας. §13.4ἡσυχίας δὲ γενομένης ὁ Μινούκιος εἶπε· δύο νίκας, ὦ δίκτατορ, τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ νενίκηκας, ἀνδρείᾳ μὲν Ἀννίβαν, εὐβουλίᾳ δὲ καὶ χρηστότητι τὸν συνάρχοντα·
And when Fabius came out, Minucius set the standards before him, and he himself greeted Fabius as "Father" with a loud voice, while his soldiers greeted the other soldiers as "patrons." And this is the address used by freedmen to those who have set them free.\n\nWhen silence was restored, Minucius said:\n"You have won two victories today, O dictator: one over Hannibal by your valor, and another over your colleague by your wisdom and goodness.
καὶ διʼ ἧς μὲν σέσωκας ἡμᾶς, διʼ ἧς δὲ πεπαίδευκας, ἡττωμένους αἰσχρὰν μὲν ἧτταν ὑπʼ ἐκείνου, καλὴν δὲ καὶ σωτήριον ὑπὸ σοῦ. §13.5πατέρα δή σε χρηστὸν προσαγορεύω, τιμιωτέραν οὐκ ἔχων προσηγορίαν, ἐπεὶ τῆς γε τοῦ τεκόντος χάριτος μείζων ἡ παρὰ σοῦ χάρις αὕτη.
By the one you saved us, and by the other you instructed us, after we had suffered a shameful defeat from him, but a noble and saving defeat from you.\n\nTherefore I call you a good father, having no more honorable title to give you; since indeed this favor from you is greater than that from my own father.
ἐγεννήθην μὲν γὰρ ὑπʼ ἐκείνου μόνος, σῴζομαι δὲ ὑπὸ σοῦ μετὰ τοσούτων
ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν καὶ περιβαλὼν τὸν Φάβιον ἠσπάζετο.
For by him I was begotten alone, but by you I am saved together with so many."\nHaving said this, he embraced Fabius and kissed him.
τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἦν ὁρᾶν πράττοντας· ἐνεφύοντο γὰρ ἀλλήλοις καὶ κατεφίλουν, ὥστε μεστὸν εἶναι χαρᾶς καὶ δακρύων ἡδίστων τὸ στρατόπεδον.
And one could see the soldiers doing the very same thing; for they fell upon one another's necks and kissed each other, so that the camp was full of joy and most sweet tears.