§4.1ὡς οὖν ταῦτʼ ἔδοξεν, ἀποδειχθεὶς δικτάτωρ Φάβιος, καὶ ἀποδείξας αὐτὸς ἵππαρχον Μᾶρκον Μινούκιον, πρῶτον μὲν ᾐτήσατο τὴν σύγκλητον ἵππῳ χρῆσθαι παρὰ τάς στρατείας.
When, therefore, these things were resolved, Fabius, having been appointed dictator, and having himself appointed Marcus Minucius master of horse, first of all requested the senate for permission to use a horse during his campaigns.
οὐ γὰρ ἐξῆν, ἀλλʼ ἀπηγόρευτο κατὰ δή τινα νόμον παλαιόν, εἴτε τῆς ἀλκῆς τὸ πλεῖστον ἐν τῷ πεζῷ τιθεμένων καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν στρατηγὸν οἰομένων δεῖν παραμένειν τῇ φάλαγγι καὶ μὴ προλείπειν, εἴθʼ, ὅτι τυραννικὸν εἰς ἅπαντα τἆλλα καὶ μέγα τὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς κράτος ἐστίν, ἔν γε τούτῳ βουλομένων τὸν δικτάτορα τοῦ δήμου φαίνεσθαι δεόμενον.
For it was not permitted, but was forbidden according to a certain ancient law, whether because they placed the chief part of their strength in the infantry, and for this reason thought that the general ought to remain with the phalanx and not abandon it; or because, while the power of the office was in all other respects tyrannical and great, in this point at least they wished the dictator to appear to stand in need of the people.
§4.2οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Φάβιος εὐθὺς ἐνδείξασθαι θέλων τῆς ἀρχῆς τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸν ὄγκον, ὡς μᾶλλον ὑπηκόοις χρῷτο καὶ πειθηνίοις τοῖς πολίταις, προῆλθε συνενεγκάμενος εἰς ταὐτὸ ῥαβδουχίας εἰκοσιτέσσαρας· καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου τῶν ὑπάτων ἀπαντῶντος αὐτῷ τὸν ὑπηρέτην πέμψας ἐκέλευσε τοὺς ῥαβδούχους ἀπαλλάξαι καὶ τὰ παράσημα τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀποθέμενον ἰδιώτην ἀπαντᾶν.
Nevertheless, Fabius himself, wishing from the first to display the greatness and majesty of his office, so that he might find the citizens more submissive and obedient to him, went forth with twenty-four lictors gathered together; and when the other of the consuls came to meet him, he sent his officer and ordered him to dismiss his lictors, and, laying aside the insignia of his office, to meet him as a private citizen.
§4.3μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καλλίστην ἀρχόμενος ἐκ θεῶν ἀρχήν, καὶ διδάσκων τὸν δῆμον ὡς ὀλιγωρίᾳ καὶ περιφρονήσει τοῦ στρατηγοῦ πρὸς τὸ δαιμόνιον, οὐ μοχθηρίᾳ τῶν ἀγωνισαμένων σφαλέντα, προὔτρεπε μὴ δεδιέναι τοὺς ἐχθρούς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐξευμενίζεσθαι καὶ τιμᾶν, οὐ δεισιδαιμονίαν ἐνεργαζόμενος, ἀλλὰ θαρρύνων εὐσεβείᾳ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ ταῖς παρὰ τῶν θεῶν ἐλπίσι τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων φόβον ἀφαιρῶν καὶ παραμυθούμενος.
After this, making a most excellent beginning with the gods, and teaching the people that it was because of the general's neglect and contempt of the divine power, and not through the cowardice of the combatants, that their affairs had failed, he exhorted them not to fear the enemy, but to propitiate and honor the gods, not instilling superstition into them, but encouraging their courage with piety, and by means of hopes derived from the gods, removing and soothing their fear of the enemy.
§4.4ἐκινήθησαν δὲ τότε πολλαὶ καὶ τῶν ἀπορρήτων καὶ χρησιμ́ων αὐτοῖς βίβλων, ἃς Σιβυλλείους καλοῦσι· καὶ λέγεται συνδραμεῖν ἔνια τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἐν αὐταῖς λογίων πρὸς τάς τύχας καὶ τάς πράξεις ἐκείνας.
At that time also, many of the secret books that were useful to them, which they call Sibylline, were consulted; and it is said that some of the oracles preserved in them coincided with those fortunes and events.
καὶ τὸ μὲν γνωσθὲν οὐκ ἦν ἑτέρῳ πυθέσθαι· προελθὼν δὲ ὁ δικτάτωρ εἰς τὸν ὄχλον εὔξατο τοῖς θεοῖς ἐνιαυτοῦ μὲν αἰγῶν καὶ σνῶν καὶ προβάτων καὶ βοῶν ἐπιγονήν, ὅσην Ἰταλίας ὄρη καὶ πεδία καὶ ποταμοὶ καὶ λειμῶνες εἰς ὥραν ἐσομένην θρέψουσι, καταθύσειν ἅπαντα, θέας δὲ μουσικὰς καὶ θυμελικὰς ἄξειν ἀπὸ σηστερτίων τριακοσίων τριάκοντα τριῶν καὶ δηναρίων τριακοσίων τριάκοντα τριῶν ἔτι τριτημορίου προσόντος.
And what was made known could not be learned by any other; but the dictator, coming before the multitude, made a vow to the gods that he would sacrifice the entire offspring of a year's goats, swine, sheep, and cattle, as many as the mountains, plains, rivers, and meadows of Italy should breed in the coming spring season, and that he would celebrate musical and theatrical spectacles at an expense of three hundred and thirty-three thousand sesterces, and three hundred and thirty-three denarii, with one third of a denarius besides.
§4.5τοῦτο τὸ κεφάλαιόν ἐστιν ὀκτὼ μυριάδες δραχμῶν καὶ δραχμαὶ τρισχίλιαι πεντακόσιαι ὀγδοήκοντα τρεῖς καὶ δύο ὀβολοί.
This sum is eighty-three thousand five hundred and eighty-three drachmas and two obols.
λόγον δὲ τῆς εἰς τοῦτο τοῦ πλήθους ἀκριβείας καὶ διανομῆς χαλεπόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, εἰ μή τις ἄρα βούλοιτο τῆς τριάδος ὑμνεῖν τὴν δύναμιν, ὅτι καὶ φύσει τέλειος καὶ πρῶτος τῶν περιττῶν ἀρχή τε πλήθους ἐν αὑτῷ τάς τε πρώτας διαφορὰς καὶ τὰ παντὸς ἀριθμοῦ στοιχεῖα μίξας καὶ συναρμόσας εἰς ταὐτὸν ἀνείληφεν.
And it is difficult to state the reason for the exactness of this number and its division, unless indeed one should wish to praise the power of the triad, since it is perfect by nature, and the first of the odd numbers, and the beginning of multitude, having contained within itself, mixed and harmonized into one, the first differences and the elements of every number.