§13.1ἔτι δὲ αὐτὸς μὲν ἤδη πρεσβύτερος ἦν καί τι καί πρὸς ἀνειμένην ἤδη καί τρυφερὰν δίαιταν ἐκ πολλῶν ἀγώνων καί μεγάλων ἐνδεδωκώς, τῷ δὲ Σερτωρίῳ συνειστήκει πνεύματος ἀκμαίου γέμοντι καί κατεσκευασμένον ἔχοντι θαυμασίως τὸ σῶμα ῥώμῃ καί τάχει καί λιτότητι.
Furthermore, he himself was already rather old and had somewhat given in to an already relaxed and luxurious way of life after many great struggles, whereas he was opposed to Sertorius, who was full of vigorous spirit and had his body wonderfully trained in strength, speed, and simplicity.
§13.2μέθης μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ ῥᾳθυμῶν ἥπτετο, πόνους δὲ μεγάλους καί μακρὰς ὁδοιπορίας καί συνεχεῖς ἀγρυπνίας ὀλίγοις εἴθιστο καί φαύλοις ἀρκούμενος σιτίοις διαφέρειν, πλάνοις δὲ χρώμενος ἀεὶ καί κυνηγεσίοις ὁπότε σχολάζοι, πάσης διεκδύσεως φεύγοντι καί διώκοντι κυκλώσεως ἀβάτων τε καί βασίμων τόπων ἐμπειρίαν προσειλήφει.
For he did not touch strong drink even when at leisure, and was accustomed to endure great labors, long marches, and continuous sleeplessness, contenting himself with little and simple food; and by constantly practicing wandering and hunting whenever he had leisure, he had acquired experience in every way of escape when fleeing and in every way of surrounding when pursuing, and of both impassable and passable places.
διὸ τῷ μὲν εἰργομένῳ μάχης ὅσα νικώμενοι πάσχουσιν ἄνθρωποι βλάπτεσθαι συνέβαινεν, ὁ δὲ τῷ φεύγειν εἶχε τὰ τῶν διωκόντων.
Therefore, it happened that the one who was barred from battle suffered all the damage that defeated men usually suffer, while the other, by fleeing, possessed the advantages of those who pursue.
§13.3καί γὰρ ὑδρείας ἀπέκοπτε καί σιτολογίας εἶργε, καί προϊόντι μὲν ἐκποδὼν ἦν, ἐκίνει δὲ ἱδρυνθέντα, πολιορκοῦντι δὲ ἄλλους ἐπιφαινόμενος ἀντεπολιόρκει ταῖς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπορίαις, ὥστε τοὺς στρατιώτας ἀπαγορεύειν, καί τοῦ Σερτωρίου μονομαχῆσαι προκαλουμένου τὸν Μέτελλον, βοᾶν καί κελεύειν μάχεσθαι στρατηγὸν στρατηγῷ καί Ῥωμαῖον Ῥωμαίῳ, ἀναδυόμενον δὲ χλευάζειν.
For he cut off their water supplies and prevented their foraging; when Metellus advanced, Sertorius kept out of the way, but when he settled down, he harassed him; and when Metellus was besieging others, Sertorius would appear and besiege him in turn by cutting off necessary supplies, so that the soldiers grew exhausted, and when Sertorius challenged Metellus to single combat, they shouted and ordered him to fight, general against general and Roman against Roman, and mocked him when he declined.
§13.4ὁ δὲ τούτων μὲν, εὖ ποιῶν, κατεγέλα·
But Metellus, acting wisely, laughed at this; for, as Theophrastus said, a general ought to die the death of a general, not that of any common targeteer.
στρατηγοῦ γὰρ, ὡς ἔφη Θεόφραστος, δεῖ θάνατον ἀποθνῄσκειν τὸν στρατηγόν, οὐ πελταστοῦ τοῦ τυχόντος, ὁρῶν δὲ τοὺς Λαγγοβρίγας οὐ μικρὰ τῷ Σερτωρίῳ συλλαμβανομένους, δίψῃ δὲ ὄντας εὐαλώτους ἓν γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῖς φρέαρ ἐν τῇ πόλει, τῶν δʼ ἐν τοῖς προαστείοις καί παρὰ τὰ τείχη ναμάτων ὁ πολιορκῶν ἐπικρατεῖν ἔμελλεν, ἧκεν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ὡς ἡμέραις δυσὶ συναιρήσων τὴν πολιορκίαν, ὕδατος οὐκ ὄντος.
However, seeing that the Langobrigae were giving no small assistance to Sertorius, and that they were easy to capture through thirst—for they had only one well in the city, and the besieger was bound to master the springs in the suburbs and near the walls—he marched against the city, thinking to finish the siege within two days because of the lack of water.
διὸ καί πέντε ἡμερῶν ἐπιφέρεσθαι σιτία μόνον προείρητο τοῖς στρατιώταις.
For this reason, orders had been given to the soldiers to carry provisions for only five days.
§13.5ὁ Σερτώριος δʼ ὀξέως βοηθήσας ἐκέλευσε δισχιλίους ἀσκοὺς ὕδατος ἐμπλῆσαι, καθʼ ἕκαστον ἀσκὸν ἀργύριον συχνὸν τάξας.
But Sertorius, coming quickly to their aid, ordered two thousand skins to be filled with water, having appointed a large sum of money for each skin.
καί πολλῶν μὲν Ἰβήρων, πολλῶν δὲ Μαυρουσίων ὑφισταμένων τὸ ἔργον, ἐπιλεξάμενος ἄνδρας εὐρώστους ἅμα καί ποδώκεις ἔπεμψε διὰ τῆς ὀρεινῆς, κελεύσας, ὅταν παραδῶσι τοὺς ἀσκοὺς τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει, τὸν ἄχρηστον ὑπεξαγαγεῖν ὄχλον, ὅπως ἐξαρκῇ τοῖς ἀμυνομένοις τὸ ποτόν.
And since many Iberians and many Maurusians undertook the task, he selected men who were strong as well as swift of foot and sent them through the mountainous country, ordering them, when they delivered the skins to those in the city, to bring away the useless multitude, so that the drink might suffice for those who were defending it.
§13.6ἐκπύστου δὲ τούτου γενομένου πρὸς τὸν Μέτελλον, ἤχθετο μὲν ἤδη τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὑπαναλωκότων, ἐξέπεμψε δὲ ἐπὶ σιτολογίαν Ἀκυῗνον ἑξακισχιλίων ἡγούμενον.
When this became known to Metellus, he was already distressed because his soldiers had consumed their provisions, and he sent out Aquinus with six thousand men to forage.
αἰσθόμενος δὲ ὁ Σερτώριος καί προλοχίσας τὴν ὁδόν ἐπανερχομένῳ τῷ Ἀκυΐνῳ τρισχιλίους ἄνδρας ἔκ τινος συσκίου χαράδρας ἐπανίστησιν, αὐτὸς δὲ κατὰ στόμα προσβαλὼν τρέπεται, καί τοὺς μὲν διαφθείρει, τοὺς δὲ λαμβάνει ζῶντας.
But Sertorius, perceiving this, laid an ambush on the way, and when Aquinus was returning, he raised up three thousand men against him from a shaded ravine, while he himself attacked him in front, routed his force, and killed some and took others alive.
Ἀκυῗνον δὲ μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων καί τὸν ἵππον ἀποβεβληκότα δεξάμενος Μέτελλος αἰσχρῶς ἀπῄει, πολλὰ χλευαζόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰβήρων.
Having received Aquinus, who had lost both his arms and his horse, Metellus retreated disgracefully, being mocked in many ways by the Iberians.