§17.1οὐδενὸς δὲ ἧττον αὐτοῦ τῶν πολεμικῶν ἔργων ἐθαυμάσθη τὸ περὶ τοὺς λεγομένους Χαρακιτανούς.
But none of his military exploits was more admired than that concerning the so-called Characitani.
εἰσὶ δὲ δῆμος ὑπὲρ τόν Ταγώνιον ποταμόν, οὐκ ἄστεσιν οὐδὲ κώμαις ἐνοικοῦντες, ἀλλὰ λόφος ἐστὶν εὐμεγέθης καὶ ὑψηλός ἄντρα καὶ κοιλώματα πετρῶν βλέποντα πρὸς βορέαν περιέχων, ἡ δʼ ὑποκειμένη πᾶσα χώρα πηλὸν ἀργιλώδη καὶ γῆν ὑπὸ χαυνότητος εὔθρυπτον ἀναδίδωσιν, οὔτε τοὺς ἐπιβαίνοντας ἀνέχεσθαι καρτεράν, καὶ μικρὸν ἁψαμένων, ὥσπερ ἄσβεστον ἢ τέφραν, ἐπὶ πολὺ διαχεομένην.
They are a people beyond the Tagonius River, living not in cities or villages, but on a large and high hill containing caves and hollows of rocks facing north. The entire land lying below yields clayey mud and soil which is easily crumbled by its looseness, not firm enough to bear those who step on it, and if touched slightly, dispersing widely like slaked lime or ashes.
§17.2τῶν οὖν βαρβάρων, ὁσάκις φόβῳ πολέμου καταδύντες εἰς τὰ σπήλαια καὶ τὴν λείαν εἴσω συναγαγόντες ἀτρεμοῖεν, ὄντων ἀλήπτων ὑπὸ βίας, τόν δὲ Σερτώριον τότε διακεκριμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ Μετέλλου καὶ καταστρατοπεδεύσαντα παρὰ τόν λόφον ὑπερφρονούντων ὡς κεκρατημένον, εἴτε ὑπʼ ὀργῆς ἐκεῖνος εἴτε μὴ δοκεῖν φεύγειν βουλόμενος ἅμʼ ἡμέρᾳ προσελάσας κατεσκέπτετο τόν τόπον.
Therefore, whenever these barbarians, retreating into their caves out of fear of war and gathering their booty inside, remained quiet, they were invincible by force. And since they looked down upon Sertorius, who had then separated from Metellus and encamped by the hill, as a defeated man, he—whether out of anger or because he did not want to appear to be fleeing—rode up at daybreak and reconnoitered the place.
§17.3οὐδαμόθεν δὲ προσβολὴν ἔχοντος, ἄλλως ἀλύων καὶ κεναῖς χρώμενος ἀπειλαῖς ὁρᾷ τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης κονιορτὸν ἄνω πολὺν ὑπὸ πνεύματος ἐπʼ αὐτούς φερόμενον.
But as the hill offered no point of attack from any side, while he was in perplexity and making empty threats, he saw a great amount of dust from that earth being carried up by the wind against them.
τέτραπται μὲν γὰρ, ὡς ἔφην, τὰ σπήλαια πρὸς βορέαν, ὁ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἄρκτου πνέων ἄνεμος, Καικίαν ἔνιοι καχοῦσιν, ἐπέχει μάλιστα καὶ πλεῖστός ἐστι τῶν ἐκεῖ πνευμάτων, ἐξ ὑγρῶν πεδίων καὶ νιφοβόλων συμφυσώμενος ὀρῶν· τότε δὲ καὶ θέρους ἀκμάζοντος ἰσχύων καὶ τρεφόμενος τῇ τῶν ὑπαρκτίων ἀνέσει πάγων ἥδιστος ἐπέπνει καὶ κατεῖχεν αὐτούς τε καὶ βοτὰ διʼ ἡμέρας ἀναψύχων.
For, as I said, the caves are turned toward the north, and the wind blowing from the north, which some call Caecias, is the most prevalent and strongest of the winds there, blowing together from wet plains and snow-covered mountains; and at that time, when summer was at its height, being strong and nourished by the melting of the northern ice, it blew most pleasantly and prevailed, refreshing both them and their cattle throughout the day.
§17.4ταῦτα δὴ συλλογιζόμενος ὁ Σερτώριος καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐγχωρίων ἀκούων, ἐκέλευσε τοὺς στρατιώτας τῆς ἀραιᾶς καὶ τεφρώδους γῆς ἐκείνης ἀποσπῶντας καὶ παραφέροντας καταντικρὺ τοῦ λόφου θῖνα ποιεῖν, ἣν οἱ βάρβαροι χώματος ἐπʼ αὐτούς εἶναι κατασκευὴν ὑπονοοῦντες ἐχλεύαζον.
Reflecting upon these things and hearing from the inhabitants, Sertorius ordered his soldiers to dig up some of that loose and ashy earth and, bringing it over, to make a mound directly opposite the hill, which the barbarians, suspecting to be the construction of a siege ramp against them, mocked.
§17.5τότε μὲν οὖν ἐργασαμένους τοὺς στρατιώτας ἄχρι νυκτὸς ἀπήγαγεν·
On that day, therefore, having kept his soldiers at work until night, he led them away.
ἅμα δʼ ἡμέρᾳ πρῶτον μὲν αὔρα μαλακὴ προαπέπνει διακινοῦσα τῆς συμπεφορημένης γῆς τὸ λειότατον ὥσπερ ἄχνην σκιδνάμενον, ἔπειτα σοβαροῦ τοῦ Καικίου πρὸς τόν ἥλιον ἐκχεομένου καὶ τῶν λόφων κονιωμένων ἐπιστάντες οἱ στρατιῶται τόν τε χοῦν ἀνέτρεπον διὰ βάθους καὶ τόν σπίλον ἔκοπτον, ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἄνω καὶ κάτω διεξήλασαν ἀνιστάντες τὸ χαύνωμα καὶ τῇ πνοῇ μετέωρον παραδιδόντες.
But at daybreak, first a gentle breeze blew, stirring the finest part of the gathered earth, which scattered like mist; then, as the violent Caecias poured forth with the rising sun and the hills were covered with dust, the soldiers stood on the mound and turned the earth up from its depth, breaking the clods, while some rode their horses up and down, raising the loose soil and committing it to the wind to be carried aloft.
§17.6ἡ δʼ ὑπολαμβάνουσα πᾶν τὸ θρυπτόμενον καὶ κινούμενον ἄνω προσέβαλλε τοῖς οἰκήμασι τῶν βαρβάρων, κατὰ θύρας δεχομένοις τόν Καικίαν, οἱ δέ, ἅτε δὴ τῶν σπηλαίων μίαν ἐκείνην ἀναπνοὴν ἐχόντων ᾗ τὸ πνεῦμα προσέπιπτε, ταχὺ μὲν ἀπεσκοτοῦντο τὰς ὄψεις, ταχὺ δʼ ἀνεπίμπλαντο πνιγώδους ἄσθματος, τραχὺν ἀέρα καὶ πολλῇ κόνει συμπεφυρμένον ἕλκοντες.
And the wind, taking up everything that was crumbled and stirred, cast it up against the dwellings of the barbarians, which received the Caecias directly through their entrance. They, since the caves had only that one opening where the wind struck, were quickly blinded in their sight and quickly filled with stifling breath, drawing in a harsh air mingled with much dust.
§17.7ὅθεν ἡμέρας δύο μόλις ἀνασχόμενοι τῇ τρίτῃ παρέδωκαν ἑαυτούς, οὐ τοσοῦτον Σερτωρίῳ δυνάμεως ὅσον δόξης προσθέντες, ὡς τὰ διʼ ὃπλων ἀνάλωτα σοφίᾳ κατεργασαμένῳ.
Hence, having barely held out for two days, on the third day they surrendered themselves, adding not so much to Sertorius's power as to his glory, as one who had subdued by wisdom what was invincible by arms.