§10.16.1λυθείσης δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν συνέρρεον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποδειχθέντας ἕκαστοι τόπους, ἀπογραφόμενοί τε πρὸς τοὺς ἡγεμόνας τὰ ὀνόματα καὶ τὸν στρατιωτικὸν ὀμνύντες ὅρκον.
When the assembly was dissolved in the late afternoon, they flocked each to their designated places, registering their names with the commanders and swearing the military oath.
ἐκείνην μὲν οὖν τὴν ἡμέραν καὶ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν νύκτα ὅλην ἀμφὶ ταῦτα ἦσαν, τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ λοχαγοί τε προσενέμοντο ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ἱερὰς ἐτάττοντο σημείας συνεπιρρέοντος καὶ τοῦ κατʼ ἀγροὺς διατρίβοντος ὄχλου.
Now during that day and the whole of the following night they were occupied with these matters, but on the next day captains were assigned by the consuls and they were stationed under the sacred standards, while the multitude that resided in the countryside was also flocking in.
§10.16.2γενομένων δὲ διὰ τάχους πάντων εὐτρεπῶν μερισάμενοι τὰς δυνάμεις οἱ ὕπατοι κλήρῳ διείλοντο τὰς ἀρχάς.
When all things had been quickly prepared, the consuls, having divided the forces, distributed their offices by lot.
Κλαυδίῳ μὲν οὖν ὁ κλῆρος ἀπέδωκε τὰ πρὸ τῶν τειχῶν διὰ φυλακῆς ἔχειν, μή τις ἔξωθεν ἐπέλθῃ στρατιὰ τοῖς ἔνδον ἐπίκουρος· ὑποψία γὰρ ἅπαντας κατεῖχε μεγάλης σφόδρα κινήσεως, καὶ τὸ ἀντίπαλον ἅπαν ὡς ὁμοῦ συνεπιθησόμενον σφίσιν ἐφοβοῦντο· Οὐαλερίῳ δὲ τὰ φρούρια πολιορκεῖν ὁ δαίμων ἐφῆκεν.
To Claudius, therefore, the lot assigned to keep under guard the areas in front of the walls, lest any army from without should attack to assist those within; for suspicion of a very great movement held everyone, and they feared that the entire hostile force would make a joint attack upon them; and to Valerius, fate granted to besiege the fortresses.
§10.16.3ἐτάχθησαν δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐρύμασιν ἡγεμόνες ὅσα τῆς πόλεως ἐντὸς ἦν καθέξοντες, καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἐπὶ τὸ Καπιτώλιον ἀγούσας ὁδοὺς ἕτεροι κωλύσεως ἕνεκεν τῶν ἀποστησομένων πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους δούλων τε καὶ ἀπόρων, οὓς παντὸς μάλιστα ἐφοβοῦντο.
Commanders were also stationed at the other fortifications which were within the city to hold them, and others along the roads leading to the Capitol for the purpose of preventing the slaves and the needy who were about to desert to the enemy, whom they feared most of all.
ἐπικουρικὸν δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐδὲν ἔφθασε παρὰ τῶν συμμάχων ἀφικόμενον, ὅτι μὴ παρὰ Τυσκλάνων μόνον ἐν μιᾷ νυκτὶ ἀκουσάντων τε καὶ παρασκευασαμένων, οὓς ἦγε Λεύκιος Μαμίλιος, ἀνὴρ δραστήριος, ἔχων τὴν μεγίστην ἐν τῇ πόλει τότε ἀρχήν· καὶ συνεκινδύνευον οὗτοι τῷ Οὐαλερίῳ μόνοι καὶ συνεξεῖλον τὰ φρούρια πᾶσαν εὔνοιαν καὶ προθυμίαν ἀποδειξάμενοι.
And no reinforcement from the allies arrived in time to help them, except only from the Tusculans, who had heard and made preparation in a single night, whom Lucius Mamilius, an active man who then held the greatest office in their city, led; and these alone shared the danger with Valerius and helped to take the fortresses, showing all goodwill and zeal.
§10.16.4ἐγένετο δʼ ἡ προσβολὴ τοῖς φρουρίοις πανταχόθεν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν πλησίον οἰκιῶν ἀσφάλτου καὶ πίσσης πεπυρωμένης ἀγγεῖα σφενδόναις ἐναρμόττοντες ἐπέβαλλον ὑπὲρ τὸν λόφον· οἱ δὲ συμφοροῦντες φακέλλους φρυγάνων καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἀποτόμοις τῆς πέτρας βωμοὺς ἐγείροντες ὑψηλοὺς ὑφῆπτον ἀνέμῳ παραδιδόντες τὰς φλόγας ἐπιφόρῳ.
And the assault upon the fortresses was made from all sides; for some, fitting into slings vessels of asphalt and burning pitch from the neighboring houses, threw them over the hill; and others, collecting bundles of brushwood and raising high piles near the precipices of the rock, set them on fire, committing the flames to a favorable wind.
ὅσοι δʼ ἦσαν ἀνδρειότατοι, πυκνώσαντες τοὺς λόχους ἐχώρουν ἄνω κατὰ §10.16.5τὰς χειροποιήτους ὁδούς.
And as many as were the most courageous, having closed their ranks, advanced upward along the hand-made paths.
ἦν δʼ αὐτοῖς οὔτε τοῦ πλήθους, ᾧ παρὰ πολὺ τῶν ἀντιπάλων προεῖχον, ὄφελος οὐθὲν διὰ στενῆς ἀνιοῦσιν ὁδοῦ καὶ πληθούσης προβόλων ἄνωθεν ἐπικαταραττομένων, ἔνθα συνεξισωθήσεσθαι ἔμελλε τῷ πολλῷ τὸ ὀλίγον· οὔτε τῆς παρὰ τὰ δεινὰ ὑπομονῆς, ἣν πολλοῖς % καταστήσαντες πολέμοις εἶχον, οὐδεμία ὄνησις πρὸς ὀρθίους βιαζομένοις σκοπάς.
But they had no benefit from their multitude, in which they far surpassed their opponents, as they went up through a narrow road full of missiles crashing down from above, where the few were bound to be made equal to the many; nor was there any profit from their endurance in the face of dangers, which they possessed, having established it in many wars, for those forcing their way against steep heights.
οὐ γὰρ συστάδην μαχομένους ἔδει τὸ εὔτολμον καὶ καρτερικὸν ἀποδείξασθαι, ἀλλʼ ἑκηβόλοις χρῆσθαι μάχαις.
For it was not necessary for them, fighting hand-to-hand, to show their courage and steadfastness, but they had to use long-range fighting.
§10.16.6ἦσαν δὲ τῶν μὲν κάτωθεν ἐπὶ τὰ μετέωρα βαλλομένων βραδεῖαί τε καὶ ἀσθενεῖς, εἰ καὶ τύχοιεν, ὥσπερ εἰκός, αἱ πληγαί· τῶν δʼ ἀφʼ ὕψους κάτω ῥιπτουμένων ὀξεῖαι καὶ καρτεραὶ συνεργούντων τοῖς βλήμασι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων βαρῶν.
And the blows of those throwing from below at high places were, as is natural, slow and weak, even if they happened to hit; but those thrown down from a height were sharp and powerful, their own weights also cooperating with the missiles.
οὐ μὴν ἔκαμνόν γε οἱ προσβάλλοντες τοῖς ἐρύμασιν, ἀλλὰ διεκαρτέρουν ἀναγκοφαγοῦντες τὰ δεινὰ οὔτε ἡμέρας οὔτε νυκτὸς ἀναπαυόμενοι τῶν πόνων.
Nevertheless, those attacking the fortifications did not grow weary, but persevered, enduring the dangers and resting from their labors neither by day nor by night.
τέλος δʼ οὖν ὑπολιπόντων τοὺς πολιορκουμένους τῶν βελῶν καὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἐξαδυνατούντων τρίτῃ τὰ φρούρια ἐξεπολιόρκησαν ἡμέρᾳ.
At last, therefore, when missiles failed the besieged and their bodies were exhausted, they took the fortresses by storm on the third day.
§10.16.7ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ πολλοὺς Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας ἀπέβαλον, κράτιστον δέ, ὥσπερ πρὸς ἁπάντων ὡμολόγητο, τὸν ὕπατον· ὃς οὐκ ὀλίγα τραύματα λαβὼν οὐδʼ ὣς ἀφίστατο τῶν δεινῶν, ἕως ἐπικαταραγεὶς αὐτῷ πέτρος ὑπερμεγέθης ἐπιβαίνοντι τοῦ περιτειχίσματος ἅμα τήν τε νίκην αὐτὸν ἀφείλετο καὶ τὴν ψυχήν.
In this battle the Romans lost many and good men, and the best of all, as was agreed by everyone, the consul; who, having received not a few wounds, even so did not withdraw from dangers, until a huge rock crashing down upon him as he was mounting the rampart deprived him at once of victory and of life.
ἁλισκομένων δὲ τῶν φρουρίων ὁ μὲν Ἑρδώνιος — ἦν γὰρ καὶ ῥώμῃ σώματος διάφορος καὶ κατὰ χεῖρα γενναῖος — ἄπιστόν τι χρῆμα περὶ αὑτὸν ποιήσας νεκρῶν ὑπὸ πλήθους βελῶν ἀποθνήσκει, τῶν δὲ σὺν αὐτῷ τὰ φρούρια καταλαβομένων ὀλίγοι μέν τινες ζῶντες ἑάλωσαν, οἱ δὲ πλείους σφάττοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἢ κατὰ τῶν κρημνῶν ὠθοῦντες διεφθάρησαν.
And when the fortresses were being taken, Herdonius—for he was distinguished both in bodily strength and brave in hand-to-hand combat—having made an unbelievable heap of dead bodies around himself, died under a multitude of missiles, and of those who had occupied the fortresses with him, a few indeed were taken alive, but the majority, killing themselves or throwing themselves down the cliffs, perished.