§10.43.1μετʼ οὐ πολὺ δὲ πάλιν τῶν δημάρχων τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ νόμου εἰσφερόντων λόγον αἰφνιδίως τις ἀπαγγελεῖσα πολεμίων ἔφοδος ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν Τυσκλάνων πόλιν, αἰτία κωλύσεως ἀποχρῶσα ἐγένετο.
Not long afterwards, when the tribunes were again introducing the proposal concerning the law, a sudden attack of the enemy against the city of the Tusculans, which was reported, became a sufficient reason for obstruction.
τῶν γὰρ Τυσκλάνων κατὰ πλῆθος εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀφικομένων καὶ λεγόντων, ὅτι δυνάμει πολλῇ πάρεισιν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς Αἰκανοὶ καὶ τὴν μὲν χώραν αὐτῶν ἤδη διηρπάκασι, τὴν δὲ πόλιν, ἐὰν μή τις γένηται ταχεῖα ἐπικουρία, φθάσουσιν ἐντὸς ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν ἀράμενοι, ἡ μὲν βουλὴ τοὺς ὑπάτους αὐτοῖς ἐψηφίσατο βοηθεῖν ἀμφοτέρους, οἱ δʼ ὕπατοι στρατολογίαν προθέντες ἐκάλουν τοὺς πολίτας ἅπαντας ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα.
For when the Tusculans arrived in large numbers at Rome, they said that the Aequi were present against them with a large force and had already plundered their territory, and that, unless some swift assistance came, they would forestall it by capturing the city within a few days. The senate, therefore, voted that both the consuls should help them, and the consuls, having proclaimed a levy, called all the citizens to arms.
§10.43.2ἐγένετο μὲν οὖν τις καὶ τότε στάσις ἐναντιουμένων τῇ καταγραφῇ τῶν δημάρχων καὶ τὰς ἐκ τῶν νόμων τιμωρίας οὐ συγχωρούντων ποιεῖσθαι κατὰ τῶν ἀπειθούντων· ἔπραξαν δʼ οὐθέν.
At that time also, a certain discord arose because the tribunes opposed the enrollment and did not permit the punishments prescribed by the laws to be inflicted on those who disobeyed; but they accomplished nothing.
συνελθοῦσα γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ γνώμην ἀπεδείξατο, τοὺς πατρικίους ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἐξιέναι σὺν τοῖς ἑαυτῶν πελάταις, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων πολιτῶν τοῖς μὲν βουλομένοις μετέχειν τῆς στρατείας ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς πατρίδος γινομένης ὅσια εἶναι τὰ πρὸς θεούς, τοῖς δʼ ἐγκαταλείπουσι τοὺς ὑπάτους τἀναντία.
For the senate, having assembled, declared its opinion that the patricians should go out to the war with their own clients, and that, of the other citizens, for those who wished to take part in the campaign, which was being undertaken for the safety of the fatherland, their relations with the gods would be holy, but for those who abandoned the consuls, the contrary would be the case.
§10.43.3ὡς δʼ ἀνεγνώσθη τὸ δόγμα τῆς βουλῆς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, πολλοὶ καὶ τοῦ δήμου τὸν ἀγῶνα ἑκόντες ὑπέμειναν· οἱ μὲν ἐπιεικέστατοι δι’ αἰσχύνην, εἰ μηδὲν ἐπικουρήσουσι πόλει συμμάχῳ διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς εὔνοιαν ἀεί τι πρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν βλαπτομένῃ·
And when the decree of the senate was read in the assembly, many even of the plebs voluntarily underwent the struggle; the most moderate did so out of shame, if they should render no help to an allied city which was always suffering some harm from the enemy because of its goodwill towards them.
ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ ὁ Σίκκιος ἐκεῖνος ὁ κατηγορήσας ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τῶν σφετερισαμένων τὴν δημοσίαν γῆν, σπεῖραν ἐπαγόμενος ὀκτακοσίων ἀνδρῶν, οἳ στρατεύεσθαι μὲν οὐκέτι ὥραν εἶχον, ὥσπερ οὐδʼ ἐκεῖνος, οὐδʼ ἔπιπτον ὑπὸ τὰς ἀνάγκας τῶν νόμων, τιμῶντες δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα διὰ πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας εὐεργεσίας, ἐξιόντος ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἐδικαίωσαν ἀπολείπεσθαι.
Among these was also that famous Siccius, the one who had accused before the people those who had appropriated the public land, bringing with him a cohort of eight hundred men, who no longer had the age to serve in the army, just as he did not either, nor did they fall under the compulsions of the laws, but honoring the man because of many and great benefits, they did not think it right to be left behind when he went out to the war.
§10.43.4καὶ ἦν τοῦτο τὸ μέρος τῆς ἐξελθούσης τότε δυνάμεως ἐμπειρίᾳ τε ἀγώνων καὶ τῇ παρὰ τὰ δεινὰ εὐτολμίᾳ μακρῷ τοῦ ἄλλου ἄμεινον.
And this part of the force that went out then was by far better than the rest in both experience of struggles and courage in the face of dangers.
οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ χάριτι καὶ παρακλήσει τῶν πρεσβυτάτων ὑπαχθέντες εἵποντο.
But the majority followed, having been won over by the favor and exhortation of the oldest.
ἦν δέ τι μέρος, ὃ τῶν ὠφελειῶν ἕνεκα τῶν ἐν ταῖς στρατείαις γινομένων πάντα κίνδυνον ἕτοιμον ἦν ὑπομένειν.
And there was a certain part which, for the sake of the spoils arising in campaigns, was ready to undergo every danger.
καὶ διʼ ὀλίγου χρόνου δύναμις ἐξῆλθε πλήθει τε ἀποχρῶσα καὶ παρασκευαῖς κεχρημένη λαμπροτάταις.
And in a short time a force went out, sufficient in multitude and equipped with the most splendid preparations.
§10.43.5οἱ μὲν οὖν πολέμιοι προακούσαντες, ὅτι μέλλουσιν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἐξάγειν Ῥωμαῖοι στρατιάν, ἀπῆγον ἐπʼ οἴκου τὰς δυνάμεις.
Now the enemy, having heard beforehand that the Romans were about to lead out an army against them, led their forces back home.
οἱ δʼ ὕπατοι κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐλαύνοντες καταλαμβάνουσιν ἐστρατοπεδευκότας αὐτοὺς πόλεως Ἀντίου πλησίον ἐν ὑψηλῷ καὶ ἀποτόμῳ χωρίῳ καὶ τίθενται τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῆς ἐκείνων οὐ πρόσω.
But the consuls, marching in haste, found them encamped near the city of Antium on a high and precipitous place, and pitched their camp not far from theirs.
§10.43.6τέως μὲν οὖν ἐν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐπέμενον ἀμφότεροι παρεμβολαῖς, ἔπειτα καταφρονήσαντες τῶν Ῥωμαίων Αἰκανοὶ τῆς οὐ προεπιχειρήσεως καὶ πλῆθος οὐχ ἱκανοὺς εἶναι νομίσαντες ἀγοράς τʼ αὐτῶν περιέκοπτον ἐξιόντες καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ προνομὴν ἀποστελλομένους ἢ χόρτον ἵπποις ἀνεκρούοντο καὶ τοῖς πρὸς ὑδρείαν καταβαίνουσιν αἰφνιδίως ἐπετίθεντο, προὐκαλοῦντό τʼ αὐτοὺς πολλάκις εἰς μάχην.
For a time, indeed, both remained in their own camps; then the Aequi, having despised the Romans for their failure to attack first, and having thought that they were not sufficient in number, both cut off their provisions by going out, and drove back those who were sent out for foraging or grass for the horses, and suddenly attacked those who went down to get water, and frequently challenged them to battle.