§13.6.1ὑπήκουσαν δὲ αὐτοῦ ταῖς εὐχαῖς οἱ θεοί, καὶ ὑπὸ Κελτῶν μετὰ μικρὸν ἡ πόλις ἑάλω ἄνευ τοῦ Καπιτωλίου.
And the gods hearkened to his prayers, and after a short time the city, except for the Capitol, was captured by the Celts.
καταφυγόντων δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ τῶν περιφανεστέρων — τὸ γὰρ ἄλλο πλῆθος ἐν ταῖς Ἰταλικαῖς φεῦγον διεσπάρη πόλεσι — καὶ πολιορκουμένων ὑπὸ Κελτῶν, οἳ παρὰ τὴν Οὐιεντανῶν πόλιν καταφυγόντες Ῥωμαῖοι Καιδίκιόν τινα στρατοπεδάρχην ποιοῦσιν·
When the more illustrious men had fled into it—for the rest of the multitude had fled and dispersed among the Italian cities—and were being besieged by the Celts, the Romans who had fled to the vicinity of the city of Veii appointed a certain Caedicius as camp commander.
ὁ δὲ Κάμιλλον ἀποδείκνυσι καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀπόντα ἡγεμόνα πολέμου καὶ εἰρήνης ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντα αὐτοκράτορα.
And he appointed Camillus—and that too in his absence—as commander with absolute power over both war and peace.
§13.6.2καὶ γενόμενος ἡγεμὼν τῆς πρεσβείας παρεκάλει Κάμιλλον διαλλαγῆναι πρὸς τὴν πατρίδα, τὰς συμφοράς, ἐν αἷς ἦν, ἐπιλογισάμενον, διʼ ἃς ὑπέμεινεν ἐπὶ τὸν ὑβρισθέντα ὑφʼ ἑαυτῆς καταφυγεῖν.
And having become the head of the embassy, he entreated Camillus to be reconciled with his country, taking into consideration the calamities in which she was, because of which she had submitted to flee to the very man who had been outraged by her.
§13.6.3ὑποτυχὼν δὲ ὁ Κάμιλλος εἶπεν· οὐ δέομαι παρακλήσεως, ὦ Καιδίκιε·
But Camillus, interrupting him, said: "I have no need of entreaty, Caedicius.
αὐτὸς γάρ, εἰ μὴ θᾶττον ὑμεῖς ἀφίκεσθε κοινωνεῖν με τῶν πραγμάτων ἀξιοῦντες, ἕτοιμος ἦν ταύτην ἄγων τὴν δύναμιν, ἣν παροῦσαν ὁρᾶτέ μοι, πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἥκειν.
For I myself, if you had not arrived sooner to ask me to share in the state affairs, was ready to come to you, leading this force which you see present with me.
ὑμῖν δέ, ὦ θεοί τε καὶ δαίμονες, ὅσοι τὸν ἀνθρώπινον ἐποπτεύετε βίον, ὧν τε ἤδη τετιμήκατέ μοι πολλὴν οἶδα χάριν, καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων εὔχομαι καλὴν καὶ εὐτυχῆ τῇ πατρίδι γενέσθαι τὴν ἐμὴν κάθοδον.
And to you, O gods and divinities, as many as oversee human life, I feel great gratitude for the honors you have already bestowed upon me, and as for the future, I pray that my return may prove glorious and fortunate for my country.
§13.6.4εἰ δὲ ἐνῆν ἀνθρώπῳ τὰ μέλλοντα συμβήσεσθαι προιδεῖν, οὐδέποτʼ ἂν εὐξάμην ἐς τοιαύτας ἐλθοῦσαν τυχὰς τὴν πατρίδα δεηθῆναί μου· μυριάκις δʼ ἂν εἱλόμην ἄζηλον γενέσθαι μοι καὶ ἄτιμον τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα βίον ἢ βαρβάρων ἀνθρώπων ὠμότητι γενομένην τὴν Ῥώμην ὑποχείριον ἐπιδεῖν καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ §13.6.5μόνῳ τὰς λοιπὰς ἐλπίδας τῆς σωτηρίας ἔχουσαν. ταῦτ εἰπὼν καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις παραλαβὼν ἄφνω τε τοῖς Κελτοῖς ἐπιφανεὶς εἰς φυγὴν αὐτοὺς τρέπει καὶ ἐμπεσὼν ἀσυντάκτοις τε καὶ τεταραγμένοις δίκην προβάτων κατέσφαξεν.
But if it were possible for a human being to foresee what is going to happen, I would never have prayed that my country, having fallen into such fortunes, should stand in need of me; and I would have chosen ten thousand times that my subsequent life should be obscure and without honor, rather than to see Rome brought into subjection by the cruelty of barbarian men, and having her remaining hopes of safety placed in me alone." Having said this and taken command of the forces, suddenly appearing to the Celts, he put them to flight, and falling upon them while they were disordered and thrown into confusion, he slaughtered them like sheep.