§14.9.1ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων δικτάτωρ Κάμιλλος, συγκαλέσας τοὺς ἀμφʼ αὑτὸν ἐδημηγόρησε πολλὰ παρορμῶντα εἰς τόλμαν, ἐν οἷς καὶ τάδε· §14.9.2ὅπλα κρείττονα τῶν βαρβαρικῶν ἡμῖν μεμηχάνηται, θώρακες καὶ κράνη καὶ κνημῖδες καὶ κραταιοὶ θυρεοί, ὑφʼ ὧν ὅλα τὰ σώματα ἔχομεν ἐν φυλακῇ, ξίφη τε ἀμφίστομα καὶ ἀντὶ λόγχης ὑσσός, ἄφυκτον βέλος·
Having learned of this, Camillus, the dictator of the Romans, called together those around him and made a speech, urging them much to courage, in which he spoke as follows: "Weapons superior to those of the barbarians have been devised for us: breastplates, helmets, greaves, and strong shields, by which we keep our whole bodies in safety; and double-edged swords, and instead of a spear, a javelin, an inescapable missile.
τὰ μὲν σκεπαστήρια, οἷα μὴ ῥαδίως ταῖς πληγαῖς εἴκειν, τὰ δʼ ἀμυντήρια, ὡς διὰ πάσης φέρεσθαι προβολῆς.
The defensive weapons are such as do not easily yield to blows, and the offensive ones are such as to penetrate through every defense.
τῶν δὲ γυμναὶ μὲν αἱ κεφαλαί, γυμνὰ δὲ τὰ στέρνα καὶ αἱ λαγόνες, γυμνοὶ δὲ μηροὶ καὶ σκέλη μέχρι ποδῶν, ἔρυμά τε οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ὅ τι μὴ θυρεοί· ἀμυντήρια δὲ §14.9.3λόγχαι καὶ μάχαιραι κοπίδες ὑπερμήκεις.
But on their side, their heads are bare, their breasts and flanks are bare, and their thighs and legs down to their feet are bare, and they have no other protection except their shields; and their offensive weapons are spears and exceedingly long curved swords.
τό τε χωρίον, ἐν ᾧ τὸν ἀγῶνα ποιησόμεθα, σύνεργον ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀπὸ μετεώρου κατιοῦσιν ἐπὶ τὸ πρανές, ἐκείνοις δὲ πολέμιον τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ χθαμαλοῦ πρὸς τὰ μετέωρα χωρεῖν ἀναγκαζομένοις.
Moreover, the ground on which we shall fight is a helper to us as we go down from high ground to the slope, but hostile to those who are forced to advance from the low ground towards the heights.
φοβείσθω δὲ μηδεὶς ὑμῶν μήτε τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πολεμίων μήτε τὸ μέγεθος, μηδʼ εἰς ταῦτά τις πλεονεκτήματα αὐτῶν ὁρῶν ἀθυμότερος πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἔστω, ἀλλʼ ἐνθυμείσθω πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι κρεῖττόν ἐστιν ἔλαττον στράτευμα ἐπιστάμενον, ἃ δεῖ πράττειν, ἢ πολὺ ἀμαθές· ἔπειθʼ ὅτι τοῖς μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων ἀγωνιζομένοις ἡ φύσις αὐτὴ θάρσος τέ τι πρὸς τοὺς κινδύνους παρίστησι, καὶ πνεῦμα ἐνθουσιῶδες ὥσπερ τοῖς θεοφορήτοις παρέχει, τοῖς δʼ ἁρπάσαι τὰ ἀλλότρια προθυμουμένοις μαλακώτεραι πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ αἱ τόλμαι φιλοῦσι γίνεσθαι.
And let no one of you fear either the multitude of the enemies or their size, nor let anyone, looking at these as advantages of theirs, be more discouraged for the battle; but let him consider first, that a smaller army which knows what it must do is better than a large, ignorant one; and next, that to those who fight for their own possessions, nature herself imparts a certain courage in the face of dangers, and provides an enthusiastic spirit as to those possessed by a god, while to those who desire to seize the properties of others, their daring in the face of terrors is wont to become weaker.
§14.9.4ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδʼ οἷς δεδίττονται τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ πρὶν εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν ἐκδειματοῦσιν, ὀρρωδητέα ἡμῖν ἐστιν, ὥσπερ ἀπείροις πολέμου.
Furthermore, not even those things by which they terrify their enemies and strike them with fear before coming to blows should be dreaded by us, as if we were inexperienced in war.
τί γὰρ ἂν δυνήσονται δεινὸν ἐργάσασθαι τοὺς ὁμόσε χωροῦντας αἱ βαθεῖαι κόμαι καὶ τὸ ἐν τοῖς ὄμμασιν αὐτῶν πικρὸν καὶ ὁ βλοσυρὸς τῆς ὄψεως χαρακτὴρ αἵ τε δὴ πλημμελεῖς αὗται σκιρτήσεις καὶ τὰ διὰ κενῆς ἀνασείσματα τῶν ὅπλων καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν θυρεῶν κτύποι, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ὑπὸ βαρβάρου καὶ ἄφρονος ἀλαζονείας κατά τε μορφὰς καὶ φωνὰς ἐν ἀπειλαῖς πολεμίων σπαθᾶται, τίνα παρέχειν πέφυκε τοῖς ἀνοήτως ἐπιοῦσι πλεονεξίαν ἢ τοῖς μετὰ
For what dread thing can those thick locks of hair, the bitterness in their eyes, their fierce expression, and indeed those irregular boundings, the empty brandishings of their weapons, the loud clashings of their shields, and all the other things that are displayed in threats against their enemies by barbarian and foolish boastfulness, in respect to both appearance and voice, do to those who advance to close quarters?
§14.9.5λογισμοῦ παρὰ τὰ δεινὰ ἑστῶσι φόβον;
What advantage are they naturally capable of providing to those who foolishly attack, or what fear to those who, with reason, stand by the side of terrors?
ταῦτα δὴ διανοηθέντες, ὅσοι τε ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ κατὰ Κελτῶν προτέρῳ πολέμῳ παρεγένεσθε καὶ ὅσοι διὰ νεότητα ἀπελείφθητε αὐτοῦ, οἱ μὲν ἵνα τὴν τότε ἀρετὴν μὴ καταισχύνητε τῇ νῦν δειλίᾳ, οἱ δʼ ἵνα μηδὲν ἐνδεέστεροι γένησθε τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐν ἐπιδείξει καλῶν ἔργων, ἴτε, ὦ γενναῖοι παῖδες ἀγαθῶν ζηλωταὶ πατέρων, ἴτε ἀκαταπλήκτως ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς θεούς τε ἀρωγοὺς ἔχοντες, οἳ παρέξουσιν ὑμῖν ἐξουσίαν, οἵας ἐβούλεσθε παρὰ τῶν ἐχθίστων ἀναπράξασθαι δίκας, καὶ στρατηγὸν ἐμέ, ᾧ πολλὴν μὲν εὐβουλίαν μαρτυρεῖτε, πολλὴν δʼ εὐποτμίαν· §14.9.6μακάριον μὲν ἕξοντες τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦδε χρόνον, οἷς ἂν ἐγγένηται τὸν ἐπιφανέστατον τῇ πατρίδι στέφανον καταγαγεῖν, καλὴν δὲ καὶ ἀθάνατον εὐκλείαν καταλείψοντες ἀντὶ τοῦ θνητοῦ σώματος νηπίοις παισὶ καὶ γηραιοῖς γονεῦσιν, οἱ ταύτην ἐκπληρώσοντες τὴν τοῦ βίου τελευτήν.
Thinking on these things, then—both as many of you as were present in the former war against the Celts and as many as were left behind from it because of youth—the former so that you may not disgrace your virtue of that time by cowardice now, and the latter so that you may not prove at all inferior to your elders in the demonstration of noble deeds, go, O noble sons, emulators of good fathers, go fearlessly against them, having as helpers both the gods, who will provide you with the opportunity to exact from your bitterest enemies such punishment as you wished, and me as your general, to whom you bear witness of much wisdom and much good fortune; you will possess a blessed time from now on—those of you who are able to bring back to your fatherland the most glorious crown—and you will leave behind a beautiful and immortal glory, in exchange for your mortal body, to your infant children and aged parents, you who will fulfill this end of life.
οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι δεῖ πλείω λέγειν· κινεῖται γὰρ ἤδη τὸ βάρβαρον στράτευμα χωροῦν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς.
I do not know what more I need to say; for already the barbarian army is in motion, advancing against us.
ἀλλʼ ἄπιτε καὶ καθίστασθε εἰς τάξιν.
But depart and take your positions in line."