§15.3.9Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἴσως μὲν καὶ κατʼ εὐχὴν δέξονται τὸ πραχθὲν ἅπασαν ἀξιοῦντες Ἰταλίαν ταῖς αὑτῶν ἀποικίαις κρατεῖσθαι·
And the Romans, perhaps, will even welcome what has been done as a fulfillment of their prayers, since they demand that all Italy be ruled by their colonies.
εἰ δὲ ἀγανακτεῖν προσποιούμενοι πολεμίους ἡμᾶς κρίναντες οὐ τοσαῦτα δεινὰ διαθήσουσιν, ὅσα πείσονται πρὸς ἡμῶν.
But if, pretending to be indignant and judging us as enemies, they make war, they will not inflict upon us as many evils as they themselves will suffer at our hands.
χώραν τε γὰρ αὐτῶν δῃώσομεν, ὅσον ἂν ἡμῖν δοκῇ, καὶ δεσμώτας ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν λύσομεν καὶ θεράποντας ἐλευθερώσομεν καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἐχθίστων αὐτοῖς Οὐολούσκων τε καὶ Τυρρηνῶν καὶ Σαυνιτῶν καὶ τῶν ἔτι ἐνδοιαστῶς ἀκρομωένων Λατίνων στησόμεθα.
For we shall ravage their land as much as we please, set free the prisoners from the fields, liberate the slaves, and stand together with their bitterest enemies—the Volscians, the Etruscans, the Samnites, and the Latins who are still hesitating in their allegiance.
ἠναγκασμένοις δʼ ἀνθρώποις καὶ τὸν ἔσχατον περὶ ψυχῆς τρέχουσι δρόμον οὔτʼ ἄπορον οὐδὲν οὔτʼ ἀντίπαλον.
To desperate men running the ultimate race for their lives, nothing is impossible or a match.
§15.3.10τοιαῦτα διαλεγόμενοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὀλίγοι μὲν τὰ πρῶτα, ἔπειτα πλείους ἔγνωσαν ἐπιχειρεῖν ταῖς πόλεσι καὶ διʼ ὅρκων ἐδίδοσαν ἀλλήλοις τὸ πιστόν.
Conversing in this manner with one another, at first a few, and then more of them resolved to attack the cities and gave one another pledges through oaths.
ἔφθασε δὲ τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν αὐτῶν εἰς τοὐμφανὲς ἀγαγοῦσα μήνυσις, ἣν τῶν συνομοσάντων τινὲς ἐποιήσαντο πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον τῶν ὑπάτων Μάρκιον, ᾧ τὸν κατὰ Σαυνιτῶν πόλεμον ὁ κλῆρος ἀπένειμεν, ἤδη παρειληφότα τὰς ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ καταγραφείσας δυνάμεις καὶ ὄντα ἐν ὁδῷ.
But an information brought their attempt to light before it could be executed, which some of the conspirators made to Marcius, one of the consuls, to whom the lot had assigned the war against the Samnites, and who was already on his way having taken command of the forces enrolled in Rome.
ὁ δὲ ὕπατος ἀπροσδοκήτου καὶ δεινοῦ πράγματος ἀκούσας ἔκρινε μὴ δείξειν τὸ πρᾶγμα μηδʼ εἰδέναι δοκεῖν, ἀλλὰ δι’ ἀπάτης τινὸς καὶ στρατηγίας κωλῦσαι τὰ συμβησόμενα ταῖς πόλεσιν.
The consul, hearing of this unexpected and dreadful matter, decided not to disclose the affair or to seem to know it, but by some deceit and stratagem to prevent what was about to happen to the cities.
§15.3.11ἀποστείλας δή τινας ἅμα τοῖς μηνυταῖς κατασκευαστοὺς εἰς τὰς πόλεις πρὶν αὐτὸς ἐλθεῖν, προσεσκεύασε λέγεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἐν ταῖς παραχειμασίαις, ὅτι τὰς μὲν φρουρὰς ἔγνω καταλιπεῖν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι τὰς τότε οὔσας, ἐπειδὴ βουλομένοις ἐστὶ τοῖς Καμπανοῖς αὐτὰς μένειν, τῇ δʼ οἴκοθεν ἀφιγμένῃ σὺν αὐτῷ δυνάμει πολεμεῖν πρὸς Σαυνίτας παρασκευάζεται, καὶ ἔπεισεν ἅπαντας ταῦτα ὑπολαβεῖν.
Having therefore sent some agents, together with the informants, to the cities before he himself arrived, he arranged that it should be said to those in the winter quarters that he had decided to leave the garrisons then existing in the cities, since the Campanians wished them to remain, and that he was preparing to make war against the Samnites with the force that had arrived from home with him; and he persuaded all of them to believe this.
§15.3.12ἀφικόμενος δὲ εἰς τὴν Καμπανίαν μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἁπάσης εἰς ἑκάστην παρῄει πόλιν καὶ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς φρουραῖς ἀνακαλούμενος διέκρινεν ἁπάντων τοὺς μετασχόντας τῆς συνωμοσίας.
Arriving in Campania with the whole army, he went to each city and, summoning those in the garrisons, singled out from among all of them those who had taken part in the conspiracy.
ἔπειτα φιλανθρώπως ἑκάστοις διαλεγόμενος οὓς μὲν ἀπέλυσε τῶν σημείων, ὡς ἂν χαριζόμενος τὴν ἄφεσιν τῆς στρατείας, οὓς δὲ τῷ πρεσβευτῇ καὶ τῷ χιλιάρχῳ παραδοὺς ὡς ἐπὶ χρείας δή τινας στρατιωτικὰς ἀπέλυσεν — οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν οἱ πονηρότατοι καὶ οὐχ ὑπομένοντες ἀφεῖσθαι τῆς στρατείας — ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἄγουσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς Ῥώμην διακομίσαι καὶ φυλάττειν ἐν ἀδήλοις φυλακαῖς, χωρίσαντας ἄλλους ἀπʼ ἄλλων, ἕως ἂν αὐτὸς ἀφίκηται.
Then, speaking kindly to each, he discharged some from the standards, as if granting them dismissal from service as a favor, while others—who were the most wicked and did not tolerate being discharged from service—he sent away under the pretense of some military duties, delivering them to his legate and military tribune. He commanded those who conducted them to bring them to Rome and guard them in secret custody, separating one from another, until he himself should arrive.
§15.3.13τοῖς δὲ ἀνδράσιν ἐνθυμουμένοις, ὅτι πάντες οἱ κορυφαιότατοι τῆς συνωμοσίας οἱ μὲν ἀπολύονται τῶν σημείων, οἱ δʼ ἀποστέλλονται δίχα τῶν ἄλλων ὁποιδήποτε, λογισμὸς εἰσῆλθε περιφανῆ γεγονέναι σφῶν τὴν συνωμοσίαν καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο δέος, εἰ χωρὶς ἀλλήλων γένοιντο καὶ τὰ ὅπλα θεῖεν, μὴ δίκας ὑπόσχωσιν εἰς Ῥώμην ἀπαχθέντες·
But when the men reflected that all the ringleaders of the conspiracy were either being discharged from the standards or being sent away apart from the others to some place or other, the thought occurred to them that their conspiracy had become manifest, and after this a fear arose lest, if they should be separated from one another and lay down their arms, they might suffer punishment upon being brought to Rome.
συνιόντες τε κατʼ ὀλίγους ἐσκόπουν, §15.3.14τί χρὴ πράττειν.
Meeting together in small groups, they considered what they ought to do.
ἔπειτα γνώμην τινῶν εἰσηγησαμένων περὶ ἀποστάσεως, ἐπαινέσαντες τὸ βούλευμα καὶ πίστεις ἀπορρήτους ἐν ἀλλήλοις ποιησάμενοι, οἱ τῆς στρατείας ἀφειμένοι περὶ Ταρρακίναν πόλιν ἐν ἐπιτηδείοις χωρίοις παρʼ αὐτὴν τὴν ὁδὸν στρατοπεδεύονται.
Then, when some proposed the plan of revolt, they approved the counsel and, having made secret pledges among themselves, those who had been discharged from service encamped near the city of Tarracina in suitable places right by the road.
§15.3.15ἔπειθʼ οἱ μετὰ τοῦ πρεσβευτοῦ καὶ τῶν χιλιάρχων ἀποστελλόμενοι τοὺς ἡγεμόνας καταλιπόντες, ἐστὶ δʼ οὓς καὶ τῶν ἀγόντων σφᾶς στρατιωτῶν πείσαντες ἀποστῆναι, περὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἱδρύονται τόπον.
Thereupon those who were being sent away with the legate and the military tribunes left their commanders behind—and having persuaded some of the soldiers who were conducting them to revolt—established themselves in the same place.
ὡς δὲ ἅπαξ οὗτοι τὰς παρόδους κατελάβοντο, πολλοὶ προσῄεσαν αὐτοῖς ὁσημέραι, καὶ χεὶρ ἐγένετο περὶ αὐτοὺς καρτερά·
Once these men had occupied the passes, many came to join them every day, and a strong force was formed around them.
ἔπειτα τὰ δεσμωτήρια ἁπάντων, ὅσα κατὰ τοὺς ἀγροὺς ἦν, ἐλύετο καὶ συνέρρει. . . εσξορ.
Then all the prisons throughout the country fields were opened, and there streamed in...