§3.19.1τέως μὲν οὖν ἡσυχία τε καὶ σιγὴ κατεῖχεν ἀμφοτέρας τὰς δυνάμεις· ἔπειτα ἀναβοήσεις τε ἀθρόαι παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων αὐτῶν ἐγίνοντο καὶ παρακελεύσεις τοῖς μαχομένοις ἐναλλὰξ εὐχαί τε καὶ οἰμωγαὶ καὶ παντὸς ἄλλου πάθους ἐναγωνίου φωναὶ συνεχεῖς, αἱ μὲν πρὸς τὰ δρώμενά τε καὶ ὁρώμενα ὑφʼ ἑκατέρων, §3.19.2αἱ δὲ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντά τε καὶ ὑποπτευόμενα·
For a time, therefore, silence and stillness held both forces; then, all at once, shouting arose from both sides, as well as alternating encouragement to the combatants, prayers, wailing, and continuous cries of every other agonizing emotion, some prompted by what was being done and seen by each side, others by what was yet to come and suspected; and what was conjectured was more than what was actually happening.
καὶ ἦν πλείω τὰ εἰκαζόμενα τῶν γινομένων. ἥ τε γὰρ ὄψις ἐκ πολλοῦ διαστήματος γινομένη πολὺ τὸ ἀσαφὲς εἶχε, καὶ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους ἀγωνιστὰς ἑκάστοις συμπαθὲς ἐπὶ το βεβουλημένον ἐλάμβανε τὰ πρασσόμενα, αἵ τε συνεχεῖς τῶν μαχομένων ἐπεμβάσεις καὶ ὑπαναχωρήσεις καὶ εἰς τὸ ἀντίπαλον αὖθις ἀντιμεταστάσεις πολλαὶ καὶ ἀγχίστροφοι γινόμεναι τὸ ἀκριβὲς τῆς γνώμης ἀφῃροῦντο· καὶ ταῦτα ἐπὶ πολὺν ἐγίνετο χρόνον.
For their sight, being exercised from a great distance, had much obscurity, and each side's sympathy for their own combatants caused them to interpret what was happening according to their wishes, while the continuous advances and retreats of the combatants, and their frequent, rapid shifts of position against each other, deprived them of accurate judgment; and this state of affairs continued for a long time.
§3.19.3ῥώμην τε γὰρ σώματος ἔτυχον ὁμοίαν ἔχοντες ἑκάτεροι καὶ τὸ γενναῖον τῆς ψυχῆς ἰσόρροπον ὅπλοις τε καλλίστοις ἐσκεπασμένοι τὰ σώματα ὅλα καὶ γυμνὸν οὐδὲν ἀπολιπόντες μέρος ὅ τι καὶ τρωθὲν ὀξεῖαν ἔμελλεν οἴσειν τὴν τελευτήν, ὥστε πολλοὶ Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Ἀλβανῶν ἐκ τοῦ φιλονεικεῖν τε καὶ συμπαθεῖν τοῖς σφετέροις ἔλαθον αὑτοὺς τὸ τῶν κινδυνευόντων μεταλαβόντες πάθος ἀγωνισταί τε μᾶλλον ἐβούλοντο ἢ θεαταὶ τῶν, δρωμένων γεγονέναι.
For they happened to have similar bodily strength and an equally balanced nobility of soul, and their bodies were entirely covered with the finest armor, leaving no part bare which, if wounded, would bring a swift death; so that many of the Romans and Albans, through their rivalry and sympathy for their own men, unconsciously shared the feelings of those in danger, and wished to be combatants rather than spectators of what was being done.
§3.19.4ὀψὲ δʼ οὖν ποτε ὁ πρεσβύτατος τῶν Ἀλβανῶν τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀντιτεταγμένῳ συμπλέκεται παίων τε καὶ παιόμενος ἄλλας ἐπʼ ἄλλαις πληγὰς καί πως τυγχάνει τοῦ Ῥωμαίου διὰ βουβῶνος ἐνέγκας τὸ ξίφος.
At last, however, after some time, the eldest of the Albans locked together with the one drawn up opposite him, striking and being struck with blow upon blow, and somehow managed to drive his sword into the Roman's groin.
ὁ δὲ τοῖς τε ἄλλοις τραύμασι κεκαρωμένος ἤδη καὶ τὴν τελευταίαν πληγὴν θανατηφόρον ἔχων ὑπολυθέντων τῶν μελῶν καταρρυεὶς ἀποθνήσκει.
The Roman, already dazed by his other wounds and receiving this last fatal blow, collapsed as his limbs gave way and died.
§3.19.5ὡς δὲ τοῦτʼ εἶδον οἱ θεαταὶ τῆς μάχης ἅμα πάντες ἀνεβόησαν, Ἀλβανοὶ μὲν ὡς νικῶντες ἤδη, Ῥωμαῖοι δʼ ὡς κρατούμενοι.
When the spectators of the battle saw this, they all shouted together, the Albans as if already victorious, and the Romans as if defeated.
τοὺς γὰρ δὴ σφετέρους δύο τοῖς τρισὶν Ἀλβανοῖς εὐκατεργάστους ὑπελάμβανον γενήσεσθαι.
For indeed they supposed that their own two remaining men would be an easy prey for the three Albans.
ἐν ᾧ δʼ ἐγίνετο ταῦτα, ὁ παρασπίζων τῷ πεσόντι Ῥωμαῖος ὁρῶν ἐπὶ τῷ κατορθώματι περιχαρῆ τὸν Ἀλβανὸν ὠθεῖται ταχὺς ἐπʼ αὐτὸν καὶ πολλὰ μὲν τραύματα δούς, πολλὰ δὲ αὐτὸς λαβὼν τυγχάνει πως κατὰ τῆς σφαγῆς αὐτοῦ §3.19.6βάψας τὸ ξίφος καὶ διαχρησάμενος.
While this was happening, the Roman who stood next to the fallen man, seeing the Alban overjoyed at his success, rushed swiftly upon him, and after dealing many wounds and receiving many himself, somehow succeeded in plunging his sword into his throat and dispatching him.
μεταβαλούσης δὲ τῆς τύχης ἐν ὀλίγῳ τά τε τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων ἔργα καὶ τὰ τῶν θεωμένων πάθη, καὶ Ῥωμαίων μὲν ἀναθαρρησάντων ἐκ τῆς πρότερον κατηφείας, Ἀλβανῶν δὲ ἀφῃρημένων τὸ χαῖρον, ἑτέρα πάλιν ἀντιπνεύσασα τοῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων κατορθώμασι τύχη τούτων μὲν ἐταπείνωσε τὰς ἐλπίδας, τὰ δὲ τῶν πολεμίων φρονήματα ἐπῆρεν.
Fortune having changed in a short moment both the deeds of the combatants and the feelings of the spectators, and the Romans having taken heart again from their former dejection, while the Albans were deprived of their joy, another fortune, blowing counter to the successes of the Romans, in turn cast down their hopes and raised the spirits of the enemy.
τοῦ γὰρ Ἀλβανοῦ πεσόντος ὁ τὴν πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἔχων στάσιν ἀδελφὸς συμπλέκεται τῷ καταβαλόντι, καὶ τυγχάνουσιν ἀμφότεροι κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον πληγὰς ἐξαισίους ἐξενέγκαντες κατʼ ἀλλήλων, ὁ μὲν Ἀλβανὸς τοῦ Ῥωμαίου κατὰ τοῦ μεταφρένου καὶ μέχρι τῶν σπλάγχνων βάψας τὸ ξίφος, ὁ δὲ Ῥωμαῖος ὑπελθὼν τὴν προβολὴν τοῦ πολεμίου καὶ τῶν ἰγνυῶν τὴν ἑτέραν ὑποτεμών.
For when that Alban fell, his brother who held the position next to him closed with the one who had struck him down, and both happened at the same time to deal tremendous blows against each other, the Alban plunging his sword into the Roman's back even to his vitals, while the Roman, getting under the enemy's guard, cut through one of his hamstrings.