§3.23.1ὁ δὲ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς ἐνιαύσιον διαλιπὼν χρόνον, ἐν ᾧ πάντα τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ἐπιτήδεια παρεσκευάσατο, στρατὸν ἐξάγειν ἐπὶ τὴν Φιδηναίων πόλιν ἔγνω προφάσεις τοῦ πολέμου ποιησάμενος, ὅτι κληθέντες εἰς ἀπολογίαν περὶ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, ἣν συνεστήσαντο κατὰ Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Ἀλβανῶν, οὐχ ὑπήκουσαν, ἀλλʼ εὐθὺς ἀναλαβόντες τὰ ὅπλα καὶ τὰς πύλας κλείσαντες Οὐιεντανῶν τε συμμαχίαν ἐπαγόμενοι ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ ἀφειστήκεσαν καὶ τοῖς παραγενομένοις ἐκ Ῥώμης πρεσβευταῖς πυνθανομένοις τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἀποστάσεως ἀπεκρίναντο μηδὲν αὐτοῖς ἔτι πρᾶγμα πρὸς τὴν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν εἶναι κοινόν, ἐξ οὗ Ῥωμύλος ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν ἐτελεύτησε, §3.23.2πρὸς ὃν ἐποιήσαντο τὰ περὶ τῆς φιλίας ὅρκια.
The king of the Romans, having allowed a year to elapse, during which he prepared everything necessary for the war, decided to lead his army against the city of Fidenae, making it a pretext for the war that, when summoned to make their defense concerning the plot which they had formed against both the Romans and the Albans, they did not obey, but immediately taking up arms and closing their gates, and bringing in the alliance of the Veientes, they openly revolted, and to the ambassadors who came from Rome to inquire into the cause of their defection, they replied that they had no longer any business in common with the city of the Romans since Romulus their king died, with whom they had made the treaty of friendship.
ταύτας δὴ τὰς προφάσεις λαβὼν τήν τε οἰκείαν καθώπλιζε δύναμιν καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν συμμάχων μετεπέμπετο.
Having taken these pretexts, he armed his own force and sent for those from the allies.
πλεῖστον δὲ καὶ κράτιστον ἐπικουρικὸν ἐκ τῆς Ἀλβανῶν πόλεως Μέττιος Φουφέττιος ἧκεν ἄγων ὅπλοις κεκοσμημένον ἐκπρεπέσιν, ὥστε πάσας ὑπερβαλέσθαι τὰς συμμαχικὰς δυνάμεις.
And Mettius Fufetius came from the city of the Albans, leading the largest and strongest auxiliary force, adorned with splendid arms, so that they surpassed all the allied forces.
§3.23.3ὁ μὲν οὖν Τύλλος ὡς ἐκ προθυμίας τε καὶ ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ βελτίστου κοινωνεῖν ἐγνωκότα τοῦ πολέμου τὸν Μέττιον ἐπῄνει καὶ πάντων ἐποιεῖτο τῶν βουλευμάτων συνίστορα· ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ οὗτος ἐν αἰτίαις παρὰ τοῖς πολίταις ὑπάρχων ὡς κακῶς ἐστρατηγηκὼς τὸν πόλεμον, καὶ δὴ καὶ εἰς προδοσίαν διαβαλλόμενος, ἐπειδὴ τρίτον ἔτος ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτοκράτορος ἀρχῆς διέμενε Τύλλου κελεύσαντος, οὐκ ἀξιῶν τε ἀρχὴν ἔχειν ἑτέρας ἀρχῆς ὑπήκοον οὐδὲ ὑποτάττεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ οὐκ αὐτὸς ἡγεῖσθαι πρᾶγμά τι ἐπεβούλευσεν ἀνόσιον.
Tullus, therefore, thinking that Mettius had resolved to share in the war out of zeal and with the best intentions, praised him and made him a partner in all his counsels; but this man, being under accusation among his citizens for having commanded the war badly, and indeed being slandered with a charge of treason, since he remained in the supreme command for a third year at the command of Tullus, and not deigning to hold an office subject to another office, nor to be subordinated rather than lead himself, plotted an impious thing.
§3.23.4διαπρεσβευσάμενος γὰρ κρύφα πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίων πολεμίους ἐνδοιαστῶς ἔτι πρὸς τὴν ἀπόστασιν ἔχοντας ἐπῆρεν αὐτοὺς μὴ κατοκνεῖν, ὡς αὐτὸς συνεπιθησόμενος Ῥωμαίοις ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνι, καὶ ταῦτα πράττων τε καὶ διανοούμενος ἅπαντας ἐλάνθανε.
For, having sent secret embassies to the enemies of the Romans who were still hesitant about the revolt, he encouraged them not to shrink, on the ground that he himself would join in attacking the Romans in the battle, and in doing and thinking these things he escaped the notice of all.
Τύλλος δʼ ἐπειδὴ παρεσκευάσατο τήν τʼ οἰκείαν καὶ τὴν συμμαχικὴν δύναμιν ἐξῆγεν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ διαβὰς τὸν Ἀνίητα ποταμὸν οὐ μακρὰν τῆς §3.23.5Φιδήνης κατεστρατοπέδευσεν.
And Tullus, when he had prepared both his own force and that of the allies, led them out against the enemy, and having crossed the river Anio, not far from Fidenae he encamped.
εὑρὼν δὲ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως στρατιὰν ἐκτεταγμένην πολλὴν αὐτῶν τε Φιδηναίων καὶ τῶν συμμαχούντων αὐτοῖς ἐκείνην μὲν τὴν ἡμέραν ἡσυχίαν ἔσχε, τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς Φουφέττιόν τε μεταπεμψάμενος τὸν Ἀλβανὸν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων φίλων τοὺς ἀναγκαιοτάτους ἐσκόπει μετʼ ἐκείνων τίνα χρηστέον εἴη τῷ πολέμῳ τρόπον, καὶ ἐπειδὴ πᾶσιν ἔδοξε μάχην τίθεσθαι διαταχέων καὶ μὴ τρίβειν τὸν χρόνον, χώραν καὶ τάξιν, ἣν ἕκαστος ἔμελλεν ἕξειν, προειπὼν ἡμέραν τε ὁρίσας τῆς μάχης τὴν κατόπιν διέλυσε τὸν σύλλογον.
And finding a large army drawn up before the city, consisting both of the Fidenates themselves and of their allies, he remained quiet for that day, but on the next, having sent for Fufetius the Alban and the most necessary of his other friends, he considered with them what method they should use in the war; and when it seemed best to all to offer battle quickly and not to waste time, having announced beforehand the position and array which each was to have, and having set the day after for the battle, he dissolved the assembly.
§3.23.6ὁ δὲ Ἀλβανὸς Φουφέττιος ʽἦν γὰρ δὴ ἔτι ἄδηλος καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ φίλων πολλοῖς προδοσίαν μηχανώμενοσʼ συγκαλέσας τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους Ἀλβανῶν λοχαγοὺς καὶ ταξιάρχους λέγει πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοιάδε· ἄνδρες ταξίαρχοι καὶ λοχαγοί, πράγματα μέλλω ἐς ὑμᾶς μεγάλα καὶ ἀπροσδόκητα ἐκφέρειν, ἃ τέως ἔκρυπτον, ἱκετεύω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀπόρρητα ποιήσασθαι, εἰ μή με διεργάσεσθε, καὶ ἐὰν δόξῃ συνοίσειν ἐπιτελῆ γενόμενα συλλαβέσθαι μοι αὐτῶν.
But the Alban Fufetius (for he was indeed still undetected, though plotting treason even to many of his own friends), having called together the most illustrious of the Alban captains and commanders, spoke to them as follows: 'Commanders and captains, I am about to disclose to you great and unexpected matters which I have hitherto kept secret, and I entreat you to keep them private, unless you wish to destroy me, and if they seem likely to be advantageous when accomplished, to assist me in them.
πολλὰ μὲν οὖν λέγειν ὁ καιρὰς οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει βραχὺς ὤν, αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ ἀναγκαιότατα ἐρῶ. §3.23.7ἐγὼ πάντα τὸν μεταξὺ χρόνον ἐξ οὗ Ῥωμαίοις ὑπετάχθημεν ἕως τῆς2δε τῆς ἡμέρας αἰσχύνης μεστὸν καὶ ὀδύνης ἔχων τὸν βίον διατετέλεκα καίτοι τιμηθείς γε ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτῶν τῇ αὐτοκράτορι ἀρχῇ, ἣν τρίτον ἔτος ἤδη τοῦτο ἔχω καὶ εἰ βουλοίμην μέχρι παντὸς ἕξω.
To say many things, indeed, the time does not permit, being short, but I will speak of the most necessary matters themselves.' 'I have passed my whole life, from the time we were subjected to the Romans until this day, full of shame and pain, although I have been honored by their king with the supreme command, which I have now held for this third year, and if I wished, I might have it forever.
ἀλλὰ πάντων ἡγούμενος εἶναι κακῶν ἔσχατον ἐν οὐκ εὐτυχοῦσι τοῖς κοινοῖς μόνος εὐτυχεῖν, ἐνθυμούμενος δὲ ὅτι παρὰ πάντα τὰ νενομισμένα παρʼ ἀνθρώποις ὅσια τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἀφῃρέθημεν, ἐσκόπουν ὅπως ἂν αὐτὴν ἀνακομισαίμεθα μηδεμιᾶς πειραθέντες μεγάλης συμφορᾶς· πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ παντοδαποὺς λογισμοὺς λαμβάνων μίαν εὕρισκον ὁδὸν ἄγουσαν ἐπὶ τὰ πράγματα ῥᾴστην τε καὶ ἀκινδυνοτάτην, εἴ τις αὐτοῖς ἀνασταίη πόλεμος ἐκ τῶν πλησιοχώρων πόλεων.
But, thinking it the extreme of all evils to be happy alone when the public interest is unhappy, and reflecting that contrary to all human laws of piety we were deprived of our hegemony by them, I considered how we might recover it without experiencing any great disaster; and taking many and all kinds of reasonings, I found only one way leading to our affairs, the easiest and least dangerous, if some war should arise against them from the neighboring cities.'