§3.39.1μετὰ τοῦτο γίνονται Λατίνων τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων μεγάλαις δυνάμεσι παραταξαμένων μάχαι διτταί.
After this, two battles took place, with both the Latins and the Romans drawing up their lines with large forces.
τῇ μὲν οὖν προτέρᾳ μέχρι πολλοῦ διαγωνισάμενοι καὶ δόξαντες ἰσόρροποι γεγονέναι διεκρίθησαν καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἰδίους ἑκάτεροι χάρακας ἀπηλλάγησαν, τῇ δʼ ὑστέρᾳ Ῥωμαῖοι νικῶσι τοὺς Λατίνους καὶ μέχρι §3.39.2στρατοπέδου διώκουσι.
In the former, indeed, having fought for a long time and having seemed to have become equal in strength, they separated and each departed to their own camps; but in the latter, the Romans defeated the Latins and pursued them even to their camp.
μετὰ δὲ τὰς μάχας ταύτας ἀγὼν μὲν ἐκ παρατάξεως οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἔτι πρὸς ἀλλήλους συνέστη, καταδρομαὶ δὲ τῆς ὁμόρου χώρας ὑπʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἐγίνοντο συνεχεῖς καὶ συμπλοκαὶ τῶν περιπόλων τῆς γῆς ἱππέων τε καὶ ψιλῶν, ἐν αἷς ἐπεκράτουν ὡς τὰ πολλὰ Ῥωμαῖοι δύναμιν ὕπαιθρον ἔχοντες ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαίροις φρουρίοις ὑποκαθημένην, §3.39.3ἧς ὁ Τυρρηνὸς Ταρκύνιος ἡγεῖτο.
After these battles, no further contest in a pitched battle arose between them, but continuous raids upon the bordering territory were made by both sides, and there were skirmishes between the horsemen and light-armed troops who patrolled the land. In these, the Romans for the most part prevailed, since they had a field force stationed in the opportune fortresses, which was commanded by Tarquinius the Etruscan.
ἀπέστησαν δὲ καὶ Φιδηναῖοι Ῥωμαίων κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ τὸν πόλεμον ἀναδείξαντες, ἀλλὰ κατʼ ὀλίγους καὶ κρύφα τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν καταδρομαῖς κακουργοῦντες·
Around the same time, the Fidenates also revolted from the Romans, not declaring war openly, but damaging their territory by raids in small numbers and in secret.
ἐφʼ οὓς ὁ Μάρκιος εὐζώνῳ στρατιᾷ ἐλάσας, πρὶν ἢ παρασκευάσασθαι τοὺς Φιδηναίους τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως τίθεται τὸν χάρακα.
Marcius, marching against them with a light-armed army before the Fidenates could prepare for war, pitched his camp near their city.
§3.39.4οἱ δὲ κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἀγνοεῖν ἐσκήπτοντο ἀντὶ ποίων ἀδικημάτων στρατὸς ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς Ῥωμαίων ἀφῖκται, τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως εἰπόντος ὅτι δίκας παρʼ αὐτῶν ἥκει ληψόμενος ὧν διήρπασάν τε καὶ κατέβλαψαν αὐτοῦ τὴν γῆν, ἀπελογοῦντο προς ταῦτα ὡς οὐ τὸ κοινὸν αἴτιον εἴη τῶν ἀδικημάτων, καὶ χρόνον ᾐτοῦντο εἰς διάγνωσίν τε καὶ ζήτησιν τῶν ἐνόχων ταῖς αἰτίαις καὶ πολλὰς κατέτριψαν ἡμέρας πράττοντες μὲν οὐδὲν τῶν δεόντων, ἐπικαλούμενοι δὲ κρύφα τοὺς συμμάχους καὶ περὶ κατασκευὴν ὅπλων γινόμενοι.
And they, at first, pretended to be ignorant of what wrongs the army of the Romans had come against them for; but when the king said that he had come to exact punishment from them for the things they had plundered and damaged in his land, they pleaded in defense that the state was not the cause of the wrongs, and they requested time for the inquiry and search for those liable to the charges. Thus they wasted many days doing nothing of what was necessary, while secretly calling upon their allies and occupying themselves with the preparation of arms.