§5.62.1ταῦτα προκαλουμένων τῶν πρεσβευτῶν οὐκ ἀξιοῦσα δίκην ὑποσχεῖν Ἀρικηνοῖς ἡ βουλή, περὶ ὧν οἱ κατηγοροῦντες ἔμελλον γίνεσθαι κριταί, καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτων κριτὰς ἔσεσθαι ὑπολαμβάνουσα τοὺς ἐχθρούς, ἀλλὰ προσθήσειν ἔτι βαρύτερα τούτων ἐπιτάγματα, δέχεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον ἐψηφίσαντο.
While the ambassadors were proposing these things, the senate, not deigning to submit to trial before the Aricini in matters where the accusers themselves were to be the judges, and assuming that their enemies would not be judges only up to these limits, but would impose even heavier commands than these, voted to accept the war.
τῆς μὲν οὖν ἀρετῆς ἕνεκα καὶ τῆς ἐμπειρίας τῶν ἀγώνων οὐδεμίαν ὑπελάμβανον καταλήψεσθαι τὴν πόλιν συμφοράν, τὸ δὲ πλῆθος ὠρρώδει τῶν πολεμίων· καὶ πολλαχῇ διαπέμπουσα πρέσβεις παρεκάλει τὰς πλησιοχώρους πόλεις ἐπὶ συμμαχίαν, ἀντιπρεσβευομένων εἰς τὰς αὐτὰς καὶ τῶν Λατίνων καὶ πολλὰ τῆς Ῥώμης κατηγορούντων.
Therefore, because of their valour and experience in struggles, they did not assume that any disaster would overtake the city, but they were terrified by the multitude of the enemy; and sending ambassadors in many directions, they called upon the neighbouring cities for an alliance, while the Latins were also sending counter-embassies to the same cities and making many accusations against Rome.
§5.62.2Ἕρνικες μὲν οὖν κοινῇ συνελθόντες ὕποπτα καὶ οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς πρεσβείαις ἀπεκρίναντο, συμμαχήσειν μὲν οὐδετέροις λέγοντες κατὰ τὸ παρόν, βουλεύσεσθαι δʼ ὁπότεροι δικαιότερα ἀξιοῦσι κατὰ σχολήν, τῇ δὲ βουλῇ χρόνον ἐνιαύσιον ἀποδώσειν.
The Hernici, therefore, having met in common, gave a suspicious and insincere reply to both embassies, saying that they would ally with neither side for the present, but would deliberate at leisure which of the two made more just demands, and would grant the senate a year's time.
§5.62.3Ῥότολοι δὲ Λατίνοις μὲν ἐπικουρίαν πέμψειν ἄντικρυς ὑπέσχοντο, Ῥωμαίοις δʼ ἐὰν βουληθῶσι καταλύσασθαι τὴν ἔχθραν, διὰ σφῶν μετριωτέρους παρέξειν Λατίνους ἔφασαν καὶ τὰς συμβάσεις αὐτοῖς διαιτήσειν.
The Rutuli promised outright to send aid to the Latins, but to the Romans they said that if they wished to end the hostility, they would render the Latins more moderate through their own mediation and would arbitrate the agreements for them.
Οὐολοῦσκοι δὲ καὶ θαυμάζειν ἔλεγον τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀναισχυντίας, ὅτι συνειδότες ἑαυτοῖς, ὅτι τά τʼ ἄλλα ἠδικηκότες ἦσαν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ τελευταῖα τῆς χώρας τὴν κρατίστην αὐτοὺς ἀφελόμενοι κατεῖχον, οὐδὲν ἧσσον ἐτόλμησαν ἐπὶ συμμαχίαν ἐχθροὺς ὄντας σφᾶς παρακαλεῖν, συνεβούλευόν τʼ αὐτοῖς ἀποδοῦσι τὴν χώραν τότε παρʼ αὐτῶν ὡς φίλων ἀπαιτεῖν τὰ δίκαια.
The Volsci even said that they wondered at the shamelessness of the Romans, because, being conscious that they had wronged them in other ways and had recently deprived them of the best part of their territory and held it, they nevertheless dared to call upon them for an alliance, who were their enemies; and they advised them to restore the land and then demand what was just from them as friends.
Τυρρηνοὶ δʼ ἀμφοτέροις ἐμποδῶν ἐγίνοντο, Ῥωμαίοις μὲν σπονδὰς γεγονέναι λέγοντες οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ, πρὸς δὲ Ταρκυνίους συγγένειαν εἶναι σφίσι καὶ φιλίαν.
The Etruscans stood in the way of both, saying to the Romans that a treaty had been made not long ago, while to the Tarquinii they had kinship and friendship.
§5.62.4τοιαῦτα τούτων ἀποκριναμένων οὐθὲν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ταπεινωθέντες, ὃ παθεῖν εἰκὸς ἦν τοὺς μέγαν τε πόλεμον αἰρομένους καὶ πάσας ἀπεγνωκότας τὰς συμμαχικὰς ἐλπίδας, ἀλλὰ ταῖς οἰκείαις δυνάμεσι πιστεύοντες μόναις πολλῷ προθυμότεροι πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐγίνοντο, ὡς διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ παρὰ τοὺς κινδύνους ἐσόμενοι, καὶ ἐὰν κατὰ νοῦν πράξωσι ταῖς ἰδίαις ἀρεταῖς κατορθώσαντες τὸν πόλεμον οὐδενὶ κοινωσόμενοι τῆς δόξης.
When these people had given such answers, the Romans were not at all dejected, which was what those who were undertaking a great war and had despaired of all hopes of alliance might be expected to feel; but, trusting in their own forces alone, they became much more eager for the struggle, as men who by necessity would be brave in the face of dangers, and who, if they succeeded according to their mind, having brought the war to a successful conclusion by their own virtues, would share the glory with no one.
τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς φρονήματος καὶ τόλμης ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν ἀγώνων περιῆν.
Such a surplus of pride and daring remained to them from their many struggles.