§6.17.1ἐπισχὼν δὲ τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ πλήθους ἀπιέναι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκέλευσεν ἀμεταστρεπτὶ φυλακῇ παραδοὺς ἱππέων, οἳ προύπεμψαν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν Οὐολούσκων χάρακα.
Restraining the impulse of the multitude, he ordered the men to depart without turning back, delivering them to a guard of horsemen who escorted them to the camp of the Volscians.
ἐκβαλὼν δὲ τοὺς κατασκόπους εὐτρεπίζεσθαι τὰ εἰς μάχην παρήγγειλε τοῖς στρατιώταις, ὡς ἐν τῇ κατόπιν ἡμέρᾳ παραταξόμενος.
After expelling the spies, he commanded the soldiers to prepare for battle, intending to draw up his forces on the following day.
ἐδέησε δʼ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ μάχης· οἱ γὰρ ἡγεμόνες τῶν Οὐολούσκων πολλῆς ἔτι νυκτὸς οὔσης ἀναστήσαντες τὴν στρατιὰν ᾤχοντο ἐπὶ §6.17.2τὰ σφέτερα.
But he had no need at all of battle; for the leaders of the Volscians, having aroused their army while it was still deep night, departed for their own territory.
ἁπάντων δὲ χωρησάντων αὐτῷ κατʼ εὐχὴν θάψας τοὺς οἰκείους νεκροὺς καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν καθήρας ἀνέστρεψεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐκπρεπεῖ θριάμβῳ κοσμούμενος ὅπλων τε σωρὸν ἐφʼ ἁμάξαις πολλαῖς κομίζων καὶ χρημάτων στρατιωτικῶν παρασκευὰς ἀφθόνους εἰσφέρων, καὶ τοὺς ἁλόντας ἐν τῇ μάχῃ πεντακοσίων ἀποδέοντας ἑξακισχιλίους ἐπαγόμενος.
Since everything had turned out according to his wish, after burying his own dead and purifying the army, he returned to the city, adorned with a magnificent triumph, bringing a heap of arms on many wagons, importing abundant supplies of military funds, and bringing along those captured in the battle, who numbered five thousand five hundred (lacking five hundred of six thousand).
ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν λαφύρων ἐξελόμενος τὰς δεκάτας ἀγῶνάς τε καὶ θυσίας τοῖς θεοῖς ἀπὸ τετταράκοντα ταλάντων ἐποίει καὶ ναῶν κατασκευὰς ἐξεμίσθωσε Δήμητρι καὶ Διονύσῳ καὶ Κόρῃ §6.17.3κατʼ εὐχήν. ἐσπάνισαν γὰρ αἱ τροφαὶ τοῦ πολέμου κατʼ ἀρχὰς καὶ πολὺν αὐτοῖς παρέσχον φόβον ὡς ἐπιλείψουσαι, τῆς τε γῆς ἀκάρπου γενομένης καὶ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἀγορᾶς οὐκέτι παρακομιζομένης διὰ τὸν πόλεμον.
Setting aside the tithe from the spoils, he celebrated games and sacrifices to the gods at a cost of forty talents, and contracted out the construction of temples to Demeter, Dionysus, and Kore, according to his vow. For provisions had become scarce at the beginning of the war and had caused them great fear that they would fail, as the land had become unfruitful and the market from outside was no longer being imported on account of the war.
διὰ τοῦτο τὸ δέος ἀνασκέψασθαι τὰ Σιβύλλεια τοὺς φύλακας αὐτῶν κελεύσας ὡς ἔμαθεν, ὅτι τούτους ἐξιλάσασθαι τοὺς θεοὺς οἱ χρησμοὶ κελεύουσιν, εὐχὰς αὐτοῖς ἐποιήσατο μέλλων ἐξάγειν τὸν στρατόν, ἐὰν εὐετηρία γένηται κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρχῆς, οἵα πρότερον ἦν, ναούς τʼ αὐτοῖς καθιδρύσεσθαι καὶ §6.17.4θυσίας καταστήσεσθαι καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτόν.
Because of this fear, having ordered the keepers of the Sibylline books to inspect them, when he learned that the oracles commanded them to propitiate these deities, he made vows to them when he was about to lead out the army, that if there should be a good season of crops in the city during his own term of office, such as there was formerly, he would erect temples to them and establish sacrifices every year.
οἱ δʼ ὑπακούσαντες τήν τε γῆν παρεσκεύασαν ἀνεῖναι πλουσίους καρπούς, οὐ μόνον τὴν σπόριμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δενδροφόρον, καὶ τὰς ἐπεισάκτους ἀγορὰς ἁπάσας ἐπικλύσαι μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον· ἅπερ ὁρῶν αὐτὸς ὁ Ποστόμιος ἐψηφίσατο τὰς τῶν ναῶν τούτων κατασκευάς.
And the deities, having heard his prayer, caused the earth to yield rich crops, not only the sown land but also that which bore trees, and caused all the imported markets to overflow even more than before; seeing which, Postumius himself voted for the construction of these temples.
Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν δὴ τὸν τυραννικὸν ἀπωσάμενοι πόλεμον εὐνοίᾳ θεῶν ἐν ἑορταῖς τε καὶ θυσίαις ἦσαν.
Thus the Romans, having repelled the tyrannical war by the favor of the gods, were occupied with festivals and sacrifices.