§6.25.1διατριβομένου δʼ εἰς ταῦτα πολλοῦ χρόνου ὁ ἕτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Σερουίλιος· ἦν γὰρ ἡ στρατεία κατὰ κλῆρον ἐκείνῳ προσήκουσα· πολλῇ δεήσει καὶ θεραπείᾳ παρασκευασάμενος τὸ δημοτικὸν συνάρασθαι τοῦ πολέμου, δύναμιν ἔχων οὐκ ἐκ καταλόγου προσηναγκασμένην, ἀλλʼ ἑκούσιον, ὡς οἱ καιροὶ παρεκάλουν, ἐξῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἔτι τῶν Οὐολούσκων παρασκευαζομένων καὶ Ῥωμαίους μὲν οὔτε προσδεχομένων μετὰ δυνάμεως ἥξειν ἐπὶ σφᾶς, οὕτω στασιαστικῶς πολιτευομένους καὶ ἐχθρῶς ἔχοντας πρὸς ἀλλήλους, οὔτʼ εἰς χεῖρας ἥξειν τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν οἰομένων· σφίσι δὲ πολλὴν ἐξουσίαν ὑπάρχειν ὁπότε βούλοιντο τοῦ §6.25.2πολέμου ἄρχειν.
While much time was being spent on these matters, the other consul, Servilius—for the campaign belonged to him by lot—having by much entreaty and courtship prepared the plebeians to assist in the war, and having a force not forced from the levy but voluntary, as the occasions called, went out to the war, while the Volscians were still preparing and neither expecting that the Romans would come against them with a force, since they were governing in such a mutinous state and hostile toward one another, nor thinking that they would come to blows with those who attacked them, but that they had much freedom to begin the war whenever they wished.
ἐπειδὴ δʼ ᾔσθοντο πολεμεῖν δέον αὐτοὶ πολεμούμενοι, τότε δὴ καταπεπληγότες τὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων τάχος, ἱκετηρίας ἀναλαβόντες ἐκ τῶν πόλεων οἱ γεραίτατοι προῄεσαν ἐπιτρέποντες τῷ Σερουϊλίῳ χρῆσθαι σφίσιν ὡς ἡμαρτηκόσιν ὅ τι βούλοιτο.
But when they perceived that they must wage war, being themselves warled upon, then indeed, being terrified by the speed of the Romans, the oldest men, taking up olive branches of supplication, came forth from the cities, permitting Servilius to treat them as having erred in whatever way he wished.
ὁ δὲ τροφὰς τῷ στρατεύματι παρʼ αὐτῶν λαβὼν ἐσθῆτάς τε καὶ τριακοσίους υἱοὺς εἰς ὁμηρείαν ἐκ τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων οἴκων ἐπιλεξάμενος ᾤχετο, λελύσθαι τὸν πόλεμον ὑπολαβών.
And he, having received provisions for the army from them, and clothing, and having selected three hundred sons from the most illustrious houses for hostages, departed, supposing that the war was ended.
§6.25.3ἦν δʼ ἄρα τοῦτʼ οὐ λύσις, ἀναβολὴ δέ τις καὶ παρασκευῆς ἀφορμὴ τοῖς φθασθεῖσι τῷ παρʼ ἐλπίδα τῆς ἐφόδου, ἀπελθόντος τε τοῦ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατεύματος ἐξήπτοντο πάλιν οἱ Οὐολοῦσκοι τοῦ πολέμου τάς τε πόλεις φραξάμενοι, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο χωρίον ἐπιτήδειον ἦν ἀσφάλειαν σφίσι παρασχεῖν διὰ φυλακῆς κρείττονος ἔχοντες·
But this, as it turned out, was not an end, but a certain delay and an opportunity for preparation for those who had been anticipated by the unexpectedness of the invasion; and when the Roman army had departed, the Volscians again kindled the war, having fortified their cities and holding any other place that was suitable to afford them safety through a stronger guard.
συνήπτοντο δʼ αὐτοῖς τοῦ κινδύνου φανερῶς μὲν Ἕρνικες καὶ Σαβῖνοι, κρύφα δὲ καὶ ἄλλων συχνοί.
And the Hernicians and Sabines openly joined them in the danger, and secretly many others as well.
Λατῖνοι δὲ πρεσβείας πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ συμμαχίας αἴτησιν ἀφικομένης δήσαντες τοὺς ἄνδρας εἰς Ῥώμην ἤγαγον.
But the Latins, having bound the men of the embassy that had arrived to them to ask for an alliance, brought them to Rome.
§6.25.4οἷς ἡ βουλὴ τῆς βεβαίου πίστεως χάριν ἀποδιδοῦσα καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον τῆς εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα προθυμίας· ἕτοιμοι γὰρ ἦσαν ἑκούσιοι συμπολεμεῖν· ὃ μάλιστα μὲν βούλεσθαι αὐτοὺς ᾤετο, διʼ αἰσχύνης δʼ ἔχειν αἰτήσασθαι, τοῦτʼ αὐτοῖς ἐχαρίσατο, τοὺς ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις ἁλόντας αὐτῶν ἑξακισχιλίων ὀλίγον ἀποδέοντας προῖκα δωρησαμένη καὶ ὡς ἂν μάλιστα κόσμον ἡ δωρεὰ προσήκοντα τῇ συγγενείᾳ λάβοι πάντας αὐτοὺς ἐσθῆσιν ἀμφιέσασα ἐλευθέροις σώμασι πρεπούσαις.
To whom the senate, returning thanks for their firm loyalty and still more for their eagerness for the struggle—for they were ready to fight along with them voluntarily—granted them that which it thought they most of all wished but were ashamed to ask for, gifting them back without ransom those of them captured in the wars, who lacked little of being six thousand, and, in order that the gift might receive the ornament most suitable to their kinship, clothing them all in garments fitting for free persons.
τῆς δὲ συμμαχίας οὐδὲν αὑτῇ ἔφη δεῖν τῆς Λατίνων ἱκανὰς λέγουσα εἶναι τὰς οἰκείας τῇ Ῥώμῃ δυνάμεις ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς ἀφισταμένους.
But as for the alliance of the Latins, it said it had no need, stating that the domestic forces of Rome were sufficient to ward off those who revolted.
ταῦτʼ ἐκείνοις ἀποκριναμένη ψηφίζεται τὸν κατʼ Οὐολούσκων πόλεμον.
Having returned this answer to them, it voted for the war against the Volscians.