§6.29.1ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν ἐκέλευσε τὸν κήρυκα ἀνειπεῖν, ὅσοι ἂν Ῥωμαίων ἐπὶ τὸν κατʼ αὐτῶν πόλεμον ἐκστρατεύσωσι, τὰς τούτων οἰκίας μηδένα ἐξεῖναι μήτε πωλεῖν μήτʼ ἐνεχυράζειν μήτε γένος αὐτῶν ἀπάγειν πρὸς μηδὲν συμβόλαιον μήτε κωλύειν τὸν βουλόμενον τῆς στρατείας κοινωνεῖν.
Having said these things, he ordered the herald to proclaim that, as for any of the Romans who should march out for the war against them, it should be permitted to no one either to sell or to take as security their homes, nor to carry off their offspring for any contract, nor to hinder anyone who wished to take part in the campaign.
ὅσοι δʼ ἂν ἀπολειφθῶσι τῆς στρατείας, τὰς κατὰ τούτων πράξεις ὑπάρχειν τοῖς δανεισταῖς, ἐφʼ οἷς ἑκάστοις συνέβαλον.
But as for those who should absent themselves from the campaign, the right of execution against them should belong to the creditors, on the terms on which they had severally contracted.
ὡς δὲ ταῦτʼ ἤκουσαν οἱ πένητες, αὐτίκα συνέγνωσάν τε καὶ πολλῇ προθυμίᾳ πάντες εἰς τὸν πόλεμον ὥρμηντο, οἱ μὲν ἐλπίσιν ὠφελειῶν ὑπαχθέντες, οἱ δὲ τοῦ στρατηλάτου χάριτι, οἱ δὲ πλεῖστοι τὸν Ἄππιον καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει κατὰ τῶν ὑπομεινάντων προπηλακισμοὺς φεύγοντες.
When the poor heard this, they immediately agreed and all rushed into the war with great eagerness, some induced by hopes of gain, others by gratitude to the general, and the majority fleeing Appius and the insults in the city against those who remained behind.
§6.29.2παραλαβὼν δʼ ὁ Σερουίλιος τὸ στράτευμα σὺν πολλῇ σπουδῇ ἐλαύνει διαλιπὼν οὐδένα χρόνον, ἵνα συμμίξῃ τοῖς πολεμίοις, πρὶν εἰς Ῥωμαίων χώραν αὐτοὺς εἰσβαλεῖν· καὶ καταλαβὼν περὶ τὸ Πωμεντῖνον χωρίον ἐστρατοπεδευκότας καὶ τὴν Λατίνων χώραν προνομεύοντας, ὅτι παρακαλοῦσιν αὐτοῖς οὐ συνήραντο τοῦ πολέμου, περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν παρὰ λόφον τινὰ ὡς εἴκοσι στάδια τῆς στρατοπεδείας αὐτῶν ἀφεστῶτα τίθεται τὸν χάρακα·
Servilius, having taken over the army, marched with great haste, losing no time, in order to engage with the enemy before they should invade the Roman territory; and having found them encamped around the Pomptine district and plundering the territory of the Latins because they had not joined them in the war when they invited them, he pitched his camp late in the afternoon near a certain hill distant about twenty stades from their camp.
καὶ αὐτοῖς νυκτὸς ἐπιτίθενται Οὐολοῦσκοι ὀλίγους τε δόξαντες εἶναι καὶ ὡς ἐξ ὁδοῦ μακρᾶς κατακόπους προθυμίας τʼ ἐνδεῶς ἔχοντας διὰ τοὺς ἐκ τῶν πενήτων περὶ τὰ χρέα νεωτερισμοὺς ἐν ἀκμῇ μάλιστα δοκοῦντας εἶναι.
And during the night the Volscians attacked them, supposing them to be few, and exhausted as if from a long march, and lacking in zeal because the revolutionary movements of the poor concerning debts were thought to be at their height.
§6.29.3ὁ δὲ Σερουίλιος ἔτι νυκτὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ χάρακος ἀγωνισάμενος, ἐπεὶ δὲ φῶς τε ἤδη ἐγένετο καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἔμαθεν ἀτάκτως προνομεύοντας, ἀνοῖξαι κελεύσας πυλίδας ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἀδήλως συχνάς, ἀφʼ ἑνὸς παραγγέλματος ἐφῆκεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς τὸ στράτευμα.
But Servilius, having fought from the rampart while it was still night, when it was already day and he learned that the enemy were plundering in disorder, having ordered many posterns to be opened secretly from the rampart, unleashed the army upon them at a single command.
ἐξαπιναίου δὲ τοῦ δεινοῦ καὶ παρὰ δόξαν τοῖς Οὐολούσκοις προσπεσόντος ὀλίγοι μέν τινες ὑποστάντες πρὸς τῷ χάρακι μαχόμενοι κατεκόπησαν· οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι φεύγοντες προτροπάδην καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν σφετέρων ἀπολέσαντες τραυματίαι τε οἱ πλεῖστοι καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἀπολωλεκότες εἰς τὸν χάρακα διεσώζοντο.
And the danger falling upon the Volscians suddenly and contrary to expectation, a few, standing their ground and fighting near the rampart, were cut down; but the others, fleeing headlong and having lost many of their own men, saved themselves in their camp, most of them wounded and having lost their arms.
§6.29.4ἑπομένων δʼ αὐτοῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐκ ποδὸς καὶ περισχόντων τὸ στρατόπεδον, βραχύν τινα χρόνον ἀμυνάμενοι παρέδοσαν τὸν χάρακα πολλῶν ἀνδραπόδων τε καὶ βοσκημάτων καὶ ὅπλων καὶ τῆς εἰς τὸν πόλεμον παρασκευῆς γέμοντα.
As the Romans followed them close at heel and surrounded the camp, having defended themselves for a short time, they surrendered the camp, which was full of many slaves, cattle, arms, and war provisions.
ἑάλω δὲ σώματα ἐλεύθερα συχνά, τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν Οὐολούσκων, τὰ δὲ τῶν αὐτοῖς συναγωνισαμένων ἐθνῶν, χρήματά τε καὶ ὅσα χρυσὸς καὶ ἄργυρος καὶ ἐσθὴς ὡσπερὰν πόλεως τῆς κρατίστης ἁλούσης πάνυ πολλά·
And many free persons were captured, some of them Volscians themselves, others of the nations that had fought along with them, and also money, and very much gold, silver, and clothing, just as if a most powerful city had been captured.
τοῖς στρατιώταις ταῦτʼ ἐφιεὶς ὁ Σερουίλιος ὡς ἕκαστος ὠφεληθείη καὶ μηδὲν εἰς τὸ δημόσιον ἀναφέρουσι διανείμασθαι κελεύσας καὶ τὸν χάρακα πυρὶ δούς, ἀναλαβὼν τὰς δυνάμεις ἦγεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγχοτάτω Σουέσσαν Πωμεντιανήν.
Servilius, giving these things up to the soldiers so that each might benefit, and having ordered them to distribute them among themselves without bringing any part to the public treasury, and having set the camp on fire, took up his forces and led them against the nearest Suessa Pometia.
μεγέθει τε γὰρ περιβόλου καὶ πλήθεσιν οἰκητόρων, ἔτι δὲ δόξῃ καὶ πλούτῳ πολὺ τῶν ταύτῃ ὑπερέχειν ἐδόκει, καὶ ἦν ὥσπερ ἡγεμὼν τοῦ ἔθνους.
For in the size of its circuit and the number of its inhabitants, and furthermore in reputation and wealth, it seemed to far surpass those in this region, and was as it were the leader of the nation.
§6.29.5περιστρατοπεδεύσας δʼ αὐτὴν καὶ οὔθʼ ἡμέρας οὔτε νυκτὸς ἀνακαλῶν τὸν στρατόν, ἵνα μηδένα χρόνον οἱ πολέμιοι διαναπαύσαιντο μήθʼ ὕπνον αἱρούμενοι μήτε πολέμου παῦλαν δεχόμενοι, λιμῷ καὶ ἀμηχανίᾳ καὶ σπάνει συμμάχων παρατείνας εἷλεν αὐτοὺς ἐν οὐ πολλῷ χρόνῳ καὶ τοὺς ἐν ἥβῃ πάντας κατέσφαξεν.
And having besieged it and not withdrawing his army either by day or by night, so that the enemy might not rest for a single moment, neither taking sleep nor receiving a pause from war, having worn them out with hunger, helplessness, and lack of allies, he captured them in a short time and slaughtered all who were of military age.
ἐπιτρέψας δὲ καὶ ὅσα ἦν ἐνταῦθα χρήματα τοῖς στρατιώταις φέρειν τε καὶ ἄγειν, ἐπὶ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις ἀπῆγε τὴν δύναμιν οὐθενὸς οὐκέτι τῶν Οὐολούσκων ἀμύνειν τι δυναμένου.
And having permitted the soldiers to plunder whatever property was there, he led the army away against the other cities, since none of the Volscians was any longer able to offer any defense.