§6.33.1ἐν τούτῳ λέγεται τῷ πολέμῳ τοὺς ἱππεῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων κρατίστους γενέσθαι, καὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα αὐτῶν Αὖλον Ποστόμιον Ἄλβον, ὃς ἔσχε τὴν δικτάτορα ἀρχὴν ἐν τῷ πρόσθεν ἐνιαυτῷ.
In this war it is said that the Roman horsemen proved themselves the bravest, and likewise their commander Aulus Postumius Albus, who had held the dictatorial office in the preceding year.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ χωρίον, ἐν ᾧ ἡ μάχη ἐγένετο, ἥκισθʼ ἱππάσιμον ἦν καὶ κολωνούς τε πετρώδεις καὶ φάραγγας βαθείας εἶχεν, ὥστε μηδὲν ἑκατέροις τὴν ἵππον οἵαν τʼ εἶναι προσωφελεῖν.
For the ground on which the battle took place was least of all suitable for cavalry, having both rocky hills and deep ravines, so that the cavalry of neither side was able to be of any service.
§6.33.2ὁ δὲ Ποστόμιος παρακελευσάμενος τοῖς ἀμφʼ αὑτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἵππων καταβῆναι καὶ ποιήσας στῖφος ἀνδρῶν ἑξακοσίων, ἐν οἷς μάλιστα ἔκαμνε τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις κατὰ πρανοῦς ὠθουμένοις χωρίου ἡ φάλαγξ, ἐν τούτοις συνάπτει τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ αὐτίκα συνίστησιν αὐτῶν τὰς τάξεις.
But Postumius, having exhorted those about him to dismount from their horses and having formed a body of six hundred men, joined battle with the enemy in that part where the phalanx of the Romans was most hard pressed as they were being pushed down a slope, and immediately checked their ranks.
ὡς δʼ ἅπαξ ἀνεκόπησαν οἱ βάρβαροι, θάρσος ἐνέπεσε τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις, καὶ φιλονεικία τοῖς πεζοῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἱππεῖς· καὶ καθʼ ἓν ἀμφότεροι πυργηδὸν ἐξωθοῦσι τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας τῶν πολεμίων ἕως τοῦ λόφου· καὶ οἱ μὲν τοῖς περὶ τὸν χάρακα φεύγουσιν ἑπόμενοι πολλοὺς ἀπέκτειναν, οἱ δὲ τοῖς ἔτι μαχομένοις κατὰ νώτου ἐπῆγον.
And when once the barbarians had been checked, courage fell upon the Romans, and a rivalry arose between the infantry and the cavalry; and both together in a solid mass like a tower pushed back the right wing of the enemy as far as the hill; and some, following those who fled toward the rampart, slew many of them, while others advanced from behind against those who were still fighting.
§6.33.3τρεψάμενοι δὲ κἀκείνους εἰς φυγὴν ἐπίπονόν τε καὶ βραδεῖαν τὴν ἀποχώρησιν ποιουμένους πρὸς ὀχθώδη χωρία ἐδίωκον, τένοντάς τε ὑποκόπτοντες ποδῶν καὶ τὰς ἰγνῦς πλαγίοις τοῖς ξίφεσι διαιροῦντες, ἕως ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα αὐτῶν ἀφίκοντο.
And having put those also to flight, they pursued them as they made a painful and slow retreat toward hilly ground, hamstringing them and cutting the tendons of their knees with side strokes of their swords, until they reached their camp.
βιασάμενοι δὲ καὶ τούτου τοὺς φύλακας οὐ πολλοὺς ὄντας ἐκράτησαν τοῦ στρατοπέδου καὶ διήρπασαν· ὠφελείας μέντοι οὐ πολλὰς εὗρον, ὅτι μὴ ὅπλα καὶ ἵππους, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο πολεμιστήριον χρῆμα ἦν.
And having forced their way past the guards of this also, who were not many, they became masters of the camp and plundered it; however, they found no great booty, except weapons and horses, and whatever other warlike equipment there was.
ταῦτα οἱ περὶ Σερουίλιον καὶ Ἄππιον ὕπατοι ἔπραξαν.
These things the consuls Servilius and Appius accomplished.