§8.65.1Ἀκύλλιος μὲν οὖν ἅτερος τῶν ὑπάτων ἐν τῇ Πραινεστηνῶν χώρᾳ τὸν Ἑρνίκων στρατὸν ὑπομένοντα καταλαβὼν ἀντικατεστρατοπέδευσεν ὡς ἐδύνατο μάλιστʼ ἀγχοτάτω σταδίους ἀπὸ τῆς Ῥώμης ἀποσχὼν ὀλίγῳ πλείους διακοσίων·
Now Aquillius, one of the two consuls, having found the army of the Hernicians waiting in the territory of the Praenestines, encamped opposite them as close as possible, at a distance of a little more than two hundred stades from Rome.
τρίτῃ δʼ ἀφʼ ἧς κατεστρατοπέδευσεν ἡμέρᾳ, προελθόντων ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος τῶν Ἑρνίκων εἰς τὸ πεδίον ἐν τάξει καὶ τὰ σημεἶ ἀράντων τῆς μάχης, ἀντεξῆγε καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν δύναμιν ἐν κόσμῳ τε καὶ κατὰ τέλη.
On the third day after he had encamped, when the Hernicians marched out from their camp into the plain in order and raised the signals for battle, he himself also led out his forces against them in good order and by cohorts.
§8.65.2ἐπεὶ δʼ ἀγχοῦ ἐγένοντο ἀλλήλων ἔθεον ἀλαλάξαντες ὁμόσε, πρῶτον μὲν οἱ ψιλοὶ σαυνίων τε βολαῖς καὶ τοξεύμασι καὶ λίθοις ἀπὸ σφενδόνης μαχόμενοι, καὶ πολλὰ τραύματα ἔδοσαν ἀλλήλοις·
When they came near each other, they rushed together with a shout; first the light-armed troops, fighting with throwing-spears, arrows, and stones from slings, inflicted many wounds upon each other.
ἔπειτα ἱππεῖς ἱππεῦσι συρράττουσι κατʼ ἴλας ἐλαύνοντες καὶ τὸ πεζὸν τῷ πεζῷ κατὰ σπείρας μαχόμενον.
Then the horsemen, riding by troops, clashed with horsemen, and the infantry fought with infantry by cohorts.
ἔνθα δὴ καλὸς ἀγὼν ἦν ἐκθύμως ἀμφοτέρων ἀγωνιζομένων, καὶ μέχρι πολλοῦ διέμενον οὐδέτεροι τοῖς ἑτέροις τοῦ χωρίου, ἐν ᾧ ἐτάχθησαν, εἴκοντες.
There indeed a glorious struggle took place, with both sides fighting with great spirit, and for a long time neither yielded to the other any of the ground on which they had been stationed.
ἔπειτα ἡ Ῥωμαίων ἤρξατο κάμνειν φάλαγξ, οἷα διὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ μεταξὺ χρόνου τότε πρῶτον ἠναγκασμένη ὁμιλεῖν πολέμῳ.
Then the Roman phalanx began to grow weary, since, because of the long interval of time, they were then for the first time forced to engage in war.
§8.65.3τοῦτο συνιδὼν Ἀκύλλιος ἐκέλευσε τοὺς ἀκμῆτας ἔτι καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο φυλαττομένους ὑπὸ τὰ κάμνοντα τῆς φάλαγγος ὑπελθεῖν μέρη, τοὺς δὲ τραυματίας καὶ τοὺς ἀπειρηκότας ὀπίσω τῆς φάλαγγος ἀπιέναι.
Aquillius, perceiving this, ordered those who were still fresh and kept for this very purpose to go under and relieve the weary parts of the phalanx, and the wounded and exhausted to retire behind the phalanx.
οἱ δʼ Ἕρνικες ὡς ἔμαθον κινουμένους αὐτῶν τοὺς λόχους φυγῆς τʼ ἄρχειν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ὑπέλαβον, καὶ παρακελευσάμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἐμβάλλουσι πυκνοῖς τοῖς λόχοις εἰς τὰ κινούμενα τῶν πολεμίων μέρη, καὶ οἱ ἀκραιφνεῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐπιόντας αὐτοὺς δέχονται·
But the Hernicians, when they perceived their cohorts in motion, supposed that the Romans were beginning to flee, and encouraging one another, they charged with dense cohorts upon the moving parts of the enemy.
καὶ ἦν αὖθις ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς ἀμφοτέρων ἐκθύμως ἀγωνιζομένων μάχη καρτερά·
However, the fresh troops of the Romans received their assault; and once again, from the beginning, there was a fierce battle, with both sides fighting with great spirit.
καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ τῶν Ἑρνίκων ἐξεπληροῦντο λόχοι τοῖς ἀκμῆσιν ὑποπεμπομένοις εἰς τὰ κάμνοντα ὑπὸ τῶν ἡγεμόνων.
For the cohorts of the Hernicians were also being filled up by their commanders sending fresh men to relieve those who were weary.
§8.65.4ἐπειδὴ δὲ περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν ἦν ἤδη, παρακαλέσας τοὺς ἱππεῖς ὁ ὕπατος νυνὶ δὴ ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς γενέσθαι, ἐμβάλλει τοῖς πολεμίοις κατὰ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας αὐτὸς ἡγούμενος τῆς ἴλης.
And when it was already late afternoon, the consul, having exhorted the horsemen to show themselves brave men now indeed, charged the enemy on their right wing, leading the troop himself.
οἱ δʼ ὀλίγον τινὰ δεξάμενοι χρόνον αὐτοὺς ἐγκλίνουσι, καὶ γίνεται φόνος ἐνταῦθα πολύς.
The enemy, having sustained them for only a short time, gave way, and a great slaughter occurred there.
τὸ μὲν οὖν δεξιὸν τῶν Ἑρνίκων κέρας ἐπόνει τʼ ἤδη καὶ ἐξέλειπε τὴν τάξιν, τὸ δʼ εὐώνυμον ἔτι ἀντεῖχε καὶ περιῆν τοῦ Ῥωμαίων δεξιοῦ· μετʼ ὀλίγον μέντοι καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐνέδωκεν.
Thus the right wing of the Hernicians was already hard pressed and was abandoning its post, but their left still held out and was prevailing over the Roman right; yet after a short time, this too gave way.
§8.65.5ὁ γὰρ Ἀκύλλιος τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν νέων ἐπαγόμενος παρεβοήθει κἀκεῖ παραθαρρύνων τε καὶ ἐξ ὀνόματος ἀνακαλῶν τοὺς εἰωθότας ἐν ταῖς πρὶν ἀριστεύειν μάχαις, τά τε σημεῖα τῶν λόχων, ὅσοι μὴ ἐρρωμένως ἐδόκουν ἀμύνεσθαι, παρὰ τῶν σημειοφόρων ἁρπάζων εἰς μέσους ἐρρίπτει τοὺς πολεμίους, ἵνα τὸ δέος αὐτοὺς τῆς ἐννόμου τιμωρίας, εἰ μὴ ἀνασώσαιντο τὰς σημαίας, ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς εἶναι ἀναγκάσῃ·
For Aquillius, taking with him the best of the young men, went to the rescue there, encouraging them and calling out by name those who were accustomed to distinguish themselves in former battles; and snatching the standards of the cohorts, as many as did not seem to be defending themselves vigorously, from the standard-bearers, he threw them into the midst of the enemy, so that the fear of lawful punishment, if they should not recover their standards, might force them to be brave men.
τῷ τε κάμνοντι αὐτὸς παρεβοήθει μέρει ἀεί, τέως ἐξέωσε τῆς στάσεως καὶ θάτερον κέρας.
And he himself always assisted the weary part, until he drove the other wing also from its position.
ψιλωθέντων δὲ τῶν ἄκρων οὐδὲ τὰ μέσα παρέμεινε.
And when the flanks were laid bare, not even the center stood its ground.
§8.65.6φυγὴ δὴ τῶν Ἑρνίκων τὸ μετὰ τοῦτʼ ἐγίνετο ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα τεταραγμένη τε καὶ ἄκοσμος, καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι αὐτοῖς κτείνοντες ἠκολούθουν.
Thereupon a flight of the Hernicians took place toward their camp, confused and disorderly, and the Romans followed them, killing them.
τοσαύτη δʼ ἄρα προθυμία παρὰ τὸν τότʼ ἀγῶνα τῇ Ῥωμαίων στρατιᾷ ἐνέπεσεν, ὥστε καὶ τοῦ χάρακος τῶν πολεμίων πειρᾶσθαί τινας ἐπιβαίνειν ὡς ἐξ ἐφόδου χειρωσομένους·
And so great an eagerness fell upon the Roman army during that struggle that some even attempted to scale the enemy's camp, intending to capture it by storm.
ὧν οὐκ ἀσφαλῆ τὴν προθυμίαν οὐδʼ ἐν τῷ συμφέροντι γιγνομένην ὁρῶν ὁ ὕπατος, σημαίνειν κελεύσας τὸ ἀνακλητικὸν κατεβίβασε τοὺς ὁμόσε χωροῦντας ἄκοντας ἀπὸ τῶν ἐρυμάτων, δείσας, μὴ ἐξ ὑπερδεξιῶν βαλλόμενοι σὺν αἰσχύνῃ τε καὶ μετὰ μεγάλης βλάβης ἀναγκασθῶσιν ὑποχωρεῖν, ἔπειτα καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς προτέρας νίκης εὔκλειαν ἀφανίσωσι.
The consul, seeing that their eagerness was neither safe nor advantageous, ordered the recall to be sounded and brought down those who were advancing against the fortifications, against their will; for he feared lest, being shot at from above, they should be forced to retreat with disgrace and great loss, and thereby tarnish the glory of their former victory.
τότε μὲν οὖν ἤδη γὰρ ἦν περὶ δύσιν ἡλίου· χαίροντές τε καὶ παιανίζοντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι κατεστρατοπέδευσαν.
So, as it was already about sunset, the Romans, rejoicing and singing the paean, returned to their camp.