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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §9.12.1-9.12.6

Etruscan Assault on the Camp and Retaking by Siccius

Passage 681 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The Tyrrhenians launched a sudden attack and captured the other Roman camp, but fell to plundering. Hearing this, the other consul rushed to the rescue with elite forces, and through the clever strategy of Siccius, they successfully retook the camp.

§9.12.1ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτʼ ἐγίνετο, οἱ τὸν χάρακα τὸν ἐκλειφθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ Μαλλίου καταλαβόμενοι Τυρρηνοὶ συνθήματος ἀρθέντος ἀπὸ τοῦ στρατηγίου σὺν τάχει πολλῷ καὶ προθυμίᾳ μεγάλῃ χωροῦντες ἐπὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἠπείγοντο τῶν Ῥωμαίων χάρακα, ὡς οὐκ ἀξιοχρέῳ δυνάμει φυλαττόμενον.
While these things were happening, the Tyrrhenians who had captured the camp abandoned by Mallius, when a signal was raised from the general's tent, proceeding with great speed and great eagerness, hastened to the other camp of the Romans, on the ground that it was guarded by an insufficient force.
καὶ ἦν ἡ δόξα αὐτῶν ἀληθής.
And their expectation was true.
ἔξω γὰρ τῶν τριαρίων καὶ ὀλίγων ἄλλων τῶν ἐν ἀκμῇ τὸ λοιπὸν πλῆθος ἐμπόρων τε καὶ θεραπόντων καὶ χειροτεχνῶν ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ· γίνεταί τε πολλῶν εἰς ὀλίγον συνελασθέντων χωρίον· περὶ γὰρ. ταῖς πύλαις ὁ ἀγὼν ἦν· ὀξεῖα καὶ χαλεπὴ μάχη, καὶ νεκροὶ παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων πολλοί.
For apart from the triarii and a few others in their prime, the remaining multitude in it was made up of traders, servants, and artisans; and a battle arose, many having been driven together into a small space; for the struggle was around the gates; a sharp and difficult battle, and many dead on both sides.
§9.12.2ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἔργῳ ὅ τε ὕπατος ἐκβοηθῶν ἅμα τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἵππος ἔπεσε συγκατενεχθεὶς καὶ ἀδύνατος ὢν ἀναστῆναι ὑπὸ πλήθους τραυμάτων, ἀποθνήσκει καὶ πολλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ περὶ αὐτὸν ἄλλοι νέοι.
In this action, the consul, while bringing aid together with the cavalry, when his horse, collapsing with him, fell and was unable to rise due to the multitude of wounds, died, and many other brave young men around him.
μετὰ δὲ τὸ πάθος τοῦτʼ εὐθὺς ὁ χάραξ ἡλίσκετο, καὶ τέλος εἶχε τοῖς Τυρρηνοῖς τὰ
Immediately after this disaster, the camp was captured, and the prophecies of the Tyrrhenians had their fulfillment.
§9.12.3μαντεύματα εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐταμιεύσαντο τὴν παροῦσαν εὐτυχίαν καὶ διὰ φυλακῆς ἔσχον τὸν χάρακα, τάς τʼ ἀποσκευὰς τῶν Ῥωμαίων κατέσχον καὶ αὐτοὺς αἰσχρῶς ἀπελθεῖν ἠνάγκασαν· νῦν δὲ πρὸς ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ἀπολειφθέντων τραπόμενοι καὶ ἀναψύχοντες τὸ λοιπὸν οἱ πλείους καλὴν ἄγραν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἀφῃρέθησαν.
If indeed they had managed with moderation their present good fortune and had kept the camp under guard, they would have held the baggage of the Romans and forced them to retreat shamefully; but as it was, turning to the plunder of what had been left behind, and the majority of them taking rest for the remainder of the time, they were deprived of a fine prey from their hands.
ὡς γὰρ ἀπηγγέλθη θατέρῳ τῶν ὑπάτων ἡ τοῦ χάρακος ἅλωσις, ἠπείγετο σὺν τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἱππέων τε καὶ πεζῶν.
For when the capture of the camp was reported to the other of the consuls, he hastened with the best of the cavalry and infantry.
§9.12.4καὶ οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ μαθόντες αὐτὸν ἐπιόντα περιεστεφάνωσαν τὸν χάρακα, μάχη τʼ αὐτῶν γίνεται καρτερὰ τῶν μὲν ἀνασώσασθαι βουλομένων τὰ σφέτερα, τῶν δέ, μὴ πασσυδὶ διαφθαρῶσιν ἁλόντος τοῦ χάρακος, δεδοικότων.
And the Tyrrhenians, learning that he was approaching, surrounded the camp, and a fierce battle took place between them, the ones wishing to recover their own property, and the others fearing lest, if the camp were taken, they should be utterly destroyed.
χρόνου δὲ γινομένου πλείονος καὶ τῶν Τυρρηνῶν πολλὰ πλεονεκτούντων — ἦν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων τε χωρίων καὶ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους διʼ ἡμέρας ὅλης κεκμηκότας ἡ μάχη — Τῖτος Σίκκιος ὁ πρεσβευτὴς καὶ ἀντιστράτηγος, κοινωσάμενος τῷ ὑπάτῳ τὴν αὑτοῦ διάνοιαν τὸ ἀνακλητικὸν ἐκέλευε σημαίνειν, καὶ §9.12.5καθʼ ἓν ἅπαντας γενομένους μιᾷ προσβάλλειν πλευρᾷ τοῦ χάρακος, καθʼ ὃ μάλιστα τὸ χωρίον ἦν ἐπιμαχώτατον· τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὰς πύλας εἴασε μέρη κατά τινα εἰκότα λογισμόν, ὃς οὐκ ἐψεύσατο αὐτόν, ὅτι σωθήσεσθαι μὲν ἐλπίσαντες οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ μεθήσονται τοῦ χάρακος, ἐν ἀπογνώσει δὲ τούτου γενόμενοι κυκλώσεώς τε πάντοθεν ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων γενομένης καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ὑπαρχούσης ἐξόδου ἀναγκαῖον ἕξουσι τὸ εὔτολμον.
And as more time passed and the Tyrrhenians had many advantages—for their battle was from higher ground and against men who had been exhausted through the whole day—Titus Siccius, the legate and propraetor, having communicated his plan to the consul, ordered the retreat to be sounded, and and [ordered] that all, having united into one body, should attack one side of the camp, at which place especially the position was most open to attack; but he left alone the parts near the gates, according to a certain reasonable calculation, which did not deceive him: namely, that the Tyrrhenians, hoping to be saved, would let go of the camp, but if they fell into despair of this, and a surrounding by the enemy took place from all sides and no exit was available, they would of necessity have recourse to desperate courage.
§9.12.6γενομένης δὲ καθʼ ἓν χωρίον τῆς προσβολῆς οὐκέτι πρὸς ἀλκὴν οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ ἐτράποντο, ἀλλʼ ἀνοίξαντες τὰς πύλας ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἀνεσώζοντο χάρακα.
And when the attack was made at one point, the Tyrrhenians no longer turned to defense, but having opened the gates, they retreated to their own camp.

Notes

  1. 1769ὡς οὐκ ἀξιοχρέῳ δυνάμει φυλαττόμενον — The particle ὡς with the participle φυλαττόμενον expresses a subjective reason or belief of the actors. The participle agrees with the preceding masculine accusative singular noun τὸν ἕτερον ... χάρακα.
  2. 1770ἐταμιεύσαντο ... κατέσχον καὶ ... ἠνάγκασαν — A past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence (εἰ with indicative aorist) that lacks the particle ἄν in the apodosis (κατέσχον, ἠνάγκασαν). This omission of ἄν emphasizes the certainty or immediacy of the hypothetical outcome in the historical narrative.
  3. 1771ὅτι σωθήσεσθαι μὲν ἐλπίσαντες οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ μεθήσονται τοῦ χάρακος — The ὅτι clause functions as an appositive clause explaining the concrete content of the preceding noun λογισμόν (calculation, reasoning).

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §9.12.1-9.12.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.12.1-9.12.6

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