§9.26.1ἐπεὶ δʼ αἱ μὲν ἔξωθεν ἐβράδυνον ἀγοραί, τὰ δʼ ἐντὸς τείχους τροφῆς ἐχόμενα πάντα κατανάλωτο, ἀποστροφὴ δὲ τῶν κακῶν οὐδεμία ἦν ἑτέρα, ἀλλὰ δυεῖν θάτερον ἐχρῆν, ἢ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκβαλεῖν ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἁπάσῃ δυνάμει παρακινδυνεύσαντας, ἢ τειχήρεις μένοντας ὑπὸ λιμοῦ τε καὶ στάσεως διαφθαρῆναι, τὸ κουφότερον αἱρούμενοι τῶν κακῶν ἔγνωσαν ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τοῖς ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων δεινοῖς.
But when the provisions from outside were delayed, and all things inside the walls relating to food had been consumed, and there was no other way to escape their miseries, but one of two things was necessary, either to risk all by driving the enemy out of the territory with their whole force, or to remain blockaded and perish by hunger and sedition, choosing the lesser of the evils, they resolved to advance against the dangers presented by the enemy.
§9.26.2προαγαγόντες δὲ τὰς δυνάμεις ἐκ τῆς πόλεως περὶ μέσας νύκτας διέβησαν τὸν ποταμὸν ἐπὶ σχεδίαις καί, πρὶν ἡμέραν λαμπρὰν γενέσθαι, πλησίον τῶν πολεμίων κατεστρατοπέδευσαν.
And having led the forces out of the city about midnight, they crossed the river on rafts and, before it became bright daylight, encamped near the enemy.
τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ προελθόντες ἔταξαν ὡς εἰς μάχην τὸν στρατόν.
On the following day, having advanced, they drew up the army as if for battle.
εἶχε δὲ τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν τῶν κεράτων Οὐεργίνιος, τὸ δʼ εὐώνυμον Σερουίλιος.
Verginius held the right wing, and Servilius the left.
§9.26.3ἰδόντες δʼ αὐτοὺς εὐτρεπεῖς ὄντας οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα σφόδρα ἐχάρησαν, ὡς ἑνὶ τῷ τότε κινδύνῳ κατὰ νοῦν χωρήσαντι τὴν Ῥωμαίων καθελοῦντες ἀρχήν, εἰδότες, ὅτι πᾶν, ὅσον ἦν κράτιστον στρατιωτικὸν αὐτῶν, εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐκεῖνον ὥρμητο, καὶ διʼ ἐλπίδος ἔχοντες, ἐν ᾗ πολὺ τὸ κοῦφον ἦν, ῥᾳδίως αὐτῶν κρατήσειν, ἐπειδὴ τὴν μετὰ Μενηνίου δύναμιν ἐν δυσχωρίαις παραταξαμένην σφίσιν ἐνίκησαν.
And seeing them ready for the contest, the Etruscans were exceedingly glad, thinking that if the single danger at that time should go according to their mind, they would overthrow the Roman power, since they knew that all that was best of their military force had rushed into that contest, and having a hope, in which there was much light-mindedness, that they would easily conquer them, since they had conquered the force under Menenius when drawn up against them in difficult terrain.
γενομένης δʼ ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ πολυχρονίου μάχης πολλοὺς μὲν ἀποκτείναντες Ῥωμαίων, πολλῷ δʼ ἔτι πλείονας τῶν σφετέρων ἀποβαλόντες ἀνεχώρουν βάδην ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα.
But a fierce and long-lasting battle having taken place, although they killed many of the Romans, yet having lost far more of their own, they retreated at a walk to their camp.
§9.26.4ὁ μὲν οὖν Οὐεργίνιος τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας ἔχων οὐκ εἴα διώκειν τοὺς σφετέρους, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τῷ κατορθώματι μένειν, ὁ δὲ Σερουίλιος ὁ τεταγμένος ἐπὶ θατέρου κέρως ἐδίωκε τοὺς καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἑπόμενος ἄχρι πολλοῦ.
Now Verginius, holding the right wing, did not permit his men to pursue, but to remain on their success; but Servilius, who was stationed on the other wing, pursued those before him, following them for a long distance.
ὡς δʼ ἐν τοῖς μετεώροις ἐγένετο, ὑποστρέψαντες οἱ Τυρρηνοί, καὶ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἐπιβοηθησάντων, ἐνσείουσιν αὐτοῖς.
But when they got onto the high ground, the Etruscans, turning back, and with those from the camp helping them, rushed upon them.
οἱ δʼ ὀλίγον τινὰ δεξάμενοι χρόνον ἐγκλίνουσι τὰ νῶτα, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ λόφου διωκόμενοι σποράδες ἀπώλλυντο.
And they, having resisted for a short time, turned their backs, and being pursued down the hill, were destroyed in scattered groups.
§9.26.5μαθὼν δὲ Οὐεργίνιος, ἐν οἵαις ἦν τύχαις ἡ τὸ ἀριστερὸν κέρας κατέχουσα στρατιά, πᾶσαν ἔχων τὴν δύναμιν ἐν τάξει πλαγίαν ἦγε διὰ τοῦ ὄρους ὁδόν.
But Verginius, learning in what fortunes the army holding the left wing was, led his whole force in order by a flank path through the mountain.
γενόμενος δὲ κατὰ νώτου τῶν διωκόντων τοὺς σφετέρους, μέρος μέν τι ταύτῃ καταλείπει τῆς στρατιᾶς κωλύσεως ἕνεκεν τῶν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἐπιβοηθησόντων, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν αὐτὸς ἄγων ἐπεφέρετο τοῖς πολεμίοις.
And having got in the rear of those pursuing his men, he left a certain part of the army here for the purpose of preventing those from the camp who might come to help, and himself leading the rest, rushed upon the enemy.
ἐν δὲ τούτῳ καὶ οἱ μετὰ τοῦ Σερουιλίου θαρσήσαντες τῇ παρουσίᾳ τῶν σφετέρων ὑποστρέφουσί τε καὶ καταστάντες ἐμάχοντο.
And in the meantime, those with Servilius also, taking courage from the presence of their men, turned back and, standing their ground, fought.
κυκλωθέντες δʼ ὑπʼ ἀμφοῖν οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ καὶ οὔτε πρόσω διεκπορευθῆναι δυνάμενοι διὰ τοὺς ὁμόσε χωροῦντας, οὔτʼ ὀπίσω φεύγειν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα διὰ τοὺς κατόπιν ἐπιόντας, οὐκ ἀνάνδρως, §9.26.6ἀτυχῶς δʼ οἱ πλείους κατεκόπησαν.
And being surrounded by both, the Etruscans, being able neither to force their way forward because of those advancing against them, nor to flee back to their camp because of those attacking from behind, not unmanfully, but unfortunately, the greater part of them were cut to pieces.
γενομένης δʼ οἰκτρᾶς νίκης περὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, καὶ οὐ παντάπασιν εὐτυχὲς τέλος εἰληφότος τοῦ ἀγῶνος οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι πρὸ τῶν νεκρῶν καταστρατοπεδευσάμενοι τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν νύκτα ηὐλίσαντο, οἱ δὲ κατέχοντες τὸ Ἰάνικλον Τυρρηνοί, ἐπειδὴ οὐδεμία παρὰ τῶν οἴκοθεν ἤρχετο ἐπικουρία, καταλιπεῖν ἔκριναν τὸ φρούριον, καὶ ἀναστρατοπεδεύσαντες νυκτὸς ἀπῆραν εἰς τὴν Οὐιεντανῶν πόλιν ἐγγυτάτω σφίσι τῶν Τυρρηνίδων πόλεων κειμένην.
A mournful victory having come to the Romans, and the contest not having taken an altogether fortunate end, the consuls, having encamped in front of the dead, lodged there for the following night; but the Etruscans who held the Janiculum, since no help came to them from home, decided to abandon the stronghold, and having decamped by night, departed to the city of the Veientes, which lay nearest to them of the Etruscan cities.
§9.26.7τοῦ δὲ χάρακος αὐτῶν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι κρατήσαντες τά τε χρήματα διαρπάζουσιν, ὅσα ὑπελείποντο ἀδύνατα ὄντα ἐν φυγῇ φέρεσθαι, καὶ τραυματίας λαμβάνουσι πολλούς, τοὺς μὲν ἐν ταῖς σκηναῖς ἀπολειφθέντας, τοὺς δʼ ἀνὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἅπασαν ἐστρωμένους.
And the Romans, having made themselves masters of their camp, plundered all the money that was left behind, being impossible to be carried away in flight, and took many wounded men, some left behind in the tents, and others stretched out along the whole road.
§9.26.8ἀντείχοντο γάρ τινες γλιχόμενοι τῆς οἴκαδε ὁδοῦ καὶ διεκαρτέρουν παρὰ δύναμιν ἀκολουθοῦντες, εἶτα βαρυνομένων αὐτοῖς τῶν μελῶν ἡμιθνῆτες κατέρρεον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· οὓς οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἱππεῖς ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ προελθόντες ἀνείλοντο· καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν ἔτι πολέμιον ἦν καθελόντες τὸ φρούριον καὶ τὰ λάφυρα ἄγοντες ἧκον εἰς τὴν πόλιν, τὰ σώματα τῶν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τελευτησάντων κομίσαντες οἰκτρὰν ὄψιν ἅπασι τοῖς πολίταις διὰ πλῆθός
For some, eagerly desiring the way home, held out beyond their strength in following, then, their limbs being heavy, fell down half-dead upon the ground; whom the Roman horsemen, having advanced far on the road, took up; and when there was no longer anything hostile, having demolished the stronghold and bringing the spoils, they came to the city, carrying the bodies of those who had died in the battle, a mournful sight to all the citizens because of the number and the bravery of those who had perished.
§9.26.9τε καὶ ἀρετὴν τῶν ἀπολομένων. ὥσθʼ ὁ μὲν δῆμος οὔθʼ ἑορτάζειν ὡς καλὸν ἀγῶνα κατορθώσας ἠξίου, οὔτε πενθεῖν ὡς ἐπὶ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἀνηκέστῳ συμφορᾷ· ἡ δὲ βουλὴ τοῖς μὲν θεοῖς τὰς ἀναγκαίους ἐψηφίσατο θυσίας, τὴν δʼ ἐπινίκιον τοῦ θριάμβου πομπὴν οὐκ ἐπέτρεψε ποιήσασθαι τοῖς ὑπάτοις.
So that the people did not think fit either to celebrate as having succeeded in a fine contest, nor to mourn as for a great and incurable calamity; and the senate voted the necessary sacrifices to the gods, but did not permit the consuls to celebrate the triumphal procession.
μετʼ οὐ πολλὰς δʼ ἡμέρας ἀγορᾶς ἐπλήσθη παντοδαπῆς ἡ πόλις τῶν τε δημοσίᾳ πεμφθέντων καὶ τῶν εἰωθότων ἐμπορεύεσθαι πολὺν εἰσαγαγόντων σῖτον, ὥστʼ ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ πάντας εὐετηρίᾳ γενέσθαι.
But after not many days, the city was filled with market goods of all kinds, both from those sent publicly and from the usual traders importing much grain, so that all were in their former prosperity.