§9.70.1Οὐολοῦσκοι δʼ ὑπό τε θράσους καὶ αὐθαδείας προαχθέντες τοῦ τε Ῥωμαϊκοῦ στρατεύματος ὡς οὐκ ἀξιομάχου ὄντος πρὸς τὸ ἑαυτῶν πλῆθος συμφέρεσθαι καταφρονήσαντες ἐξῆλθον ἀγωνιούμενοι περὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ πλησίον τοῦ Οὐετουρίου κατεστρατοπέδευσαν.
And the Volscians, prompted by boldness and arrogance, and holding the Roman army in contempt as not being a match for their own numbers in conflict, went out to fight for their land, and encamped near Veturius.
οἷα δὲ φιλεῖ πάσχειν στραιὰ νεοσύλλεκτος ἔκ τε πολιτικοῦ καὶ γεωργικοῦ πρὸς καιρὸν συνελθόντος ὄχλου συναχθεῖσα, ἐν ᾗ πολὺ καὶ τὸ ἄνοπλον ἦν καὶ κινδύνων ἄπειρον, οὐδʼ εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐθάρσησεν· §9.70.2ἀλλʼ ἅμα τῇ πρώτῃ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐφόδῳ διαταραχθέντες οἱ πολλοὶ καὶ οὔτʼ ἀλαλαγμὸν οὔθʼ ὅπλων κτύπον ἀνασχόμενοι, προτροπάδην ἔφευγον εἰς τὰ τείχη· ὥστε πολλοὺς μὲν ἐν ταῖς στενοχωρίαις τῶν ὁδῶν καταληφθέντας ἀποθανεῖν, πολλῷ δὲ πλείους παρὰ ταῖς πύλαις ὠθουμένους τῶν ἱππέων ἐπιδιωκόντων.
But, as is usually the case with a newly recruited army assembled from a crowd of citizens and husbandmen gathered for the occasion, in which there were many unarmed and inexperienced in dangers, they did not even dare to come to close quarters with the enemy; but at the very first onset of the Romans, the greater part of them were thrown into confusion, and, unable to bear either the battle cry or the clash of arms, they fled headlong to the walls; so that many were overtaken in the narrow parts of the streets and killed, and far more near the gates while they were crowding together, as the cavalry pursued them.
§9.70.3Οὐολοῦσκοι μὲν οὖν ταύτῃ χρησάμενοι τῇ συμφορᾷ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ᾐτιῶντο τῆς ἀφροσύνης, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔτι παρακινδυνεύειν ἐπειρῶντο.
The Volscians, then, having met with this disaster, blamed themselves for their folly, and no longer attempted to run any further risks.
οἱ δὲ τὰς ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ στρατιὰς Οὐολούσκων τε καὶ Αἰκανῶν ἔχοντες ἡγεμόνες, πυνθανόμενοι τὰ οἰκεῖα πολεμούμενα γενναῖόν τι καὶ οὗτοι δρᾶν ἐβουλεύσαντο, ἀναστάντες ἐκ τῆς Ἑρνίκων τε καὶ Λατίνων γῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην ἄγειν ὡς εἶχον ὀργῆς τε καὶ τάχους, τὸν στρατόν, κατὰ τοιάνδε τινὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ δόξαν, ὅτι δυεῖν ἔργων καλῶν θάτερον αὐτοῖς κατορθῶσαι ὑπάρξει, ἢ τὴν Ῥώμην ἀφύλακτον οὖσαν ἑλεῖν, ἢ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν χώρας ἐκβαλεῖν, ὡς δὴ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀναγκασθησομένων πολεμουμένῃ §9.70.4τῇ πατρίδι βοηθεῖν.
But the commanders who had the armies of the Volscians and the Aequians in the field, learning that their own lands were being attacked, resolved that they too should perform some noble deed; and rising from the land of the Hernicians and Latins, they led their army against Rome with all the anger and speed they could command, according to some such opinion of their own, that they would succeed in achieving one of two noble deeds: either to take Rome while it was unguarded, or to expel the enemy from their own country, as the consuls would indeed be forced to come to the aid of their besieged homeland.
ταῦτα διανοηθέντες ἦγον τὴν στρατιὰν ἐπιταχύνοντες, ἵνʼ ἐξ ἀπροσδοκήτου τῇ πόλει συμμίξαντες εὐθὺς ἔργου ἔχωνται.
Having made this resolution, they led their army, hastening their march, in order that they might come upon the city unexpectedly and immediately fall to work.