§10.35.1alteri consuli M. Atilio nequaquam tam facile bellum fuit.
For the other consul, Marcus Atilius, the war was by no means so easy.
cum ad Luceriam duceret legiones, quam oppugnari ab Samnitibus audierat, ad finem Lucerinum ei hostis obvius fuit.
When he was leading his legions to Luceria, which he had heard was being besieged by the Samnites, the enemy met him at the border of the Lucerian territory.
ibi ira vires aequavit;
There, anger made their strength equal.
§10.35.2proelium varium et anceps fuit, tristius tamen eventu Romanis, et quia insueti erant vinci et quia digredientes magis quam in ipso certamine senserunt, quantum in sua parte plus vulnerum ac caedis fuisset.
The battle was varied and doubtful, yet more sorrowful in its outcome for the Romans, both because they were unaccustomed to being defeated, and because, as they withdrew, rather than in the conflict itself, they realized how much more wounds and slaughter there had been on their side.
itaque is terror in castris ortus, §10.35.3qui si pugnantes cepisset, insignis accepta clades foret; tum quoque sollicita nox fuit iam invasurum castra Samnitem credentibus aut prima luce cum victoribus conserendas manus.
Therefore, such a terror arose in the camp, which, if it had seized them while fighting, the defeat sustained would have been signal; even then the night was anxious for those who believed that the Samnites would immediately attack the camp, or that at first light they would have to engage with the victors.
§10.35.4minus cladis, ceterum non plus animorum ad hostes erat.
There was less slaughter, but no more courage, among the enemy.
ubi primum inluxit, abire sine certamine cupiunt; sed via una et ea ipsa praeter hostes erat, quam ingressi praebuere speciem recta tendentium ad castra oppugnanda.
As soon as it dawned, they desired to depart without a contest; but there was only one road, and that very one ran past the enemy, which they, having entered upon, presented the appearance of marching straight to attack the camp.
§10.35.5consul arma capere milites iubet et sequi se extra vallum; legatis, tribunis, praefectis sociorum imperat, quod apud quemque facto opus est.
The consul ordered the soldiers to take up arms and follow him outside the rampart; he commanded the legates, tribunes, and prefects of the allies what was necessary to be done by each.
§10.35.6omnes adfirmant se quidem omnia facturos, sed militum iacere animos; tota nocte inter vulnera et gemitus morientium vigilatum esse; §10.35.7si ante lucem ad castra ventum foret, tantum pavoris fuisse, ut relicturi signa fuerint; nunc pudore a fuga contineri, alioqui pro victis esse.
They all asserted that they indeed would do everything, but that the spirits of the soldiers were downcast; that they had kept watch all night among the wounds and groans of the dying; if the camp had been approached before light, there would have been so much fear that they would have abandoned the standards; now they were restrained from flight by shame, but otherwise they were as good as conquered.
§10.35.8quae ubi consul accept, sibimet ipsi circumeundos adloquendosque milites ratus, ut ad quosque venerat, cunctantes arma capere increpabat:
When the consul received these reports, thinking that he himself must go around and address the soldiers, as he came to each group, he rebuked those who hesitated to take up arms: Why did they delay and hold back?
§10.35.9quid cessarent tergiversarenturque? hostem in castra venturum, nisi illi extra castra exissent, et pro tentoriis suis pugnaturos, si pro vallo nollent.
The enemy would enter the camp unless they went outside, and they would fight in front of their own tents if they refused to do so in front of the rampart.
armatis ac dimicantibus dubiam victoriam esse; §10.35.10qui nudus atque inermis hostem maneat, ei aut mortem aut servitutem patiendam.
For those who were armed and fighting, victory was doubtful; but for him who awaited the enemy naked and unarmed, either death or slavery had to be endured.
§10.35.11haec iurganti increpantique respondebant confectos se pugna hesterna esse, nec virium quicquam nec sanguinis superesse; maiorem multitudinem hostium apparere, quam pridie fuerit.
To him thus chiding and rebuking, they replied that they were exhausted by yesterday's battle, and that neither strength nor blood remained; that a greater multitude of the enemy appeared than had been there the day before.
inter haec adpropinquabat agmen; §10.35.12et iam breviore intervallo certiora intuentes, vallum secum portare Samnitem adfirmant nec dubium esse, quin castra circumvallaturi sint.
Meanwhile, the column was approaching; and now, viewing things more clearly at a shorter distance, they asserted that the Samnites were carrying a rampart with them, and that there was no doubt but that they were going to enclose the camp.
§10.35.13tunc enim vero consul indignum facinus esse vociferari, tantam contumeliam ignominiamque ab ignavissimo accipi hoste.
Then indeed the consul cried out that it was an unworthy deed that such an insult and ignominy should be received from the most cowardly enemy.
§10.35.14“etiamne circumsedebimur” inquit “in castris, ut fame potius per ignominiam quam ferro, si necesse est, per virtutem moriamur?” di bene verterent; facerent, quod se dignum quisque ducerent: §10.35.15consulem M. Atilium vel solum, si nemo alius sequatur, iturum adversus hostes casurumque inter signa Samnitium potius, quam circumvallari castra Romana videat.
"Shall we even be besieged," he said, "in our camp, so that we may die of hunger through ignominy rather than by the sword, if necessary, through courage?" May the gods turn it to good; let them do what each deemed worthy of himself: the consul Marcus Atilius, even alone if no one else should follow, would go against the enemy and would fall among the standards of the Samnites rather than see the Roman camp enclosed.
§10.35.16dicta consulis legati tribunique et omnes turmae equitum et centuriones primorum ordinum adprobavere.
The words of the consul were approved by the legates, the tribunes, all the squadrons of cavalry, and the centurions of the first rank.
§10.35.17tum pudore victus miles segniter arma capit, segniter e castris egreditur; longo agmine nec continenti maesti ac prope victi procedunt adversus hostem nec spe nec animo certiorem.
Then, overcome by shame, the soldiers slowly took up arms and slowly marched out of the camp; in a long and disconnected column, sorrowful and almost conquered, they advanced against an enemy who was no more certain either in hope or in courage.
§10.35.18itaque simul conspecta sunt Romana signa, extemplo a primo Samnitium agmine ad novissimum fremitus perfertur, exire, id quod timuerint, ad inpediendum iter Romanos; §10.35.19nullam inde ne fugae quidem patere viam; illo loco aut cadendum esse aut stratis hostibus per corpora eorum evadendum.
Therefore, as soon as the Roman standards were seen, immediately a murmur was carried from the front of the Samnite column to the rear, that the Romans had come out, just as they had feared, to obstruct their march; that from that place not even a way of escape lay open; that they must either fall in that spot or escape by strewing the enemy and passing over their bodies.