§4.17.1in horum magistratu Fidenae, colonia Romana, ad Lartem Tolumnium ac Veientes defecere.
During their magistracy, Fidenae, a Roman colony, revolted to Lars Tolumnius and the Veientes.
§4.17.2maius additum defectioni scelus: C. Fulcinium, Cloelium Tullum, Sp. Antium, L. Roscium, legatos Romanos, causam novi consilii quaerentes, iussu Tolumni interfecerunt.
A greater crime was added to the defection: they killed Gaius Fulcinius, Cloelius Tullus, Spurius Antius, and Lucius Roscius, Roman envoys who were inquiring into the cause of this new policy, by the command of Tolumnius.
§4.17.3levant quidam regis facinus: in tesserarum prospero iactu vocem eius ambiguam, ut occidi iussisse videretur, a Fidenatibus exceptam causam mortis legatis fuisse:
Some alleviate the king's deed, saying that during a lucky throw of the dice, an ambiguous word of his, which seemed as if he had ordered them to be killed, was caught up by the Fidenates and was the cause of death to the envoys.
§4.17.4rem incredibilem, interventu Fidenatium, novorum sociorum, consulentium de caede ruptura ius gentium, non aversum ab intentione lusus animum nec deinde in errorem versum facinus.
An incredible thing—that while the Fidenates, their new allies, intervened, consulting about a murder that would break the law of nations, his mind was not distracted from the concentration on his game, nor was the deed afterwards turned back from error.
propius est fidem obstringi Fidenatium populum, §4.17.5ne respicere spem ullam ab Romanis posset, conscientia tanti sceleris voluisse.
It is closer to the truth that the people of the Fidenates, wished, so that they could not look back to any hope from the Romans, to be bound by the consciousness of so great a crime.
§4.17.6legatorum, qui Fidenis caesi erant, statuae publice in rostris positae sunt.
Statues of the envoys who had been slain at Fidenae were set up publicly on the Rostra.
cum Veientibus Fidenatibusque, praeterquam finitumis populis, ab causa etiam tam nefanda bellum exorsis atrox dimicatio instabat.
A fierce conflict was imminent with the Veientes and Fidenates, who, besides being neighboring peoples, had begun a war from so heinous a cause.
§4.17.7itaque ad curam summae rerum quieta plebe tribunisque eius nihil controversiae fuit, quin consules crearentur M. Geganius Macerinus tertium et L. Sergius Fidenas, a bello, credo, quod deinde gessit, appellatus.
Therefore, for the care of the state's highest interests, since the plebs and their tribunes were quiet, there was no controversy but that consuls should be elected: Marcus Geganius Macerinus for the third time and Lucius Sergius Fidenas, so called, I believe, from the war which he afterwards waged.
§4.17.8hic enim primus cis Anienem cum rege Veientium secundo proelio conflixit nec incruentam victoriam rettulit.
For this man was the first to fight on this side of the Anio with the king of the Veientes in a successful battle, yet he did not bring back a bloodless victory.
maior itaque ex civibus amissis dolor quam laetitia fusis hostibus fuit, et senatus ut in trepidis rebus dictatorem dici Mam. Aemilium iussit.
Therefore, the grief for the lost citizens was greater than the joy for the routed enemies, and the senate, as in alarming circumstances, ordered Mamercus Aemilius to be named dictator.
is magistrum equitum ex collegio prioris anni, §4.17.9quo simul tribuni militum consulari potestate fuerant, L. Quinctium Cincinnatum, dignum parente iuvenem, dixit.
He named as master of the horse, from the college of the previous year, in which they had been at the same time military tribunes with consular power, Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, a young man worthy of his parent.
§4.17.10ad dilectum a consulibus habitum centuriones veteres belli periti adiecti et numerus amissorum proxima pugna expletus.
To the levy held by the consuls, old centurions experienced in war were added, and the number of those lost in the recent battle was filled up.
legatos T. Quinctium Capitolinum et M. Fabium Vibulanum sequi se dictator iussit.
The dictator ordered Titus Quinctius Capitolinus and Marcus Fabius Vibulanum to follow him as legates.
§4.17.11cum potestas maior tum vir quoque potestati par hostes ex agro Romano trans Anienem submovere; collesque inter Fidenas atque Anienem ceperunt referentes castra nec ante in campos degressi sunt, quam legiones Faliscorum auxilio venerunt.
Both the greater power and the man equal to that power drove the enemy from Roman territory across the Anio; and they, pulling back their camp, took the hills between Fidenae and the Anio, and did not descend into the plains until the legions of the Falisci came to their aid.
§4.17.12tum demum castra Etruscorum pro moenibus Fidenarum posita et dictator Romanus haud procul inde ad confluenti.
Then at last the camp of the Etruscans was pitched before the walls of Fidenae, and the Roman dictator encamped not far from there near the confluence.
consedit in utriusque ripis amnis, qua assequi munimento poterat, vallo interposito.
He took up his position on both banks of the river, where he could connect them with a fortification, throwing up a rampart between.
postero die in aciem eduxit.
On the following day he led his men out into battle array.