§43.10.1haud procul inde Uscana oppidum finium imperiique Persei erat.
\nNot far from there was the town of Uscana, belonging to the territory and empire of Perseus.
decem milia civium habebat et modicum custodiae causa Cretensium praesidium. §43.10.2inde nuntii ad Claudium occulti veniebant, si propius copias admovisset, paratos fore, qui proderent urbem.
It had ten thousand citizens and a moderate garrison of Cretans for the purpose of defense.\n\nFrom there, secret messengers came to Claudius, saying that if he should move his forces closer, there would be people ready to betray the city.
et operae pretium esse: non se amicosque tantum, sed etiam milites praeda expleturum. §43.10.3spes cupiditati admota ita occaecavit animum, ut nec ex iis, qui venerant, quemquam retineret nec obsides, pignus futuros afore fraudem agendae rei, posceret nec mitteret exploratum nec fidem acciperet.
They added that it would be well worth the effort, for he would satisfy with plunder not only himself and his friends, but also the soldiers.\n\nThe hope held out to his greed so blinded his mind that he neither detained any of those who had come, nor demanded hostages, who would be a pledge that there would be no fraud in the execution of the business, nor sent to reconnoiter, nor accepted any pledge of faith.
die tantum statuta profectus a Lychnido duodecim milia ab urbe, ad quam tendebat, posuit castra. §43.10.4quarta inde vigilia signa movit mille ferme ad praesidium castrorum relictis.
Having set out from Lychnidus only on the appointed day, he pitched his camp twelve miles from the city toward which he was marching.\n\nFrom there, at the fourth watch, he moved his standards, leaving about a thousand men to guard the camp.
inconpositi, longo agmine effusi, infrequentes, cum nocturnus error dissiparet, ad urbem pervenerunt. §43.10.5crevit neclegentia, postquam neminem armatum in muris viderunt.
Disorganized, straggling in a long column, and few in number, since the wandering in the dark scattered them, they arrived at the city.\n\nTheir negligence increased after they saw no armed man on the walls.
ceterum, ubi primum sub ictu teli fuerunt, duabus simul portis erumpitur; et ad clamorem erumpentium ingens strepitus e muris ortus ululantium mulierum cum crepitu undique aeris, et incondita multitudo turba inmixta servili variis vocibus personabat. §43.10.6hic tam multiplex undique obiectus terror effecit, ne sustinere primam procellam eruptionis Romani possent.
However, as soon as they were within range of missiles, a sally was made from two gates simultaneously; and at the shout of those rushing out, a huge noise arose from the walls of wailing women along with the clattering of bronze everywhere, and an undisciplined multitude, mixed with a crowd of slaves, resounded with various voices.\n\nThis terror, so manifold and presented from all sides, had the effect that the Romans could not withstand the first storm of the sally.
itaque fugientes plures quam pugnantes interempti sunt; vix duo milia hominum cum ipso legato in castra perfugerunt. §43.10.7quo longius iter in castra erat, eo pluris fessos consectandi hostibus copia fuit. §43.10.8ne moratus quidem in castris Appius, ut suos dissipatos fuga colligeret, quae res palatis per agros saluti fuisset, ad Lychnidum protinus reliquias cladis reduxit.
Therefore, more were slain while fleeing than while fighting; scarcely two thousand men escaped to the camp with the legate himself.\n\nThe longer the journey to the camp was, the more opportunity the enemy had to pursue the exhausted.\n\nAppius did not even delay in the camp to collect his men scattered by the flight — an action which would have been a salvation to those wandering through the fields — but immediately led the remnants of the disaster back to Lychnidus.