§43.19.1Perseus praesidio Uscanae inposito multitudinem omnem deditorum, quae prope numero exercitum aequabat, Stuberram abducit.
Perseus, having placed a garrison in Uscana, led away the entire multitude of those who had surrendered, which in number almost equaled his army, to Stuberra.
§43.19.2ibi Romanis — quattuor milia autem hominum erant — praeter principes in custodiam civitatum divisis, Uscanensibus Illyriisque venditis, in Penestas exercitum reducit ad Oaeneum oppidum in potestatem redigendum, §43.19.3et alioqui opportune situm, et transitus ea est in Labeates, ubi Gentius regnabat.
There, having distributed the Romans—of whom, moreover, there were four thousand men—except for their leaders, into the custody of various cities, and having sold the Uscanans and Illyrians, he led his army back into the territory of the Penestians to bring the town of Oaeneum under his control, a town which was both otherwise conveniently situated, and from which there was a passage into the territory of the Labeates, where Gentius was reigning.
§43.19.4praetereunti frequens castellum, Draudacum nomine, peritorum quidam regionis eius nihil Oaeneo capto opus esse ait, nisi in potestate et Draudacum sit; §43.19.5opportunius etiam ad omnia positum esse.
As he was passing by a populous fort, Draudacum by name, one of those who were well acquainted with that region said that there was no use in taking Oaeneum unless Draudacum also were in their power; and that it was situated even more conveniently for all purposes.
admoto exercitu omnes extemplo dediderunt sese.
Having moved his army near, they all immediately surrendered themselves.
ad quam spe celeriorem deditionem erectus postquam animadvertit, quantus agminis sui terror esset, undecim alia castella eodem metu in potestatem redigit.
Encouraged by this surrender, which was quicker than expected, after he noticed how great was the terror of his army, he brought eleven other forts under his power through the same fear.
§43.19.6ad perpauca vi opus fuit, cetera voluntate dedita; et in his recepti mille et quingenti dispositi per praesidia milites Romani.
Force was necessary for very few; the rest surrendered voluntarily; and in these, fifteen hundred Roman soldiers, who had been distributed through the garrisons, were recovered.
§43.19.7magno usui Carvilius Spoletinus erat in conloquiis dicendo nihil in ipsos saevitum.
Carvilius of Spoletium was of great use in the conferences by saying that no cruelty had been practiced against them.
deinde Oaeneum perventum est, quod sine iusta oppugnatione capi non poterat.
Then they came to Oaeneum, which could not be taken without a regular siege.
et maiore aliquanto, quam cetera, iuventute et validum oppidum moenibus erat, §43.19.8et hinc amnis, Artatus nomine, hinc mons praealtus et aditu difficilis cingebat.
It was a town strong in its walls, and with a youth considerably larger than the others, and on one side a river, Artatus by name, and on the other a very high mountain, difficult of access, enclosed it.
§43.19.9haec spem ad resistendum oppidanis dabant.
These things gave the townsmen hope for resisting.
Perseus circumvallato oppido aggerem a parte superiore ducere instituit, cuius altitudine muros superaret.
Perseus, having surrounded the town with lines of circumvallation, decided to construct a mound from the upper part, by the height of which he might overtop the walls.
§43.19.10quod opus dum perficitur, crebris interim proeliis, quibus per excursiones et moenia sua oppidani tutabantur et opera hostium inpediebant, magna eorum multitudo variis casibus absumpta est, et qui supererant, labore diurno nocturnoque et volneribus inutiles erant.
While this work was being completed, in the meantime, through frequent battles—in which, by making sallies, the townsmen both defended their walls and impeded the works of the enemy—a great multitude of them was consumed by various casualties, and those who survived were rendered useless by incessant labor day and night and by wounds.
§43.19.11ubi primum agger iniunctus muro est, et cohors regia, quos Nicatoras appellant, transcendit, et scalis multis simul partibus inpetus in urbem est factus.
As soon as the mound was joined to the wall, both the royal cohort, whom they call Nicatores, crossed over, and an assault was made on the city with ladders in many parts at the same time.
§43.19.12puberes omnes interfecti sunt; coniuges liberosque eorum in custodiam dedit; §43.19.13praedae alia militum cessere.
All the adults were slain; their wives and children he gave into custody; other things of the booty fell to the soldiers.
Stuberram inde victor revertens ad Gentium legatos Pleuratum Illyrium, exulantem apud se, et Adaeum Macedonem a Beroea mittit; §43.19.14iis mandat, ut exponerent aestatis eius hiemisque acta sua adversus Romanos Dardanosque; adicerent recentia in Illyrico hibernae expeditionis opera; hortarentur Gentium in amicitiam secum et cum Macedonibus iungendam.
Returning thence as victor to Stuberra, he sent as ambassadors to Gentius Pleuratus the Illyrian, who was living in exile with him, and Adaeus, a Macedonian from Beroea; he charged them to set forth his exploits of that summer and winter against the Romans and Dardanians; to add the recent achievements of his winter expedition in Illyria; and to exhort Gentius to enter into a friendship with him and with the Macedonians.