§8.25.1eodem anno lectisternium Romae, quinto post conditam urbem, iisdem, quibus ante, placandis habitum est deis.
In the same year, a lectisternium was held at Rome, the fifth since the founding of the city, for the purpose of placating the same gods as before.
§8.25.2novi deinde consules iussu populi cum misissent, qui indicerent Samnitibus bellum, ipsi maiore conatu quam adversus Graecos cuncta parabant; et alia nova nihil tum animo tale agitantibus accesserunt auxilia: §8.25.3Lucani atque Apuli, quibus gentibus nihil ad eam diem cum Romano populo fuerat, in fidem venerunt, arma virosque ad bellum pollicentes; foedere ergo in amicitiam accepti.
Then the new consuls, having sent messengers by order of the people to declare war on the Samnites, themselves prepared everything with greater effort than against the Greeks; and other new auxiliary forces, of which they were at that time thinking nothing of the kind, were added to them: The Lucanians and Apulians, nations which up to that day had had no relations with the Roman people, came into their alliance, promising arms and men for the war; they were therefore received into friendship by a treaty.
eodem tempore etiam in Samnio res prospere gesta.
At the same time, affairs in Samnium also went prosperously.
§8.25.4tria oppida in potestatem venerunt, Allifae Callifae Rufrium, aliusque ager primo adventu consulum longe lateque est pervastatus.
Three towns came into their power, Allifae, Callifae, and Rufrium, and the rest of the territory was thoroughly devastated far and wide upon the first arrival of the consuls.
§8.25.5hoc bello tam prospere commisso alteri quoque bello, quo Graeci obsidebantur, iam finis aderat.
With this war begun so successfully, the end was now also near for the other war, in which the Greeks were besieged.
nam praeterquam quod intersaeptis munimentis hostium pars parti abscisa erat, foediora aliquanto intra muros iis, §8.25.6quibus hostis territabat, et velut capti a suismet ipsi praesidiis indigna iam in liberis quoque ac coniugibus et quae captarum urbium extrema sunt patiebantur.
For, besides the fact that by the cutting off of their fortifications one part of the enemy had been severed from the other, inside the walls there were things far more hideous than those with which the enemy was terrorizing them, and those who, as if captured by their own garrisons, were already suffering unworthy treatment even towards their free children and wives, and all the extremities of captured cities.
§8.25.7itaque cum et a Tarento et a Samnitibus fama esset nova auxilia ventura, Samnitium plus, quam vellent, intra moenia esse rebantur, Tarentinorum iuventutem, §8.25.8Graeci Graecos, haud minus per quos Samniti Nolanoque quam ut Romanis hostibus resisterent, expectabant; postremo levissimum malorum deditio ad Romanos visa.
Therefore, although there was a report that new auxiliary forces would come both from Tarentum and from the Samnites, they reckoned that there were more Samnites within the walls than they wished, and they were expecting the youth of the Tarentines, Greeks expecting Greeks, no less that they might resist the Samnites and Nolans through them than that they might oppose their Roman enemies; finally, surrender to the Romans seemed the lightest of evils.
§8.25.9Charilaus et Nymphius principes civitatis communicato inter se consilio partes ad rem agendam divisere, ut alter ad imperatorem Romanorum transfugeret, alter subsisteret ad praebendam opportunam consilio urbem.
Charilaus and Nymphius, the leading men of the state, having shared their counsel, divided the parts for executing the plan, so that the one should desert to the Roman general, while the other should remain behind to keep the city in a state favorable to their design.
§8.25.10Charilaus fuit, qui ad Publilium Philonem venit et, quod bonum faustum felix Palaepolitanis populoque Romano esset, tradere se ait moenia statuisse.
It was Charilaus who came to Publilius Philo and, praying that it might be good, auspicious, and happy for the Palaepolitans and the Roman people, said that he had resolved to deliver up the walls.
§8.25.11eo facto utrum ab se prodita an servata patria videatur, in fide Romana positum esse.
He said that whether his country appeared betrayed or preserved by that action was placed in the hands of Roman good faith.
sibi privatim nec pacisci quicquam nec petere; publice petere quam pacisci magis, §8.25.12ut, si successisset inceptis, cogitaret populus Romanus potius, cum quanto studio periculoque reditum in amicitiam suam esset, quam qua stultitia et temeritate de officio decessum.
For himself privately, he was neither bargaining for nor asking anything; but publicly, he was asking rather than bargaining, namely, that if the undertakings succeeded, the Roman people should consider with how much zeal and danger they had returned to their friendship, rather than with what folly and rashness they had departed from their duty.
§8.25.13conlaudatus ab imperatore tria milia militum ad occupandam eam partem urbis, quam Samnites insidebant, accepit;
Highly praised by the general, he received three thousand soldiers to occupy that part of the city which the Samnites were holding; L.
praesidio ei L. Quinctius tribunus militum praepositus.
Quinctius, a military tribune, was placed in command of this force.