§9.23.1mutata inde belli sedes est; ad Soram ex Samnio Apuliaque traductae legiones.
Thence the theatre of war was changed; the legions were transferred from Samnium and Apulia to Sora.
§9.23.2Sora ad Samnites defecerat interfectis colonis Romanorum.
Sora had revolted to the Samnites after the Roman colonists had been slain.
quo cum prior Romanus exercitus ad ulciscendam civium necem recuperandamque coloniam magnis itineribus pervenisset §9.23.3et sparsi per vias speculatores sequi legiones Samnitium nec iam procul abesse alii super alios nuntiarent, §9.23.4obviam itum hosti atque ad Lautulas ancipiti proelio dimicatum est.
When the first Roman army had arrived thither by forced marches to avenge the slaughter of the citizens and to recover the colony, and when scouts scattered along the roads reported, one after another, that the Samnite legions were following and were no longer far away, an advance was made against the enemy, and a doubtful battle was fought at Lautulae.
non caedes, non fuga alterius partis, sed nox incertos, victi victoresne essent, diremit.
No slaughter, no flight of either party, but night separated them while still uncertain whether they were the defeated or the victors.
§9.23.5invenio apud quosdam adversam eam pugnam Romanis fuisse atque in ea cecidisse Q. Aulium magistrum equitum.
I find in some authors that this battle was unfavorable to the Romans, and that in it Q. Aulius, the master of the horse, fell.
§9.23.6suffectus in locum Auli C. Fabius magister equitur cum exercitu novo ab Roma advenit et per praemissos nuntios consulto dictatore, ubi subsisteret quove tempore et qua ex parte hostem adgrederetur, substitit occultus ad omnia satis exploratis consiliis.
C. Fabius, who was appointed master of the horse in place of Aulius, arrived from Rome with a new army; and having consulted the dictator through messengers sent ahead as to where he should halt, at what time and from what quarter he should attack the enemy, he halted in concealment, plans having been sufficiently cleared up in all respects.
§9.23.7dictator cum per aliquot dies post pugnam continuisset suos intra vallum obsessi magis quam obsidentis modo, §9.23.8signum repente pugnae proposuit et, efficacius ratus ad accendendos virorum fortium animos, nullam alibi quam in semet ipso cuiquam relictam spem, de magistro equitum novoque exercitu militem celavit et, tamquam nulla nisi in eruptione spes esset, §9.23.9“locis” inquit “angustis, milites, deprehensi, nisi quam victoria patefecerimus viam, nullam habemus.
When the dictator had for several days after the battle kept his men within the rampart, in the manner of one besieged rather than of one besieging, he suddenly displayed the signal for battle; and, thinking it more effective for kindling the spirits of brave men to believe that no hope was left to anyone elsewhere than in themselves, he concealed from the soldiers the news of the master of the horse and the new army, and, as if there were no hope except in a sally, said, "Soldiers, caught as we are in a narrow place, we have no way out, except that which we shall have opened by victory.
§9.23.10stativa nostra munimento satis tuta sunt, sed inopia eadem infesta; nam et circa omnia defecerunt, unde subvehi commeatus poterant, et, si homines iuvare velint, iniqua loca sunt.
Our permanent camp is secure enough by its fortification, but is equally endangered by scarcity; for all the surrounding country, from which provisions could be brought, has revolted, and, even if men should wish to help us, the terrain is unfavorable.
§9.23.11itaque non frustrabor ego vos castra hic relinquendo, in quae infecta victoria, sicut pristino die, vos recipiatis.
Therefore, I will not disappoint you by leaving a camp here, to which, without achieving victory, you may retreat as on the previous day.
armis munimenta, non munimentis arma tuta esse debent.
Fortifications ought to be kept safe by arms, not arms by fortifications.
§9.23.12castra habeant repetantque, quibus operae est trahere bellum; nos omnium rerum respectum praeterquam victoriae nobis abscidamus.
Let those have and return to a camp, who care to prolong the war; let us cut off from ourselves all thought of anything except victory.
§9.23.13ferte signa in hostem; ubi extra vallum agmen excesserit, castra quibus imperatum est incendent.
Advance your standards against the enemy; when the column has gone outside the rampart, those who have been commanded will set fire to the camp.
damna vestra, milites, omnium circa, qui defecerunt, populorum praeda sarcientur. ” §9.23.14et oratione dictatoris, quae necessitatis ultimae index erat, milites accensi vadunt in hostem, et respectus ipse ardentium castrorum, quamquam proximis tantum — ita enim iusserat dictator — ignis est subditus, haud parvum fuit inritamentum.
Your losses, soldiers, shall be repaired by the plunder of all the surrounding peoples who have revolted." And kindled by the dictator's speech, which was an indication of extreme necessity, the soldiers advanced against the enemy; and the very sight of their burning camp, although fire had been set to the nearest parts only—for so the dictator had ordered—was no small incentive.
§9.23.15itaque velut vecordes inlati signa primo impetu hostium turbant, et in tempore, postquam ardentia procul vidit castra, magister equitum — id convenerat signum — hostium terga invadit.
Therefore, charging as if they were mad, they threw the enemy's standards into confusion at the first onset; and at the right moment, after he saw the camp burning in the distance, the master of the horse—for that was the agreed signal—attacked the enemy's rear.
ita circumventi Samnites, qua potest quisque, fugam per diversa petunt;
Thus surrounded, the Samnites fled in different directions, each where he could.
§9.23.16ingens multitudo in unum metu conglobata ac semet ipsam turba inpediens in medio caesa.
A huge multitude, crowded together into one place by fear, and impeding itself by its own crowd, was slaughtered in the midst.
castra hostium capta direptaque; §9.23.17quorum praeda onustum militem in Romana castra dictator reducit, haudquaquam tam victoria laetum, quam quod praeter exiguam deformatam incendio partem cetera contra spem salva invenit.
The enemy's camp was captured and plundered; laden with the spoil of which, the dictator led back the soldier to the Roman camp, by no means so rejoiced at the victory as because, contrary to expectation, he found the rest safe, except for a small part disfigured by the fire.