1To many, as indeed it was, Appius' proposal seemed harsh and savage; 1on the other hand they thought that the course of Verginius and Larcius set a precedent that was far from healthy, especially that of Larcius, since it would destroy all credit. 1Verginius' plan was held to be the most moderate, a middle way between the two; 2but through faction and regard for private interests, which always have obstructed and always will obstruct public counsels, Appius won, and it came close to his being made dictator himself; 3and that would certainly have estranged the plebs at a most dangerous moment, when the Volsci, the Aequi and the Sabines happened all to be in arms together.
4But the consuls and the elders of the senate took care that a power vehement in itself should be entrusted to a gentle character. 4They make Manius Valerius, son of Volesus, dictator. 5Although the plebs saw that a dictator had been created against them, yet, since they held the right of appeal by his brother's law, they feared nothing harsh or arrogant from that family. 6Then an edict published by the dictator, which agreed almost exactly with the edict of the consul Servilius, strengthened their spirits; 6but thinking it better to trust both the man and the office, they dropped the struggle and gave in their names. 6An army such as there had never been before, ten legions, was raised; 7three of them were then given to each consul, and the dictator used four.
7Nor could the war be put off any longer. 8The Aequi had invaded Latin territory. 8Envoys of the Latins asked the senate either to send help or to allow them to take up arms themselves to defend their borders. 9It seemed safer that the Latins should be defended unarmed than that they should be allowed to handle arms again. 9The consul Vetusius was sent. 9That put an end to the raiding. 9The Aequi withdrew from the plains and, trusting more to position than to arms, protected themselves on the highest ridges of the mountains. 10The other consul, setting out against the Volsci, so as not to waste time himself either, provoked the enemy, chiefly by laying waste their fields, to pitch their camp nearer and fight a pitched battle.
11On the plain midway between the camps each side drew up in front of its own rampart with standards levelled. 11The Volsci were somewhat superior in numbers; 11and so they entered the battle in loose order and contemptuously. 11The Roman consul neither advanced his line nor allowed the shout to be returned, but ordered his men to stand with their javelins planted in the ground: when the enemy had come to close quarters, then they were to rise up and fight it out with their swords with all their strength. 13When the Volsci, tired from running and shouting, had flung themselves on the Romans as if these were numb with fear, and then felt the pressure brought against them from the front and saw swords flashing before their eyes, they were thrown into confusion just as if they had fallen into an ambush, and turned their backs; 13and they had not even enough strength for flight, because they had gone into battle at a run.
14The Romans, on the contrary, because they had stood still at the start of the fight, were fresh in body, easily overtook the tired men, took their camp by storm and, pursuing the enemy, stripped of his camp, to Velitrae, burst into the city in one column, victors together with vanquished; 15and more blood was shed there in an indiscriminate slaughter of all kinds than in the battle itself. 15Quarter was given to a few, who came unarmed to surrender.