Liv. 2.30.1Multīs, ut erat, horrida et atrōx vidēbātur Appī sententia;To many, as indeed it was, Appius' proposal seemed harsh and savage; Liv. 2.30.1rūrsus Verginī Larcīque exemplō haud salūbrēs, utique Larcī putābant esse eam, quae tōtam fidem tolleret.on 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. Liv. 2.30.1Medium maximē et moderātum utrōque cōnsilium Verginī habēbātur;Verginius' plan was held to be the most moderate, a middle way between the two; Liv. 2.30.2sed factiōne respectūque rērum prīvātārum, quae semper offēcēre officientque pūblicīs cōnsiliīs, Appius vīcit, ac prope fuit, ut dictātor ille īdem creārētur;but 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; Liv. 2.30.3quae rēs utique aliēnāsset plēbem perīculōsissimō tempore, cum Volscī Aequīque et Sabīnī forte ūnā omnēs in armīs essent.and 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.
Liv. 2.30.4Sed cūrae fuit cōnsulibus et seniōribus patrum, ut imperiō suō vehemēns magistrātus mānsuētō permitterētur ingeniō.But the consuls and the elders of the senate took care that a power vehement in itself should be entrusted to a gentle character. Liv. 2.30.4M." Valerium dictātōrem Volesī fīlium creant.They make Manius Valerius, son of Volesus, dictator. Liv. 2.30.5Plēbēs etsī adversus sē creātum dictātōrem vidēbat, tamen, cum prōvocātiōnem frātris lēge habēret, nihil ex eā familiā trīste nec superbum timēbat.Although 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. Liv. 2.30.6Ēdictum deinde ā dictātōre prōpositum cōnfirmāvit animōs Servīlī ferē cōnsulis ēdictō conveniēns;Then an edict published by the dictator, which agreed almost exactly with the edict of the consul Servilius, strengthened their spirits; Liv. 2.30.6sed et hominī et potestātī melius ratī crēdī omissō certāmine nōmina dedēre.but thinking it better to trust both the man and the office, they dropped the struggle and gave in their names. Liv. 2.30.6Quantus nunquam ante exercitus, legiōnēs decem effectae;An army such as there had never been before, ten legions, was raised; Liv. 2.30.7ternae inde datae cōnsulibus, quattuor dictātor ūsus.three of them were then given to each consul, and the dictator used four.
Liv. 2.30.7Nec iam poterat bellum differrī.Nor could the war be put off any longer. Liv. 2.30.8Aequī Latīnum agrum invāserant.The Aequi had invaded Latin territory. Liv. 2.30.8Ōrātōrēs Latīnōrum ab senātū petēbant, ut aut mitterent subsidium aut sē ipsōs tuendōrum fīnium causā capere arma sinerent.Envoys of the Latins asked the senate either to send help or to allow them to take up arms themselves to defend their borders. Liv. 2.30.9Tūtius vīsum est dēfendī inermēs Latīnōs quam patī retractāre arma.It seemed safer that the Latins should be defended unarmed than that they should be allowed to handle arms again. Liv. 2.30.9Vetusius cōnsul missus est.The consul Vetusius was sent. Liv. 2.30.9Is fīnis populātiōnibus fuit.That put an end to the raiding. Liv. 2.30.9Cessēre Aequī campīs locōque magis quam armīs frētī summīs sē iugīs montium tūtābantur.The Aequi withdrew from the plains and, trusting more to position than to arms, protected themselves on the highest ridges of the mountains. Liv. 2.30.10Alter cōnsul in Volscōs profectus, nē et ipse tereret tempus, vāstandīs maximē agrīs hostem ad cōnferenda propius castra dīmicandumque aciē excīvit.The 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.
Liv. 2.30.11Mediō inter castra campō ante suum quisque vallum īnfestīs signīs cōnstitēre.On the plain midway between the camps each side drew up in front of its own rampart with standards levelled. Liv. 2.30.11Multitūdine aliquantum Volscī superābant;The Volsci were somewhat superior in numbers; Liv. 2.30.11itaque effūsī et contemptim pugnam iniēre.and so they entered the battle in loose order and contemptuously. Liv. 2.30.11Cōnsul Rōmānus nec prōmōvit aciem, nec clamōrem reddī passus dēfīxīs pīlīs stāre suōs iussit: ubi ad manum vēnisset hostis, tum coortōs tōtā vī gladiīs rem gerere.The 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. Liv. 2.30.13Volscī cursū et clamōre fessī cum sē velut stupentibus metū intulissent Rōmānīs, postquam inpressiōnem sēnsēre ex adversō factam et ante oculōs micāre gladiōs, haud secus, quam sī in īnsidiās incidissent, turbātī vertunt terga;When 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; Liv. 2.30.13et nē ad fugam quidem satis vīrium fuit, quia cursū in proelium ierant.and they had not even enough strength for flight, because they had gone into battle at a run.
Liv. 2.30.14Rōmānī contrā, quia prīncipiō pugnae quiētī steterant, vigentēs corporibus, facile adeptī fessōs et castra impetū cēpērunt et castrīs exūtum hostem Velitrās persecūtī ūnō agmine victōrēs cum victīs in urbem inrūpēre;The 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; Liv. 2.30.15plusque ibi sanguinis prōmiscuā omnium generum caede quam in ipsā dīmicātiōne factum.and more blood was shed there in an indiscriminate slaughter of all kinds than in the battle itself. Liv. 2.30.15Paucīs datā venia, quī inermēs in dēditiōnem vēnērunt.Quarter was given to a few, who came unarmed to surrender.