Liv. 3.70.1In exercitū Rōmānō cum duo cōnsulēs essent potestāte parī, quod salūberrimum in administrātiōne magnārum rērum est, summa imperiī concēdente Agrippā penes collēgam erat, et praelātus ille facilitātī summittentis sē cōmiter respondēbat commūnicandō cōnsilia laudēsque et aequandō inparem sibi.In the Roman army, though there were two consuls of equal power, the supreme command, which is the most salutary arrangement in the conduct of great affairs, rested with his colleague by Agrippa's concession, and the one preferred responded courteously to the compliance of the one who subordinated himself, sharing his plans and his credit and treating as his equal a man who was not. Liv. 3.70.2In aciē Quīnctius dextrum cornū, Agrippa sinistrum tenuit;In the battle line Quinctius held the right wing, Agrippa the left; Liv. 3.70.2Sp. Postumiō Albō lēgātō datur media aciēs tuenda, lēgātum alterum P. Sulpicium equitibus praeficiunt.the centre is given to the legate Spurius Postumius Albus to hold, and they put the other legate, Publius Sulpicius, in command of the cavalry. Liv. 3.70.3Peditēs ab dextrō cornū ēgregiē pugnāvēre haud segniter resistentibus Volscīs.The infantry on the right wing fought splendidly, though the Volsci resisted with no lack of vigour.
Liv. 3.70.4P. Sulpicius per mediam hostium aciem cum equitātū perrūpit.Publius Sulpicius broke through the middle of the enemy line with the cavalry. Liv. 3.70.4Unde cum eādem revertī posset ad suōs, priusquam hostis turbātōs ōrdinēs reficeret, terga inpugnāre hostium satius vīsum est;Though he could have returned the same way to his own men before the enemy re-formed its disordered ranks, it seemed better to attack the enemy's rear; Liv. 3.70.4mōmentōque temporis in āversam incursandō aciem ancipitī terrōre dissipāsset hostēs, nī suō propriō eum proeliō equitēs Volscōrum et Aequōrum exceptum aliquamdiū tenuissent.and in a moment, charging the line from behind, he would have scattered the enemy with terror on both sides, had not the cavalry of the Volsci and Aequi intercepted him with a fight of their own and held him for some time. Liv. 3.70.5Ibi vērō Sulpicius negāre cūnctandī tempus esse, circumventōs interclūsōsque ab suīs vōciferāns, nī equestre proelium cōnīxī omnī vī perficerent.Then indeed Sulpicius declared that there was no time for delay, crying out that they were surrounded and cut off from their own men unless they strained with all their might and finished the cavalry battle.
Liv. 3.70.6Nec fugāre equitem integrum satis esse;Nor was it enough to put the cavalry to flight while leaving them intact; Liv. 3.70.6cōnficerent equōs virōsque, nē quis reveherētur inde ad proelium aut integrāret pugnam;let them destroy horses and men, so that none might ride back from there to the battle or renew the fight; Liv. 3.70.6nōn posse illōs resistere sibi, quibus cōnferta peditum aciēs cessisset.those men could not resist them, before whom a close-packed line of infantry had given way. Liv. 3.70.7Haud surdīs auribus dicta.His words did not fall on deaf ears. Liv. 3.70.7Inpressiōne ūnā tōtum equitātum fūdēre, magnam vim ex equīs praecipitāvēre, ipsōs equōsque spīculīs cōnfōdēre.With a single charge they routed the whole cavalry, hurled a great number from their horses, and ran men and horses through with their javelins. Liv. 3.70.7Is fīnis pugnae equestris fuit.That was the end of the cavalry battle. Liv. 3.70.8Tunc adortī peditum aciem nūntiōs ad cōnsulēs reī gestae mittunt, ubi iam inclīnābātur hostium aciēs.Then attacking the infantry line, they sent messengers to the consuls to report what had been done, at a point where the enemy line was already giving way.
Liv. 3.70.8Nūntius deinde et vincentibus Rōmānīs animōs auxit et referentēs gradum perculit Aequōs.The news then both heightened the spirits of the victorious Romans and struck dismay into the Aequi as they fell back. Liv. 3.70.9In mediā prīmum aciē vincī coeptī, quā permissus equitātus turbāverat ōrdinēs;They began to be beaten first in the centre, where the cavalry, let loose, had thrown the ranks into confusion; Liv. 3.70.10sinistrum deinde cornū ab Quīnctiō cōnsule pellī coeptum;then the left wing began to be driven back by the consul Quinctius; Liv. 3.70.10in dextrō plūrimum labōris fuit.on the right there was most toil. Liv. 3.70.10Ibi Agrippa, aetāte vīribusque ferōx, cum omnī parte pugnae melius rem gerī quam apud sē vidēret, arrepta signa ab signiferīs ipse īnferre, quaedam iacere etiam in cōnfertōs hostēs coepit;There Agrippa, fierce in youth and strength, seeing that the battle was going better in every part of the field than where he was, snatched standards from the standard-bearers and began to carry them forward himself, and even to throw some into the thick of the enemy; Liv. 3.70.11cuius ignōminiae metū concitātī mīlitēs invāsēre hostem.roused by fear of that disgrace, the soldiers charged the enemy.
Liv. 3.70.11Ita aequāta ex omnī parte victōria est.Thus victory was made equal on every side. Liv. 3.70.11Nūntius tum ā Quīnctiō venit victōrem iam sē imminēre hostium castrīs;A messenger then came from Quinctius to say that he was already victorious and threatening the enemy's camp; Liv. 3.70.11nōlle inrumpere, antequam sciat dēbellātum et in sinistrō cornū esse;he did not wish to break in before he knew that the war was won on the left wing too; Liv. 3.70.12sī iam fūdisset hostēs, cōnferret ad sē signa, ut simul omnis exercitūs praedā potīrētur.if Agrippa had already routed the enemy, he should bring his standards over to him, so that the whole army might take possession of the plunder together. Liv. 3.70.13Victor Agrippa cum mūtuā grātulātiōne ad victōrem collēgam castraque hostium vēnit.The victorious Agrippa came, with mutual congratulations, to his victorious colleague and the enemy's camp. Liv. 3.70.13Ibi paucīs dēfendentibus mōmentōque fūsīs sine certāmine in mūnītiōnēs inrumpunt praedāque ingentī conpotem exercitum suīs etiam rēbus recuperātīs, quae populātiōne agrōrum āmissae erant, redūcunt.There, since the defenders were few and were routed in a moment, they burst into the fortifications without a fight and led the army back in possession of enormous plunder, having recovered also their own property, which had been lost in the ravaging of the fields.
Liv. 3.70.14Triumphum nec ipsōs postulāsse nec dēlātum iīs ab senātū accipiō, nec trāditur causa sprētī aut nōn spērātī honōris.I find that they neither asked for a triumph themselves nor had one offered them by the senate, and no reason is recorded for the honour being spurned or not hoped for. Liv. 3.70.15Ego quantum in tantō intervallō temporum coniciō, cum Valeriō atque Horātiō cōnsulibus, quī praeter Volscōs et Aequōs Sabīnī etiam bellī perfectī glōriam pepererant, negātus ab senātū triumphus esset, verēcundiae fuit prō parte dīmidiā rērum cōnsulibus petere triumphum, nē, etiamsī impetrāssent, magis hominum ratiō quam meritōrum habita vidērētur.As far as I can conjecture at so great a distance of time, since a triumph had been refused by the senate to the consuls Valerius and Horatius, who besides the Volsci and Aequi had won glory for finishing the Sabine war as well, the consuls felt ashamed to ask for a triumph for half as much achievement, lest, even if they obtained it, regard should seem to have been had for persons rather than merits.