gagement by
ravaging their lands. Both armies stood in order of battle before their
lines in a plain between the two camps. The Volsci had considerably the
advantage in number. Accordingly they rushed on to the fight, in a
careless manner, and as if contemptuously. The Roman consul neither
advanced his forces, and not suffering the enemy's shouts to be
returned, he ordered them to stand still with their spears fixed in the
ground, and when the enemy came up, to draw their swords and fall upon
them with all their force. The Volsci, wearied with running and
shouting, set upon the Romans as if they had been quite benumbed
through fear; but when they found the vigorous resistance that was made,
and saw their swords glittering before their face, they turned their
backs in great disorder, just as if they had fallen into an ambuscade.
Nor had they strength sufficient even for flight, as they had advanced
to the battle in full speed. The Romans, on the other hand, as they had
not stirred from their ground in the beginning of the action, being
fresh and vigorous, easily overtook the enemy, who were weary, took
their camp by assault, and after driving them thence, pursued them to
Velitrae, into which the conquered and conquerors entered in a body. By
the promiscuous slaughter which was here made of all ranks, there was
more blood spilt than in the battle itself. Quarter was given to a small
number of them, who threw down their arms and surrendered.

31. Whilst these things are going on among the Volsci, the dictator
routs, puts to flight, and strips of their camp, the Sabines, where by
far the most serious part of the war lay. By a charge of his cavalry he
had thrown into confusion the centre of the enemy's line, where, by the
wings extending themselves too far, they had not strengthened their line
by a suitable depth of files.[86] The infantry fell upon them in this
confusion, by one and the same charge their camp was taken and the war
concluded. There was no other battle in those times more memorable than
this since the action at the lake Regillus. The dictator is borne into
the city in triumph. Besides the usual honours, a place in the circus
was assigned to him and his descendants, to see the public games; a
curule chair was fixed in that place. The lands of Velitrae were taken
from the conquered Volsci: colonists were sent from the city to Velitrae,
and a colony planted there. Soon after there was an engagement with the
AEqu