And now they had scarcely got a breathing time from their trouble when
a new war came upon them; and the Aequians, and the Tuscans besieged
Sutrium, their confederate city. Camillus, being the third time chosen
dictator, armed not only those under, but also those over, the age
of service; and taking a large circuit around the mountain Maecius,
undiscovered by the enemy, lodged his army on their rear, and then by
many fires gave notice of his arrival. The besieged, encouraged by this,
prepared to sally forth and join battle; but the Latins and Volscians,
fearing this exposure to any enemy on both sides, drew themselves within
their works, and fortified their camp with a strong palisade of trees
on every side, resolving to wait for more supplies from home, and
expecting, also, the assistance of the Tuscans, their confederate.
Camillus, detecting their object, and fearing to be reduced to the same
position to which he had brought them, namely, to be besieged himself,
resolved to lose no time; and finding their rampart was all of timber,
and observing that a strong wind constantly at sun-rising blew off from
the mountains, after having prepared a quantity of combustibles, about
break of day he drew forth his forces, commanding a part with their
missiles to assault the enemy with noise and shouting on the other
quarter, whilst he, with those that were to fling in the fire, went to
that side of the enemy's camp to which the wind usually blew, and there
waited his opportunity. When the skirmish was begun, and the sun risen,
and a strong wind set in from the mountains, he gave the signal of
onset; and, heaping in an immense quantity of fiery matter, filled all
their rampart with it, so that the flame being fed by the close timber
and wooden palisades, went on and spread into all quarters. The Latins,
having nothing ready to keep it off or extinguish it, when the camp was
now almost full of fire, were driven back within a very small compass,
and at last forced by necessity to come into their enemy's hands, who
stood before the works ready armed and prepared to receive them; of
these very few escaped, while those that stayed in the camp were all a
prey to the fire, until the Romans, to gain the pillage, extinguished
it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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