προαγαγὼν δὲ τὴν φάλαγγα καὶ καταστήσας ἐναντίαν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπεῖχε πολὺν χρόνον· ὑποψίαι γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ μηνύσεις κατά τινων προσέπιπτον ἐπισκοποῦντι τὸ στράτευμα·
After Brutus had led out his forces in battle array and stationed them over against the enemy, he waited a long time; for as he was reviewing his troops he became suspicious of some of them, and heard them accused of treachery;
καὶ τοὺς ἱππέας ἑώρα μάχης ἄρχειν οὐ πάνυ προθύμους ὄντας, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ προσμένοντας τὸ τῶν πεζῶν ἔργον.
he saw, too, that his horsemen were not very eager to begin the battle, but always waited to see what the infantry did.
εἶτʼ ἐξαίφνης ἀνὴρ πολεμικὸς καὶ τετιμημένος ἐπʼ ἀνδρείᾳ διαπρεπῶς παρὰ τὸν Βροῦτον αὑτὸν ἐξιππασάμενος μεταβάλλεται πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους· Καμουλᾶτος δὲ ἐκαλεῖτο.
Then, of a sudden, a man who was a good soldier and had been conspicuously honoured for his bravery by Brutus, rode out of the ranks and went over to the enemy; his name was Camulatus.
τοῦτον ἰδὼν ὁ Βροῦτος ἤλγησεν ἰσχυρῶς· καὶ τὰ μὲν ὑπʼ ὀργῆς, τὰ δὲ φόβῳ μείζονος μεταβολῆς καὶ προδοσίας εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους ἦγεν, εἰς ὥραν ἐνάτην τοῦ ἡλίου καταφερομένου.
The sight of this gave Brutus great distress; and partly from anger, partly because he was afraid of greater treachery and desertion, he led at once against the enemy, at about three o’clock in the afternoon.
καὶ τῷ μὲν καθʼ αὑτὸν ἐκράτησε μέρει καὶ προῆλθεν ὑποχωροῦντι τῷ ἀριστερῷ τῶν πολεμίων ἐγκείμενος· καὶ συνεπέρρωσαν οἱ ἱππεῖς ἅμα τοῖς πεζοῖς ἐμβαλόντες τεταραγμένοις·
With the part under his own immediate command he was victorious, and advanced, pressing hard upon the retreating left wing of the enemy; his cavalry, too, dashed forward along with the infantry and fell upon a disordered foe;
τὸ δʼ ἕτερον κέρας, ὡς μὴ κυκλωθείη, τῶν ἡγεμόνων ἀντιπαρεξαγόντων, πλήθει δὲ λειπομένων, διεσπᾶτο μέσον καὶ γιγνόμενον ἀσθενὲς οὐκ ἀντεῖχε τοῖς ἐναντίοις, ἀλλʼ ἔφυγε πρῶτον.
the other wing, however, which was extended by its commanders to prevent their being surrounded by the enemy, to whom they were inferior in numbers, was thus weakened in the centre and could not hold out against their opponents, but fled first.
οἱ δὲ τοῦτο διακόψαντες εὐθὺς ἐκυκλοῦντο τὸν Βροῦτον, αὑτὸν μὲν ὅσα καὶ στρατηγικῆς καὶ στρατιωτικῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργα καὶ χειρὶ καὶ γνώμῃ παρὰ τὰ δεινὰ πρὸς τὸ νικᾶν ἀποδεικνύμενον, ᾧ δὲ πλέον ἔσχε τῇ προτέρᾳ μάχῃ, τούτῳ βλαπτόμενον.
After cutting their way through this wing, the enemy at once enveloped Brutus. He himself displayed all the valour possible in a soldier and commander, contending with judgment and personal prowess for victory in the terrible crisis; but that which was an advantage for him in the former battle was a detriment to him now.
τῶν μὲν γὰρ πολεμίων τὸ νικηθὲν εὐθὺς ἀπολώλει τότε· τῶν δὲ Κασσίου τραπέντων ὀλίγοι διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δὲ σῳζόμενοι τῷ προηττῆσθαι περιδεεῖς ὄντες ἀνέπλησαν ἀθυμίας καὶ ταραχῆς τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ στρατεύματος,
For in the former battle the conquered wing of the enemy had been at once destroyed, but when the soldiers of Cassius were routed, only few of them were slain, and those who then escaped, rendered fearful now by their former defeat, filled the greater part of his army with dejection and confusion.
ἐνταῦθα καὶ Μᾶρκος ὁ Κάτωνος υἱός ἐν τοῖς ἀρίστοις καὶ γενναιοτάτοις; τῶν νέων μαχόμενος καὶ καταπονούμενος οὐκ ἔφυγεν οὐδʼεἶξεν,ἀλλὰ χρώμενός τε τῇ χειρὶ καὶ φράζων ὅστις εἴη, καὶ πατρόθεν ὀνομάζων, ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πολλοῖς νεκροῖς τῶν πολεμίων.
Here Marcus the son of Cato also, fighting among the bravest and noblest young men, was overpowered, but would not yield nor fly, but plying his sword, and declaring that he was Marcus Cato and Marcus Cato’s son, fell dead upon the many enemies whom he had slain.
ἔπιπτον δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων οἱ κράτιστοι τοῦ Βρούτου προκινδυνεύοντες.
The bravest of the rest fell also, risking their lives in defence of Brutus.
ἦν δέτις Λουκίλλιος, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς, ἐν τοῖς ἑταίροις, οὗτος ὁρῶν βαρβάρους τινὰς ἱππέας ἐν τῇ διώξει τῶν μὲν ἄλλων οὐδένα ποιουμένους λόγον, ἐλαύνοντας δὲ ῥύδην ἐπὶ τὸν Βροῦτον, ἔγνω παρακινδυνεύσας ἐμποδὼν αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι.
Now, there was a certain Lucilius, a brave man, among the comrades of Brutus. This man, seeing some barbarian horsemen ignoring all others in their pursuit and riding impetuously after Brutus, determined at the risk of his life to stop them.
καὶ μικρὸν ὑπολειφθεὶς αὐτός ἔφη Βροῦτος εἶναι· καὶ πιθανὸς ἦν πρὸς Ἀντώνιον δεόμενος ἄγειν ἑαυτόν, ὡς Καίσαρα δεδοικώς, ἐκείνῳ δὲ θαρρῶν.
So falling behind a little, he told them that he was Brutus. The Barbarians believed him because he asked them to conduct him to Antony, pretending to be afraid of Octavius but to have no fear of Antony.
οἱ δʼἀσπασάμενοι τὸ εὕρημα καὶ τύχῃ τινὶ θαυμαστῇ κεχρῆσθαι νομίζοντες ἦγον τὸν ἄνδρα σκότους ἤδη, προπέμψαντες ἐξ αὑτῶν τινας ἀγγέλους παρὰ τὸν Ἀντώνιον.
They were delighted with their unexpected prize, and thinking themselves amazingly fortunate, led Lucilius along in the darkness which had now fallen, after sending ahead some messengers to Antony.
αὐτός τε οὖν ἡσθεὶς ἀπήντα τοῖς ἄγουσι, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων οἱ πυνθανόμενοι ζῶντα Βροῦτον κομίζεσθαι συνετρόχαζον, οἱ μὲν ἐλεεινὸν ἡγούμενοι τῆς τύχης, οἱ δὲ τῆς δόξης ἀνάξιον, ἄγραν βαρβάρων ὑπὸ φιλοψυχίας γενόμενον.
Antony himself was pleased, of course, and set out to meet the escort, and all the rest also who learned that Brutus was being brought in alive flocked together, some thinking him to be pitied for his misfortune, others that he was unworthy of his fame in thus allowing his love of life to make him a prey of Barbarians.
ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐγγὺς ἦσαν, ὁ μὲν Ἀντώνιος ὑπέστη, διαπορῶν ὅπως χρὴ δέξασθαι τὸν Βροῦτον, ὁ δὲ Λουκίλλιος προσαχθεὶς μάλα τεθαρρηκώς Μᾶρκον μὲν, εἶπεν, Ἀντώνιε, Βροῦτονοὐδεὶς ᾕρηκεν οὐδʼ ἂν ἕλοι πολέμιος· μὴ τοσοῦτον ἡ τύχῃ κρατήσειε τῆς ἀρετῆς.
When they were near, however, Antony paused, at a loss to know how he ought to receive Brutus; but Lucilius, as he was brought for ward, said with great boldness: Marcus Brutus, O Antony, no foe has taken or can take; may fortune not so far prevail over virtue!
ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνος εὑρεθήσεται ζῶν ἤ που καὶ νεκρὸς ἀξίως κείμενος ἑαυτοῦ. ἐγὼ δὲ τοὺς σοὺς στρατιώτας παρακρουσάμενος ἥκω, παθεῖν οὐδὲν ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῶν ἀνηκέστων παραιτούμενος.
Nay, he will be found living, or possibly even lying dead as becomes him. It is by cheating these soldiers of thine that I am come, and I am ready to suffer for it any fatal penalty.
ταῦτʼ εἰπόντος τοῦ Λουκιλλίου καὶ πάντων ἐκπλαγέντων Ἀντώνιος πρὸς τοὺς κομίσαντας αὐτὸν ἀποβλέψας, ἦπουχαλεπῶς, εἶπεν, ὦ συστρατιῶται, φέρετε τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ περιυβρίσθαι δοκοῦντες.
When Lucilius had thus spoken and all were in amazement, Antony turned to his conductors and said: I suppose, my fellow soldiers, you are vexed at your mistake and think that you have been flouted;
ἀλλʼ εὖ ἴστε κρείττονα τῆς ζητουμένης ἄγρας ᾑρηκότες. πολέμιον γὰρ ζητοῦντες ἥκετε φίλον ἡμῖν κομίζοντες· ὡς ἐγὼ Βρούτῳ μὲν οὐκ οἶδα μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς ὅ τι ἂν ἐχρησάμην ζῶντι· τοιούτων δʼ ἀνδρῶν φίλων τυγχάνοιμι μᾶλλον ἢ πολεμίων.
but be assured that you have taken a better prey than that you sought. For you sought an enemy, but you come bringing me a friend. Since, by the gods, I know not how I could have treated Brutus, had he come into my hands alive; but such men as this I would have my friends rather than my enemies.
ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν καὶ τὸν Λουκίλλιον ἀσπασάμενος τότε μὲν ἑνὶ τῶν φίλων συνέστησεν, ὕστερον δὲ χρώμενος εἰς πάντα πιστῷ καὶ βεβαίῳ διετέλεσε.
With these words he embraced Lucilius, and for the time being put him in charge of one of his friends, but ever afterwards found in him a sure and trusty helper.
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