On the day preceding the Calends of January,Lucius thought to avail himself of the holiday,under the belief that the enemy would be off their guard,to make a sally by night against their gates,hoping to break through them and bring in his other forces,of which he had abundance in many places.But the legion that was lying in wait near by,and Octavian himself with some praetorian cohorts,attacked him,and Lucius, although he fought valiantly, was driven back. About the same time the mass of the people in Rome openly denounced the war and the victory, because the grain was kept under guard for the soldiers. They broke into houses in search of food, and carried off whatever they could find.
大晦日の日、Luciusは敵も見張りをしていないと信じ、祝日を利用して敵の門を突破し多くの場所に大勢いる味方の軍を引きこむことを狙って敵の門を攻撃しようと考えた。だが見張りに当たっていた軍隊はそこにおり、Octavian自身が平民の歩兵と共にLuciusを攻撃し、Luciusは果敢に戦ったが追い返された。ちょうど同じ頃、食糧が兵士らのために保管されていたため、大勢のローマ市民が戦争と勝利をあからさまに告発した。市民らは食糧を求めて家屋に浸入し、手当たり次第食糧を持ち去った。
Ventidius and his friends, ashamed to look on while Lucius was perishing of hunger, all moved to his support, intending to overpower Caesar's forces surrounding and besieging him.Agrippa and Salvidienus went to meet them with still larger forces. Fearing lest they should be surrounded, they diverged to the stronghold of Fulginium, distant 160 stades from Perusia. There Agrippa besieged them, and they lighted many fires as signals to Lucius. Ventidius and Asinius were of the opinion that they should still go forward and fight, but Plancus said that, as they were between Octavian and Agrippa, they had best await events. The opinion of Plancus prevailed. Those in Perusia rejoiced when they saw the fires,
Ventidiusとその友人は皆、Luciusが空腹のために瀕死の状態であるのを見て恥じ、Caesar軍を取り囲み包囲して圧倒してLuciusを支援しようと動いた。AgrippaとSalvidienusはさらに大規模な軍隊で、彼らと戦いに行った。包囲されることを恐れた彼らは、 Perusiaから160スタジアの距離にあるFulginiumのとりでにそれた。そこでAgrippaは敵を包囲し、Luciusへの信号として多くの火をつけた。VentidiusとAsiniusはさらに進軍して戦うという意見だったがPlancusはOctavianとAgrippaに挟まれているので、成り行きを見守るのが一番よかろうと述べた。Plancusの意見が通った。Perusiaにいた軍は火がともされたのを見て喜んだ。
but when Ventidius delayed his coming they conjectured that he,too,was in difficulties,and when the fires ceased they thought that he had been destroyed.Lucius,oppressed by hunger,again fought a night battle,extending from the first watch till daylight,around the whole circumvallation;but he failed and was driven back into Perusia.There he took an account of the remaining provisions,and forbade the giving of any to the slaves,and prohibited them from escaping,lest the enemy should gain better knowledge of his desperate situation.The slaves wandered about in crowds,threw themselves upon the ground in the city,and between the city and their forts,and ate grass or green leaves wherever they could find them.
だがVentidiusの到着が遅れると、彼も困難な状況にあると推測し、火が消えると戦いで打ち負かされたのだと考えた。空腹に苦しんでいたLuciusは再び夜戦に挑み、日が暮れてから夜が明けるまでに城壁の周囲にぐるりと広がったが、彼は敗れ、Perusiaに押し戻された。Perusiaで彼は残った食糧を確認し、敵が自分たちの絶望的な状況を把握しないよう、全ての奴隷に対して食糧を与えたり逃げたりすることを禁止した。奴隷は集団になって徘徊し、町中で、あるいは町と砦の間で、地面にかがみこみ草や木の葉など見つけられるものを手当たり次第に食べた。
