{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_24030/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_24030","id":"gutenberg_24030","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24030","summary":null,"tags":["Category: History - Ancient","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Children's Instructional Books","Rome -- History -- Juvenile literature"],"text":"Produced by David Widger\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSTORIES FROM LIVY\n\nBy The Rev. Alfred Church, M.A.\n\nProfessor of Latin in University College, London\n\nWith Illustrations From Designs By Pinelli.\n\nScribner And Welford\n\nMDCCCLXXXIII.\n\n[Illustration: Frontispiece 011]\n\n[Illustration: Titlepage 012]\n\nTO\n\nHENRY FRANCIS CHURCH\n\nBEST OF BROTHERS\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\nI had wished to say a few words as to the great difficulty of\ntransforming Livy's ornate diction into the simple style I have hitherto\nadopted; but a stroke of illness has prevented my being able even to\ncorrect the proofs--a work which has been carried out for me by my kind\nfriend, C. Simmons, Esq., of Balliol College, Oxford.\n\nPymlico, Hadley,\n\nOctober 2, 1882.\n\n\n\n\nSTORIES FROM LIVY.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I. ~~ THE STORY OF ROMULUS AND OF NUMA.\n\nAEneas of Troy, coming to the land of Italy, took to wife Lavinia,\ndaughter of King Latinus, and built him a city, which he called\nLavinium, after the name of his wife. And, after thirty years, his son\nAscanius went forth from Lavinium with much people, and built him a new\ncity, which he called Alba. In this city reigned kings of the house and\nlineage of AEneas for twelve generations. Of these kings the eleventh in\ndescent was one Procas, who, having two sons, Numitor and Amulius, left\nhis kingdom, according to the custom, to Numitor, the elder. But Amulius\ndrave out his brother, and reigned in his stead. Nor was he content with\nthis wickedness, but slew all the male children of his brother. And the\ndaughter of his brother, that was named Rhea Silvia, he chose to be a\npriestess of Vesta, making as though he would do the maiden honour; but\nhis thought was that the name of his brother should perish, for they\nthat serve Vesta are vowed to perpetual virginity.\n\nBut it came to pass that Rhea bare twin sons, whose father, it was said,\nwas the god Mars. Very wroth was Amulius when he heard this thing;\nRhea he made fast in prison, and the children he gave to certain of his\nservants that they should cast them into the river. Now it chanced\nthat at this season Tiber had overflowed his banks, neither could the\nservants come near to the stream of the river; nevertheless they did not\ndoubt that the children would perish, for all that the overflowing of\nthe water was neither deep nor of a swift current Thinking then that\nthey had duly performed the commandment of the King, they set down the\nbabes in the flood and departed. But after a while the flood abated, and\nleft the basket wherein the children had been laid on dry ground. And\na she-wolf, coming down from the hill to drink at the river (for the\ncountry in those days was desert and abounding in wild beasts), heard\nthe crying of the children and ran to them. Nor did she devour them,\nbut gave them suck; nay, so gentle was she that Faustulus, the King's\nshepherd, chancing to go by, saw that she licked them with her tongue.\n\n[Illustration: The Wolf and the Twins 024]\n\nThis Faustulus took the children and gave them to his wife to rear; and\nthese, when they were of age to go by themselves, were not willing to\nabide with the flocks and herds, but were hunters, wandering through the\nforests that were in those parts. And afterwards, being now come to\nfull strength, they were not content to slay wild beasts only, but\nwould assail troops of robbers, as these were returning laden with their\nbooty, and would divide the spoils among the shepherds. Now there was\nheld in those days, on the hill that is now called the Palatine,\na yearly festival to the god Pan. This festival King Evander first\nordained, having come from Arcadia, in which land, being a land of\nshepherds, Pan that is the god of shepherds is greatly honoured. And\nwhen the young men and their company (for they had gathered a great\ncompany of shepherds about them, and led them in all matters both of\nbusiness and of sport) were busy with the festival, there came upon them\ncertain robbers that had made an ambush in the place, being very wroth\nby reason of the booty which they had lost. These laid hands on Remus,\nbut Romulus they could not take, so fiercely did he fight against them.\nRemus, therefore, they delivered up to King Amulius, accusing him of\nmany things, and chiefly of this, that he and his companions had invaded\nthe land of Numitor, dealing with them in the fashion of an enemy and\ncarrying off much spoil. To Numitor, therefore, did the King deliver\nRemus, that he might put him to death. Now Faustulus had believed from\nthe beginning that the children were of the royal house, for he knew\nthat the babes had been cast into the river by the King's command, and\nthe time also of his finding them agreed thereto. Nevertheless he had\nnot judged it expedient to open the matter before due time, but waited\ntill occasion or necessity should arise. But now, there being such\nnecessity, he opened the matter to Romulus. Numitor also, when he had\nthe young man Remus in his custody, knowing that he and his brother were\ntwins, and that the time agreed, and seeing that they were of a high\nspirit, bethought him of his grandsons; and, indeed, having asked many\nquestions of Remus, was come nigh to knowing of what race he was. And\nnow also Romulus was ready to help his brother. To come openly with his\nwhole company he dared not, for he was not a match for the power of King\nAmulius; but he bade sundry shepherds make their way to the palace, each\nas best he could, appointing to them a time at which they should meet.\nAnd now came Remus also, with a troop of youths gathered together from\nthe household of Numitor. Then did Romulus and Remus slay King Amulius.\nIn the meanwhile Numitor gathered the youth of Alba to the citadel,\ncrying out that they must make the place safe, for that the enemy was\nupon them; but when he perceived that the young men had done the deed,\nforthwith he called an assembly of the citizens, and set forth to them\nthe wickedness which his brother had wrought against him, and how his\ngrandsons had been born and bred and made known to him, and then, in\norder, how the tyrant had been slain, himself having counselled the\ndeed. When he had so spoken the young men came with their company into\nthe midst of the assembly, and saluted him as King; to which then the\nwhole multitude agreeing with one consent, Numitor was established upon\nthe throne.\n\nAfter this Romulus and his brother conceived this purpose, that, leaving\ntheir grandfather to be king at Alba, they should build for themselves a\nnew city in the place where, having been at the first left to die, they\nhad been brought up by Faustulus the shepherd. And to this purpose\nmany agreed both of the men of Alba and of the Latins, and also of the\nshepherds that had followed them from the first, holding it for\ncertain all of them that Alba and Lavinium would be of small account in\ncomparison of this new city which they should build together. But while\nthe brothers were busy with these things, there sprang up afresh the\nsame evil thing which had before wrought such trouble in their house,\neven the lust of power. For though the beginnings of the strife between\nthem were peaceful, yet did it end in great wickedness. The matter fell\nout in this wise. Seeing that the brothers were twins, and that neither\ncould claim to have the preference to the other in respect of his age,\nit was agreed between them that the gods that were the guardians of that\ncountry should make known by means of augury which of the two they chose\nto give his name to the new city. Then Romulus stood on the Palatine\nhill, and when there had been marked out for him a certain region of\nthe sky, watched therein for a sign; and Remus watched in like manner,\nstanding on the Aventine. And to Remus first came a sign, six vultures;\nbut so soon as the sign had been proclaimed there came another to\nRomulus, even twelve vultures. Then they that favoured Remus clamoured\nthat the gods had chosen him for King, because he had first seen\nthe birds; and they that favoured Romulus answered that he was to be\npreferred because he had seen more in number. This dispute waxed so hot\nthat they fell to fighting; and in the fight it chanced that Remus was\nslain. But some say that when Romulus had marked out the borders of the\ntown which he would build, and had caused them to build a wall round it,\nRemus leapt over the wall, scorning it because it was mean and low; and\nthat Romulus slew him, crying out, \"Thus shall every man perish that\nshall dare to leap over my walls.\" Only others will have it that though\nhe perished for this cause Romulus slew him not, but a certain Celer.\nThis much is certain, that Romulus gained the whole kingdom for himself\nand called the city after his own name. And now, having first done\nsacrifice to the gods, he called a general assembly of the people, that\nhe might give them laws, knowing that without laws no city can endure.\nAnd judging that these would be the better kept of his subjects if he\nshould himself bear something of the show of royal majesty, he took\ncertain signs of dignity, and especially twelve men that should\ncontinually attend him, bearing bundles of rods, and in the midst of the\nrods an axe; these men they called _lictors_.\n\nMeanwhile the city increased, for the King and his people enlarged their\nborders, looking rather to the greatness for which they hoped than to\nthat which they had. And that this increase might not be altogether\nempty walls without men, Romulus set up a sanctuary, to which were\ngathered a great multitude of men from the nations round about. All that\nwere discontented and lovers of novelty came to him. Nor did he take any\naccount of their condition, whether they were bond or free, but received\nthem all. Thus was there added to the city great strength. And the King\nwhen he judged that there was strength sufficient, was minded to add to\nthe strength counsel. Wherefore he chose a hundred men for counsellors.\nA hundred he chose, either because he held that number to be sufficient,\nor because there were no more that were fit to bear this dignity and be\ncalled Fathers, for this was the name of these counsellors.\n\nAfter this the people bethought themselves how they should get for\nthemselves wives, for there were no women in the place. Wherefore\nRomulus sent ambassadors to the nations round about, praying that they\nshould give their daughters to his people for wives. \"Cities,\" he said,\n\"have humble beginnings even as all other things. Nevertheless they that\nhave the gods and their own valour to help become great. Now that the\ngods are with us, as ye know, be assured also that valour shall not be\nwanting.\" But the nations round about would not hearken to him, thinking\nscorn of this gathering of robbers and slaves and runaways, so that they\nsaid, \"Why do ye not open a sanctuary for women also that so ye may\nfind fit wives for your people?\" Also they feared for themselves\nand their children what this new city might grow to. Now when the\nambassadors brought back this answer the Romans were greatly wroth, and\nwould take by force that which their neighbours would not give of their\nfree will. And to the end that they might do this more easily, King\nRomulus appointed certain days whereon he and his people would hold a\nfestival with games to Neptune; and to this festival he called all\nthem that dwelt in the cities round about. But when many were gathered\ntogether (for they were fain to see what this new city might be), and\nwere now wholly bent on the spectacle of the games, the young men of the\nRomans ran in upon them, and carried off all such as were unwedded among\nthe women. To these King Romulus spake kindly, saying, \"The fault is not\nwith us but with your fathers, who dealt proudly with us, and would not\ngive you to us in marriage. But now ye shall be held in all honour as\nour wives, and shall have your portion of all that we possess. Put away\ntherefore your anger, for ye shall find us so much the better husbands\nthan other men, as we must be to you not for husbands only but parents\nalso and native country.\"\n\nIn the meanwhile the parents of them that had been carried off put on\nsackcloth, and went about through the cities crying out for vengeance\nupon the Romans. And chiefly they sought for help from Titus Tatius,\nthat was king of the Sabines in those days, and of great power and\nrenown. But when the Sabines seemed to be tardy in the matter, the men\nof Caere first gathered together their army and marched into the country\nof the Romans. Against these King Romulus led forth his men and put them\nto flight without much ado, having first slain their king with his own\nhand. After then returning to Rome he carried the arms which he had\ntaken from the body of the king to the hill of the Capitol, and laid\nthem down at the shepherds' oak that stood thereon in those days. And\nwhen he had measured out the length and breadth of a temple that he\nwould build to Jupiter upon the hill, he said, \"O Jupiter, I, King\nRomulus, offer to thee these arms of a King, and dedicate therewith\na temple in this place, in which temple they that come after me shall\noffer to thee like spoils in like manner, when it shall chance that the\nleader of our host shall himself slay with his own hands the leader of\nthe host of the enemy.\" And this was the first temple that was dedicated\nin Rome. And in all the time to come two only offered in this manner,\nto wit, Cornelius Cossus that slew Lars Tolumnius, king of Veii, and\nClaudius Marcellus that slew Britomarus, king of the Gauls.\n\nAfter this, King Tatius and the Sabines came up against Rome with a\ngreat army. And first of all they gained the citadel by treachery in\nthis manner. One Tarpeius was governor of the citadel, whose daughter,\nTarpeia by name, going forth from the walls to fetch water for a\nsacrifice, took money from the King that she should receive certain of\nthe soldiers within the citadel; but when they had been so received, the\nmen cast their shields upon her, slaying her with the weight of them.\nThis they did either that they might be thought to have taken the place\nby force, or that they judged it to be well that no faith should be kept\nwith traitors.\n\n[Illustration: The Death of Tarpeia 038]\n\nSome also tell this tale, that the Sabines wore great bracelets of gold\non their left arms, and on their left hands fair rings with precious\nstones therein, and that when the maiden covenanted with them that she\nshould have for a reward that which they carried in their left hands,\nthey cast their shields upon her. And other say that she asked for their\nshields having the purpose to betray them, and for this cause was slain.\n\nThus the Sabines had possession of the citadel; and the next day King\nRomulus set the battle in array on the plain that lay between the hill\nof the Capitol and the hill of the Palatine. And first the Romans were\nvery eager to recover the citadel, a certain Hostilius being their\nleader. But when this man, fighting in the forefront of the battle, was\nslain, the Romans turned their backs and fled before the Sabines, even\nunto the gate of the Palatine. Then King Romulus (for he himself had\nbeen carried away by the crowd of them that fled) held up his sword\nand his spear to the heavens, and cried aloud, \"O Jupiter, here in the\nPalatine didst thou first, by the tokens which thou sentest me, lay the\nfoundations of my city. And lo! the Sabines have taken the citadel by\nwicked craft, and have crossed the valley, and are come up even hither.\nBut if thou sufferest them so far, do thou at the least defend this\nplace against them, and stay this shameful flight of my people. So will\nI build a temple for thee in this place, even a temple of Jupiter the\nStayer, that may be a memorial to after generations of how thou didst\nthis day save this city.\" And when he had so spoken, even as though he\nknew that the prayer had been heard, he cried, \"Ye men of Rome, Jupiter\nbids you stand fast in this place and renew the battle.\" And when the\nmen of Rome heard these words, it was as if a voice from heaven had\nspoken to them, and they stood fast, and the King himself went forward\nand stood among the foremost. Now the leader of the Sabines was one\nCurtius. This man, as he drave the Romans before him, cried out to his\ncomrades, \"See we have conquered these men, false hosts and feeble foes\nthat they are! Surely now they know that it is one thing to carry off\nmaidens and another to fight with men.\" But whilst he boasted himself\nthus, King Romulus and a company of the youth rushed upon him. Now\nCurtius was fighting on horseback, and being thus assailed he fled,\nplunging into a certain pool which lay between the Palatine hill and\nthe Capitol. Thus did he barely escape with his life, and the lake was\ncalled thereafter Curtius' pool. And now the Sabines began to give\nway to the Romans, when suddenly the women for whose sake they fought,\nhaving their hair loosened and their garments rent, ran in between them\nthat fought, crying out, \"Shed ye not each other's blood ye that are\nfathers-in-law and sons-in-law to each other. But if ye break this bond\nthat is between you, slay us that are the cause of this trouble. And\nsurely it were better for us to die than to live if we be bereaved\nof our fathers or of our husbands.\" With these words they stirred the\nhearts both of the chiefs and of the people, so that there was suddenly\nmade a great silence. And afterwards the leaders came forth to make a\ncovenant; and these indeed so ordered matters that there was not peace\nonly, but one state where there had been two. For the Sabines came to\nRome and dwelt there; and King Romulus and King Tatius reigned together.\nOnly, after a while, certain men of Lanuvium slew King Tatius as he was\nsacrificing to the gods at Lavinium; and thereafter Romulus only was\nking as before.\n\nWhen he had reigned thirty and seven years there befell the thing that\nshall now be told. On a certain day he called the people together on\nthe Field of Mars, and held a review of his army. But while he did this\nthere arose suddenly a great storm with loud thunderings and very\nthick clouds, so that the king was hidden away from the eyes of all the\npeople. Nor indeed was he ever again seen upon the earth. And when men\nwere recovered of their fear they were in great trouble, because they\nhad lost their King, though indeed the Fathers would have it that he had\nbeen carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Yet after awhile they began to\nworship him as being now a god; and when nevertheless some doubted, and\nwould even whisper among themselves that Romulus had been torn in pieces\nby the Fathers, there came forward a certain Proculus, who spake after\nthis manner: \"Ye men of Rome, this day, in the early morning, I saw\nRomulus, the father of this city, come down from heaven and stand before\nme. And when great fear came upon me, I prayed that it might be lawful\nfor me to look upon him face to face. Then said he to me, 'Go thy way,\ntell the men of Rome that it is the will of them that dwell in heaven\nthat Rome should be the chiefest city in the world. Bid them therefore\nbe diligent in war; and let them know for themselves and tell their\nchildren after them that there is no power on earth so great that it\nshall be able to stand against them.' And when he had thus spoken, he\ndeparted from me going up into heaven.\" All men believed Proculus when\nhe thus spake, and the people ceased from their sorrow when they knew\nthat King Romulus had been taken up into heaven.\n\nAnd now it was needful that another king should be chosen. No man in\nthose days was more renowned for his righteousness and piety than a\ncertain Numa Pompilius that dwelt at Cures in the land of the Sabines.\nNow it seemed at first to the Senate that the Sabines would be too\npowerful in the state if a king should be chosen from amongst them,\nnevertheless because they could not agree upon any other man, at last\nwith one consent they decreed that the kingdom should be offered to him.\nAnd Numa was willing to receive it if only the gods consented. And the\nconsent of the gods was asked in this fashion. Being led by the augur\ninto the citadel, he sat down on a stone, with his face looking towards\nthe south, and on his left hand sat the augur, having his head covered\nand in his hand an augur's staff, which is a wand bent at the end and\nhaving no knot. Then looking towards the city and the country round\nabout, he offered prayers to the Gods and marked out the region of the\nsky from the sunrising to the sunsetting; the parts towards the south\nhe called the right, and the parts towards the north he called the left;\nand he set a boundary before as far as his eye could reach. After this\nhe took his staff in his left hand and laid his right on the head of\nNuma, praying in these words: \"Father Jupiter, if it be thy will that\nthis Numa Pompilius, whose head I hold, should be King of Rome, show us,\nI pray thee, clear tokens of this thy will within the space which I have\nmarked out.\" He then named the tokens which he desired, and when they\nhad been shown, Numa was declared to be King.\n\nKing Numa, considering that the city was but newly founded, and that by\nviolence and force, conceived that he ought to found it anew, giving it\njustice and laws and religion; and that he might soften the manners and\ntempers of the people, he would have them cease awhile from war. To this\nend he built a temple of Janus, by which it might be signified whether\nthere was peace or war in the State; for, if it were peace, the gates\nof the temple should be shut, but if it were war, they should be open.\nTwice only were the gates shut after the days of Numa; for the first\ntime when Titus Manlius was Consul, after the ending of the first war\nagainst Carthage, and for the second time when the Emperor Augustus,\nafter vanquishing Antony at Actium, established universal peace both\nby land and sea. This temple then King Numa built, and shut the gates\nthereof, having first made treaties of peace with the nations round\nabout.\n\nMany other things did King Numa set in order for his people. First he\ndivided the year into twelve months, each month being according to the\ncourse of the moon, and in every twenty-fourth year another month, that\nthe year might so agree with the course of the sun. Also he appointed\ncertain lawful days for business, and other days on which nothing might\nbe done. He made priests also, of whom the chief was the priest of\nJupiter, to whom he gave splendid apparel and a chair of ivory. Two\nother priests he made, one of Mars, and the other of Quirinus, that\nis to say, of Romulus the god. And he chose virgins for the service\nof Vesta, who should keep alive the sacred fire, and twelve priests\nof Mars, whom he called the Salii, to be keepers of the sacred shield.\n(This shield, men said, fell down from heaven, and that it might be kept\nthe more safely, King Numa commanded that they should make eleven other\nshields like unto it.) This shield and its fellows the Salii were to\ncarry through the city, having on flowered tunics and breastplates of\nbrass, and dancing and singing hymns. And many other things as to the\nworship of the gods, and the interpreting of signs, and the dealing with\nmarvels and portents, King Numa set in order. And that the people might\nregard these laws and customs with the more reverence, he gave out that\nhe had not devised them of his own wit, but that he had learnt them from\na certain goddess whose name was Egeria, whom he was wont to meet in a\ngrove that was hard by the city.\n\nKing Numa died, having reigned forty and three years; and the people\nchose in his room one Tullus Hostilius.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II. ~~ THE STORY OF ALBA.\n\nKing Tullus Hostilius, being newly come to the throne, looked about\nfor an occasion of war; for the Romans had now for a long time been at\npeace. Now it chanced that in those days the men of Rome and the men of\nAlba had a quarrel, the one against the other, the country folk being\nwont to cross the border and to plunder their neighbours; and that\nambassadors were sent from either city to seek restitution of such\nthings as had been carried off. King Tullus said to his ambassador,\n\"Delay not to do your business so soon as ye shall be come to Alba;\"\nknowing that the men of Alba would certainly refuse to deliver up the\nthings, and thinking that he could thus with a good conscience proclaim\nwar against them. As for the ambassadors of Alba, when they were come\nto Rome, they made no haste about their business, but ate and drank, the\nKing entertaining them with much courtesy and kindness. While therefore\nthey feasted with him, there came back the ambassadors of Rome telling\nthe King how they had made demand for the things carried off, and when\nthe men of Alba had refused to deliver them, had declared war within the\nspace of thirty days. Which when the King heard, he called to him the\nambassadors of Alba, and said to them, \"Wherefore are ye come to\nRome? Set forth now your mission.\" Then the men, not knowing what had\nbefallen, began to make excuse, saying, \"We would not willingly say\naught that should displease the King, but we are constrained by them\nthat have sent us thither. We are come to ask for the things that your\ncountry folk have carried off. And, if ye will not deliver them up, we\nare bidden to declare war against you.\" To this Tullus made answer,\n\"Now do I call the Gods to witness that ye men of Alba first refused\nto repair the thing that has been done amiss, and I pray them that they\nwill bring all the blood of this war upon your heads.\" And with this\nmessage the men of Alba went home.\n\nAfter this the two cities made great preparations for war. And because\nthe men of Troy had built Lavinium, from which some going forth had\nset up the city of Alba, and from the royal house of Alba had come the\nfounder of Rome, it was as though the children would fight against their\nfathers. Yet it came not to this, the matter being finished without\na battle. The men of Alba first marched into the land of the Romans,\nhaving with them a very great army, and pitched their camp five miles\nfrom the city, digging about it a deep ditch. But while they lay in this\ncamp their King Cluilius died, and a certain Mettus was made dictator in\nhis room. Which when King Tullus heard, he became very bold, saying that\nthe gods had smitten Cluilius for his wrong-doing, and would smite also\nthe whole people of Alba. Whereupon he marched into the land of the\nAlbans, leaving the enemy's camp to one side. And when these also had\ncome forth against him, and the two armies were now drawn up in battle\narray, the one against the other, there came a messenger to King Tullus,\nsaying that Mettus of Alba desired to have speech with him, having that\nto say to him which concerned the Romans not less than the men of Alba.\nNor did King Tullus refuse to hear him, though indeed battle had pleased\nhim better than speech. So when the King and certain nobles with him\nhad gone forth into the open space that was between the two armies, and\nMettus also with his companions had come to the same place, this last\nspake, saying, \"I have heard King Cluilius that is dead affirm that your\nwrong-doing, ye men of Rome, in that ye would not deliver up the things\nthat had been carried off, was the cause of this war; nor do I doubt\nbut that thou, King Tullus, hast the same quarrel against us. Yet if we\nwould speak that which is true rather than that which has a fair show,\nwe should, I doubt not, confess that we, though we be both kinsmen and\nneighbours, are driven into this war by the lust of power. Now I say not\nwhether this be just or no. Let others look to this; for I am not King\nof Alba, but captain of the host only. Yet there is a matter which\nI would fain call to thy mind, King. Thou knowest the Etruscans, how\nmighty they are both by land and sea; for indeed they are nearer by far\nto thee at Rome than to us at Alba. Bethink thee, therefore, how, when\nthou shalt give the signal of battle between thy army and our army, the\nsame Etruscans will look on, rejoicing to see us fight together; and\nhow, when the battle is ended, they will fall upon us, having us at\ndisadvantage; for of a truth, whether ye or we prevail, we shall have\nbut little strength remaining to us. If therefore we be not content\nwith the freedom that we have, but must needs set on the chance of a die\nwhether we shall be masters or servants, let us devise some way by which\nthe one may win dominion over the other without great loss and shedding\nof blood.\" Now King Tullus was a great warrior, and would willingly\nhave fought, being confident that he and his people would prevail;\nnevertheless the thing that Mettus of Alba had said pleased him. And\nwhen they came to consider the matter, there seemed by good fortune\nto be a way ready to their hands. There were in the army of Alba three\nbrothers that had been born at one birth, whose name was Curiatius.\nAnd in the army of the Romans there were other three, and these born\nlikewise at one birth, whose name was Horatius. Nor was there much\ndifference in respect either of age or of strength between the brothers\nof Alba and the brothers of Rome. Then King Tullus and Mettus of Alba\ncalled for the brothers, and enquired of them whether they were willing\nto fight, each three for their own country, agreement being first\nmade that that people should bear rule for ever whose champions should\nprevail in the battle. And as the young men were willing, a place was\nappointed for the battle and a time also. But first there was made a\ntreaty in this fashion, for the fashion of making treaties is the same\nalways, though their conditions be different. The herald said, \"Wilt\nthou, King Tullus, that I make a treaty with the minister of the people\nof Alba?\" And when the King answered \"Yea,\" the herald said, \"I will\nthat thou give me the sacred herbs.\" Then the King made reply, \"Take\nthem, and see that they be clean.\" So the herald took them clean from\nthe hill of the citadel. Having done this, he said to the King, \"Dost\nthou appoint me to do the pleasure of the people of Rome, me and my\nimplements and my attendants with me?\" And the King answered, \"So that\nit be without damage to the people of Rome.\" Then the herald appointed\none Spurius to be minister that he should take the oath, and touched his\nhair with the sacred herbs. And when Spurius had taken the oath, and the\nconditions of the treaty had been read aloud, he spake, saying, \"Hear\nthou, Jupiter, and thou also, minister of the people of Alba, and ye men\nof Alba; as these conditions have been duly read aloud this day from\nthe beginning even to the end from these tables, and after the\ninterpretation by which they may be the most easily understood, even\nso shall the Roman people abide by them. And if this people, acting by\ncommon consent, shall falsely depart from them, then do thou, O Jupiter,\nsmite the Roman people, even as I shall smite this swine to-day. And\nsmite them by so much the more strongly as thou art stronger than I.\"\nAnd when he had said this he smote the swine with a knife of stone.\nThe men of Alba also took the oath, and confirmed it after their own\nfashion. These things having been thus ordered, the champions made them\nready for battle. And first their fellows exhorted them severally in\nmany words, saying that the gods of their country, their countrymen\nalso and kinsfolk, whether they tarried at home or stood in the field,\nregarded their arms that day; and afterwards they went forth into the\nspace that lay between the two armies. And these sat and watched them\nbefore their camps, being quit indeed of the peril of battle, but full\nof care how the matter should end, seeing that so great things, even\nsovereignty and freedom, should be decided by the valour and good luck\nof so few men. Then, the signal of battle being given, the three met the\nthree with such courage and fierceness as though there were a whole army\non either side. And as their swords rang against each other and flashed,\nall men trembled to see, and could scarcely speak or breathe for fear\nof what should happen. And for a while, in so narrow a space did the men\nfight, nought could be seen but how they swayed to and fro, and how the\nblood ran down upon the ground. But afterwards it was plain to see that\nof the three Romans two were fallen dead upon the ground, and that of\nthe three champions of Alba each man was wounded.\n\n[Illustration: Death of the Horatti and Curiattii 056]\n\nAt this sight the Alban host shouted for joy, but the men of Rome had\nno more any hope but only fear, to think what should befall their one\nchampion that had now three enemies against him. Now, by good luck, it\nhad so fallen out that this one had received no wound, so that, though\nhe was no match for the three together, he did not doubt but that he\nshould prevail over them severally one by one. Wherefore, that he might\nso meet them, dividing them the one from the other, he made a feint to\nfly, thinking that they would follow him each as quickly as his wound\nmight suffer him. And so it fell out. For when he had fled now no\nsmall space from the ground where they had fought at the first, he\nsaw, looking behind him, that the three were following him at a great\ndistance one from the other, and that one was very near to himself. Then\nhe turned himself and ran fiercely upon the man; and behold even while\nthe men of Alba cried aloud to the two that they should help their\nbrother, he had slain him, and was now running towards the second. And\nwhen the men of Rome saw what had befallen, they set up a great shout,\nas men are wont when they have good luck beyond their hopes; and their\nchampion made such haste to do his part that or ever the third of the\nAlban three could come up, though indeed he was close at hand, he had\nslain the second also. And now, seeing that there remained one only on\neither side, there was in some sort an equality, yet were the two\nnot equal either in hope or in strength. For the champion of Rome had\nsuffered no wound, and having overcome his foes now once and again\nwas full of courage; but the champion of Alba being now spent with his\nwound, and wearied also with running, was as it were vanquished already.\nNor indeed was there a battle between the two; for the Roman cried, \"One\nand another of my foes have I offered to the spirits of my brothers; but\nthis third will I offer to the cause for which we have fought this day,\neven that Rome may have the dominion over Alba.\" And when the champion\nof Alba could now scarce bear up his shield, he stood over and ran his\nsword downwards into his throat Afterwards, as the man lay dead upon\nthe ground, he spoiled him of his arms. Then did the men of Rome receive\ntheir champion with much rejoicing, having all the more gladness because\nthey had been in so great fear. Afterwards each host set themselves to\nbury their dead, whose tombs remain to this day, each in the spot where\nhe fell, for the two Romans are buried in one sepulchre nearer to\nAlba, and the three champions of Alba as you go towards Rome, but with\nsomewhat of space between them, even as they fought.\n\nBefore the armies departed to their homes, Mettus of Alba inquired of\nTullus what he would have him to do according to treaty. And the King\nanswered, \"Keep the young men under arms. I shall call for them if I\nhave war against the men of Veii.\"\n\nAnd now the men of Rome went back to the city, and Horatius went before\nthem, carrying the spoils of the three whom he had slain. But at the\nCapene gate there met him his sister, who was betrothed to one of the\nchampions of Alba; and when the maiden saw upon his shoulders the cloak\nof her betrothed (and indeed she had wrought it with her own hands) she\ntore her hair and cried to the dead man by name with a lamentable voice.\nBut Horatius was wroth to hear the words of mourning on the day when\nhe had won so great a victory and the people rejoiced; and he drew his\nsword and slew the maiden, crying, \"Depart hence to thy lover with\nthe love that thou cherishest out of season; thou that forgettest thy\nbrethren that are dead, and thy brother that is yet alive, and thine own\npeople also. So perish whosoever shall make lamentations for an enemy\nof Rome.\" And when the Fathers and the Commons saw what was done, they\nthought it a wicked deed, but remembered what great service the man had\nnewly rendered to Rome. Nevertheless they laid hands on him and took him\nto the King that he should judge him. But the King being loath to judge\nsuch a matter, or to give sentence against the man, said, \"I appoint\ntwo men as the law commands, who shall judge Horatius for murder.\" Now\nthe law was this: \"If a man do murder, two men shall judge him; if he\nappeal against the two, let the appeal be tried; if their sentence be\nconfirmed, ye shall cover his head and scourge him within the walls\nor without the walls, and hang him by a rope upon the gallows.\" Then\nthere were appointed two men according to the law, who affirmed that they\ncould not let the man go free, whether his guilt was small or great,\nseeing that he had manifestly done the deed. Therefore said one of them,\n\"Publius Horatius, we adjudge thee to be guilty of murder. Go, lictor,\nbind his hands.\" But when the lictor came and was now ready to cast the\nrope about him, Horatius cried, \"I appeal to the people;\" for the King\nhimself, being mercifully disposed to him, bade him do so. Then was\nthere a trial before the people, in which that which most wrought upon\nthe hearts of men was that the father of Horatius constantly affirmed\nthat his daughter had been rightly slain. \"Nay,\" said he, \"verily, if\nthe young man had not slain her, I had used against him my right as a\nfather, and had condemned him to die.\"\n\nThen again he besought them that they should not leave him desolate and\nbereaved of his children, he who but the day before had had so fair a\nstock. Afterwards, throwing his arms about the young man, he stretched\nout his hands to the spoils of the Curiatii, crying, \"Will ye endure,\nmen of Rome, to see him bound under the gallows and beaten with stripes\nwhom ye beheld but yesterday adorned with these spoils and rejoicing in\nhis victory? Not so. Surely the men of Alba themselves had not borne to\nsee such a sight. Go, lictor, bind his hands, though but yesterday they\nwon so great a dominion for the people of Rome. Go, cover the head of\nhim that made this people free; hang him upon the accursed tree; scourge\nhim, whether within the walls, so that thou do it among the spoils\nof them that he slew, or without the walls, so that it be near to the\nsepulchres of the champions of Alba. Whither can ye take this youth\nthat the memorials of his valour shall not save him from so foul a\npunishment?\" And when the people saw the tears of the old man, and\nbethought them also what great courage the youth had shown in danger,\nthey could not endure to condemn him; but regarding his valour rather\nthan the goodness of his cause, let him go free. Only, because the deed\nhad been so manifest, a command was laid upon the father that he should\nmake a trespass offering for his son at the public charge. Then the\nfather, having made certain sacrifices of expiation--which are performed\nto this day in the house of Horatius--set up a beam across the way and\ncovered his son's head, and led him beneath it. As for the maiden, they\nbuilt her tomb of hewn stone in the place where she was slain.\n\nNow the men of Alba were wroth to think that the fortunes of the whole\npeople had been thus trusted to the hands of three soldiers; and Mettus,\nbeing of an unstable mind, was led away to evil in his desire to do\nthem a pleasure. And as before he had sought for peace when others were\ndesirous of war, so now he desired war when others were minded to be at\npeace. But because he knew that the men of Alba were not able of their\nown strength to do that which they desired, he stirred up certain others\nof the nations round about, that they should make war openly against\nRome. As for himself and his people, he purposed that they should seem\nindeed to be friends and allies, but should be ready for treachery when\noccasion served. Thereupon the men of Fidenae, being colonists from Rome,\nand the men of Veii promised that they would make war, and Mettus on\nhis part promised that he would come over to them with his army in\nthe battle. First the men of Fidenae rebelled, and King Tullus marched\nagainst them, bidding Mettus come also with his army, and having crossed\nthe river Anio, pitched his camp where Anio flows into Tiber. And by\nthis time the men of Veii also had come up with their army, and these\nwere on the right wing next to the river, and the men of Fidenae on the\nleft, next to the mountains. The ordering of King Tullus was that he and\nhis men should do battle with the men of Veii, and Mettus and the Albans\nwith the men of Fidenae. Now Mettus, as he was not minded to do right, so\nhad no courage to do wrong boldly; and because he dared not to go over\nto the enemy, led his men away slowly towards the mountains. Being come\nthither, he set out his men in battle array, being minded to join them\nwhom he should perceive to prevail. At first the Romans marvelled that\nMettus and his men should so depart from them; and after a while they\nsent a messenger to the King, saying, \"The men of Alba have left us.\"\nThen the King knew in his heart that there was treachery, and he vowed\nthat he would build temples to Paleness and Panic, if he should win the\nvictory that day. Nevertheless he showed no sign of fear, but cried to\nthe horsemen with a loud voice, that the enemy might hear, saying, \"Go\nthou back to the battle, and bid thy comrades be of good courage. Mettus\ndoes my bidding that he may take the men of Fidenae in the rear.\" Also\nhe bade the cavalry raise their spears in the air, that so the Romans\nmight, for the most part, be hindered from seeing that the men of Alba\nhad deserted them; and they that saw, believing what the King had said,\nfought with the more courage. Then there fell a great fear upon the\nenemy, for these also had heard the saying, which, being in the Latin\ntongue, was understood of the men of Fidenae. They, therefore, fearing\nlest Mettus and the army of Alba should come down from the mountains and\nshut them off from their town, began to give ground. And when the King\nhad broken their array, he turned the more fiercely on the men of Veii.\nThese also fled before him, but were hindered from escape by the river.\nAnd some, throwing away their arms, ran blindly into the water, and some\nwhile they lingered on the bank, and knew not whether they should fight\nor fly, so perished. Never before had the Romans so fierce a fight with\ntheir enemies.\n\nAfter this the army of Alba came down from the mountains, and Mettus\nsaid to the King that he rejoiced that he had won so great a victory,\nand the King on his part spake friendly to him, and would have him join\nhis camp with the camp of the Romans. Also he appointed a sacrifice of\npurification for the next day. And when it was day, all things being now\nready after the custom of such sacrifices, the King commanded that both\narmies should be called to an assembly. And the heralds summoned the men\nof Alba first, so that they might be in the inner place; to which also\nthey came of their own accord, for they sought to be near the King,\ngreatly desiring to hear what he should say. And the King so ordered it\nto the end that the army of Rome might surround them on all sides. Also\nhe gave his commands to certain captains of hundreds that they fulfil\nwithout delay whatsoever commands he should give them. After this the\nKing spoke in this fashion, \"Men of Rome, if ever before ye had occasion\nto give thanks for victory won, first to the immortal Gods, and secondly\nto your own valour, such occasion ye found in the battle of yesterday.\nFor ye fought not only with the enemy, but with that from which there\nis peril greater by far, even treachery in allies. I would not have you\nignorant of the truth. It was not by any ordering of mine that the men\nof Alba went towards the mountains. I gave no such command; yet did I\nfeign that I had given it to this end, that ye might not know that ye\nwere deserted, and so might fight with the better courage, and that our\nenemies, thinking that they should be assailed from behind, might be\nstricken with fear and so fly before us. Yet I say not that all the men\nof Alba are guilty of this matter. They followed their captain, even as\nye, men of Rome, would have followed me whithersoever I might have led\nyou. Mettus only is guilty. He contrived this departure, even as he\nbrought about this war, and brake the covenant that was between Alba and\nRome. And what he hath done others may dare hereafter, if I do not so\ndeal with him that he shall be an ensample for all that come after.\"\nThen the captains of hundreds, having arms in their hands, laid hold\nupon Mettus. After this the King spake again: \"May the Gods bless to the\npeople of Rome, and to me, and to you also, men of Alba, that which I\npurpose to do. For my purpose is to carry away the people of Alba to\nRome; the commons of Alba will I make citizens of Rome, and the nobles\nwill I number among our Senators. So shall there be one city and one\ncommonwealth.\" When the men of Alba heard these words, all had not\nthe same mind about the matter, but all kept silence, fearing to speak,\nbecause being without arms they were compassed on every side with armed\nmen.\n\nThen said the King, \"Mettus, if indeed thou couldst learn faith and the\nkeeping of treaties, I had suffered thee to live that thou mightest have\nsuch teaching from me. But now, seeing that thy disease is past healing,\nthou shalt teach other men to hold in reverence the holy things which\nthou hast despised. For even as thou wast divided in heart between Rome\nand Fidenae, so shall thy body be divided.\" Then at the King's bidding,\nthey brought two chariots, with four horses harnessed to each of them;\nand binding the body of Mettus to the chariots, they drave the horses\ndivers ways so that the man was torn asunder.\n\nIn the meanwhile there had been sent horsemen to Alba who should bring\nthe people to Rome; and now the army also was led thither that they\nmight destroy the city utterly. Great sorrow was there in Alba that day,\nmen knowing not for fear and grief what they should carry with them or\nleave behind. For a while, indeed, they wandered through their houses,\nknowing that they should not see them any more. But when the horsemen\nshouted to them that they should depart, and the crash of houses which\nmen were now destroying began to be heard, and the dust rising up from\nthe outskirts of the city covered all things as with a cloud, then they\nsnatched up in haste each such things as they could, and so departed the\nhome in which they had been born and bred. Very lamentable was their cry\nas they went, more especially of the women, when they saw armed men\nin the temples wherein they had been wont to worship, the very gods\nthemselves being left, as it seemed, in captivity. And when the people\nwere now gone forth from their city the Romans left not one stone upon\nanother of all that was in the city; so that that which had been four\nhundred years in building (for so long had Alba endured) perished in\none hour. Nevertheless they harmed not the temples, for so the King had\ncommanded.\n\nBut because Alba was thus brought to destruction, Rome increased\ngreatly; for the number of the citizens was increased twofold. The\nCoelian hill was added to the city, in which hill, that others might the\nmore readily dwell there, the King himself commanded that they should\nbuild him a palace. Also the chief houses of Alba, as the house of\nJulius and of Servilius, were chosen into the Senate; and that there\nmight be a place of meeting for the Senate being thus multiplied, the\nKing built a temple and called it Hostilia, after his own name. Also\nten squadrons of horsemen were chosen out of the men of Alba. But after\ncertain days, when the Romans had now conquered the Sabines, and had\nmade treaties of peace with the Etrurians, and were in great peace and\nprosperity, they and their King, there was brought tidings to Rome that\nthere had fallen a shower of stones on Mount Alba. Which when men could\nscarce believe, they sent messengers to learn if these things were true,\nwho having come to Alba, found the stones lying on the ground, even as\nit had been hail. Also there was heard a voice from the grove that was\non the top of the hill, saying, \"Let the men of Alba do worship after\nthe manner of their fathers;\" for they having left their country, had\nleft also their gods, and did worship after the manner of the Romans, or\nfor wrath at that which had befallen them, as is wont to be with men\nin such case, had ceased from worship altogether. The Romans also, by\nreason of this same voice that was heard on Mount Alba, or by warning of\nthe soothsayers, kept a festival of nine days. And this became a custom\nfor the time to come, that when there came tidings of such marvels to\nRome, there was kept a like festival. Now the end of King Tullus was\nthis. There came a pestilence upon the land. And when for this cause\nthe people were wearied of war, nevertheless the King, both because he\ndelighted in war, and because he believed that the young men should have\nbetter health if they went abroad than if they tarried at home, gave\nthem no rest But after a while he also fell into a tedious sickness,\nwhich so brake him both in body and mind that, whereas in time past he\nthought it unworthy of a King to busy himself with matters of religion,\nnow he gave himself up wholly to superstition, and filled the minds of\nhis people also with the like thoughts, so that they regarded nothing\nbut this, how they should make atonement to the Gods, and so be rid of\ntheir present distress. As for the King himself, men say that reading\nthe sacred book of King Numa he found therein certain sacrifices, very\nsecret and solemn, that should be done to Jupiter by such as would\nbring him down from heaven, and that he shut himself up to do these\nsacrifices; but because he set not about them rightly or did them not in\ndue form, there appeared to him no similitude of the immortal gods\n(for such he had hoped to see); but Jupiter, having great wrath at such\nunlawful dealings, struck him with lightning, and consumed both him and\nhis house.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III. ~~ THE STORY OF THE ELDER TARQUIN.\n\nDemaratus was lord of Corinth in the land of Greece. This Demaratus had\na son who, having been driven from Corinth by strife among the citizens,\ncame to Tarquinii that is in the land of Etruria, and dwelt there. And\nhaving married a wife, he had two sons born to him, Lucumo and Aruns.\n(It was the custom of the princes of the Etrurians to call the eldest\nson Lucumo and the younger Aruns.) This Lucumo, being very wealthy (for\nhis father had left to him all his riches, his brother Aruns having\ndied), took to wife a certain Tanaquil that was a noble lady in those\nparts. Now Tanaquil could not endure that any should be preferred before\nhim, wherefore when the people of Tarquinii despised Lucumo, because he\nwas the son of a stranger, Tanaquil could not endure it, and caring\nnot for her country, if only she could see her husband held in honour,\npurposed to depart thence and dwell elsewhere. And of all places Rome\nseemed to her the best, being a new country wherein men were honoured\nfor their deservings rather than for their birth, and he that should\nshow himself brave and diligent would find occasion to win renown. So\nNuma, coming from Cures that is in the land of the Sabines, had been\ncalled to the kingdom. King Ancus also was born of a mother that was a\nSabine, nor was noble at all save for his kinship to Numa. With these\nwords she easily persuaded her husband, so that, gathering together all\nhis possessions, he departed from Tarquinii to Rome. And when he came\nnear to the city, at the hill that is called Janiculum, there happened\nto him this marvel. As he sat in the chariot with his wife, an eagle,\nhaving its wings stretched out, descended slowly upon him from the sky,\nand carried off the hat that was upon his head. Then for a while it flew\nover the chariot, making a great crying, and afterwards, as it had been\ninspired to do this office, set it back upon his head, and so vanished\ninto the air. Now all the women of the Etrurians have great knowledge\nof augury (for so they call the signs and tokens of birds), and Tanaquil\nwas of good courage when she saw what the eagle had done, and she\nembraced her husband, and bade him hope for great honours in Rome; for\nthe bird, she said, had come from the sky, and the sign that it showed\nconcerned the crown of a man, for it had taken from his head the glory\nthat man's hand set upon it, that it might give it back to him from the\ngods. So Lucumo and Tanaquil his wife came to Rome, hoping to do\ngreat things; and the man dwelt there, giving out that his name was\nTarquinius. And because he was a new comer and wealthy, men took the\nmore note of him; also he would speak courteously to all men, and use\nmuch hospitality, and do such service as he could to them that had need\nof it And after a while King Ancus heard of him, and made acquaintance\nwith him, which acquaintance grew into friendship, till at the last,\nhaving found him faithful and ready in all that was put into his charge,\nwhether at home or abroad, he appointed him to be guardian to his\nchildren.\n\nAfter this King Ancus died, having reigned twenty and four years, and\nleft two sons, not yet old enough to reign, yet nearly grown to manhood.\nAnd some would have delayed the choosing of a king till these should\nbe come to full age, but Tarquinius counselled that he should be chosen\nforthwith. And when the day for this choosing was appointed, having sent\nout the lads to hunt, he spake to the people after this manner. \"This\nis no new thing that I seek the kingdom at your hands; for Tatius the\nSabine became your king, having been before not a stranger only but also\nan enemy; and Numa also was called to this dignity, though he sought not\nfor it. As for me, I came hither so soon as I was master of myself; and\nof the years of my manhood, I have lived in Rome more than in my own\ncountry; nor have I been ill taught the ways of a King, ministering to\nAncus both at home and abroad.\"\n\nWith these words he persuaded the people that they chose him to be king.\nBeing so chosen he did many things that pleased the people; for having\nwaged war with the Latins, and taken one of their cities and with it\nmuch booty, he built the great circus, and fetched horses and boxers\nfrom the land of Etruria to make sport. This became a custom year by\nyear; and they called these games the Great Games of Rome.\n\nAfterwards he would have compassed the city with a wall of stone; but\nwhile he was busy with the building of it the Sabines came upon him. And\nthis they did with such speed that they had crossed the Anio before ever\nthe Romans were ready to meet them; and when they fought many were slain\non both sides, but neither had the victory. Now when the King, the enemy\nhaving returned to their camp, had space to consider how he might best\nmake his army the stronger, it seemed that it would profit him most if\nhe should increase the number of his horsemen, of whom there were three\ncompanies only. But when he was minded to add others to them, and\nto call them after his own name, one Attus Navius, that was a famous\nsoothsayer in those days, withstood him. \"For,\" said he, \"King Romulus\nmade these companies in due form, and thou mayest not add to their\nnumber, unless the gods permit, signifying their will by the voices\nof birds.\" But the King was wroth to hear these words, and mocked the\nsoothsayers art, saying, \"Come now, thou wise man, divine unto me, can\nthat which I think in my heart be done, or no?\" Attus answered, having\nfirst made trial of his art, \"Of a surety it can be done.\" Then said the\nKing, \"I thought this thing in my heart, that thou shouldest cut asunder\nthis whetstone with a razor. Take it, therefore, and cut it asunder; for\nthy birds will have it that thou canst.\" And straightway Attus took the\nwhetstone and cut it asunder. So they made a statue of him, standing\nwith his head covered, in the place where the thing was done; even in\nthe place of assembly, on the right hand of the steps by which a man\ngoes up to the senate-house. And by his side they laid the stone to be a\nmemorial of this miracle to them that should come after. Certainly there\ncame such honour to the soothsayers that nothing thereafter was done at\nhome or abroad except they first allowed it; and if an assembly of the\npeople was called or the army gathered together, it must be dispersed\nagain unless the birds should signify that it was according to the\npleasure of the gods. King Tarquin, therefore, changed not the number or\nthe name of the companies. Only he added to each as many more horsemen\nas it had at the first.\n\nAfter this there was yet another battle with the Sabines; and these fled\nbefore the Romans, the horsemen especially doing good service against\nthem. And the King sent them that were taken captive and the booty to\nRome; but the arms of those that were slain he made into a great heap,\nand burned them with fire, for he had vowed thus to Vulcan, that is the\ngod of fire. And the King took Collatia, that is a town of the Sabines,\nfrom them, and afterwards he subdued the whole nation of the Latins that\nit became obedient to Rome.\n\nThey tell this story also of King Tarquin. There came to him one day\na woman bearing twelve books, which she said were books of prophecies,\nwherein were written all things that should come to pass thereafter\nconcerning the city of Rome. These books she would have sold to him. But\nbecause he knew not who she was, nor what she brought, and also because\nthe price of the books seemed great out of measure, he would have none\nof them. Then the woman departed, and having burned three of the books\nwith fire, brought back the nine that remained, and would sell them. And\nthe price that she had demanded for the twelve, this she asked without\nabatement for the nine. And when the King would not buy, she departed\nand burned three more; and so returning would sell the six; but the\nprice was that which she demanded for the twelve. Then the King, being\ngreatly astonished, asked counsel of the priests and the soothsayers,\nand so bought the books. These were kept with great care and honour at\nRome; and when in time to come there arose great need or peril in the\ncity, then there were appointed men of repute who should open the books\nand learn what had best be done.\n\nIn those days there happened, in the palace of the King, a great marvel.\nThere was a certain slave boy whose name was Servius Tullius. The head\nof this boy, as he slept, was seen to burn with fire; and when the King\nand the Queen had been called to see this strange thing, and certain\nof the servants would have fetched water wherewith to quench the fire,\nQueen Tanaquil would not suffer them, but commanded that they should\nleave the child as he lay. And when he woke from his sleep, lo! the\nflame departed. Then said Queen Tanaquil to her husband, \"Seest thou\nthis boy whom we rear in this humble fashion? Know that he will be in\ntime to come a light in our darkness, and a succour to our house in its\ngreat trouble. Let us, therefore, use all favour and kindness to him.\"\nThereafter they dealt with the lad as though he were free-born and not\na slave, and gave him such teaching as befits them that are born to\nhigh place. The lad also, on his part, showed such parts and temper as\nbefitted the house of a king; and when Tarquin would choose a husband\nfor his daughter there was not found one fitter for such honour than\nServius. So the King betrothed to him his daughter. Yet is it scarce\nto be believed that he would have done this thing if Servius had been\nindeed born of a bond-woman. Some say, therefore, and the story seems\nworthy of belief, that he was the son of a great lady of Corniculum,\nwhich was a town of the Latins; that this town being taken by King\nTarquin, Servius Tullius, that was its chief ruler, was slain, whose\nwife, being with child, was carried to Rome; and that because she was of\nnoble birth she was not sold into slavery with the other women but taken\ninto the King's palace, and there bare this child, of whom, because his\nmother had been taken captive in war, men said that he was the son of a\nslave.\n\nNow the sons of Ancus, since they had been grown to manhood, had taken\nit ill that Tarquin had been preferred before them to the throne of\ntheir father, and now they were the more angry, seeing how he had chosen\nanother than them to be king after him. \"See, now,\" they said, \"this\nfellow that is not a Roman, nay, nor an Italian, but a stranger from\nGreece, how being made tutor to us by the King our father, he filched\nthe throne from us by craft, and now handeth it over to one that is the\nson of a bond-woman. Surely this is a shameful thing for this city and\npeople. For the kingdom of Romulus, that is now a god in heaven, will\npass within the space of a hundred years to one that is a slave.\"\n\nAnd first they would avenge themselves on King Tarquin. This they did\nafter this fashion. They chose them two shepherds, the fiercest of their\ncompany, and caused them to come, carrying crooks of iron, after their\ncustom, within the King's palace; who, so soon as they were come within\nthe porch, made as if they had a grievous quarrel the one against the\nother, and cried out that the King should be the judge between them; for\nin those days kings were wont to perform the office of a judge. So they\nthat kept order in the palace brought them before the King. At the first\nthey made both of them a great uproar, crying out against each other;\nbut afterwards, when the beadle bade them be quiet if they would be\nheard of the King, bare themselves in more orderly fashion. Then the\nfirst began to tell his story; but when the King turned to him, and was\nwholly given up to hearing what the man might say, the other dealt him a\ngreat blow upon the head with the iron which he carried. And when he\nhad done this he left the iron where it was, and hasted, he and his\ncompanion with him, to escape by the door. Then some of the ministers of\nthe court caught the King as he fell ready to die upon the ground, and\nothers laid hold on the murderers and hindered them from escaping. At\nthe same time much people ran together to the place, wondering what new\nthing had happened. But Queen Tanaquil gave command that they should\nshut the doors of the palace, and would have none remain within but her\nown folk. And first she prepared with all diligence such things as might\nbe serviceable in the dressing of the wound, making as if there were\nsome hope that the King might yet live; and next she devised how, this\nhope failing her, things might nevertheless be ordered according to her\nwish. Sending, therefore, for Servius in all haste, she pointed to the\nKing, as he lay now ready to die, and spake, saying, \"Servius, my son,\nthis kingdom is thine if thou wilt only show thyself a man. Neither\nshall it go to them who have done this wicked deed, albeit not by their\nown hands. Rouse thyself, therefore, and follow the leading of the Gods,\nwho, in days past, showed that thy head should bear great honour by the\nfire from heaven which they caused to shine round about it. Let that\nfire stir thee this day. Nor do thou take account of thy birth. For\nwe also were strangers to this city and yet have borne rule therein.\nBethink thee, therefore, what manner of man thou art, rather than of\nwhom thou wast born. And if perchance thine own counsels are troubled at\nso grievous a chance, be thou obedient unto mine.\"\n\nAfter this, as the people without the palace cried aloud and would have\nthrust in the doors, the Queen went to an upper chamber and spake to\nthe multitude through a window that looked upon the New Street (for the\npalace of the King stood hard by the temple of Jupiter the Stayer).\n\"Be of good courage and hope,\" she said; \"the King was stunned by the\nsuddenness of the blow, but the iron entered not deep into the flesh,\nand he came speedily to himself. Now we have washed off the blood and\nlooked into the wound. All is well. Be of good cheer, therefore, and\nbelieve that before many days be past ye shall see the King. Meanwhile,\nrender due obedience to Servius, who will do justice between man and\nman in the room of the King and order all else that shall be needed.\" So\nServius came forth to the people, wearing the royal robe, with the men\nthat bare the axes after him; and sitting down on the throne of the\nKing, heard the causes of them that sought for justice, giving judgment\nin some things, and in others making mention that he would consult King\nTarquin. This he did for many days, none knowing that the King was\ndead, and established himself in power, while he made as if he were\nadministering the power of another. And when Queen Tanaquil thought\nthat the due time was come, she gave out that King Tarquin was dead, and\ncommanded that mourning should be made for him according to custom. And\nServius, coming forth with his guards about him, was proclaimed King;\nonly at the first the Senate alone, and not the people, consented. As\nfor the sons of An eus, when they heard that the murderers had been\ntaken, and that the King was yet alive, and that Servius also was so\nwell established in his power, they fled to the town of Suessa Pometia.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV. ~~ THE STORY OF SERVIUS.\n\nAnd now Servius thought to establish himself in his kingdom. And first\nof all, lest the sons of King Tarquin should so regard him as the son\nof Ancus had regarded King Tarquin, he gave his daughters in marriage to\nthe two young men (for King Tarquin had left two sons, Lucius and Aruns\nby name). Nor yet did the counsels of man avail to change the decree of\nfate, that there should rise up against the King foes from out of his\nown household, as, indeed, will be shown hereafter. Yet for a while all\nthings went peaceably. First the King got himself great renown in a war\nwith the men of Veii, with whom the truce had expired by lapse of time.\nThese he put to flight with great slaughter, and so returning to Rome\nwas manifestly acknowledged not by the Senators only, but was also by\nthe people.\n\nAnd now he set about the work of ordering the state, dividing the\ncitizens according to their birth and to that which they possessed.\nFirst of all he put the Senators, and after them such as served in the\nwars on horseback, and these he called knights. And the rest of the\npeople he divided into classes according to the armour with which they\nwere able to furnish themselves for war. The first class were they that\nhad one hundred thousand pounds of brass or more; and these had for\narmour a helmet, a long shield, a cuirass, and greaves upon their legs,\nof brass all of them, and for warfare a spear and a sword. In this\nclass there were eighty companies of a hundred, forty of the elders\nthat should defend the city, and of the younger that should go and fight\nabroad forty also. The next class to these had a short shield for a\nlong, and lacked the cuirass; and after these another that had the same\narms, only wanting the greaves. The fourth class had nothing of armour,\nand for weapons a spear and a javelin; and the fifth slings and stones.\nThese last were such as had eleven thousand pounds of brass; as for such\nas had less they were free from service in war. When this ordering was\nfinished, he commanded that the people should assemble themselves on the\nfield of Mars; and when their number was counted, it was found that they\nwere eighty thousand in all. King Servius also was minded to enlarge his\nkingdom by including within it the nations round about, seeking to do\nthis not by arms so much as by counsel. And first he joined the Latins\nto the Romans, contriving the matter in this fashion. There was in those\ndays a famous temple of Diana at Ephesus which the cities of Asia had\njoined together in building. Now King Servius would often speak of this\nthing to the Princes of Latium, to whom, indeed, he was careful to use\nmuch hospitality, declaring how noble and excellent a thing it was that\nthey who dwelt in the same land should have their gods also and worship\nin common. And when he had ofttimes used much argument to this purpose,\nat the last he persuaded them that the cities of Latium should join\ntogether with men of Rome and build a temple to Diana, and that this\ntemple should be at Rome, whereby it was confessed that Rome was the\nchief city.\n\nAs for the Sabines this same end was brought about in a different\nfashion. There was a certain householder of this nation that had born\nupon his farm a heifer of marvellous greatness and beauty. How great it\nwas might be seen from the horns of the beast which hung in the front\nof Diana's temple for many generations. Now the birth of this great\ncreature was counted for a portent; and the prophets prophesied that\nthe rule should belong to that nation whose citizens should offer it\nin sacrifice to Diana; and this prophecy came to the ears of Diana's\npriest. The Sabine therefore, so soon as a fitting day for sacrifice was\ncome, brought the great heifer to the temple at Rome and set it before\nthe altar. And when the priest saw it he perceived from its greatness\nthat it was the beast of which the prophets had spoken. Therefore\nknowing what they had said he spake to the man, saying, \"Friend, what\nis this that thou art minded to do? Wilt thou do sacrifice to Diana\nprofanely, not having first cleansed thyself? See now where the Tiber\nflows in the valley beneath. Do thou therefore bathe thyself therein and\nso offer thy sacrifice.\" And when the man, being very scrupulous to do\nall things in order that the thing might have its due fulfilment, went\ndown to this river, the priest took the heifer and offered it up to the\ngoddess. This thing was marvellously pleasing to King Servius and to all\nthe people.\n\nThe King, having now enlarged his borders, divided the land which had\nbeen taken from the enemy man by man among the people; and feared not,\nhaving gained their hearts by this bounty, to ask them, being gathered\ntogether in assembly, \"Is it your pleasure that I should reign over\nyou?\" To which question there was given such assent as no king before\nhim had received. Nevertheless the son of King Tarquin ceased not to\ncherish in his heart the hope of the kingdom; to which hope, indeed, he\nwas the more stirred up by Tullia his wife. For now there sprang up in\nthe palace of the kings of Rome a monstrous growth of wickedness, to\nthe end, it may well be believed, that the people might, for hatred of\nkingship and its way, come the earlier to love liberty.\n\nNow King Tarquin had two sons, this Lucius, of whom mention has been\nmade, a haughty and violent man, and another, Aruns by name, that was of\na quiet and gentle temper. And as they differed the one from the other,\nso also did their wives, the daughters of King Servius; and it so fell\nout that she that had the fiercer temper of the two, a certain Tullia,\nwas married to Aruns, and she that was gentle to Lucius. Now it vexed\nTullia to the heart that her husband was of so peaceable a spirit, so\nthat in the end she despised him, and looked to his brother as being the\nmore worthy to be her husband. And the end of the matter was this, that\nLucius and Tullia plotted together this great wickedness, that he should\nrid himself of his wife and she should rid herself of her husband. And\nthis they did; and then the two being thus in evil fashion made one,\nLucius took Tullia to wife, the King not hindering the thing, though\nindeed he approved it not. And now did this wicked woman increase day by\nday her rage and fury against the King her father. For having done one\nevil deed she began to compass others; nor would she suffer her husband\nto rest, stirring him up to all wickedness, and speaking to him in such\nfashion as this: \"Truly I had a husband that pleased me well had I been\ncontent to serve together with him. But the husband that I looked for\nwas one that should think himself worthy to be a king, that should\nremember that he was a son of King Tarquin, that should choose rather to\nhave the crown in possession than to hope for it hereafter. Such an one\nI thought to find in thee; and if I thought right, then truly I call\nthee true husband and King, but if not, then I count myself to have\nsuffered loss, seeing that thou art not a coward only, but also\nbloodguilty. Be up and doing, therefore. Thou hast not, as had thy\nfather, to pome from Corinth, or even from Tarquinii, to win for himself\na kingdom among strangers. All things that are about thee mark thee out\nfor kingship, to which, if thou judge thyself unequal, then depart from\nthis place where thou seemest to be that which thou art not.\"\n\nWith such words did Tullia daily stir up her husband; thinking shame to\nherself, if so be Tanaquil, who was a foreigner, had been able to make\ntwo kings, first her husband and then her son-in-law, she, being the\ndaughter of a king, could not accomplish as much. Then did Lucius begin\nto seek favour among the nobles, especially such as were of the lesser\nhouses, and so ambitious of higher place in the State. Some he would\nremind of kindnesses that his father had done them in past time, and\nwould ask for a like return; and to some he would promise gifts; and all\nhe sought to turn against the King. And at the last, when it now seemed\ntime to make his venture, he burst into the market-place, having with\nhim a company of armed men; and all that stood near being so stricken\nwith dismay that they hindered him not, commanded the herald that he\nshould call the Senators to meet King Tarquin. Nor did the Senators,\nbeing thus summoned, refuse to come, for some had been won over to the\nyoung man beforehand, and others feared that they should suffer harm if\nthey came not, for the matter was altogether beyond their expectation;\nalso they thought that King Servius had already perished. And when they\nwere were assembled, Tarquin sat down upon the throne and spake in\nsome such fashion as this: \"The slave that was the son of a slave-woman\nseized the kingdom when the King my father had been shamefully slain.\nNeither was there any assembly held for election; nor did the people\ngive their votes for him, nor did the Senate confirm the matter. By none\nof these things doth he possess this great dignity, but by the bounty of\na woman. And now he, being such an one as he is, favours the lowest\nof the people, to whom he divideth this land, which is of right the\npossession of the nobles; in like manner the burdens which at one time\nwere borne in common by all, he putteth upon you; and this ordering of\nthe citizens that he hath lately established, for what purpose is it but\nthat he may know who hath aught, that he may make distribution to the\nneedy?\"\n\nWhile he thus spake there came in King Servius, having been fetched by\na messenger in hot haste, and cried with a loud voice from the porch of\nthe senate-house, \"What doest thou here, Tarquin? How darest thou,\nwhile I am yet alive, to call the Senators together and to sit upon my\nthrone?\"\n\nTo this Tarquin made answer, \"This throne is the throne of the King my\nfather, of which I, being the son of a king, am worthier than thou that\nart the son of a slave. Surely now thou hast long enough triumphed over\nthem that are by right thy masters.\"\n\nAfter this there was a great shouting and tumult, some favouring Servius\nand some Tarquin; and the people ran together into the senate-house;\nand it was manifest that he that should prevail in that conflict would\npossess the kingdom. Then Tarquin, thinking that having ventured so much\nhe must dare all things, laid hands on King Servius and cast him down\nthe steps of the senate-house into the market-place. Then they that\naccompanied the King, that, is to say his ministers and guards, were\nstricken with fear and fled, and Servius himself, seeking to return to\nthe palace, and having now reached the end of the street of Cyprus, was\novertaken by them that Tarquin had sent to pursue him, and there slain.\nAnd men say that this was done at the bidding of Tullia; and indeed it\nagrees with the other wickedness of this woman. That she rode in her\ncarriage into the market-place, and, fearing not to come into the\nassembly of men, called forth her husband from the senate-house, and\nbefore all others saluted him as King--all this is known for certain.\nAnd when he bade her depart to her home, and she had come to the top\nof the street of Cyprus, and would turn aside to the Esquiline Hill,\nhe that drave the horses drew back the rein and tarried, showing to his\nmistress the body of Servius where it lay in the street Then did she a\nwicked deed, whereof there remains a memorial to this day, in that men\ncall the street the Wicked Street, for she drave her carriage over the\nbody of her father, and so went on to her house, having the blood of her\nfather upon her wheels, aye, and upon her own garments. And as the reign\nof King Tarquin began with blood, even so also did it end.\n\n[Illustration: Tullia driving over the body of her Father 098]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V. ~~ THE STORY OF BRUTUS.\n\nLucius Tarquin, having thus seized the kingdom (for he had not the\nconsent either of the Senators or of the Commons to his deed), bare\nhimself very haughtily, so that men called him Tarquin the Proud. First,\nlest some other, taking example by him, should deal with him as he had\ndealt with Tullius, he had about him a company of armed men for guards.\nAnd because he knew that none loved him, he would have them fear him. To\nthis end he caused men to be accused before him. And when they were so\naccused, he judged them by himself, none sitting with him to see that\nright was done. Some he slew unjustly, and some he banished, and some he\nspoiled of their goods. And when the number of the Senators was greatly\ndiminished by these means (for he laid his plots mostly against the\nSenators, as being rich men and the chief of the State), he would not\nchoose any into their place, thinking that the people would lightly\nesteem them if there were but a few of them. Nor did he call them\ntogether to ask their counsel, but ruled according to his own pleasure,\nmaking peace and war, and binding treaties or unbinding, with none to\ngainsay him.\n\nNevertheless, for a while he increased greatly in power and glory. He\nmade alliance with Octavius Mamilius, prince of Tusculum, giving him his\ndaughter in marriage; nor was there any man greater than Mamilius in\nall the cities of the Latins; and Suessa Pometia, that was a city of the\nVolsci, he took by force, and finding that the spoil was very rich (for\nthere were in it forty talents of gold and silver), he built with the\nmoney a temple to Jupiter on the Capitol, very great and splendid, and\nworthy not only of his present kingdom but also of that great Empire\nthat should be thereafter. Also he took the city of Gabii by fraud, as\nshall now be told.\n\nThe manner of his fraud was this. He made as if he had changed his\npurpose about the city, leading away his army from before it, and\nbusying himself with laying the foundations of the Temple of Jupiter and\nother like things. But while he did this, Sextus, that was the youngest\nof his three sons, fled to Gabii, as if he were a deserter from the army\nof his father, and complained grievously to the men of the city of the\ncruelty which the King had used towards him. \"Surely now,\" he said, \"my\nfather has turned away his fury from others upon them that are of his\nown household; and that same solitude which he has made in the Senate he\nwould have also in his own home, being so jealous of his kingdom that he\nwill not have any near him that shall inherit it. As for myself I barely\nescaped with my life from them that would have slain me by his command;\nnor do I count myself safe except among such as are enemies to the King.\nAs for you, think not that he has given up his purpose concerning you.\nHe only waits an occasion when he may take you unawares.\" The men of\nGabii, when they heard these words, received the young man kindly and\nbade him be of good cheer, for that they would defend him from his\nfather. They said also that they counted themselves fortunate to\ngain such help, knowing him to be brave and skilful in war, and that\ndoubtless, with his aid, they should soon carry the war from their own\ncity even to the walls of Rome. After this, when the young man had gone,\nnot once only but many times, with the young men of Gabii, making war\nagainst the Romans and plundering their country, and had always fared\nwell, putting the enemy to flight and' bringing back much spoil (and,\nindeed, things were so ordered by the King that it should be so), the\npeople of Gabii were persuaded that he was dealing honestly with them,\nand chose him to be the captain of their host. After this, when he found\nthat he could now do all things at his pleasure in Gabii, he sent a\nmessenger to the King his father, desiring to know what he would\nhave him do. To this messenger the King, doubting whether the man was\nfaithful, gave no answer by word of mouth, but rose up from his place\nand walked in the garden that was by the palace, having the look of one\nthat took deep counsel with himself. And as he walked he smote off the\nheads of the tallest poppies that were in the garden with a staff that\nhe had in his hand, but spake never a word. At the last, the messenger\nbeing wearied out with the asking of a question to no purpose, departed,\nthinking that he had now fulfilled his errand. And when he came to Gabii\nhe told to Sextus what he had seen; \"only,\" he said, \"the King your\nfather, whether for anger or for haughtiness, spake not one word.\" But\nSextus knew right well what his father would have him do. For he set\nhimself to overthrow the chief men of the city. Some he accused to\nthe people; and against some he took occasion of offence given to the\nCommons. Some were put to death publicly, and others, to whose charge\nnothing could be laid, were slain by secret violence. Others again were\nsuffered to go of their own accord into banishment; and the goods of\nall, whether they were slain or banished, were divided amongst the\nCommons; nor did these, being blinded by the desire of gain, perceive\nwhat damage the State suffered, till Gabii, having lost all its rulers\nand counsellors, fell into the hands of the Romans without so much as a\nbattle. By such means did King Tarquin increase his power.\n\nNow there was at Rome in the days of Tarquin a noble youth, by name\nLucius Junius, who was akin to the house of Tarquin, seeing that his\nmother was sister to the King. This man, seeing how the King sought\nto destroy all the chief men in the State (and, indeed, the brother of\nLucius had been so slain), judged it well so to bear himself that there\nshould be nothing in him which the King should either covet or desire.\n a prey; for which reason men gave him the name of Brutus, or the\nFoolish. Then he bided his time, waiting till the occasion should come\nwhen he might win freedom for the people.\n\nNow it chanced that King Tarquin, being disturbed by the marvel of a\ngreat snake, which had been seen of a sudden to glide from the altar\nin his house, sent messengers to Delphi to inquire of the god what this\nthing might mean. And because he cared not that any strangers should\nhear the answer of the oracle, he sent his own sons, Titus and Aruns,\nand with them, to bear them company, or rather as one of whom they might\nmake sport, this same Lucius Brutus. And when the young men offered\ngifts to the god, Brutus offered gold hidden away in a stick that had\nbeen hollowed to receive it; meaning thereby a parable of himself, as of\na light hidden beneath that which seemed dull and of little worth. Now\nwhen the sons of the King had fulfilled the commands of their father,\nthere came upon them a desire to enquire of the god which of them should\nbe king in time to come. Whereupon there came forth from the depths of\nthe cave this voice: \"Know, O young men, that he of you who shall first\ngive a kiss to his mother, shall bear the chief rule hereafter at\nRome.\" When the sons of the King heard these words they would have their\nbrother Sextus, who had been left behind at Rome, know nothing of the\nmatter, lest he also should have a hope of the kingdom, Wherefore they\nagreed among themselves that the matter should be kept secret, and that\nthey should leave to the casting of lots which of the two should first\ngive a kiss to his mother. But Brutus judged that the answer of the god\nhad another signification than this. Therefore, so soon as they were\ncome out of the temple, he made as if he stumbled, and falling on his\nface, he kissed the earth, holding that the earth was his mother, being\nindeed the common mother of us all.\n\nNot many days after these things there came to Brutus an occasion\nof showing what manner of man he was. Sextus, the King's son, did so\ngrievous a wrong to Lucretia, that was the wife of Collatinus, that the\nwoman could not endure to live, but slew herself with her own hand. But\nbefore she died she called to her her husband and her father and Brutus,\nand bade them avenge her upon the evil house of Tarquin. And when her\nfather and her' husband sat silent for grief and fear, Brutus drew the\nknife wherewith she slew herself from the wound, and held it before him\ndripping with blood, and cried aloud, \"By this blood I swear, calling\nthe Gods to witness, that I will pursue with fire and sword and with all\nother means of destruction Tarquin the Proud, with his accursed wife and\nall his race; and that I will suffer no man hereafter to be king in this\ncity of Rome.\" And when he had ended he bade the others swear after the\nsame form of words. This they did and, forgetting their grief, thought\nonly how they might best avenge this great wrong that had been done.\n\nFirst they carried the body of Lucretia, all covered with blood, into\nthe market-place of Collatia (for these things happened at Collatia),\nand roused all the people that saw a thing so shameful and pitiful, till\nall that were of an age for war assembled themselves carrying arms. Some\nof them stayed behind to keep the gates of Collatia, that no one should\ncarry tidings of the matter to the King, and the rest Brutus took with\nhim with all the speed that he might to Rome. There also was stirred up\na like commotion, Brutus calling the people together and telling them\nwhat a shameful wrong the young Tarquin had done. Also he spake to them\nof the labours with which the King wore them out in the building of\ntemples and palaces and the like, so that they who had been in time past\nthe conquerors of all the nations round about were now come to be but\nas hewers of wood and drawers of water. Also he set before them in what\nshameful sort King Tullius had been slain, and how his daughter had\ndriven her chariot over the dead body of her father. With suchlike words\nhe stirred up the people to great wrath, so that they passed a decree\nthat there should be no more kings in Rome, and that Lucius Tarquin with\nhis wife and his children should be banished. After this Brutus made\nhaste to the camp and stirred up the army against the King. And in the\nmeanwhile Queen Tullia fled from her palace, all that saw her cursing\nher as she went As for King Tarquin, when he came to the city he found\nthe gates shut against him; thereupon he returned and dwelt at Caere\nthat is in the land of Etruria, and two of his sons with him; but Sextus\ngoing to Gabii, as to a city which he had made his own, was slain by the\ninhabitants.\n\nThe King and his house being thus driven out, Brutus was made consul\nwith one Collatinus for his colleague. First he bound the people by an\noath that they would never thereafter suffer any man to be king at\nRome; and afterwards, because Collatinus was of the name and lineage of\nTarquin, he wrought with them that he also should be banished from the\ncity. \"These Tarquins,\" he said, \"are overmuch accustomed to kingship.\nFor Tarquin the elder reigned in Rome, and though after him another,\neven Servius, was king, yet did not his son forget the kingdom of his\nfather, but took it for his own. And now this Collatinus Tarquin bears\nrule in the city, whose very name, seeing that they of his house know\nnot how to be subject unto others, has in it great danger to liberty.\"\nWhen he had wrought on the minds of the people with these words, he\ncalled the people to an assembly, and spake to them thus: \"Ye have sworn\nthat ye will suffer no man to be king at Rome, nor endure aught which\nmay bring liberty into peril. Now this that I am about to say, I say\nagainst my will, speaking against a man that is dear to me, nor indeed\nhad I said it but that my love for my country prevailed over all other\nthings. The Roman people are not assured in their heart that they have\nwon liberty in very deed and truth, knowing that they who are of the\nhouse and lineage of the King not only dwell in this State, but even\nbear rule in it. Do thou, therefore, Collatinus, remove this fear from\nthe heart of thy countrymen. We deny not that thou didst drive away the\nkings. Complete therefore this thy good deed, even by taking away from\nthis city a name which is the name of kings. All that thou hast we will\nduly render thee; nay more, if thou lackest anything, we will supply it\nbountifully. Depart therefore as a friend might depart; for though this\nfear be idle, yet it troubles thy countrymen who think that they shall\nnot be quit of kingship till they be quit of all that bear a king's\nname.\" To these words Collatinus at the first could answer nothing,\nso astonished was he at the matter; and afterwards, when he would have\nspoken, the chief men of the State came round, entreating that he would\nhearken to Brutus. So when he had considered the thing for a space, he\nconsented, fearing lest, when he should be no longer Consul, the same\nmight happen to him, together also with loss of his goods and much wrong\nto himself. Wherefore he abdicated his office and departed with all that\nhe had to Lanuvium. After this Brutus caused that the people passed a\nlaw that all of the house of Tarquin should be banished for ever.\n\nThat the King would seek to come back by force of arms none doubted. But\nwhile he delayed, as indeed he did delay beyond the expectation of all,\nliberty was well nigh lost by treachery and treason. There were among\nthe youth of Rome certain young nobles that had been wont to live as\ncompanions with the King's son with much license and luxury, after the\nfashion of courts. These men, now that all citizens had equal rights,\nloudly complained among themselves that other men's freedom had turned\nto their own bondage. \"It pleaseth us well,\" said they, \"to have a king,\nfor he is a man even as we are, from whom we may ask and obtain what we\nwill, be it right or wrong, who can have a favour and do kindness, can\nbe angry or have compassion, whereas laws are deaf and not to be turned\nby prayers, being better forsooth for the poor than for the rich.\"\n\nWhile they thought these things in their hearts there chanced to come\nambassadors from King Tarquin. These made no mention of the matter\nwhether the King should return, but asked only that his goods should be\nrestored to him. To these the Senate gave audience; and when they had\nheard them were not a few days in debating the matter, for they said,\n\"If we give not back these goods, there is open cause for war; and if\nwe give them back, we minister means by which war may be carried on.\"\nIn the meanwhile the ambassadors, making pretence to concern themselves\nonly about the goods of the King, plotted in secret how they might bring\nhim back. Going about therefore among the young nobles as if they would\nbespeak their favour on behalf of their errand, they made trial of what\ntemper they were as to the bringing back of the King, and when they\nfound that their words were not ill taken, they gave them certain tokens\nthat they had brought from Tarquin, and had converse how the gates might\nbe opened to him by night. And the matter was put in charge of certain\nnoblemen, brothers, whose sister Brutus had to wife, and of this\nmarriage there had been born to Brutus two sons that were now grown to\nmanhood; and these young men had knowledge of the plot from the brethren\nof their mother. After a while the Senate passed a decree that the goods\nof the King should be given back to him; and the ambassadors made excuse\nto tarry yet longer, asking time of the Consul that they find waggons\nsufficient, to carry the goods. This time they spent wholly in\nconsulting with them that were privy to the plot, being urgent with them\nthat; they should give them a letter to carry to the King, \"for,\" said\nthey, \"who will believe us if we bring not some written testimony in\na matter so grave?\" So the conspirators gave them a letter and thereby\nmade manifest proof of their guilt. For a certain slave had conceived\nsome suspicion of the matter, but waited for some more certain\nknowledge. Now it fell out that on the night before the day when the\nambassador should depart there was a banquet at the house of them that\nhad chief charge of the matter in Rome, at which banquet there was much\ntalk, none being present but such as were privy to the plot. But the\nslave of whom mention has been made, having hidden himself, overheard\nthat which was said; and when he knew that the letter had been given, he\ncarried the matter straightway to the Consuls, who going laid hands on\nthe ambassadors and on them that were privy to the plot, and so without\nuproar or violence brought the matter to an end. They that would have\nbetrayed their country were thrown straightway into prison; as for the\nambassadors, men doubted awhile how they should deal with them; but\njudged it better to send them away unhurt for all their misdoing. About\nthe Kings goods counsel was taken anew; and the Senate decreed that\nneither should they be given back, nor should the price of them be\nbrought into the treasury, but rather that the people should spoil them\nat their will. This having been done, the conspirators were brought to\njudgment, and being condemned, suffered death, being first beaten with\nrods and then beheaded. Now the Consuls' office was that, sitting in\ntheir seats, they should see sentence executed on evil doers. And this\nthey did, nor did Brutus turn away from his duty, for all that his own\nsons were done to death before his eyes, but sat in his place, seeing\nthat all things were done according to the law. As for the slave that\nbare witness against the conspirators, he had freedom and citizenship\nfor his reward.\n\n[Illustration: Brutus condemning his sons to death 118]\n\nThe end of Brutus was this. The men of Veii and the men of Tarquinii\ngathered together their armies and marched against Rome, that they\nmight bring back King Tarquin. And the Romans came forth to meet them,\nValerius having command of the foot soldiers and Brutus riding before\nwith the horsemen. In the host of the enemy also the horsemen had the\nfirst place, their leaders being Aruns son of King Tarquin. And the\nlictors told Aruns, while they were yet far off, \"See there is Brutus\nthe Consul,\" who himself also, when the armies were now near together,\nknew the face of the man. Then he cried aloud in great wrath, \"Lo, there\nis the man that hath driven us forth into banishment. See how proudly he\ngoeth, bearing the honours that by good right are ours. Now may the gods\nthat avenge the wrongs of kings be with me that I may slay him.\" So he\nstruck spurs into his horse, and when Brutus saw that Aruns came against\nhim he made haste to meet him. (In those days they that led armies into\nbattle held it to be to their honour themselves to do battle.) And so\nfull of fury were these two that neither took any thought how he might\ndefend himself, but each smote the other through the body with his\nspear, so that they fell dying both of them from their horses.\n\nAfter this there was fought a great battle, neither side having the\nvictory, for when the men of Veii fled before the Romans, the men\nof Tarquinii prevailed against them that stood over against them.\nNevertheless in the night a great panic fell upon the army of the\nEtrurians, so that they departed and went to their homes. Also they\nsay that there was heard a voice from the grave of the hero Horatius,\nsaying, \"There fell in this battle more in number by one of the\nEtrurians than of the Romans; therefore the Romans are conquerors.\" When\nit was now day there was not a man of the Etrurians in his place; so\nValerius the consul gathered together the spoil and returned in great\ntriumph to Rome. Also he made a great burial for Brutus; and the people\nalso mourned greatly for him, the women lamenting him for the space of a\nwhole year, even as is the custom for women to lament for a father or\na brother. And this they did because he had avenged the wrong done to a\nwoman in so noble a fashion.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI. ~~ THE STORY OF LARS PORSENNA.\n\nKing Tarquin and his son Lucius (for he only remained to him of the\nthree) fled to Lars Porsenna, king of Clusium, and besought him that he\nwould help them. \"Suffer not,\" they said, \"that we, who are Tuscans by\nbirth, should remain any more in poverty and exile. And take heed also\nto thyself and thine own kingdom if thou permit this new fashion of\ndriving forth kings to go unpunished. For surely there is that in\nfreedom which men greatly desire, and if they that be kings defend not\ntheir dignity as stoutly as others seek to overthrow it, then shall\nthe highest be made even as the lowest, and there shall be an end of\nkingship, than which there is nothing more honourable under heaven.\"\nWith these words they persuaded King Porsenna, who judging it well for\nthe Etrurians that there should be a king at Rome, and that king an\nEtrurian by birth, gathered together a great army and came up against\nRome. But when men heard of his coming, so mighty a city was Clusium in\nthose days, and so great the fame of King Porsenna, there was such fear\nas had never been before. Nevertheless they were steadfastly purposed to\nhold out. And first all that were in the country fled into the city,\nand round about the city they set guards to keep it, part thereof being\ndefended by walls, and part, for so it seemed, being made safe by the\nriver. But here a great peril had well nigh overtaken the city; for\nthere was a wooden bridge on the river by which the enemy had crossed\nbut for the courage of a certain Horatius Cocles. The matter fell out in\nthis wise.\n\nThere was a certain hill which men called Janiculum on the side of the\nriver, and this hill King Porsenna took by a sudden attack. Which when\nHoratius saw (for he chanced to have been set to guard the bridge, and\nsaw also how the enemy were running at full speed to the place, and how\nthe Romans were fleeing in confusion and threw away their arms as they\nran), he cried with a loud voice, \"Men of Rome, it is to no purpose that\nye thus leave your post and flee, for if ye leave this bridge behind you\nfor men to pass over, ye shall soon find that ye have more enemies in\nyour city than in Janiculum. Do ye therefore break it down with axe and\nfire as best ye can. In the meanwhile I, so far as one man may do, will\nstay the enemy.\" And as he spake he ran forward to the further end\nof the bridge and made ready to keep the way against the enemy.\nNevertheless there stood two with him, Lartius and Herminius by name,\nmen of noble birth both of them and of great renown in arms. So these\nthree for a while stayed the first onset of the enemy; and the men of\nRome meanwhile brake down the bridge. And when there was but a small\npart remaining, and they that brake it down called to the three that\nthey should come back, Horatius bade Lartius and Herminius return, but\nhe himself remained on the further side, turning his eyes full of wrath\nin threatening fashion on the princes of the Etrurians, and crying,\n\"Dare ye now to fight with me? or why are ye thus come at the bidding\nof your master, King Porsenna, to rob others of the freedom that ye care\nnot to have for yourselves?\" For a while they delayed, looking each\nman to his neighbour, who should first deal with this champion of the\nRomans. Then, for very shame, they all ran forward, and raising a great\nshout, threw their javelins at him. These all he took upon his shield,\nnor stood the the less firmly in his place on the bridge, from which\nwhen they would have thrust him by force, of a sudden the men of Rome\nraised a great shout, for the bridge was now altogether broken down, and\nfell with a great crash into the river. And as the enemy stayed a while\nfor fear, Horatius turned him to the river and said, \"O Father Tiber, I\nbeseech thee this day with all reverence that thou kindly receive this\nsoldier and his arms.\" And as he spake he leapt with all his arms into\nthe river and swam across to his own people, and though many javelins of\nthe enemy fell about him, he was not one whit hurt.\n\n[Illustration: Horatius on the Bridge 126]\n\nNor did such valour fail to receive due honour from the city. For the\ncitizens set up a statue of Horatius in the market-place; and they gave\nhim of the public land so much as he could plough about in one day. Also\nthere was this honour paid him, that each citizen took somewhat of his\nown store and gave it to him, for food was scarce in the city by reason\nof the siege.\n\nAfter these things King Porsenna thought not any more to take the city\nby assault, but rather to shut it up. To this end he held Janiculum with\na garrison, and pitched his own camp on the plain ground by the river;\nand the river he kept with ships, lest food should be brought into the\ncity by water. Thus it came to pass in no long time that the famine in\nthe city was scarcely to be endured, so that the King had good hopes\nthat the Romans would surrender themselves to him. But being in these\nstraits, they were delivered by the boldness of a noble youth, whose\nname was Caius Mucius. This man at the first purposed with himself to\nmake his way into the camp of the enemy without the knowledge of any;\nbut fearing lest if he should go without bidding from the Consuls, no\nman knowing his purpose, he might haply be taken by the sentinels and\ncarried back to the city as one that sought to desert to the enemy--Rome\nbeing in so evil a plight that such an accusation would be readily\nbelieved--he sought audience of the Senate. And being admitted he said,\n\"Fathers, I purpose to cross the Tiber, and to enter, if I shall be\nable, the camp of the enemy; plunder I seek not, but have some greater\npurpose in my heart.\" So the Fathers giving their consent, he hid a\ndagger under his garment and set forth; and having made his way into\nthe camp, he took his stand where the crowd was thickest, hard by\nthe judgment-seat of the King. Now it chanced that the soldiers were\nreceiving their wages. There sat by the King's side a scribe, and the\nman wore garments like unto the King's garments. And Mucius, seeing that\nthe man was busy about many things, and that the soldiers for the most\npart spake with him rather than with the other, and fearing to ask which\nof the two might be the King, lest he should so show himself to be a\nstranger, left the matter to chance, and slew the scribe. Then he turned\nto flee, making a way for himself through the crowd with his bloody\nsword; but the ministers of the King laid hands on him, and set him\nbefore the judgment-seat. Thereupon he cried, \"I am a citizen of Rome,\nand men call me Caius Mucius. Thou art my enemy, O King, and I sought to\nslay thee; and now, as I feared not to smite, so I fear not to die. We\nmen of Rome have courage both to do and to suffer. Think not that I only\nhave this purpose against thee; there are many coming after me that seek\nhonour in this same fashion by slaying thee. Prepare thee, therefore, to\nstand in peril of thy life every hour, and know that thou hast an enemy\nwaiting ever at thy door. The youth of Rome declares war against thee,\nand this war it will wage, not by battle, but by such deeds as I would\nhave done this day.\"\n\n[Illustration: Mutius before King Porsenna 132]\n\nKing Porsenna, when he heard these words, was greatly moved both by\nwrath and by fear and bade them bring fire, as though he would have\nburned the young man alive, unless he should speedily reveal what that\ndanger which he threatened against the King might be. Then said Mucius,\n\"See now and learn how cheaply they hold their bodies that set great\nglory before their eyes,\" and he thrust his right hand into a fire that\nhad been lighted for sacrifice. And as he stood and seemed to have no\nfeeling of the pain, the King, greatly marvelling at the thing, leapt\nfrom his seat and bade them take, away the young man from the altar.\n\"Depart thou hence,\" he cried, \"for I see that thou darest even worse\nthings against thyself than against me. I would bid thee go on and\nprosper with thy courage wert thou a friend and not an enemy. And now I\nsend thee away free and unharmed.\" Then said Mucius, as though he would\nmake due return for such favour, \"Hearken, O King; seeing that thou\ncanst pay due respect unto courage, I will tell thee freely that which\nthou couldst never have wrung from me by threats. Three hundred youths\nof Rome have banded themselves together with an oath that they will slay\nthee as I would have slain thee. And because the lot fell to me I came\nfirst of the three hundred, who all will follow, each in his own time,\naccording as the lot shall fall.\"\n\nSo Mucius departed; and men called him thereafter Scaevola, or the\nleft-handed, because he had thus burned his right hand in the fire. No\nlong time after there came ambassadors from King Porsenna to Rome, for\nthe King was so moved not only by the peril that was past, but also by\nthat which was to come, so long as any of the three hundred yet lived,\nthat of his own accord he offered conditions of peace to the Romans.\nAnd in these conditions he made mention of bringing back the Tarquins,\nknowing indeed that the men of Rome would not allow it, but because he\nwas under promise to make such demand. As to other matters, he required,\nthe Romans consenting, that the land of the men of Veii should be given\nback to them, and he would have hostages given to him if he should take\naway his garrison from Janiculum.\n\nTo this also the Romans agreed by compulsion. So King Porsenna departed\nfrom Rome; and the Senate gave to Mucius certain lands beyond the Tiber\nthat were called in time to come after his name.\n\nAnd now were the women of Rome also stirred up to do bold deeds for\ntheir country. For a certain maiden, Cloelia by name, that was one of\nthe hostages, the camp of the Etrurians having been pitched near unto\nthe Tiber, escaped from them that kept her, and swam across the river,\nthe whole troop of her companions following her. These she brought back\nto the city and delivered safe to their kinsfolk.\n\n[Illustration: Cloelia and her companions 136]\n\nNews of this deed being brought to the King he was at the first moved to\ngreat wrath, and sent ambassadors to Rome who should demand the hostage\nCloelia to be restored; as for the others he cared little for them; but\nafterwards, his wrath giving place to wonder, he cried, \"Surely this\ndeed is greater even than the keeping of the bridge by Horatius, or the\nburning of his right hand by Scaevola. As for the treaty, I shall hold it\nto be broken if the Romans give not up the hostage; but if she be given\nup I will send her back unharmed to her own kindred.\" And so indeed it\nwas done, both parties keeping faith, for the Romans gave up Cloelia\nas the treaty commanded, and the King judged valour to be worthy not of\nsafety alone but also of reward. \"I will give thee,\" he said to her, \"a\ncertain portion of the hostages: thou shalt choose whom thou wilt.\" Then\nshe chose such as were of tender age, not only because this best became\nthe modesty of a maiden, but because such would be in the greater peril\nof harm. To her the Romans set up in the Sacred Road a statue, a maiden\nsitting on horseback--a new honour, even as the valour that was so\nhonoured was new also.\n\nSo King Porsenna departed from Rome, and departing gave his camp, that\nwas full of all manner of good things, to the men of Rome, there being\ngreat scarcity in the city by reason of the length of the siege. In the\nnext year he sent ambassadors yet once again who should deal with the\npeople of Rome about the bringing back of the King. To them was given\nthis answer, \"that the Senators would send ambassadors about the\nmatter.\" These ambassadors, who were the chiefest men in the city, being\narrived, spake in this fashion: \"We might have answered thy ambassadors,\nO King, in very few words, saying that we take not back the King. But\nwe are come this day that there may never again be made mention of this\nmatter, lest there come out of it trouble both to thee and to us, if\nthou shouldst ask that which would be against the liberty of the Roman\npeople, and we should be driven to refuse something to thee who would\ngladly refuse thee nothing. The men of Rome are free and serve not\nkings, and verily they would the sooner open their gates to their\nenemies than to kings. And this is the mind of us all. That day which\nshall make an end of our freedom shall make an end also of our city.\nIf therefore thou wouldst have us live, suffer us, we pray thee, to be\nfree.\"\n\nTo this the King made answer in these words: \"I will weary you no more\nby asking that which ye may not grant, nor will I deceive the Tarquins\nby show of help that it is not in me to give. As for them, whether\nthey be minded to have peace or war, let them seek for another place\nof exile, that there come not anything to make mischief between you and\nme.\"\n\nTo these words he added much kindness in deeds, for he gave back such\nof the hostages as yet remained with him; also he restored to the Romans\nthe land of the men of Veii that had been taken from them by the treaty\nof Janiculum.\n\nAfter this, King Tarquin took up his abode with Mamilius Octavius, his\nson-in-law, that dwelt at Tusculum. And Mamilius stirred up the thirty\ncities of Latium to make war against Rome. For five years he made great\npreparations, and in the sixth year he set forth. And when the Romans\nknew of his coming, they made Aulus Postumius Dictator. Now a dictator\nwas one that had the power, as it were, of a king in the city, only\nhe might not remain for a greater space than six months. And Postumius\nchose AEbutius to be Master of the Horse, for the Master of the Horse\nis next under the Dictator. These, having gathered together their army,\nmarched forth' and met the Latins hard by the Lake Regillus that is in\nthe land of Tusculum. And so soon as the Romans knew that King Tarquin\nwas in the army of the Latins, they were full of wrath and would fight\nwithout more delay. Nor indeed was ever battle harder and fiercer than\nthis; for the chiefs contented themselves not with giving counsel how\nit might best be ordered, but themselves fought together, so that scarce\none of them, save the Dictator only, came out of the battle unhurt.\nFirst of all King Tarquin, for all that he was an old man whose force\nwas somewhat abated, when he saw the Dictator in the front ranks setting\nhis men in order and bidding them be of good cheer, set spurs to his\nhorse and rode against him; but some one smote him on the side as he\nrode. Nevertheless, his own men running about him, he was carried back\nalive into the host. On the other wing the Master of the Horse made at\nMamilius, prince of Tusculum. And when Mamilius saw him coming he also\nspurred his horse against him, and the two came together with so great\nforce that Mamilius was wounded in the breast, and AEbutius was smitten\nthrough the arm. Then the Master of the Horse, because his right arm was\nwounded, and he could not hold a weapon in it, departed from the battle,\nbut Mamilius, caring nought for his wound, still stirred up the Latins\nto fight; and because he perceived them to be somewhat troubled with\nfear, he bade advance the company of exiles that had gone forth from\nRome with King Tarquin. Very fiercely did they fight, as men that had\nbeen spoiled both of goods and country, and bare back the Romans a\nspace. And when Valerius that was brother to Publicola (than whom none\nbut Brutus only had been more zealous in driving out the King) saw the\nKing's son among the foremost of the exiles, he set spurs to his horse\nand made at him with his spear. Nor did the young Tarquin abide his\ncoming, but turned his back, hiding himself in the company of the\nexiles; and as Valerius pursued him and rode, taking no thought of what\nhe did, into the very ranks of the enemy, one smote him upon the side so\nthat he fell from his horse dying. And when the Dictator saw that so\nbrave a champion was dead, and that the exiles were pressing on more\nfiercely and that the Romans gave place in great fear, he cried to the\ncompany that followed him, \"See that ye deal with any Roman that ye see\nfleeing as with an enemy.\" Then they that fled, seeing this peril behind\nthem, stayed their steps and addressed themselves again to the battle.\nBut when Mamilius saw that the company of exiles was well nigh\nsurrounded by the Dictator and his men (for these were fresh and\nvigorous), he brought up sundry companies from the reserve, and would\nhave assailed them. But Herminius, the same that kept the bridge over\nTiber along with Horatius against the army of King Porsenna, espied him\ncoming, and knew him for the Chief by his garments. He made at him with\nall his might, and with one blow smote him through the side and slew\nhim. But while he stripped the body of its armour one of the Latins\nthrust at him with a spear, and hurt him that he fell to the earth. Men\ncarried him back to the camp, but when they would have tended his wound\nhe died. Then the Dictator cried to the horsemen that followed him, \"See\nnow how the foot soldiers are wearied out. Leap down therefore from off\nyour horses, and fight on foot.\" And when the foot soldiers saw them\nleap down, they took courage again, and made forward against the Latins;\nand these, after a while, turned their backs and fled. Then the Dictator\nbade them bring again their horses for the horsemen, that they might the\nmore conveniently pursue the enemy. Also, that no help either from god\nor man might be wanting, he made a vow to the Twin Brethren that he\nwould build them a temple, and he proclaimed that he would give rewards,\none to him who should be first in the camp of the enemy, and another to\nhim who should be second. So great, indeed, was the courage of the\nsoldiers that they took the camp of the Latins that very same hour. Thus\ndid the men of Rome put the Latins to flight at the Lake Regillus, and\nthe Dictator with the Master of the Horse returned in great triumph to\nRome.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII. ~~ THE STORY OF CORIOLANUS.\n\nIt came to pass about the space of fifty years after the driving out of\nthe kings that there arose great talk in Rome by reason of those that\nwere in debt, their creditors dealing harshly with them. For the law was\nthat if a man was in debt and had not wherewithal to pay, his creditor\ncould cast him into prison and scourge him, dealing with him in all ways\nas with a slave. And when many of the people were already in this case,\nand many more feared lest they should be so hereafter, neither was there\nany hope of relief, because the rich men would not, for the most part,\nrelax a right that was their due, they took counsel how they might best\ndeliver themselves from this bondage. Now it chanced in a certain year\nthat the army, having put to flight all their enemies, and being now\nreturned to Rome, was bidden by the Consuls to set forth yet again to\nthe battle, for the Consuls feared lest the men, being discharged\nfrom their service, should seek to make some change in the State. This\nbidding they were not willing to obey. First they doubted whether they\nshould not slay the Consuls, thinking thus to be free from their oath;\nbut, considering that a man cannot free himself from an oath by such\nill-doing, they followed rather the counsel of a certain Sicinius, who\nbade them depart from Rome as though they would build them a city of\ntheir own. So they departed, marching to a certain place that men call\nthe Sacred Hill, that is distant from the city about three miles, and is\non the other side of the river Anio. There they made a camp with trench\nand rampart, and abode in this place many days, doing nothing either for\ngood or evil. But when the nobles saw what had been done, they were in\ngreat fear what this thing might mean, but doubted not that Rome must\nbe brought to destruction, unless the rich and the poor should be\nreconciled the one to the other. Therefore they sent a certain Menenius\nAgrippa, an eloquent man and dear to the Commons, as belonging to them\nby birth, who should be their spokesman. So Agrippa, coming to the camp\nand being admitted thereunto, spoke to the Commons this parable only;\nfor in those days men were not wont to make set speeches. \"In old times\nthe members of man lived not together in such harmony as we now see to\nbe among them; but each member had his own counsel and his own speech.\nAll the other members therefore had great wrath against the belly,\nbecause that all things were gained for it by their care and labour\nand service, while it, remaining at rest in the midst of them all, did\nnought but enjoy the pleasures provided for it Wherefore they conspired\nthat the hands should not carry food to the mouth, that the mouth should\nnot take that which was offered to it, nor the teeth chew it. So it came\nto pass that while they would have subdued the belly by hunger, they\nthemselves and the whole body were brought to great extremity of\nweakness. Then did it become manifest that the belly was not idle,\nbut had also an office and service of its own, feeding others, even as\nitself was fed, seeing that it changed the food into that blood from\nwhich we have life and vigour, and so sent it back into all parts of the\nbody. Consider then, and see how this wrath of the Commons against the\nnobles is as the wrath of the members against the belly.\" With these\nwords he wrought upon the minds of the people so that they were willing\nto be reconciled, certain conditions being granted, whereof the chief\nwas this, that the Commons should have officers of their own, tribunes\nby name, whom no man might harm under pain of death, and who should\nhelp the Commons, if need should arise, against the Consuls. Also it was\nprovided that no noble should hold this office forever. Now it fell out\nnot many days after these things that there arose a great famine in this\nland, so that the slaves and not a few of the Commons also had perished,\nbut that the Consuls diligently gathered wheat from all places where it\ncould be bought. And it came to pass that there was brought much wheat\nfrom the island of Sicily, and the Senators debated among themselves on\nwhat terms it should be given to the people. Now there were some among\nthe nobles that took it very ill that the Commons should have officers\nof their own, by whose help they might stand against the Consuls, and\nthe counsel of these was to use the occasion of this famine against\nthem. The chiefest of these was a certain Marcius, that was surnamed\nCoriolanus.\n\nHow Marcius had won for himself this surname must now be told. The army\nof the Romans besieged Corioli, that was a town of the Volsci; and while\nthey were busy with the siege, and thought only of the townsfolk that\nwere shut in the town, there came upon them of a sudden an army of the\nVolscians from Antium, and at the same time the townsfolk sallied forth\nfrom the city. Now Marcius chanced to be on guard, and he, having a\nchosen band of soldiers with him, not only drave back them that had\nsallied forth, but entered into the city by the gate that was opened to\nreceive them, slew them that were near, and set fire to such houses as\nwere near to the walls. And when the townsfolk set up a shout, and the\nwomen and children cried out as is their wont in such alarm, the courage\nof the Romans was greatly increased, and the Volscians were troubled,\nthinking that the city to whose help they had come was already taken.\nThus did Corioli come into possession of the Romans, and men gave to\nMarcius thereafter the surname of Coriolanus.\n\nThis Coriolanus therefore, being ill content that the Commons should\nhave tribunes, spake in the Senate in this manner: \"If the people will\nhave such cheapness in corn as they had in old time, let them render\nback to the Fathers such rights as they also in old times possessed. Why\nshould I see officers chosen from the multitude, and such a fellow as is\nthis Sicinius bearing rule? Should I endure such disgrace longer than I\nneeds must? If I would not endure King Tarquin, should I now endure King\nSicinius? Let him call the Commons, if he will, to the Sacred Hill. The\nway thither--aye, and to other hills besides--is open if he would go.\nThey have made this dearth for themselves, suffering their lands to be\nuntilled; let them therefore enjoy what they have made.\"\n\nThis counsel seemed over harsh to the Senate; as for the Commons, it\nwrought them to madness. \"See now,\" they cried, \"how they would subdue\nus by hunger, even as though we were enemies! See how they would cheat\nus even of food! Lo! there is come this wheat from the stranger, which\nfortune has given us beyond all our hopes, and they would snatch it even\nfrom our mouths, unless, forsooth, we hand over our tribunes bound hand\nand foot to this Marcius, when they may work their will on the Commons\nof Rome with their scourges. What a savage is this that has risen up in\nour State, bidding us chose whether we will have slavery or death!\" And\nas Coriolanus went forth from the senate-house they would have taken his\nlife, but that the tribune named a day when he should stand his trial\nbefore the people. When they heard this their wrath abated, knowing that\nthey had the power of life and death over their enemy.\n\nNow at the first Coriolanus made light of the matter. \"Who are these\ntribunes,\" he would say, \"that they venture on such matters? Succour\nthey may give to them that need it, but whence have they the power to\npunish? And are they not tribunes of the Commons and not of the nobles?\"\nNotwithstanding, when the wrath of the people increased beyond all\nmeasure, the Fathers perceived that they must let one man suffer for\nall. For a while, indeed, they held their place, using all their power\nif haply they might prevail. First, they would set their followers about\nthe city, who might prevent the Commons from holding assemblies, and so\nbring the matter to nought. After they came forth all of them, so that\na man might have thought that all the Fathers were on their trial, using\nprayers and supplications for Coriolanus. \"If ye will not acquit him of\nthe charge, count him guilty indeed, but spare him for favour towards\nus.\"\n\nWhen the day of trial was come, Coriolanus appeared not to answer, and\nthe wrath of the people was still fierce against him. Being condemned,\nhe was banished, and was to pass his exile among the Volscians, having\neven now in his heart the spirit of an enemy against Rome.\n\nThe Volscians, indeed, bade him welcome right heartily; and their\ngoodwill towards him increased when they perceived what wrath he bore\nagainst his native country. His host was a certain Attius Tullus, than\nwhom there was none among the Volscians either more powerful or more\nhostile to Rome. So the two held counsel together how they might stir\nup war. They knew, indeed, that the people could not easily be moved to\nthat which they had tried so often with ill success. For their spirits\nwere broken not only with many defeats which they had suffered in time\npast from the men of Rome, but also from pestilence, which had of late\nsorely troubled them. Nevertheless Attius had good hopes that he\nmight yet kindle their anger against the Romans; and this indeed he\naccomplished, as shall now be told.\n\nIt chanced that in that year the great games at Rome were celebrated a\nsecond time; and the reason why they were celebrated a second time\nwas this. On the day of the first celebration, early in the morning,\na certain householder drave one of his slaves through the marketplace,\nbeating him with rods. Afterwards the games began, and no man thought\nthat aught was amiss. But no long time after a certain Atinius, a man of\nthe people, dreamed a dream. He saw Jupiter, who spake to him saying,\n\"I liked not him that danced the first dance at my Games. Unless they be\ncelebrated again, and that right splendidly, there will be danger to the\ncity. And do thou go and tell this to the Consuls.\" Now the man was not\ncareless of the Gods, nevertheless because he stood in great fear of the\nConsuls he went not, lest he should be laughed to scorn for idle words.\nBut this delay cost him dearly, for within a few days his son died.\nAnd that he might not doubt what this great trouble might mean, the god\nappeared to him yet again in a dream. \"Hast thou had wages enough for\nthy neglect of that which I commanded? Verily, thou shalt receive\nyet more if thou tell not the matter straightway to the Consuls.\"\nNevertheless, though the matter was now more urgent, yet the man\ndelayed, and there fell upon him suddenly a great sickness and weakness.\nThereupon he called his kinsfolk together to counsel, and told them\nall that he had seen and heard, how Jupiter had appeared to him in his\ndream, and had threatened him with punishment, and what had thereupon\nensued When they heard these things, all with one consent agreed that\nthe man should be carried straightway in a litter to the market-place\ninto the presence of the Consuls. The Consuls commanded that he should\nbe taken into the senate-house, where, being set down, he related all\nthat had been told, to the great wonder of the Fathers. And when he\nhad finished speaking, lo! there followed another marvel. His sickness\ndeparted from him in a moment, so that he that had been brought into the\nsenate-house without power to move any limb, now, having fulfilled the\ncommand of the god, returned upon his feet to his own home.\n\nThe Senate, therefore, decreed that the Great Games should be celebrated\na second time with great pomp. To this festival there came, at the\nbidding of Attius, a great company of the Volscians. But before the\nbeginning of the games Attius, having agreed with Coriolanus what should\nbe done, sought audience of the Consuls, saying that he would speak\nwith them of a matter of great moment to the State. To them, none others\nbeing present, he said, \"I like not to speak ill of my own countrymen.\nYet seeing that I have not to accuse them of aught that they have done\namiss, but rather to take care that they do it not, I will even speak my\nmind. The Volscians are of too light and fickle temper. From this cause\nwe have already in time past suffered many things, so that in truth it\nis of your long-suffering rather than of our well-deserving that we are\nalive this day. Even now there is a great company of my people in this\ncity; ye, men of Rome, will be wholly occupied with these games. Now\nI remember what on the like occasion was done in this place by certain\nyoung men of the Sabines, and I am in some fear lest the Volscians\nalso should venture on a like misdeed. Of this, therefore, I give you\nwarning, not for your sakes only, but also for ours. As for myself, it\nis my purpose to return straightway to my own home, lest something of\nthe guilt of my countrymen should fall also upon me.\"\n\nSo Attius departed. And when the Consuls had brought the matter before\nthe Senate, the Fathers, judging that they must take heed to that which\nhad been told on such authority, commanded that all the Volscians should\ndepart forthwith from the city. Thereupon criers were sent into all\nparts making proclamation, \"Let every Volscian depart hence before\nnightfall.\" At the first, on the hearing of these words, as they\nhastened each man to his lodgings, to take up such things as belonged\nto him, there was great fear; and afterwards, when they were now setting\nout on their journey, not the less anger. \"What is this,\" said they,\n\"that we are driven forth from the presence of gods and men on a day of\nfestival as if we were polluted with crime?\" Now Attius had gone before\nthem to the Fountain of Ferentina; and as each of the chief men of the\nState came thither he spake with him about this matter, making loud\ncomplaints and much display of wrath. And the chiefs gathered the people\ntogether to an assembly in the plain ground that is beneath the road.\nTo whom Tullus spake, saying, \"Though ye forget, ye Volscians, all the\nwrong that the Romans have done to us in old times and all that we have\nsuffered at their hands, how will ye bear the scorn that hath been put\nupon you this day, when they have begun their games by making sport of\nus? Do ye not perceive that when ye departed in this fashion ye were\nmade a spectacle to citizens and strangers and all the nations round\nabout? What thought they that heard the voice of the crier? or they that\nsaw you depart? or they that met you as ye came hither in such unseemly\nplight? What but this, that ye had done some great wickedness, wherefore\nye must be driven away from the gathering of gods and men lest your\npresence should be a defilement? Is not this a city of enemies, wherein\nif ye had tarried but one single day ye would all have suffered death?\nThey have declared war against you, and if ye are men they will suffer\nno small loss therefrom.\"\n\nThus it was brought to pass that all the Volscians joined together\nto make war against Rome. First they chose for leaders Attius and\nCoriolanus, in whom indeed they trusted the more of the two. And indeed\nthey trusted rightly, as was proved in the end, so that it became\nmanifest that Rome had prevailed rather through the skilfulness of\nleaders than the courage of armies. First Coriolanus came to Circeii,\nthat is hard by the sea, and drave out thence the Roman colonists, and\ngave over the city to the Romans. After this he took many cities of the\nLatins, and at the last pitched his camp five miles from Rome, sending\nout thence those who might spoil the lands of the Romans. Only he gave\ncommandment that they should not spoil the lands of the nobles. And this\nhe did, either because he hated the Commons more than the nobles, or\nthat he would sow dissension between the two. This, indeed, he did\nnot, for a common fear bound them together. Yet there was so much of\ndisagreement that the nobles would have had recourse to war to rid them\nof the enemy, but the Commons were urgent that they should rather\nseek for conditions of peace. And this opinion prevailed. Ambassadors\ntherefore were sent to Coriolanus, to whom he gave this answer only:\n\"When ye shall have given back all their lands to the Volscians, then\nmay ye talk of peace. But if ye seek to enjoy in peace that which ye\ntook for yourselves by war, ye shall see that I forget neither what\nwrong I suffered from my own people, nor what kindness I have received\nfrom my hosts.\" And when the ambassadors were sent a second time he\nwould not suffer them to enter the camp. After them came the priests,\nbearing the emblems of their office; nor did these prevail more than\nthe ambassadors. Then a great company of the women came to Veturia, the\nmother of Coriolanus, and to Volumnia, that was his wife. But whether\nthey did this by consent of the rulers, or by prompting of their own\nfear, cannot be affirmed for certain. These women then prevailed with\nVeturia, though she was now well stricken in years, and with Volumnia,\nthat they should go to the camp to Coriolanus; and Volumnia carried with\nher the two sons that she had borne to Coriolanus. These having come,\nit was told the man that a great company of women was arrived. At the\nfirst, indeed, he was not minded to yield to their tears that which\nhe had steadfastly refused to the ambassadors. But afterwards, when\na certain one of his friends, seeing Veturia stand together with her\ndaughter-inlaw and grandsons, said, \"Unless my eyes deceive me, thy\nmother and wife and children are here.\" Coriolanus, being greatly\ntroubled, leapt from his seat and would have embraced his mother. But\nshe, turning from supplication to anger, cried, \"I would fain know,\nbefore I receive thy embrace, whether I see a son or an enemy before me,\nwhether I am thy mother or a prisoner. Has long life been given me for\nthis, that I should see thee first an exile and afterwards an enemy?\nCouldst thou bear to lay waste this land which gave thee birth and\nnurture? Didst thou not think to thyself, seeing Rome, 'Within those\nwalls are my home, my mother, my wife, my children'? As for me I cannot\nsuffer more than I have already endured; nor doth there yet remain to me\na long space of life or of misery. But consider these thy children. If\nthou art steadfast to work thy will, they must either die before their\ntime or grow old in bondage.\"\n\n[Illustration: Coriolanus before his mother 162]\n\nWhen she had ended these words, his wife and his children embraced him;\nand at the same time the whole company of women set up a great wailing.\nThus was the purpose of Coriolanus against his country changed, and,\nbreaking up his camp, he led his army away. Some say that the Volscians\nslew him for wrath that he let slip this occasion against Rome; but\nothers relate that he lived to old age, being wont to say, \"There is no\nman so unhappy as he that is old and also an exile.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII. ~~ THE STORY OF THE FABII.\n\nOf the chief houses in Rome there was none greater than the house of\nthe Fabii; nor in this house any man of more valour and renown than a\ncertain Kaeso. Good service had he done, more particularly against the\nEtrurians, and thrice was he chosen consul. Now the third time that he\nwas so chosen he was urgent with the Fathers that they divide the land\nthat had been taken from the enemy as fairly as might be among the\nCommons. For the tribunes of the Commons were wont, year after year, to\ndemand such division, and the counsel of Kaeso was that the nobles should\nbe beforehand with them, giving them this boon of their own accord.\n\"Verily,\" he said, \"it is well that they should have the land who\nhave won it by their own toil and by the shedding of their blood.\"\nNevertheless this counsel pleased not the nobles. \"This Kaeso,\" they\nsaid, \"was wise, but too great glory has turned his wisdom into folly.\"\nFor this cause Kaeso was ill content, and was the more willing to take\nsuch occasion as offered of serving his country elsewhere than at Rome.\n\nNow the city of Veii, being ten miles only distant from Rome, was ever\nat variance with it. Never was there peace between these two, neither\nwas there open war. When the Roman legions marched forth, the men of\nVeii would flee before them and seek refuge in their city; but so soon\nas they perceived that the legions had departed, then they would sally\nforth and spoil the land of the Romans. These had other enemies also\nwith whom to deal; for the AEquians and the Volscians were content to be\nquiet only till they should have recovered themselves from the loss they\nhad of late suffered, and the Sabines were always enemies, and all the\ncities of Etruria were manifestly making ready for war.\n\nThese things being so, Kaeso Fabius, the Consul, on behalf of the whole\nhouse of the Fabii, spake thus to the Senate: \"This war with the men of\nVeii, as ye well know, Fathers, needeth not a great army, yet needeth\none that shall be ever at hand. With this, therefore, we that are of the\nhouse of Fabius will deal; the others we leave to you. This will we wage\nof our own strength and at our own cost, with some saving, we trust, of\nmen and money to the State.\" The Senate receiving these words with much\nthankfulness, the Consul departed to his own house; the Fabii, who\nhad stood in the porch of the senate-house till the matter should\nbe settled, following him. Straightway the fame of the thing spread\nthroughout the city, and all men extolled the Fabii. \"See now,\" they\nsaid, \"how this one family has undertaken the burden of the State. Had\nwe but two such houses besides who might undertake, this to do battle\nwith the AEquians and that with the Volscians, the city might remain at\npeace and do its business quietly, while all the nations round about\nshould be subdued unto it.\" The next day the Fabii arm themselves for\nbattle, and assemble as Kaeso had commanded. Then the Consul, coming\nfrom his house with his soldiers cloak, upon his shoulders, saw all his\nkindred drawn up in array before the porch. And when these had received\nhim into their midst, he bade them lift the standards. Never had there\npassed through the city a smaller army, or one more renowned and admired\namong men. Three hundred and six soldiers there were, nobles all of\nthem, all of one house, not one but might well have been a leader\nof men. And after them followed a great crowd, first of kinsfolk and\nfriends, then of the other citizens, bidding them God speed in this\ntheir enterprise. \"Be bold.\" they cried, \"and fortunate. Let the issue\nof this undertaking be even as the beginning, and ye shall have from us\nconsulships and triumph, yea, and all honours that ye can desire.\" And\nas the army passed by the Capitol they prayed to all the Gods that they\nwould guide it safely on its way and bring it back safely home. They\nprayed to no purpose. Passing by that which men call the Unlucky Way,\nthrough the right archway of the Gate of Carmenta, the Fabii went on\ntheir way till they came to the river Cremera, thinking that to be a fit\nplace for building a fort.\n\nFor a while all things prospered with the Fabii in their dealings with\nthe men of Veii. And not only did they make incursions upon their lands\nand carry off much booty, but fought set battles, not once or twice, but\nmany times; a single Roman house so winning victory over that which was\nthe wealthiest of all the cities of Etruria. Now this seemed to the men\nof Veii a shameful thing, and one that was not to be endured. So they\nbegan to take counsel how they might take this enemy by subtlety, and\nperceived, not without joy, that the Fabii grew daily bolder by success.\n\nSo when the men went to gather booty they would cause that herds of\ncattle came in their way, as though it had been by chance, and that\ncompanies of soldiers, sent to hinder them from their plundering,\nfled before them, making pretence of fear. And now the Fabii had such\ncontempt for the enemy that they thought themselves such as could never\nbe conquered at any place or time. In which confidence, seeing on a\ncertain day herds of cattle on the plain, they ran forth to drive them,\nheeding not that they were distant from the fort a great space of plain.\nAnd so, scattering themselves in thoughtless fashion, they passed a\nplace where the enemy had set an ambush, and busied themselves with the\ncattle. Then all of a sudden the Etrurians rose up from the ambush, and\nlo! there were enemies both before them and on all sides. These set up\na great shout and threw their javelins, still closing in upon them, so\nthat the Fabii also were compelled to gather themselves more and more\nclosely together, so making it the more evident how few they were in\ncomparison of them that were against them. After this they fought not as\nbefore, turning every way against them that pressed upon them, but set\nthemselves with all their strength to gain one certain point--a hill\nof no great height that stood hard by the road. And to this, by dint of\nstrength and plying their swords, they won their way, and made there\na stand for a while; nay more, because the higher ground gave them\nbreathing space and advantage, they drave back them that assailed them\nfrom below. But after a time the men of Veii, climbing the ridge from\nbehind, took them in the rear, so that the enemy was again above them.\nThus all the Fabii were slain that day; and indeed the whole house had\nperished, but that there had been left behind at Rome a youth not fully\ngrown to manhood. From him there sprang anew a race of Fabii that did\ngood service to Rome in perilous times, both at home and abroad.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX. ~~~ THE STORY OF CINCINNATUS.\n\nIn the seventy and third year after the driving out of the kings the\nstrife between the nobles and the Commons grew to be fierce beyond\nmeasure; for on the one hand the Consuls would have levied an army to\nmake war with the Volscians, and this the tribunes hindered; and on the\nother hand the tribunes sought to establish a law that should set bounds\nto the power of the Consuls, and this law the nobles hindered that\nit should not be passed. Now among the nobles (who were mostly of the\nyounger sort, for the elders held aloof from the matter) the chief mover\nwas one Kaeso Quinctius, a youth of singular strength and courage, and\nthat had won for himself great renown in war. This man was wont to drive\nthe tribunes from the market-place and scatter the people, and when\nVirginius, that was one of the tribunes, named a day on which he should\nbe brought to judgment for his misdeeds, he was not one whit dismayed,\nbut bare himself as haughtily as before. Meanwhile Virginius stirred\nup the people, saying, \"See ye not, men of Rome, that if ye suffer this\nKaeso to dwell in this city, it cannot be that this law which ye desire\nshould be established? But why speak I of laws? This man is the enemy of\nliberty itself; not King Tarquin himself was so haughty and violent. He\nis a very king already; what think ye will he be if he be made consul\nor dictator?\" To these words many gave assent, complaining that Kaeso had\nbeaten them, and were urgent with the tribune that he should carry the\nmatter to an end. Then it came to pass that, when the day of trial was\ncome, the people were of one mind that Kaeso should be condemned.\nThen, indeed, the young man and his kinsfolk and friends turned to\nsupplications and prayers. Titus Quinctius, that had been three times\nconsul, affirmed, \"Never in the home of Quinctius, never verily in this\ncity of Rome, has there been a soldier of so ripe a courage. When I was\ncaptain of the host, he was ever the first; with these eyes have I seen\nhim fighting against the enemy.\" Also Lucretius, that had been consul\nthe year before, winning great glory from the Volscians and AEquians,\ntestified that Kaeso had helped him to conquer as none other had done;\nand one Furius that he had delivered him and his army from great\nperil of defeat As for Lucius Quinctius, his father, whose surname was\nCincinnatus, he sought not to magnify the valour and brave deeds of his\nson, lest haply he should so stir up the more jealousy against him,\nbut sought to make excuse for him, as one who had erred for want of\ndiscretion, beseeching men that, if he himself had wronged no man by\nword or deed, so they would grant him for a favour the pardon of his\nson. But nothing availed with the people, some fearing the wrath of\ntheir fellows if they should give ear to such words, and some making\ncomplaint that they had suffered violence from the hands of Kaeso, and\naffirming that they would be avenged of him for his misdeeds. Now of\nall things that were alleged against him the most grievous was the\naccusation brought by a certain Volscius that had once been tribune of\nthe Commons; for Volscius bare this witness against him: \"Not many days\nafter the plague had ceased from the city, I, with others in my company,\nfell in with certain young men, of whom this Kaeso was one, disporting\nthemselves in the street. These fell out with us, and Kaeso smote my\nelder brother with the fist, so that he fell fainting to the ground,\nbeing then not wholly recovered from the plague. And being carried home,\nhe died by noon, as I doubt not, of this blow. But when I would have\nbrought Kaeso to judgment for this offence, the Consuls would not suffer\nit.\" At the hearing of this tale the wrath of the Commons waxed so hot\nthat they could scarcely be kept from falling on Kaeso and slaying him.\nAt the last, after much debate between the nobles and the tribunes, it\nwas agreed that the young man should appear the next day to make his\nanswer to these accusations, giving sureties in the meanwhile lest he\nshould fail to do so. Ten sureties he gave, and each was bound in\nthree thousand pounds of copper. So being suffered to depart from\nthe market-place, he departed that same night from Rome, going into\nbanishment among the Etrurians. As for his sureties, the money was\nexacted from his father to the uttermost farthing, so that he was\ncompelled to sell all his goods, and to dwell in a mean cottage on the\nother side of the Tiber.\n\nIt came to pass in the third year after these things that the AEquians\nbrake the treaty of peace which they had made with Rome, and, taking one\nGracchus Cloelius for their leader, marched into the land of Tusculum;\nand when they had plundered the country thereabouts, and had gathered\ntogether much booty, they pitched their camp on Mount AEgidus. To them\nthe Romans sent three ambassadors, who should complain of the wrong\ndone, and seek redress. But when they would have fulfilled their errand,\nGracchus the AEquian spake, saying, \"If ye have any message from the\nSenate of Rome, tell it to this oak, for I have other business to do;\"\nfor it chanced that there was a great oak that stood hard by, and made\na shadow over the general's tent. Then one of the ambassadors, as he\nturned to depart, made reply, \"Yes, let this sacred oak and all the\ngods that are in heaven hear how ye have wrongfully broken the treaty of\npeace; and let them that hear help us also in the day of battle, when we\nshall avenge on you the laws both of gods and of men that ye have set at\nnought.\"\n\nWhen the ambassadors had returned to Rome the Senate commanded that\nthere should be levied two armies; and that Minucius the consul should\nmarch with the one against the AEquians on Mount AEgidus, and that the\nother should hinder the enemy from their plundering. This levying the\ntribunes of the Commons sought to hinder; and perchance had done so, but\nthere also came well-nigh to the walls of the city a great host of\nthe Sabines plundering all the country. Thereupon the people willingly\noffered themselves, and there were levied forthwith two great armies.\nNevertheless when the consul Minucius had marched to Mount AEgidus, and\nhad pitched his camp not far from the AEquians, he did nought for fear of\nthe enemy, but kept himself within his entrenchments. And when the\nenemy perceived that he was afraid, growing the bolder for his lack of\ncourage, they drew lines about him, keeping him in on every side. Yet\nbefore that he was altogether shut up there escaped from his camp five\nhorsemen, that bare tidings to Rome how that the Consul, together with\nhis army, was besieged. The people were sorely dismayed to hear such\ntidings; nor, when they cast about for help, saw they any man that might\nbe sufficient for such peril, save only Cincinnatus. By common consent,\ntherefore, he was made Dictator for six months, a thing that may well be\nnoted by those who hold that nothing is to be accounted of in comparison\nof riches, and that no man may win great honour or show forth singular\nvirtue unless he be well furnished with wealth. For here in this great\nperil of the Roman people there was no hope of safety but in one who was\ncultivating with his own hand a little plot of scarcely three acres of\nground. For when the messengers of the people came to him they found him\nploughing, or, as some say, digging a ditch. When they had greeted each\nthe other, the messengers said, \"May the Gods prosper this thing to\nthe Roman people and to thee. Put on thy robe and hear the words of the\npeople.\"\n\n[Illustation: Cincinnatus called to be Dictator 180]\n\nThen said Cincinnatus, being not a little astonished, \"Is all well?\"\nand at the same time he called to his wife Racilia that she should bring\nforth his robe from the cottage. So she brought it forth, and the man\nwiped from him the dust and the sweat, and clad himself in his robe, and\nstood before the messengers. These said to him, \"The people of Rome make\nthee Dictator, and bid thee come forthwith to the city.\" And at the same\ntime they told how the Consul and his army were besieged by the AEquians.\nSo Cincinnatus departed to Rome; and when he came to the other side\nof the Tiber there met him first his three sons, and next many of his\nkinsfolk and friends, and after them a numerous company of the nobles.\nThese all conducted him to his house, the lictors, four and twenty\nin number, marching before him. There was also assembled a very great\nconcourse of the people, fearing much how the Dictator might deal with\nthem, for they knew what manner of man he was, and that there was no\nlimit to his power, nor any appeal from him.\n\nThe next day before dawn the Dictator came into the market-place,\nand appointed one Lucius Tarquinius to be Master of the Horse. This\nTarquinius was held by common consent to excel all other men in\nexercises of war; only, though, being a noble by birth, he should have\nbeen among the horsemen, he had served, for lack of means, as a foot\nsoldier. This done he called an assembly of the people and commanded\nthat all the shops in the city should be shut; that no man should\nconcern himself with any private business, but all that were of an age\nto go to the war should be present before sunset in the Field of Mars,\neach man having with him provisions of cooked food for five days, and\ntwelve stakes. As for them that were past the age, they should prepare\nthe food while the young men made ready their arms and sought for the\nstakes. These last they took as they found them, no man hindering\nthem; and when the time appointed by the Dictator was come, all were\nassembled, ready, as occasion might serve, either to march or to give\nbattle. Forthwith they set out, the Dictator leading the foot soldiers\nby their legions, and Tarquinius the horsemen, and each bidding them\nthat followed make all haste. \"We must needs come,\" they said, \"to our\njourney's end while it is yet night. Remember that the Consul and his\narmy have been besieged now for three days, and that no man knows what\na day or a night may bring forth.\" The soldiers themselves also were\nzealous to obey, crying out to the standard-bearers that they should\nquicken their steps, and to their fellows that they should not lag\nbehind. Thus they came at midnight to Mount AEgidus, and when they\nperceived that the enemy was at hand they halted the standards. Then the\nConsul rode forward to see, so far as the darkness would suffer him, how\ngreat was the camp of the AEquians and after what fashion it was pitched.\nThis done he commanded that the baggage should be gathered together into\na heap, and that the soldiers should stand every man in his own place.\nAfter this he compassed about the whole army of the enemy with his own\narmy, and commanded that at a set signal every man should shout, and\nwhen they had shouted should dig a trench and set up therein the stakes.\nThis the soldiers did, and the noise of the shouting passed over the\ncamp of the enemy and came into the city, causing therein great joy,\neven as it caused great fear in the camp. For the Romans cried, \"These\nbe our countrymen, and they bring us help.\" Then said the Consul, \"We\nmust make no delay. By that shout is signified, not that they are come\nonly, but that they are already dealing with the enemy. Doubtless the\ncamp of the AEquians is even now assailed from without. Take ye your arms\nand follow me.\" So the legion went forth, it being yet night, to the\nbattle, and as they went they shouted, that the Dictator might be aware.\nNow the AEquians had set themselves to hinder the making of a ditch and\nrampart which should shut them in; but when the Romans from the camp\nfell upon them, fearing lest these should make their way through the\nmidst of their camp, they left them that were with Cincinnatus to finish\ntheir entrenching, and fought with the Consul. And when it was now\nlight, lo! they were already shut in, and the Romans, having finished\ntheir entrenching, began to trouble them. And when the AEquians perceived\nthat the battle was now on either side of them, they could withstand\nno longer, but sent ambassadors praying for peace, and saying, \"Ye have\nprevailed; slay us not, but rather permit us to depart, leaving our arms\nbehind us.\" Then said the Dictator, \"I care not to have the blood of the\nAEquians. Ye may depart, but ye shall depart passing under the yoke, that\nye may thus acknowledge to all men that ye are indeed vanquished.\" Now\nthe yoke is thus made. There are set up in the ground two spears, and\nover them is bound by ropes a third spear. So the AEquians passed under\nthe yoke.\n\nIn the camp of the enemy there was found abundance of spoil. This the\nDictator gave wholly to his own soldiers. \"Ye were well-nigh a spoil to\nthe enemy,\" said he to the army of the Consul, \"therefore ye shall\nhave no share in the spoiling of them. As for thee, Minucius, be thou a\nlieutenant only till thou hast learnt how to bear thyself as a consul.\"\nMeanwhile at Rome there was held a meeting of the Senate, at which it\nwas commanded that Cincinnatus should enter the city in triumph, his\nsoldiers following him in order of march.\n\nBefore his chariot there were led the generals of the enemy; also the\nstandards were carried in the front; and after these came the army,\nevery man laden with spoil. That day there was great rejoicing in the\ncity, every man setting forth a banquet before his doors in the street.\n\nAfter this, Volscius, that had borne false witness against Kaeso, was\nfound guilty of perjury, and went into exile. And when Cincinnatus\nsaw that justice had been done to this evil-doer, he resigned his\ndictatorship, having held it for sixteen days only.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X. ~~ THE STORY OF THE DECEMVIRS AND OF VIRGINIA.\n\nIt was agreed between the nobles and the Commons that, to make an end\nof disputing about the laws, ambassadors should be sent into Greece, and\nespecially to Athens (which city and its lawgiver, Solon, were held in\nhigh repute in those days), to learn what manner of laws and customs\nthey had, and to bring back a report of them. And when the ambassadors\nhad brought back their report, it seemed good to the people that in the\nfollowing year there should be appointed neither consuls nor any other\nmagistrate, but decemvirs only; that is to say, ten men, who should set\nin order the laws of Rome. Thus it came to pass in the ninety and first\nyear from the driving out of the kings, that decemvirs were appointed in\nthe stead of consuls, Appius Claudius being the chief of the ten.\n\nFor a while these pleased the people well, doing justice equally\nbetween man and man. And the custom was that each day one of the ten sat\nas judge with the twelve lictors about him, the nine others sitting with\none minister only. Also they busied themselves with the ordering of the\nlaws; and at last set forth ten tables on which these were written. At\nthe same time they called the people together to an assembly, and spake\nto them thus: \"The Gods grant that this undertaking may turn to the\ncredit of the State, and of you, and of your children. Go, therefore,\nand read these laws which we have set forth; for though we have done\nwhat ten men could do to provide laws that should be just to all,\nwhether they be high or low, yet the understandings of many men may yet\nchange many things for the better. Consider therefore all these matters\nin your own minds, and debate them among yourselves. For we will that\nthe Roman people should be bound by such laws only as they shall have\nagreed together to establish.\"\n\nThe ten tables were therefore set forth, and when these had been\nsufficiently considered, and such corrections made therein as seemed\ngood, a regular assembly of the people was called, and the laws were\nduly established. But now there was spread abroad a report that two\ntables were yet wanting, and that when these should have been added the\nwhole would be complete; and thence there arose a desire that the Ten\nshould be appointed to hold office a second year. This indeed was done;\nbut Appius Claudius so ordered matters that there were elected together\nwith him none of the chief men of the State, but only such as were of an\ninferior condition and fortune.\n\nAfter this the Ten began more and more to set aside all law and right.\nThus whereas at the first one only on each day was followed by the\ntwelve lictors, each of the ten came daily into the market-place so\nattended; and whereas before the lictors carried bundles of rods only,\nnow there was bound up with the rods an axe, whereby was signified the\npower of life and death. Their actions also agreed with this show, for\nthey and their ministers plundered the goods and chattels of the people.\nSome also they scourged, and some they beheaded. And when they had so\nput a man to death, they would divide his substance among those that\nwaited upon them to do their pleasure.\n\nAmong their misdeeds two were especially notable. There was a certain\nSicinius in the host, a man of singular strength and courage, who took\nit ill that the Ten should thus set themselves above all law, and was\nwont to say to his comrades that the Commons should depart from the city\nas they had done in time past, or should at the least make them tribunes\nto be their champions as of old. This Sicinius the Ten sent on before\nthe army, there being then war with the Sabines, to search out a place\nfor a camp; and with him they sent certain others, bidding them slay him\nwhen they should have come to some convenient place. This they did, but\nnot without suffering much loss; for the man fought for his life and\ndefended himself, slaying many of his enemies. Then they that escaped\nran into the camp, saying that Sicinius had fallen into an ambuscade,\nand had died along with certain others of the soldiers. At the first,\nindeed, this story was believed; but afterwards, when, by permission of\nthe Ten, there went some to bury the dead, they found that none of the\ndead bodies had been spoiled, and that Sicinius lay with his arms in the\nmidst, the others having their faces towards him; also that there was\nno dead body of an enemy in the place, nor any track as of them that had\ngone from the place; for which reasons they brought back tidings that\nSicinius had certainly been slain by his own comrades. At this there was\ngreat wrath in the camp; and the soldiers were ready to carry the body\nof Sicinius to Rome, but that the Ten made a military funeral for him at\nthe public cost. So they buried Sicinius with great lamentation; but the\nTen were thereafter in very ill repute among the soldiers.\n\nAgain, there was a certain centurion, Lucius Virginius by name, an\nupright man and of good credit both at home and abroad. This Virginius\nhad a daughter, Virginia, a very fair and virtuous maiden, whom he\nhad espoused to a certain Icilius that had once been a tribune of the\nCommons. On this maiden Appius Claudius, the chief of the Ten, sought to\nlay hands, and for this end gave commandment to one Marcus Claudius, who\nwas one of the clients of his house, that he should claim the girl for\na slave. On the morrow therefore as Virginia passed across the\nmarket-place, being on her way to school (for the schools in those days\nwere held in the market-place), this Claudius seized her, affirming that\nshe was born of a woman that was a slave, and was therefore by right\na slave herself. The maiden standing still for fear, the nurse that\nattended her set up a great cry and called the citizens to help.\nStraightway there was a great concourse, for many knew the maiden's\nfather Virginius, and Icilius to whom she was betrothed. Then said\nClaudius, seeing that he could not take her by force, \"There is no\nneed of tumult or of gathering a crowd. I would proceed by law, not by\nforce.\" Thereupon he summoned the girl before the judge. When they came\nto the judgment-seat of Appius the man told a tale that had already\nbeen agreed upon between the two. \"This girl,\" he said, \"was born in\nmy house, and was thence secretly taken to the house of Virginius,\nand passed off on the man as his daughter. Of this I will bring proof\nsufficient, such as will convince Virginius himself, who doubtless has\nreceived the chief wrong in this matter. But in the meanwhile it is\nreasonable that the slave should remain in the house of her master.\" To\nthis the friends of the girl made answer, \"Virginius is absent on the\nservice of the State, and will be here within the space of two days, if\ntidings of this matter be sent to him. Now it is manifestly wrong that\njudgment concerning a man's children should be given while he is himself\nabsent. Let the cause, therefore, be postponed till he come. Meanwhile\nlet the maiden have her freedom according to the law which Appius and\nhis fellows have themselves established.\"\n\nAppius gave sentence in these words: \"That I am a favourer of freedom\nis manifest from this law of which ye make mention. Yet this law must\nbe observed in all cases and without respect of persons; and as to this\ngirl, there is none but her father only to whom her owner may yield\nthe custody of her. Let her father therefore be sent for; but in the\nmeanwhile Claudius must have custody of her, as is his right, only\ngiving security that he will produce her on the morrow.\"\n\nAt this decree, so manifestly unrighteous was it, there was much\nmurmuring, yet none dared to oppose it, till Numitorius, the girl's\nuncle, and Icilius came forth from the crowd. The lictor cried,\n\"Sentence has been given,\" and bade Icilius give place. Then Icilius\nturned to Appius, saying, \"Appius, thou must drive me hence with the\nsword before thou canst have thy will in this matter. This maiden is my\nespoused wife; and verily, though thou call hither all thy lictors and\nthe lictors of thy colleagues, she shall not remain in any house save\nthe house of her father.\"\n\nTo this Appius, seeing that the multitude was greatly moved and were\nready to break forth into open violence, made this reply: \"Icilius cares\nnot for Virginia, but being a lover of sedition and tumult, seeks an\noccasion for strife. Such occasion I will not give him to-day. But that\nhe may know that I yield not to his insolence, but have regard to the\nrights of a father, I pronounce no sentence. I ask of Marcus Claudius\nthat he will concede something of his right, and suffer surety to be\ngiven for the girl against the morrow. But if on the morrow the father\nbe not present here, then I tell Icilius and his fellows that he who is\nthe author of this law will not fail to execute it. Neither will I call\nin the lictors of my colleagues to put down them that raise a tumult.\nFor this my own lictors shall suffice.\"\n\nSo much time being thus gained, it seemed good to the friends of the\nmaiden that the son of Numitorius and the brother of Icilius, young men\nboth of them and active, should hasten with all speed to the camp, and\nbring Virginius thence as quickly as might be. So the two set out, and\nputting their horses to their full speed, carried tidings of the matter\nto the father. As for Appius, he sat awhile on the judgment-seat,\nwaiting for other business to be brought before him, for he would not\nhave it seem that he had come for this cause only; but finding that\nthere was none, and indeed the people were wholly intent on the matter\nof Virginia, he departed to his own house. Thence he sent an epistle to\nhis colleagues that were at the camp, saying, \"Grant no leave of absence\nto Virginius, but keep him in safe custody with you.\" But this availed\nnothing, for already, before ever the epistle was brought to the camp,\nat the very first watch of the night, Virginius had set forth.\n\nWhen Virginius was come to the city, it being then early dawn, he put on\nmean apparel, as was the custom with such as were in danger of life or\nliberty, and carried about his daughter, who was clad in like manner,\npraying all that he met to help and succour him. \"Remember,\" said he,\n\"that day by day I stand fighting for you and for your children against\nyour enemies. But what shall this profit you or me if, this city being\nsafe, nevertheless our children stand in peril of slavery and shame?\"\nIcilius spake in like manner, and the women (for a company of matrons\nfollowed Virginia) wept silently, stirring greatly the hearts of all\nthat looked upon them. But Appius, so set was his heart on evil, heeded\nnone of these things; but so soon as he had sat him down on the seat of\njudgment, and he that claimed the girl had said a few words complaining\nthat right had not been done to him, he gave his sentence; suffering\nnot Virginius to speak. What pretence of reason he gave can scarce be\nimagined, but the sentence (for this only is certain) was that the girl\nshould be in the custody of Claudius till the matter should be decided\nby law. But when Claudius came to take the maiden, her friends and all\nthe women that bare her company thrust him back. Then said Appius, \"I\nhave sure proof, and this not from the violence only of Icilius, but\nfrom what is told to me of gatherings by night in the city, that there\nis a purpose in certain men to stir up sedition. Knowing this I have\ncome hither with armed men; not to trouble quiet citizens, but to punish\nsuch as would break the peace of the State. Such as be wise, therefore,\nwill keep themselves quiet. Lictor, remove this crowd, and make room for\nthe master that he may take his slave.\" These words he thundered forth\nin great anger; and the people, when they heard them, fell back in fear,\nso that the maiden stood without defence. Then Virginius, seeing that\nthere were none to help him, said to Appius, \"I pray thee, Appius, if\nI have said aught that was harsh to thee, that thou wilt pardon it,\nknowing how a father must needs suffer in such a case. But now suffer me\nto enquire somewhat of this woman that is the girl's nurse, that I may\nknow what is the truth of the matter. For if I have been deceived in\nthe matter, and am not in truth father to the girl, I shall be more\ncontent.\" Then, Appius giving permission, he led his daughter and her\nnurse a little space aside, to the shops that are by the temple of\nCloacina, and snatching a knife from a butcher's, said, \"My daughter,\nthere is but this one way that I can make thee free,\" and he drave the\nknife into her breast.\n\n[Illustration: The death of Virginia 200]\n\nThen he looked back to the judgment-seat and cried, \"With this blood,\nAppius, I devote thee and thy life to perdition.\" There went up a great\ncry from all that stood there when they saw so dreadful a deed, and\nAppius commanded that they should seize him. But no man laid hands on\nhim, for he made a way for himself with the knife that he carried in his\nhand, and they that followed defended him, till he came to the gate of\nthe city.\n\nThen Icilius and Numitorius took up the dead body of the maiden and\nshowed it to the people, saying much of the wickedness of him who had\ndriven a father to do such a deed, and much also of the liberty which\nhad been taken from them, and which, if they would only use this\noccasion, they might now recover. As for Appius, he cried out to his\nlictors that they should lay hands on Icilius, and when the crowd\nsuffered not the lictors to approach, would himself have made a way\nto him, by the help of the young nobles that stood by him. But now the\ncrowd had leaders, themselves also nobles, Valerius and Horatius. These\nsaid, \"If Appius would deal with Icilius according to law we will be\nsecurities for him; if he mean to use violence, we are ready to meet\nhim.\" And when the lictor would have laid hands on these two the\nmultitude brake his rods to pieces. Then Appius would have spoken to\nthe people, but they clamoured against him, so that at last, losing all\ncourage and fearing for his life, he covered his head and fled secretly\nto his own house.\n\nMeanwhile Virginius had made his way to the camp, which was now on Mount\nVecilius, and stirred up the army yet more than he had stirred the city.\n\"Lay not to my charge,\" he said, \"that which is in truth the wickedness\nof Appius; neither turn from me as from the murderer of my daughter. Her\nindeed I slew, thinking that death was better than slavery and shame;\nnor indeed had I survived her but that I hoped to avenge her death\nby the help of my comrades.\" Others also that had come from the city\npersuaded the soldiers; some saying that the power of the Ten was\noverthrown, and others that Appius had gone of his own accord into\nbanishment. These words so prevailed with the soldiers that, without any\nbidding from their generals, they took up their arms, and, with their\nstandards carried before them, came to Rome and pitched their camp on\nthe Aventine.\n\nNevertheless, the Ten were still obstinate, affirming that they would\nnot resign their authority till they had finished the work for which\nthey had been appointed, namely, the drawing up of the twelve tables\nof the laws. And when the army perceived this they marched from the\nAventine and took up their abode on the Sacred Hill, all the Commons\nfollowing them, so that there was not left in the city a single man that\nhad ability to move; nor did the women and children stay behind, but\nall, as many as could move, bare them company; for Duilius, that had\nbeen tribune, said, \"Unless the Senate see the city deserted, they will\ntake no heed of your complaints.\" And indeed, when these perceived what\nhad taken place, they were more urgent than before that the Ten should\nresign their office. And these at last consented; \"Only,\" said they, \"do\nnot suffer us to perish from the rage of the Commons. It will be an\nill day for the nobles when the people shall learn to take vengeance on\nthem.\" And the Senate so wrought that though at the first the Commons in\ntheir great fury demanded that the Ten should be burned alive, yet they\nwere persuaded to yield, it being agreed that each man should be judged\nby the law according to his deserts. Appius, therefore, was accused\nby Virginius, and being cast into prison, slew himself before the day\nappointed for the trial. Oppius also, another of the Ten, whom the\nCommons hated for his misdeeds next after Appius, was accused and died\nin like manner. As for Claudius, that had claimed Virginia for his\nslave, he was condemned to be banished. And thus at the last, the guilty\nhaving been punished, the spirit of Virginia had rest.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI. ~~ THE STORY OF VEII.\n\nIn the three hundred and forty-eighth year after the building of the\ncity, the truce that had been for now nearly twenty years with the men\nof Veii being ended, ambassadors and heralds were sent thither to demand\nsatisfaction for injuries received. So coming to the border of the land\nthey encountered an embassy from Veii journeying to Rome. These\nmade request that the Romans should not go to Veii before that they\nthemselves had had audience of the Senate. Such audience they had,\nand obtained their petition; to wit, that satisfaction should not be\ndemanded that year, because they were much troubled by strife among\nthemselves. But in the year following there was war. For when the\nambassadors came from Rome making the same demand for restitution as\nbefore, the men of Veii made answer to them in these words: \"Make haste\nand depart from the land, else we will give you such answer as Lars\nTolumnius gave to your fellows.\"\n\nNow the story of Lars Tolumnius is this. Fidenae, that was a colony of\nRome, revolted to Veii, of which city Lars Tolumnius was king in those\ndays. And when the Romans sent ambassadors enquiring of the men of the\ncity why they had done this thing, the ambassadors were put to death;\nand this was done, it was said, at the bidding of Tolumnius. But some\nhave sought to excuse Tolumnius in this fashion. They say that he was\nplaying at dice, and that when the men of Fidenae came to him\nasking, \"Shall we do well to slay these ambassadors of Rome?\" he\nsaid, \"Excellently,\" not hearing what they said, but thinking only of\nthe dice and of his game, for he had at the very moment thrown most\nfortunately. But it cannot be believed that in so great a matter he\nshould have been so careless. This Lars Tolumnius was slain afterwards\nby Cornelius Cossus in single combat, and his spoils were dedicated in\nthe temple of Jupiter, hard by the spoils which King Romulus won from\nthe King of Caere.\n\nWhen this answer was brought back to Rome, the Senate would have war\ndeclared against Veii without delay; but the people murmured, saying,\n\"We have enough to do already with the Volscians, and why will ye have\nanother war with the men of Veii, who will stir up all the Etrurians\nagainst you?\" The tribunes took occasion by this to hinder the matter,\nand the war was delayed.\n\nThe next year there was war with the Volscians, and Anxur, one of their\nchief cities, was taken, and the spoil was given to the soldiers. They\nwere greatly pleased with this bounty, and yet more when it was ordained\nthat thereafter the soldiers should have pay from the public treasury.\nAnd now it was resolved, none opposing, that war should be declared\nagainst Veii, for which war a great army was levied forthwith, the\ngreater part of the soldiers offering themselves of their own free will.\nThus it came to pass that in the three hundred and fiftieth year after\nthe building of the city, Veii was shut in.\n\nIn the third year of the siege the men of Veii, being weary of the\nstrife which troubled them year by year in the choosing of their\nmagistrates, made for themselves a king. But this thing was a grievous\noffence to the other Etrurians, who hated not so much kingship as the\nman who had been chosen to be king. The cause of which hatred was this,\nthat the man, being angry because, by the vote of the twelve nations of\nthe Etrurians, another had been preferred before him to be high priest,\nhad caused their yearly festival to be broken off in the midst, a thing\nwhich the Etrurians, than whom was never a people more scrupulous in\nmatters of religion, judged to be most impious. This thing he did by\ntaking away the actors of plays, who were for the most part his own\nslaves. And now the whole nation, being assembled in council, decreed\nthat no help should be given to the men of Veii so long as they should\nbe under the rule of a king. But of this decree no mention was made in\nVeii, for the King gave out that if any man talked of such matters he\nshould be held guilty of sedition. Nevertheless the Romans, fearing\nlest the purpose of the Etrurians might suffer a change, made the\nfortifications wherewith they had shut in the city to be double, having\none face against such sallies as the townsmen might make, and the other\nturned towards Etruria, if perchance help should come thence to the\ncity.\n\nIn this year also, because the Romans hoped to take the city by siege\nrather than by assault, winter quarters, a wholly new thing in those\ndays, were begun to be built; and it was decreed that the army should\nabide before the city continually, not departing, as the custom had\nbeen, at the beginning of the winter. About this there was great debate\nat Rome, the tribunes protesting that the nobles had invented this\ndevice against liberty, contriving that the better part of the Commons\nshould thus be kept away perpetually from the city; while the nobles\non the other hand protested by the mouth of Appius Claudius, son of the\ndecemvir, that in no other way could this war be brought to an end, for\nthat it was a grievous waste of time and labour that the works which\nhad been made with so much toil in the summer should be destroyed or\nsuffered to perish in the winter. \"The love of sport,\" said he, \"takes\nthem that hunt to the mountains, where they suffer frost and rain\nwithout complaint, and shall our soldiers be less enduring when they\nfight for their country? And if the Greeks were content, for the sake of\na woman, to besiege the city of Troy for ten years without ceasing,\nand that far from their country and beyond the sea, shall we refuse to\nremain for the space of a year before a city which is not so much as\ntwenty miles distant?\"\n\nWhile this matter was debated at Rome, the people inclining, for the\nmost part, to Appius rather than to the tribunes, there came such\ntidings from Veii as made all men agree that the city must be attacked\nwith all steadfastness and energy. The works of the besiegers were now\npushed forward well-nigh to the walls, and the minds of all being wholly\ngiven to the finishing of them, it followed, that though they were\ndiligently advanced in the day, they were the less carefully watched by\nnight. The townsfolk perceiving this, a great multitude of men issued\nforth from the gates carrying torches in their hands, and set fire to\nthe works, consuming in a very brief space of time that which had been\nfinished after many months. Not a few also of them that would have\nstayed the burning perished either by fire or by the sword. When\nthese tidings were brought to them the city was greatly disturbed.\nNevertheless the matter turned to the public good. First they that had\nthe dignity of horsemen in the State, but were not called to serve, came\nforward saying that they would serve, finding horses at their own cost;\nlikewise a great multitude of the people offered themselves to serve as\nfoot soldiers. Thus was there raised a great army, which, marching to\nVeii, not only restored that which had been destroyed by fire, but also\nmade works that were larger and stronger by far.\n\nIn the fourth year of the siege the Romans suffered no small loss.\nFirst Anxur was lost, the garrison being surprised by the Volscians, and\nafterwards there followed great reverses at Veii. The men of Capena and\nFalerii came to the help of Veii, judging that if this city should be\ntaken they themselves would be the next to perish. These fought against\na certain part of the Romans, and at the same time the townsfolk sallied\nfrom the gates. And when help should have been given to them from the\nother part of the camp, because there was a strife between the generals,\nnone such was sent; for the one said, \"If my colleague be in need of\nhelp he will ask for it,\" and the other, for pride and jealousy, had\nrather be conquered by the enemy than conquer by aid of one whom he\nloved not. So it came to pass that Sergius (for he it was whom the men\nof Capena and Falerii had attacked) with his soldiers left the works\nand fled, some escaping to the other camp, but the greater part making\nescape to Rome.\n\nIn the seventh year of the siege there happened many marvels. Of these,\nfor the most part? men took little count; but one seemed especially\nnoteworthy, to wit, that the water of the lake of Alba rose to such a\nheight as had never been seen before, and this without great rains\nor any other cause which might make the thing less to be wondered at.\nMessengers therefore were sent to the oracle of Delphi to enquire of\nthe god what this might portend. But the Romans found, for so fate would\nhave it, an interpreter of the marvel that was nearer at hand than the\noracle of Apollo. As the Roman soldiers and the soldiers of Veii talked\ntogether at the outposts, a certain old man, an Etrurian, chanted in the\nfashion that prophets use this verse--\n\n     \"Ne'er till the depths of Alba's lake be drained\n     Shall Veii's walls by Roman arms be gained.\"\n\nOf these words none at first took any heed, but afterwards some began\nto doubt what they might mean. A certain Roman therefore enquired of\nthe townsfolk (for the siege having now endured for many years there\nhad grown up acquaintance between them) who the man might be that had\nchanted this prophecy. And when he heard he was a soothsayer, he spake\nto him, saying that he would fain have some talk with him, for that\nthere had happened to himself a certain marvel, and he desired to know\nhow he might rightly deal with it. So the two went to a certain place by\nthemselves, neither of them carrying arms. Then the Roman (for he was a\nyoung man and of great strength) caught up the Etrurian in his arms and\ncarried him away to the camp, the Etrurians not being able to hinder\nhim. So they brought the soothsayer to the general, and the general sent\nhim to the Senate; and when the Senate enquired of him what it was that\nhe had prophesied concerning the lake of Alba, the old man answered,\n\"Surely the Gods were wroth with Veii that day when they put it into my\nmind to betray the thing which by the ordering of fate must bring about\nthe destruction of the city. Nevertheless I cannot recall that which I\nonce uttered by divine inspiration so that it should be as if it were\nunsaid; and perchance there is no less wickedness in concealing that\nwhich the immortal Gods would have revealed than in uttering that which\nthey would have concealed. Know therefore that in the books of fate and\nin the lore of the Etrurians it is written that if ever the water of the\nlake of Alba shall increase, the Romans, draining it off in due manner,\nshall prevail over the men of Veii, but that before that shall have been\ndone, the Gods will not desert the walls of the city.\" And when he had\nsaid this he expounded to them what the due manner of draining off\nthe water might be. Nevertheless because the man seemed to be of small\nauthority, upon whom it would not be well to trust in so great a matter,\nthe Senate determined that messengers should be sent to enquire of the\ngod at Delphi. In the ninth year of the war these messengers returned,\nbringing back this answer from the god.\n\n     \"Let not imprisoned chafe the Alban Lake,\n     Nor yet to sea its wilful passage take;\n     Draw high its gates, but in the boundless plain\n     Disperse its power, its pride of speed refrain;\n     Then mount the breach, for then by Heaven's decree\n     Long-leaguered Veii, Roman, yields to thee.\n     Thy warfare done, throng thankful to the shrine,\n     Repair thy great default, and pay me that is mine.\"\n\nWhen this answer was had the Etrurian soothsayer was held in great\nhonour, and the magistrates sought his help that all things might be\ndone duly and in order. Especially they desired to know what rites had\nbeen neglected, and what solemnity left unperformed. As to this they\ndiscovered that magistrates not appointed according to due order had\nkept profanely the yearly festival of the Latins on the hills of Alba.\nIt was commanded therefore that these should resign their office and\nthat all things should be done afresh.\n\nIn the meanwhile there was held a council of the tribes of the Etrurians\nat the temple of Voltumna, and when the men of Capena and of Falerii\ndemanded that the whole nation should join their forces with one\nconsent, and deliver Veii from being besieged, they were thus answered:\n\"Before we denied our aid to the men of Veii because they had not asked\nour counsel in a matter wherein such counsel was most needed. But now it\nis not we but our necessities that deny it, and especially in this part\nof Etruria, for there is come hither among us a strange people even the\nGauls, with whom we have neither sure peace nor open war.\"\n\nAnd now in the tenth year the games and the great festival of the Latins\nhad been celebrated anew, and the water had been drained off from the\nlake of Alba, and the day was drawing near when Veii should perish. And\nbecause there seemed but one man whom the Gods were keeping to do this\nwork for Rome, Furius Camillus was chosen Dictator, and Camillus chose\nCornelius Scipio to be Master of the Horse. And now the general being\nchanged, all things beside seemed to be changed also. First Camillus\nwent to the camp that he might encourage the soldiers; and afterwards\nhe raised a new army in the city, neither did any man draw back from\nthe service. The warriors also of the Latins and of the Hernici came\noffering help, to whom the Senate gave public thanks. Then the Dictator\nvowed that he would celebrate the Great Games when Veii should have been\ntaken; also he vowed to build anew and dedicate the temple of Mother\nMatuta, which temple King Servius Tullius dedicated at the first. And so\nsetting forth, and putting to flight on his way the men of Falerii and\nof Capena, he came to Veii. There he strengthened the works, shutting up\nthe enemy more closely than before. Also he commanded that a mine should\nbe driven under the very citadel of the town. And that this might not be\ninterrupted on the one hand, nor they that did it spent with labour on\nthe other, he divided them that made the mine into six companies, and\ncommanded that each company should labour for six hours. So the work was\ncarried on without ceasing both by night and by day, till the mine was\ndriven into the citadel.\n\nAfter this, seeing that victory was now in his hands, and considering\nalso that he was about to capture a very wealthy city, wherein was\nsuch spoil as had never before been taken in all the wars of the Roman\npeople, he feared lest the soldiers should be provoked to anger if he\nshould seem to grudge them the booty, or the Senate blame him if he\nshould be too bountiful. Whereupon he wrote a letter in these words:\n\"The favour of the Gods and my own counsels and the valour of the\nsoldiers have brought it to pass that Veii will soon be in the\npossession of the Roman people. What then, think ye, should be done with\nthe spoil?\" On this matter there was great debate in the Senate; but at\nthe last it seemed good that proclamation should be made to the people:\n\"Whosoever will have a share in the spoil of Veii, let him go to the\ncamp to the Dictator.\"\n\nThis proclamation having been made, a vast multitude set forth, so that\nthe camp was filled from the one end to the other. Then the Dictator,\nafter duly performing sacrifice, commanded the soldiers that they should\narm themselves. Afterwards he prayed, speaking these words, \"Apollo,\nGod of Delphi, by whose guidance and bidding I have come to destroy this\ncity of Veii, to thee I vow a tenth part of the spoil. And do thou also,\nQueen Juno, that now dwellest in Veii, follow us, I pray thee, to Rome,\nthat is now our city and shall soon be thine, where also thou shalt have\na temple worthy of thy magnificence.\"\n\nWhen he had thus prayed, seeing that he had an exceedingly great\nmultitude of men, he attacked the city on all sides at the same time,\nbecause the inhabitants would be thus at less leisure to observe the\nperil that was threatening them from the mine. As to the men of Veii,\nthey knew not that the oracles of the stranger, yea, that their own\nprophets, had betrayed them, that the gods of their land were even now\nlooking to dwell in the temples of Rome, and that even now their\nlast day had come; neither did they think that their walls had been\nundermined, and that their very citadel was full of enemies. With\ngood heart, therefore, they took up their arms and ran to the walls,\nmarvelling what strange fury was this that drave the Romans to attack\nthem thus suddenly, seeing that now for many days none had moved in the\noutposts. And some tell this story: that as the king of Veii was doing\nsacrifice, an augur that stood by cried aloud, \"To him that shall cut in\npieces the inwards of this victim shall be given the victory;\" and\nthat the Roman soldiers, being in the mine below, heard the words, and\nbreaking open the mine, laid hands on the victim, and carried it to the\nDictator. But whether this be true or no, no man can say; nevertheless\nit is certain that at the time appointed a great company of men, chosen\nfor this end, suddenly came forth from the mine, in the temple of Juno,\nwhich was in the citadel. Of these some took the enemy in the rereward\nas they stood upon the walls, and some drew back the bolts of the gates;\nand others, seeing that the women and slaves were casting stones and\ntiles from the roofs of the houses, began to set fire to the city. And\nnow, the armed men being driven from off the wall and the gates being\nthrown open, there ran in many from the host that was without. And now\nthere was fighting in all the streets and squares of the city, and\nmany were slain; till, the men of Veii growing feeble, the Dictator\nproclaimed that all such as did not bear arms should be spared. After\nthis there was no more bloodshed; the inhabitants threw down their arms\nand surrendered themselves; and the soldiers, the Dictator permitting\nthem, scattered to gather spoil. And when the Dictator saw how great\nwas the spoil and of how precious things, being far beyond all hope and\nexpectation, he lifted up his hands to heaven and prayed, saying, \"If\nthe good fortune of the Roman people seem over great to any god or man,\nI pray that such jealousy may be appeased by my own loss rather than by\nthe damage of the State.\" But as he turned him after making this prayer\nhe stumbled and fell. And this omen was judged by them that interpreted\nit by the things that followed, to look first to the condemnation of\nCamillus by the people, and second to the great overthrow of the city at\nthe hands of the Gauls; both of which things will be related hereafter.\n\nThis day, therefore, was spent in the subduing of the enemy and in the\nplundering of the city; and never indeed was city more wealthy. The next\nday the Dictator sold by public auction all the inhabitants that were\nof free condition; the money from which sale was brought into the public\ntreasury; and though none other was so brought the Commons took it ill.\nAnd indeed for such spoil as each man bare home with him, they thought\nthemselves to be in debt not indeed to Camillus, that had referred to\nthe Senate a matter that lay within his own power, but to him that had\nprevailed with the Senate that it should be given to the people.\n\nAll the possessions of the men of Veii having been now carried away,\nthe Romans began to remove the offerings of the gods and the gods\nthemselves; but this they did after the manner of worshippers rather\nthan of plunderers. For certain young men, chosen out of the whole host,\nhaving first washed their bodies in pure water and clothed themselves in\nwhite garments, came into the temple, having made due obeisance; and so,\nwith much awe, laid their hands on the goddess. It was the custom among\nthe Etrurians that none should touch that image save the priests\nonly. This having been done, one of the youths, whether speaking by\ninspiration from heaven, or in boisterous jest, cried, \"Wilt thou away\nto Rome, Juno?\" and the others cried that the image nodded her head. In\nafter time it was said that the image even spake the words, \"I will.\"\nCertainly it is related that it was moved from its place with small\ntrouble, and that when it was carried to Rome it passed lightly and\neasily, as one that followed freely; and so was brought unhurt to its\ndwelling on Mount Aventine, where was built a temple, according to the\nvow of the Dictator, which temple he himself in due time dedicated.\n\nThus perished the city of Veii, than which there was none among the\nEtrurians more wealthy. For ten years was it besieged, both summer\nand winter; and now it fell not so much by force as by the art of the\nengineer.\n\nThe tidings of this thing being brought to Rome there was great\nrejoicing; because, for all the prophecies of the soothsayers and the\nanswers of the oracle, and the greatness of Camillus, men had scarce\nbelieved that so strong a city, from which so much loss had been\nsuffered in time past, would indeed be conquered, Straightway the\ntemples were crowded with women that gave thanks to the gods. And the\nSenate decreed a thanksgiving of four days, such as never had been\ndecreed before.\n\nAs for the Dictator, when he came back to the city, there went out to\nmeet him men of all ranks and conditions. Such honour was rendered\nto him as had never before been rendered to any man. But when he rode\nthrough the city in a chariot drawn by white horses, men said, \"This\nbecometh not a citizen, nor indeed a man, how great soever he be.\nHe maketh himself equal to Jupiter or Apollo.\" Afterwards, having\ncontracted for the building of a temple to Queen Juno on Mount Aventine,\nand dedicated the temple to Mother Matuta, he resigned the dictatorship.\nAnd now came the paying of the tenth of the spoil to Apollo, according\nto the vow which Camillus had vowed. For the priests affirmed that the\npeople were bound by the vow. It was commanded, therefore, that every\nman should set a price on the spoil which he had carried away from Veii,\nand should pay a tenth part to the god. This also turned away the hearts\nof the Commons from Camillus.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII. ~~ THE STORY OF CAMILLUS.\n\nIn the next year the Senate would have sent a colony into the country\nof the Volscians, giving to each man two acres of land and more. But the\nthing pleased not the Commons, who said, \"Why do ye send us into exile\nin the land of the Volscians while this fair city of Veii lieth within\nview, having lands both wider and more fertile than are the lands of\nRome?\" The city also they preferred to their own, both for its situation\nand for the magnificence of its buildings both public and private. Their\ncounsel, therefore, was that the State should be divided, and that the\nnobles should dwell at Rome and the Commons at Veii. But the nobles\nsteadfastly withstood it, saying, \"We will die rather than that such\na thing be done. If there be such trouble in one city, how much more,\nthink ye, will there be in two? Will ye prefer a city that is vanquished\nto that which is victorious? Will ye leave Romulus, your founder, a god\nand the son of a god, and follow Sicinius?\" (This Sicinius was tribune of\nthe Commons and had brought this matter forward.)\n\nNone was more urgent against this counsel than Camillus. \"Verily,\" he\nwould say, \"there is nothing at which to marvel in these troubles. The\nwhole state is mad, for, though it is bound by a vow, it careth for\nevery matter rather than how this vow may best be paid. Of that which\nwas paid for the tenth, verily a small part in place of the whole, I say\nnothing. This toucheth the consciences of all, but the state is free.\nBut there is another matter of which I dare not be silent any more. We\nhave set apart a tenth of those things which were moveable. Of the city\nand of the lands ye make no mention, yet were these comprehended in the\nvow.\" This matter the Senate referred to the priests, and the priests,\nhaving called Camillus into council, gave this sentence: \"There is due\nto Apollo a tenth of all that before the uttering of the vow belonged\nto the men of Veii, and afterwards came into the power of the Roman\npeople.\" Thus the city and the lands thereof were included. The money,\ntherefore, was paid out of the public treasury; and the magistrates were\ncommanded to purchase gold therewith. And when there was not found a\nsufficient quantity of this metal, the matrons, having first met and\ndeliberated on the matter, promised that they would themselves supply\nthe magistrates with gold, and carried all their ornaments to the\ntreasury.\n\n[Illustration: Roman ladies bringing their ornaments 228]\n\nNever was anything done that more pleased the Senate than this\nliberality of the women; and, by way of recompense, it was ordered\nthat they should thereafter enjoy this privilege, that they should use\ncovered chariots whensoever they went to public worship or to the\ngames, and other carriages on any day, whether festival or common.\nNotwithstanding, the tribunes of the Commons were still bitter against\nCamillus. \"Verily,\" they said, \"by his confiscations and consecrations\nhe hath brought the spoil of Veii to nothing.\"\n\nThe next year there was war with the men of Falerii. These at the\nfirst, for fear of the Romans, kept themselves within their walls; but\nafterwards, not enduring to see the plundering of their lands, came\nforth, and pitched their camp about the space of a mile from the town,\nin a steep and difficult place. But Camillus, for he was the captain of\nthe host, taking for his guide a man of those parts that had been made\nprisoner, left his place by night, and showed himself in the morning\non ground higher by far. And when the enemy assailed him, as he was\nfortifying his camp, he put them to flight, putting them into such fear\nthat they left their camp and fled to the city, but suffered much loss\nof slain and wounded before they could arrive at the gates.\n\nThe town was now shut up; but because they that were besieged had better\nsupply of corn and other things needful than they that besieged, the\nmatter might have been delayed no less than was the taking of Veii, but\nfor the good fortune and virtue of Camillus.\n\nIt was the custom among the men of Falerii to use the same person\nfor teachers of their children and also for their companions. Also,\naccording to the Greek fashion, many boys would be taught by the same\nman. Now the children of the chief citizens of the place were in the\ncharge of a certain teacher, that had the repute of excelling all others\nin knowledge. This man had been wont in time of peace to lead the boys\nout of the city for the sake of exercise and sport; and this custom he\nhad not ceased even after the beginning of the war, but would take\nthem away from the gates at one time in longer at another in shorter\njourneys. At length he took occasion to lead them farther than before,\nand to bring them, occupying them meanwhile with sport and talk, as\nfar as the camp of the Romans. Taking them therefore to the tent of\nCamillus, he said, \"I have delivered Falerii into your hands, for these\nboys that ye see are the children of the chief men of the city.\" To this\nCamillus made answer, \"Neither the general nor the people to whom thou\ncomest bringing this wicked gift is like unto thyself. With the men of\nFalerii we have not indeed friendship, yet we have with them as with all\nmen a natural fellowship. War also has laws even as peace, and to these\nlaws we have learnt obedience, even as we have learned courage. Our arms\nwe carry not against lads of tender age, who are not harmed even in\nthe storming of cities, but against men that carry arms in their hands.\nThese I shall conquer, even as I conquered Veii, in Roman fashion, even\nby valour, by labour, and by arms.\"\n\nWhen he had so spoken he commanded that the man should be stripped of\nhis clothing, and that his hands should be tied behind his back. In this\nplight he delivered him to the lads to be taken back to the city,\ngiving them rods wherewith to scourge the traitor, and drive him back\nto Falerii. There was a great concourse of people to see this sight; and\nthe Senate was summoned by the magistrates to consider the matter. So\ngreat a change was wrought in the minds of men that they who a little\nbefore had been obstinate to perish like the men of Veii, now with one\nvoice desired peace. Ambassadors therefore were sent to Camillus, who,\nhaving been bidden by him to go to Rome, had audience of the Senate, to\nwhom they spake thus: \"Fathers, ye and your generals have overcome us in\nsuch a fashion as neither gods nor men can blame. We therefore surrender\nourselves to you, making no doubt that we shall live more happily under\nyour government than under our own laws.\" Peace was granted to them on\nthe condition that they should bring the tax for that year, that the\nburden of the Commons might be eased.\n\nAfter this the Senate sent three messengers to Delphi bearing with them\nthe offering of the Roman people to the god, namely, a mixing-bowl of\ngold. These messsengers were taken by pirates of Lipara and carried\nto that town. Now the custom at Lipara was that plunder so taken was\ndivided among the people. But the chief magistrate of Lipara for\nthat year, having a reverence for the character of ambassadors, and\nconsidering also that they were carrying an offering to the god, and\nknowing for what cause this offering was made, persuaded the multitude\nalso. The messengers, therefore, were entertained at the public expense,\nand having been sent with a convoy of ships to Greece, were so brought\nback safe to the city of Rome.\n\nIn the fourth year after these things, one Marcus Caedicius, a man of\nthe Commons, gave information to the magistrates that in the new street\nabove the temple of Vesta he had heard a voice louder than the voice of\nman, that said these words, \"The Gauls are coming.\" No heed was taken of\nthis thing, both because the man that told it was of little account, and\nbecause the nation of the Gauls, dwelling far off, was little known.\n\nNot only did the people of Rome despise the warnings of the gods, but\nalso they deprived themselves, as far as in them lay, of all human help,\ndriving away Camillus from their city. For, having been summoned to\nstand his trial by one of the tribunes of the Commons in the matter of\nthe spoil of Veii (and it had chanced also that in those same days\nhe had suffered the loss of a son that was almost grown to years of\nmanhood), he called together to his house the members of his tribe and\nhis dependants, being themselves no small part of the Commons, and laid\nthe matter before them. And when they had answered him that they would\ncontribute among themselves whatsoever fine he might be condemned to\npay, but that they could not bring it about that he should be acquitted,\nhe went into exile, first putting up to the immortal gods this prayer.\n\"If I am not deserving of this wrong, cause, I beseech you, that this\npeople may repent them that they have driven me forth.\" Being absent on\nthe day of trial he was condemned to pay fifteen thousand pounds' weight\nof copper.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII. ~~ THE STORY OF ROME AND THE GAULS.\n\nIn this same year, being the three hundred and sixty and fourth from the\nbuilding of the City, came ambassadors from Clusium asking help of the\nRomans against the Gauls. Now some men say that these Gauls crossed the\nAlps and took to themselves the lands which the Etrurians had before\npossessed, being drawn by the delightsomeness of the things grown\ntherein, especially of wine, a pleasure before unknown to them. And they\nsay also that wine was brought into Gaul by one Aruns of Clusium for the\nsake of avenging himself upon a certain Lucumo who had taken from him\nhis wife, this Lucumo being a prince in his country, whom there was no\nhope that he could punish unless he should get help in some such way\nfrom foreigners. However this may be, it is certain that the Gauls\ncrossed the Alps before this time by many years, and that they fought\nmany battles with the Etrurians. First, in the days of King Tarquinius\nthe Elder, one Ambigatus that was king of the Celts, who inhabited the\nthird part of Gaul, sent his sister's sons to seek out for themselves\nnew kingdoms, of whom one was directed by the oracle to go towards\nGermany, and the other by a far more pleasant way to Italy. These then\nhaving come to the Alps wondered how they might pass them, the top of\nthem seeming to be joined to the sky. And while they doubted there came\ntidings how certain others, strangers like to themselves, and that had\ncome seeking lands wherein to dwell, were attacked by the natives of the\nSalyi. (These strangers were the inhabitants of Phocaea, that had fled\nfrom their town when it was besieged by Cyrus king of Persia.) Having\nhelped the Phocaeans to build a city, they themselves climbed over the\nAlps, and, descending on the other side, put to flight the Etrurians\nnear the river Ticinus, and formed a city called Mediolanum.\n\nAfter these came many companies of Gauls by the same way into Italy,\nthose that were now fighting against Clusium being the nations of the\nSenones. And the men of Clusium, seeing how great was the multitude of\nthis people, and what manner of men they were, being unlike to any that\nthey had seen before, and of very great stature, and also what arms\nthey carried, were in great fear. Knowing also that the armies of the\nEtrurians had often been put to flight by them, they determined to send\nambassadors to Rome, asking help from the Senate, though, indeed, they\nhad no claim either for friendship or alliance' sake, save only that\nthey had not given succour to their kinsmen of Veii. Help the Senate was\nnot willing to give; but they sent three ambassadors, brothers and sons\nof Fabius Ambustus, who should say to the Gauls, \"In the name of the\nSenate and Commons of Rome we bid you do no harm to them who are allies\nand friends of the Roman people, and from whom ye have suffered no\nwrong. For them, if occasion demand, we must support even by force of\narms. Nevertheless it will please us well to be friends rather than\nenemies of the Gauls, of whom we have now for the first time knowledge.\"\n\nThe message, indeed, was sufficiently gentle, but it was entrusted to\nmen of too fierce a temper, that were, indeed, like to Gauls rather than\nto Romans. When the Fabii had set forth the commission in an assembly\nof the Gauls, there was made to them this answer: \"We have not, indeed,\nbefore heard the name of the Romans, but we believe you to be brave men,\nseeing that the men of Clusium have sought to you for help. Seeing that\nye would stand between us and your allies, and would deal by persuasion\nrather than by force of arms, we accept your conditions; only let the\nmen of Clusium, seeing that they possess more land than they need, give\nup that which is over and above to the Gauls. On these terms only will\nwe give peace. Let them answer now in your presence. And if they will\nnot give the land, let them fight with us also in your presence, that\nye may tell your countrymen how far we excel all other men in valour.\"\n\"Nay,\" said the Romans, \"by what right do ye ask land from them that\npossess it, and threaten war to them that refuse? And what concern have\nye, being Gauls, with the men of Etruria?\" To this the Gauls made reply\nin haughty words: \"Our right we carry on the points of our swords, for\nto the brave all things belong.\"\n\nThus there was great anger stirred up on both sides; and they made ready\nfor battle. And now (for so the destiny of the city of Rome would have\nit) the ambassadors, setting the law of nations at nought, went into the\nbattle. Nor was this hidden from the Gauls, for not only were the three\nconspicuous for strength and courage, but one of them, Quintus by name,\nspurring out before the line, slew a chieftain of the Gauls that had\nfallen upon the standards of the Etrurians, running him through with\nhis spear. And the Gauls knew him for one of the ambassadors, while he\nspoiled the body of the arms. Straightway the report of this thing was\nspread through the whole army, and the signal was given to retreat, for\nthey thought no more of the Clusines, but would have vengeance on the\nRomans. Some indeed would have had the host march straightway; but the\nelders prevailed, advising that ambassadors should be sent complaining\nof the wrong done, and demanding that the Fabii should be given up to\nthem for punishment. So ambassadors were sent, and when these had set\nforth the matter, the Senate was much displeased with the Fabii, and\nconfessed that the Gauls demanded only that which was within their\nright. Nevertheless, because the Fabii were men of high degree, favour\nprevailed against justice. But lest they should be blamed if any\nmisfortune followed, the Senators referred the decision of the matter to\nan assembly of the people; in which assembly favour and wealth availed\nso much that the Fabii were not only let go unpunished, but were even\nchosen with three others to be tribunes of the soldiers for the year to\ncome. When the ambassadors of the Gauls knew what had been done, they\nwere greatly wroth, and returned to their countrymen, having first\nproclaimed war against Rome. And now, though so great a peril was at\nhand, none at Rome thought or cared. And indeed it is always thus that\nthey that are doomed to perish have their eyes blinded against that\nwhich is coming upon them. For though the Romans had been wont to\nuse all means of help against enemies near at hand, and to appoint a\ndictator in times of need, yet now, having to deal with an enemy of whom\nthey had had before no experience or knowledge, they neglected all these\nthings. They whose rashness had brought about the war, having the charge\nof the thing committed to them, used no more diligence in the levying of\nan army than if they were dealing with one of the nations round about,\nbut made light of the matter. In the meanwhile the Gauls, when they\nheard that the very men that had set at nought the law of nations had\nbeen promoted to great honour, were filled with fury, and forthwith\nsnatching up their standards, marched towards Rome with all speed. And\nwhen the inhabitants of the country were terrified at their coming,\nthe dwellers in the cities running to arms, and the countryfolk leaving\ntheir homes, the Gauls cried out to them that they were bound for Rome.\nNevertheless the report of their coming went before them, messengers\nfrom Clusium and from other states hastening to Rome, from whose\nreports, as also from the great speed of the enemy, there arose great\nfear among the Romans. These levied an army with all haste and marched\nforth, meeting the Gauls at the river Allia, where, flowing down from\nthe mountains of Crustumeria in a very deep channel, it is joined to the\nTiber, about eleven miles from Rome. There they found the whole country,\nboth in front and on either side, occupied by great multitudes of Gauls,\nand in an uproar with the loud singing and shouting with which this\nnation is wont to terrify its enemies.\n\nAnd now the tribunes of the soldiers, having neither pitched a camp nor\nmade a rampart to be a defence if they should be driven back, nor taken\nany account of omens, nor offered sacrifice (for they were careless\nalike of gods and of men), drew up their army in array, extending their\nline lest they should be surrounded by the multitude of the enemy. But\neven then, though they so weakened the middle part that their ranks\nscarce held together, they could not make their front equal to the front\nof the enemy. There was a little hill on the right hand, and this they\noccupied with a reserve. Against this reserve Brennus, the king of the\nGauls, made his first attack; for seeing that the Romans were few in\nnumber, he judged that they must excel in skill, and that the hill had\nbeen thus occupied to the end that the Gauls might be assailed from\nbehind while they were fighting with the legions in front. He judged,\ntherefore, that if he could thrust down them that were on this hill his\narmy might easily deal with the Romans on the plain, seeing that\nthey far exceeded them in number. So true is it that on this day the\nbarbarians were superior not in fortune only but also in judgment and\nskill. As for the Romans, neither the captains nor the soldiers were\nin anywise worthy of their name. Their souls were wholly possessed with\nterror, so that, forgetting everything, they fled to Veii, that had\nbelonged to their enemies, and this though the Tiber was in their way,\nrather than to Rome, to their wives and children. The reserves were\ndefended for a while by the ground whereon they stood, but the rest of\nthe army turned their backs forthwith and fled so soon as they heard\nthe battle shout of the Gauls. For they sought not to come to blows with\nthem, nor even set up a shout in answer; but without making trial of the\nenemy, nor so much as daring to look at him, fled with all haste. In the\nbattle, indeed, none were slain; but there was great slaughter among the\nrereward when these were crowded together in such haste and confusion\nthat they hindered one another. Many also were slain on the bank of the\nTiber, whither the whole of the left wing of the host had fled, first\nthrowing away their arms; and many also were swallowed up by the\nriver, either not knowing how to swim or from lack of strength, being\noverburdened by the weight of their coats of mail and other armour.\nNevertheless the greater part of the men escaped safe to Veii; but none\nwent from this place to the help of Rome, nor did they so much as send\ntidings of the battle. As for them that had been set on the right\nwing, these all went to Rome; and when they were come thither, delayed\nnot even to shut the gate of the city, but fled straightway into the\ncitadel. This battle was fought on the eighteenth day of the month\nQuintilis; nor was it ever lawful in Rome thereafter to do any public\nbusiness on that day.\n\nThe Gauls were beyond measure astonished that they had vanquished their\nenemy so easily and in so short a space of time. At the first they stood\nstill in fear, not knowing what had taken place; afterwards they began\nto fear some stratagem; at last they buried the dead bodies of the\nslain, and piled together the arms in heaps according to their custom.\nAnd now, not perceiving in any place the sign of an enemy, they began\nto march forward, and came to Rome a little before sunset. But when\nthe horsemen whom they had sent on before brought back tidings that\nthe gates were open, with none to defend them and no soldiers upon the\nwalls, they were not less astonished than before, and came to a halt,\nfearing lest, in the darkness of the night and in a place whereof they\nknew nothing, they might fall into some peril. They took up a station,\ntherefore, between Rome and the river Anio, sending scouts about the\nwalls and the gates of the city who should learn what the enemy purposed\nto do in the great extremity whereunto they had been brought.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV. ~~ THE STORY OF ROME AND THE GAULS (continued).\n\nMeanwhile the city was full of weeping and wailing, for none thought\nthat they who had fled to Veii were yet alive, or that any had been\nsaved from the battle, save such as were already come back to Rome. But\nwhen tidings were brought that the Gauls were close at hand, sorrow\ngave place to fear. And now the Gauls were seen to move backwards and\nforwards before the walls, and there was heard the sound of shouting and\nof the barbarous music that this people use. And still the inhabitants\nexpected till an attack should be made upon the city. At first they\nthought that this would be done at the first coming of the enemy; but\nafterwards believed that it would be delayed until nightfall, that the\nterror might be increased by the darkness. Nevertheless all men bore\nthemselves bravely, and altogether unlike to them who had turned their\nbacks in such shameful fashion at the river Allia. For since there was\nno hope that the city should be defended by the small number that yet\nremained, it was resolved that all the young men that could bear arms,\ntogether with such of the Senators as had strength sufficient for\nwar, should go up with their wives and children to the Citadel and the\nCapitol, where stores of arms and corn having been collected, they\nmight defend the gods of Rome and the honour of the State. Also it was\ndetermined that the priests of Quirinus, and the virgins of Vesta\nwith him, should carry away far from peril of fire and sword all that\nappertained to the gods, that their worship might not be interrupted so\nlong as any should be left to perform it. For they said, \"If the citadel\nand the Capitol, wherein are the dwellings of the Gods, and the Senate,\nwhich is the council of the State, and the youth that are of an age to\ncarry arms, survive the destruction that hangs over the city, it is but\na small matter that the aged should perish.\" And that the common people\nmight bear their fate with the more willingness, the old men of\nthe nobles that had been honoured in former days with triumphs and\nconsulships affirmed that they would meet death together with the rest;\nneither would they burden the scanty stores of the fighting men with\nbodies that had no longer the strength to carry arms.\n\nWhen the old men had thus comforted one another they addressed\nthemselves to encourage the young. These they accompanied to the\nCapitol, commending to their valour and strength all that now was left\nof the greatness of Rome. And now when they who were resolved that they\nwould not survive the capture and destruction of the city had departed,\nthe women ran to and fro asking of their husbands and of their sons what\nthey should do. But of these many were suffered to follow their husbands\nand kinsfolk into the Capitol, none forbidding, though none called them,\nfor that which would have profited the besieged, by diminishing the\nnumber of the useless, seemed to be barbarous and cruel. As for the rest\nof the people, for whom there was neither room in so small a hill nor\nfood in so scanty a provision of corn, these went forth from the city,\nas it were in a great host, towards the hill Janiculum.\n\nThence some scattered themselves over the country, and some made their\nway to the neighbouring cities; but there was no leader or common\npurpose, and each concerned himself with his own affairs only, for\nof the State all despaired. Meanwhile the priests of Quirinus and the\nvirgins of Vesta, taking no thought for their own affairs, took counsel\ntogether which of the sacred things they should carry away with them and\nwhich they should leave behind, for they had not strength sufficient\nfor the carrying of all; also in what place they might most safely leave\nthem. It seemed good to them to put such things as it was needful to\nleave behind in a cask and to bury them in the ground within the chapel\nthat was hard by the dwelling-house of the priests of Quirinus. The rest\nthey, carried, dividing the burden of them among themselves, and went by\nthe way that leads to the mount Janiculum, over the wooden bridge. And\nwhile they were mounting the hill, one Lucius Albinius, a man of the\nCommons, saw them, who was carrying his wife and children in a cart\namongst the crowd that was leaving the city as having no strength for\narms. This Albinius forgot not even in such peril the reverence due to\nreligion, and thinking it shame that the priests with the holy things\nshould go afoot while he and his were carried, bade his wife and\nchildren come down from the cart, and putting therein the virgins, with\nthe sacred things, carried them to Caere, whither it had been their\npurpose to go.\n\nMeanwhile at Rome all things had been set in order, as far as might be,\nfor the defending of the Citadel; and the old men, going back to their\nhomes, sat awaiting the coming of the Gauls with minds wholly fixed\non death. And such among them as had borne the more honourable\nmagistracies, because they would die having on them the emblems of their\nold glory, put on them the splendid robes which they wear who draw the\nropes of the chariots of the gods, or ride in triumph, and so sat down\nin their ivory chairs before their houses. Some say that, following\na form of words which Marcus Folius the chief priest repeated, they\ndevoted themselves to death for their country and for the citizens of\nRome.\n\nThe next day the Gauls entered the city by the Colline Gate without any\nanger or fury, for such as had been stirred by the battle had abated\nduring the night; and indeed they had met with no peril in the field,\nnor did they now take the city by storm. So they came to the marketplace\nand thence looked about them on the Citadel, which alone in the city\nstill preserved some semblance of war, and on the temples of the Gods.\nHere they left a guard of no great strength, lest haply some attack\nshould be made upon them from the Capitol, while they were scattered;\nand the rest scattered themselves to gather spoil, some seeking it in\nthe dwellings that were nigh at hand, and some in such as were more\ndistant, thinking that they would find these rather untouched and\nabounding with riches. Thence again, terrified by the silence of the\nplace, and fearing lest some stratagem of the enemy might be concealed\nthereby, they returned to the market-place and to the parts adjacent\nthereto. Here finding that the palaces of the nobles were open, and the\nhouses of the common folk barred, they were slower to enter the open\nthan the shut, for they beheld with no small reverence the men that sat\neach in the porch of his house, noting how great was the splendour\nof their apparel and their ornaments, and that the majesty of their\ncountenances was rather that of gods than of men. So they stood\nmarvelling at them as though they had been images of the gods, till a\ncertain Marcus Papirius, one of the priests, smote a Gaul on the head\nwith his ivory staff, the man having stroked his beard, which it was\nthen the custom to wear of a great length. The barbarian in a rage\nslew him, and all the others also were slain where they sat. The nobles\nhaving thus perished, all others that were found in the city were\nslaughtered in like manner, the houses were plundered, and being emptied\nof their goods were set on fire.\n\n[Illustration: The Gauls and the Senators 254]\n\nFor a while no small part of the city was spared, for the leaders of\nthe Gauls said, \"It may be that the hearts of them that keep the Citadel\nwill be turned to surrender by the loss of their own homes.\" These\nindeed were full of grief and anger, seeing the streets of the city full\nof the enemy, and beholding new destructions every hour. Never indeed\nwere men besieged in such evil plight, for they were shut out from their\ncountry, and saw all their possessions in the power of the enemy. For\nall this their courage failed not for one hour, though all\n about them was laid even with the ground by fire and sword, but were\nobstinate to keep the hill which was now the sole abiding-place of\nfreedom. As for their troubles they took no account of them, nor had any\nhope save only in the swords which they carried in their hands.\n\nThe Gauls having spent their fury on the dwellings in the city,\nseeing that the spirit of the Romans was in no wise subdued, but was\nsteadfastly set against surrender, resolved to make an assault on the\nCitadel. Therefore, at dawn of day, after signal had been given, they\ndrew up their whole army in the marketplace; and then, setting up a\nshout and locking shields over their heads in the fashion that is called\nthe \"tortoise,\" they began to climb the hill. On the other hand the\nRomans did nothing rashly or in a hurry; but strengthening the guards at\nevery point of attack, set their main body where the Gauls were coming;\nand these they suffered to climb the slope, judging that the higher they\nshould have mounted the more easily would they be driven down. But when\nthey were come to the middle of the hill, then the Romans ran down\nupon them, and made a great slaughter among them, driving them over the\nsteep, so that never again, either with a part of their force or with\nthe whole thereof, did they make trial of this manner of fighting. They\nset themselves, therefore, to take the Citadel by blockade. But for this\nthey had made no preparation, having burned all the provision of food\nthat was in the houses of the city, while that which was in the field\nhad by this time been carried into Veii; wherefore, dividing their\nforces, they set some to keep watch on the Citadel, and some they sent\nto gather spoil in the country round about.\n\nNow they that were sent to gather spoil came by chance to Ardea, in\nwhich city Camillus dwelt, grieving for his country rather than for\nhimself, and marvelling what had befallen the men who with him had\nconquered Veii and Falerii. And now, hearing that the Gauls were near\nat hand, and that the men of Ardea, being in no small fear, were taking\ncounsel about the matter, he came forward in the assembly and spake\nthus: \"Men of Ardea, ye have now opportunity to repay the benefits which\nye have received from the Roman people, concerning which benefits, how\nmany and how great they be, there is no need that I remind you. And ye\nhave opportunity also to win for yourselves great renown. These\nGauls that are coming against you are great in stature rather than in\nstrength, and make a terrible show in battle, but yet are not hard to\nwithstand. For consider what has befallen Rome, They took the city when\nall the gates lay open; but now the Citadel, though it is kept by a\nsmall company, they are not able to take. Wearied already of besieging\nit, they are scattering themselves over the face of the land to gather\nspoil. Their manner is to gorge themselves with meat and great draughts\nof wine, and at nightfall to throw themselves on the ground like beasts,\nwithout defence or outposts or guards. And now by reason of their late\nvictory they are careless even beyond their wont. If then ye would keep\nyour city safe, and would not have this whole land become a part of\nGaul, take all of you your arms at the first watch of the night. Follow\nme, and if I deliver them not in your hands, fast bound with sleep, to\nbe slaughtered as cattle, then banish me even as the Romans banished\nme.\"\n\nNow all that heard him knew that there was no man so great in war as he.\nTherefore, when the assembly was dismissed, they refreshed themselves\nand waited eagerly till he should give the signal. And when they heard\nit, they hastened to the gate of the city to meet Camillus; nor had\nthey gone far from the city when they found the camp of Gauls was, as\nCamillus foretold, altogether without guards; and setting up a shout\nthey fell upon it. No fighting was there, but only a great slaughter,\nfor the men were naked and overpowered with sleep. Some also that were\nin the furthest part of the camp, being awakened by the uproar, and not\nknowing what had happened, fell into the hands of the enemy; and many\ngoing forth to plunder the lands of the men of Antium fell upon a\ncompany of the townsfolk, and were surrounded and slain.\n\nMeanwhile the Gauls watched the Citadel at Rome, that none should go\nforth between the posts. And now there was done by a Roman youth a thing\nwhich both friends and foes greatly admired. The house of the Fabii had\na yearly sacrifice on the Hill of Quirinus. A certain Quintus Fabius\nDorso, therefore, that he might duly perform this sacrifice, came down\nfrom the Capitol, clad in the vestment that is used for such purpose,\nand carrying the holy things in his hands, and so came to the Hill of\nQuirinus, passing through the midst of the guards of the enemy, and\nheeding not their speech or threatening. There he duly performed all the\nceremony, and, coming back by the same way, with look and step composed\nas before, returned to his friends in the Capitol, having a good hope\nthat the gods, whose service he had not neglected for any extremity of\nfear, looked upon him with favour. As for the Gauls, they did him no\nharm, either for wonder at his boldness, or for religion's sake, for\nwhich indeed this people had no small regard.\n\nMeanwhile they that were at Veii gathered daily both courage and\nstrength, for not only did the Romans that had escaped from the battle\nor fled from the city assemble themselves there, but volunteers also\nfrom Latium flocked thither, hoping to share in the spoil of the enemy.\nAnd now it seemed high time that they should deliver their country out\nof the hand of the Gauls; only, though the body was strong, there yet\nlacked a head. Then, because the place wherein they were reminded them\nof Camillus, and because many of the soldiers had had him for their\ncaptain in time past, they all agreed that he should be sent for from\nArdea. But first they would consult the Senate at Rome, so careful were\nthey of law, not forgetting for all their extremity of peril that which\nwas right to be done. Now there was no small danger in passing through\nthe posts of the enemy. This a certain Cominius, a young man and of\ngreat activity, undertook to do; and he, supporting himself on corks,\nwas carried down the Tiber as far as the city. There, climbing the side\nthat was nearest to the river, where the rock was steep, and for that\ncause left unguarded by the Gauls, he climbed into the Capitol; and\nthen, being brought before the magistrates, delivered to them the\nmessage of the army. Then the Senate passed a decree that Camillus,\nhaving been first in due form released from exile, should be Dictator,\nso that the soldiers might have him for captain whom they desired. With\nthis decree the messenger returned to Veii by the same way by which he\ncame, and messengers went to fetch Camillus from Ardea.\n\nWhile these things were being done at Veii, the Citadel of Rome had been\nin great peril, for the Gauls either had seen the footmarks where the\nmessenger from Veii had climbed into the Capitol, or had observed for\nthemselves that there was an easy ascent by the rock of Carmentis. On\na moonlight night, therefore, having first sent a man unarmed to make\ntrial of the ascent, they set out. Their arms they handed one to the\nother, and when there was any hindrance in the way they supported or\ndrew up each other, and so climbed to the top, and this so silently that\nthey did not even wake the dogs, though these animals are very watchful\nfor any noise that may take place in the night. But they escaped not\nthe notice of the geese, for there were geese in the Capitol, and these,\nbeing sacred to Juno, they had not eaten, though being sorely in need of\nfood. And this regard for holy things was their salvation. For a certain\nMarcus Manlius, being awoke by their cries and by the flapping of their\nwings, hasted forth, catching up his arms, and calling all the rest\nto do likewise. And they indeed were at first in great confusion, but\nManlius drave the boss of his shield against a Gaul, for one was now\nstanding on the very top of the hill. And the man fell and overthrew\nthem that stood close at hand; and when the others in great fear dropped\ntheir arms and laid hold of the rocks, he fell upon them and slew\nthem. By this time others also had rallied to him, and these, throwing\njavelins and stones upon the Gauls, beat them down, so that the whole\ncompany were overthrown and fell headlong down the steep. The rest of\nthat night they slept, so far as they could for remembrance of the great\nperil from which they had been delivered; and at dawn all the soldiers\nwere summoned to an assembly by sound of the bugle, it being needful to\ngive due recompense both to that which had been well and that which had\nbeen ill done. First Manlius received both praises and gifts for his\nvalour, and this not only from the captains, but from the common consent\nof the soldiers, every man carrying to his house, which was in the\nCapitol, half a pound of corn and half a pint of wine, a gift which\nseems indeed very small in the telling, but yet was a great proof of\naffection, the great scarcity of all things which prevailed at the time\nbeing considered, since all subtracted something from their necessary\nfood to give it to this one man. After this the guards that had been\nset to watch the place by which the enemy had climbed up the hill were\nsummoned to the assembly. Of these, though Sulpicius, tribune of the\nsoldiers, had affirmed that he would deal with all of them according to\nmilitary custom, only one was punished, all agreeing to throw the chief\nblame on him, and he, being beyond all doubt guilty in the matter, was\nby common consent cast down from the rock. After this the watch was kept\nmore diligently on both sides, for the Gauls knew that messengers had\ngone to and fro between Veii and Rome, and the Romans remembered from\nhow great a peril they had escaped.\n\nBeyond all other evils of war famine troubled both armies. The Gauls\nwere vexed with pestilence also, having their camp in low ground that\nlay among hills, and was scorched with the burning of the houses. If\nthere was anything of wind also, this brought with it not dust only\nbut ashes. All these things and the heat of the year the Gauls, who are\naccustomed to wet and cold, were little able to endure, so that they\ndied, as it were, in herds; so that their fellows, wearied of burying\nthe dead one by one, made great heaps of their carcases and burned them\nwith fire. And now a truce was made with the Romans, and conferences\nheld. In this the Gauls spake much of the famine as being good cause of\nsurrender; whereupon, it is said, the Romans threw loaves of bread among\ntheir posts, as if to show them that there was no scarcity among them.\nNevertheless their hunger was such that now it could neither be hidden\nnor endured. Wherefore, while Camillus levied an army at Ardea, the\ngarrison of the Capitol, worn out with watching, and yet able to endure\nall other ills save hunger only, seeing that the help they looked for\ncame not, and that when the guards went forth to their watch they could\nscarce for weakness stand up under their arms, were resolute that they\nshould either surrender or ransom themselves on such terms as might be\nhad. And this they did the more readily because the Gauls had made it\nplain that they might be persuaded by no great sum of money to give up\nthe siege. The Senate, therefore, was called together, and the matter\nwas entrusted to the tribunes of the soldiers. After this a conference\nwas held between Sulpicius and Brennus, king of the Gauls, by whom it\nwas agreed that a thousand pounds' weight of gold should be the ransom\nof a people that was thereafter to rule the world; a shameful thing,\nmade yet more shameful by insult. For the Gauls bringing false weights\nwhich the tribune refused, King Brennus threw his sword into the scale\nthat held the weights, saying at the same time words that no Roman could\nendure: \"Woe to the vanquished!\"\n\nBut both gods and men forbad that Rome should be ransomed in this\nfashion. For before the payment was made, the whole quantity of gold not\nhaving been weighed by reason of this dispute, the Dictator coming up\ncommanded that the gold should be taken away, and bade the Gauls depart.\nThese indeed made opposition, affirming that the covenant had been made\nand must be performed; to which Camillus made answer that it had been\nmade without his permission by a lower magistrate he being at the\ntime Dictator, and he warned the Gauls to make them ready forthwith\nto battle. To his own men he gave command that they should throw their\nbaggage into a heap and gird on their arms. \"Ransom your country,\"\nsaid he, \"with steel rather than with gold, having before your eyes the\ntemples of the Gods, your wives, your children, and all which ye most\ndesire.\" After this he drew up in line of battle, as well as the place\npermitted, being covered with the ruins of the city. The Gauls, troubled\nby these things, which had happened beyond all their expectations, took\nup their arms and ran upon the Romans with much rage but little skill.\nAnd now (such change was there in fortune) they were put to flight no\nless easily than they had put the Romans to flight at Allia. There was\nyet another battle between the Gauls and the Romans; and this was fought\nat the eighth milestone on the road to Gabii, for to this place they had\nfled from Rome. Here there was slaughter without end. The camp of the\nGauls was taken, and all perished, so that not so much as one was left\nto carry home the tidings. Then Camillus returned in triumph to Rome,\nbeing greeted by the soldiers in their rude fashion as a second Romulus,\nthe true father and founder of his country.\n\nHaving now saved Rome by war, he saved it beyond all doubt in peace\nalso, for he forbade the people to depart from the city and take up\ntheir dwelling at Veii, which counsel was urged more diligently by the\ntribunes now that the city had been burned by fire, the commons being\nnot a little inclined thereto. But Camillus, that he might the more\neffectually hinder it, resigned not his office of dictator, according to\ncustom, after his triumph, but still kept it till all these things were\nbrought to an end.\n\nFirst, being always careful of things that concerned the gods, he\nproposed that all the temples should be duly restored and purified; that\nthe people of Caere should be admitted to the friendship of the Roman\npeople, because they had given shelter to the priests and the virgins\nand the sacred things, and that games should be held in honour of\nJupiter of the Capitol as having delivered the city from the enemy. The\ngold that had been taken from the Gauls, with that which had been\ntaken from the temples, no one knowing to whom or to what place it\nappertained, was to be laid beneath the throne of Jupiter. To the\nmatrons public thanks were given, with this honour, that they should\nbe praised with funeral orations in like manner with men. Then he spake\nabout the counsel of departing to Veii, showing them many causes why\nthey should refuse it, and this above all others, that it was not lawful\nto worship the gods of their country in any other place but only in\nRome. But that which prevailed with them more than all the speech of\nCamillus was a word spoken by chance. While the Senate debated the\nmatter in the Hall of Hostilius, certain cohorts that were returning\nfrom keeping the guards passed through the market-place, whereupon a\ncenturion cried out, \"Standard-bearer, set up thy standard. We shall\nbest remain in this place.\" And when the Senate heard these words they\nexclaimed with one voice, \"We accept the omen;\" and the multitude of the\npeople that stood around approved.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV. ~~ THE STORY OF MANLIUS OF THE TWISTED CHAIN.\n\nThere dwelt in Rome a certain Lucius Manlius, of the kindred of that\nManlius that thrust down the Gauls from the Capitol, and men gave him\nthe surname of Imperious by reason of the haughtiness of his temper.\nThis Manlius was made dictator for this one purpose, that he might drive\na nail into the wall of the temple of Jupiter. For it had been a custom\nin old time that whoever was chief magistrate at Rome should drive a\nnail in this place on the fifteenth day of the month September, to the\nend that the number of the year might thus be marked, there being in\nthose days but small use of letters and figures; and this nail was\ndriven into the wall that looks towards the temple of Minerva, because\nMinerva is the goddess of numbers. But in the days of Manlius this\ncustom had been long since forgotten; and when it chanced that a\npestilence came upon the city and nothing else availed to stay it (for\nbesides other things stage players were brought from Etruria to make\na show that might appease the anger of the gods), certain old men\nremembered that in former years such plagues had been stayed by the\nappointing of a dictator to drive in a nail. This Manlius then was thus\nappointed; but when he had done his office he conceived the purpose of\ncarrying on war against the Hernici, and would have levied an army but\nthat the tribunes of the Commons hindered him.\n\nIn the beginning of the next year one of the tribunes, Pomponius by\nname, brought Manlius to trial, bringing sundry accusations against him.\nFor in the levy that he sought to make he had dealt cruelly with them\nthat answered not to their names, causing some to be beaten with rods\nand casting others into prison. His surname also was proof sufficient\nthat he was of such a temper as could not be endured in a free state.\n\"And this temper,\" said the tribune, \"he had shown not to strangers\nonly, but even to those that are of his own blood. His own son, a young\nman uncondemned of any crime, he has banished from the city and from\nhis home, forbidding him to have any converse with his fellows, and\ncompelling him to work after the fashion of a slave. And for what fault\nin the young man, think ye, that he hath done this thing? Because he is\nnot eloquent or ready of speech. But should not a father, if there be\nany natural kindness in him, seek to apply remedies to such defects\nrather than to punish them? Even the brute beasts, if their offspring\nchance to be ill-shaped, are the more careful to nourish and cherish it.\nBut this Manlius has rather increased the affliction of his son, and\nmade his wits yet slower than they were, extinguishing such natural\npower as he may have by causing him to dwell among the beasts of the\nfield.\"\n\nThis accusation stirred great anger against the father in all men save\nonly in the son himself. For when the young man knew that an accusation\nhad been made against his father on his account he was much troubled.\nAnd that both gods and men might know that he desired to give help to\nhis father rather than to the enemies of his father, he conceived a plan\nwhich indeed ill became a citizen and one who would be obedient to the\nlaws, yet still was to be commended for its piety. Girding himself with\na knife he came, none knowing his purpose, early in the morning to the\ncity, and went straightway from the gate to the house of Pomponius the\ntribune. Then he said to the porter, \"I must needs speak forthwith with\nyour master. Tell him that Titus Manlius, son of Lucius Manlius, seeks\nhim.\" The tribune, thinking that the young man had come full of\nanger against his father, to bring, it might be, some new accusation,\ncommanded that he should be brought into his chamber. When they had\ngreeted one another Manlius said, \"I have somewhat to say to thee\nwhich thou must hear alone.\" So the tribune bade all that were present\nwithdraw themselves. This being done Manlius drew his dagger, and\nstanding over the bed, threatened that he would run him through\ntherewith unless he should swear in words that he would himself dictate\nthat he would never hold a meeting of the Commons before which to bring\nhis father to judgment. The tribune, fearing the steel which glittered\nbefore his eyes, and knowing that the young man was not only of\nexceeding strength but also of a very fierce and savage temper, and\nbeing himself without arms, sware as he was bidden, and afterwards told\nwhat had taken place, showing that he had given up his purpose under\ncompulsion. The people took it ill that they could not sit in judgment\non a man of so cruel a temper; nevertheless they commended the son for\nhis piety; and all the more because the harshness of his father had not\nextinguished in him his natural affection. The father indeed escaped\nnot, being brought to trial, and the son reaped from the matter this\nreward, that in the following year, when the people for the first time,\nfor so it chanced to happen, chose their tribune in the army, he was so\nchosen, having the second place among six; and this though he had\ndone nothing either at home or abroad which might commend him to their\nfavour.\n\nIn the year following there was a war with the Gauls, who had pitched\ntheir camp three miles only from Rome on the other side of the river\nAnio. A certain Quinctius Pennus, being made dictator, gathered a great\narmy and encamped on the near side of the river. Now between the two\narmies there was a bridge, which neither the one nor the other would\nbreak down, lest they should seem to fear the enemy. For this bridge\nmany battles were fought; and it could not be told, so equal was the\nstrength on either side, to whom it belonged. At a certain day there\ncame forth a Gaul of exceeding great stature and stood upon the bridge,\ncrying with a loud voice, \"Hear now, ye men of Rome, let the bravest\nman that ye have among you come forth, and let him fight with me; and\naccording as I shall prevail over him, or he prevail over me, so shall\nwe know whether Gauls or Romans are the better in war.\"\n\nFor a long time there was silence among the Roman people, for they were\nashamed to refuse the battle, yet were loath to take the very first\nplace in this great peril. Then Titus Manlius, the son of Lucius, came\nforth, and said to the Dictator, \"I would never fight out of my due\nplace in the host without thy bidding, not even though I should see\nvictory clearly assured. But now, if thou wilt suffer me, I would gladly\nshow to that brute beast that shows himself so confidently before the\nstandards of the enemy that I am of the name of Manlius and of the\nkindred of him that drave down the Gauls from the Capitol.\" To him the\nDictator made answer, \"Thou doest well, Manlius, with thy valour and thy\npiety, both towards thy country and thy father. Go thou and show, the\nGods helping thee, that a Roman cannot be conquered.\" Then his comrades\narmed the youth, giving him the long shield of a foot soldier and a\nSpanish sword, which, for its shortness, was well suited for fighting in\nclose combat. Then they led him forward against the Gaul; and even noted\nhow, for scorn of his enemy, the barbarian thrust out his tongue. So the\ntwo stood together between the armies, being ill matched, if one would\njudge by the appearance. The Gaul, indeed, was of exceedingly great\nstature, and was clad in a garment of many colours, and his arms were\npainted and inlaid with gold. As for the Roman, he was of the middle\nstature, such as is commonly to be seen among soldiers, his bearing\nbeing without pride, and his arms fitted for use rather than for show.\nHe used no song of defiance, nor leaping from the ground, nor idle\nshaking of his arms; but kept his courage and wrath silent within his\nheart, nor showed his fierceness till the combat itself should need\nit. So they stood, and the two armies regarded them with hope and fear.\nFirst the Gaul, being like to some great mass that was ready to crush\neverything under it, thrusting forward his shield on his left arm, dealt\na great blow on the armour of Manlius with his sword, striking with the\nedge (for the swords of the Gauls had no points), but harming him not,\nthough the sound of it was great. But the Roman, first thrusting aside\nthe shield of the enemy with his own shield, ran in close upon him, so\nthat the man could not strike him--his sword being over long--and so\ndriving his sword pointwise from beneath, smote him twice in the belly\nand in the groin, so that he fell his whole length upon the ground. And\nas he lay, he stripped from his body, to which he did no other harm,\na chain of twisted gold that the man wore, and threw it, covered with\nblood as it was, about his own neck. Meanwhile the Gauls stood still for\nfear and wonder; but the Romans running forth with joy from their ranks\nto meet their champion, so led him to the Dictator. From this deed Titus\nManlius was called \"Manlius of the Twisted Chain;\" and this name he\nhanded down to his descendants after him.\n\nAbout twenty years after this deed there was a great war between the\nRomans and the Latins (for the Latins demanded that one consul should\nalways be of their nation, and, this being denied to them, made war\nagainst Rome) and this same Manlius was consul. Now it was needful that\nthere should be discipline of the strictest sort in the army; and also,\nbecause the Latins spake the same tongue as did the Romans, and had\ntheir arms and all other things that appertained to war the same, the\nConsuls issued a decree that no man should fight with the enemy, save\nonly at his post in the army.\n\nNow it chanced that Titus Manlius, son of the Consul, being captain of a\nsquadron of horsemen, rode so far with his squadron (the horsemen being\nsent out in all directions to spy out the country) that he was scarce\nthe length of a spear's throw from the camp of the enemy, at a certain\npart where the horsemen of Tusculum had their station. The leader of\nthese horsemen was Metius, a certain man of noble birth and renowned\namong his countrymen for his valour. This Metius, seeing the Roman\nhorsemen, and Manlius the Consul's son riding in the front, and knowing\nhim who he was (for indeed all the men of note in the two armies were\nknown to each other), cried out, \"Are ye minded, ye men of Rome, being\nbut one squadron, to do battle with the Latins and their allies? What\nare the Consuls doing, and their two armies?\" To this Manlius made\nanswer, \"They will come in due time; aye, one that is mightier than\nthey, even Jupiter, will come also: Jupiter, who is witness to the\ntreaties which ye have broken. If at the Lake Regillus we fought with\nyou till ye were weary, so here also we will give you such entertainment\nas ye shall little like.\" Then said Metius, \"Art thou willing, then, in\nthe meanwhile, while the day on which ye will make so mighty a stir is\nyet coming, to fight here with me, that from the issue of our meeting\nall men may know by how much a Latin horseman is better than a horseman\nof the Romans?\" Thereupon anger, or shame that he should seem to shrink\nfrom such combat, or, it may be, the will of fate, that none may escape,\nstirred the young man's haughty spirit, so that, taking no account of\nhis father's commands or of the decree of the Consuls, he thrust himself\nheadlong into a combat in which it mattered but little whether he was\nvanquished or no. The other horsemen removed themselves far off to look\nat the combat, leaving a space of clear ground for the two, who,\ndriving their horses over the plain, met in the midst with their spears\nlevelled. The spear of Metius crossed the horse's neck of Manlius, and\nthe spear of Manlius passed above the head of the Latin. After this they\nwheeled their horses about, and Manlius, rising first to deal a second\nblow, smote the horse of the Latin between the ears; and when the horse\nfelt the wound he reared himself upon his hind legs and shook off his\nrider; and when the man, sorely shaken by so grievous a fall, would have\nraised himself by help of his shield and spear, the Roman smote him with\nhis spear in the throat, so that the point came out through his ribs,\nmaking him fast to the earth. Then Manlius gathered the spoils from the\ndead man, and rode back to the camp, his squadron following him with\ngreat joy. Being come to the camp, he went to the general's tent,\nknowing not what fate awaited him or whether he had earned praise or\npunishment. Then he said to his father, \"I desired that all men should\nknow that I am truly thy son; and therefore, having been challenged to\ncombat, I fought, and now bring back these spoils from the enemy whom I\nslew.\" But the Consul, so soon as he heard these words, turning his\nface from his son, commanded that the bugle should be sounded and the\nsoldiers called to an assembly. And when the men had come together in\ngreat numbers, he said, \"Titus Manlius, thou hast had no respect to\nthe authority of the Consuls or to the dignity of thy father, and,\ndisobeying our decree, hast fought with the enemy elsewhere than in\nthy place, loosening thereby, so far as in thee lay, that military\ndiscipline by which up to this time the commonwealth of Rome hath stood\nand been established. And me thou hast brought into these straits, that\nI must forget either the commonwealth or myself and my own kindred.\nRather, therefore, will we suffer ourselves for our own fault than\nsuffer the commonwealth to suffer for us at so great a loss to itself.\nTruly we two shall be a warning, sad indeed yet wholesome, to our youth\nin time to come. As for myself, I am truly troubled, not only by that\nlove for my children which is natural to all men, but also by the valour\nwhich, led astray by a false appearance of glory, thou hast shown\nthis day. Nevertheless, seeing that the Consuls' power must either be\nestablished for ever by thy death or abolished for ever by thy escape,\nI judge that thou thyself also, if there is aught of my blood in thee,\nwilt not refuse to die, and so establish again that military discipline\nwhich thou hast weakened by thy misdoing. Go, lictor, bind him to the\nstake.\"\n\nAll that were present in the assembly stood stricken with terror at\nso cruel a command, and stood silent, but rather from fear than from\nobedience, each seeming to see the axe made ready against himself. Thus\nwere they overwhelmed with astonishment, and stood holding their peace.\nBut when the young man's head was smitten off and the blood was seen\nto pour forth, then, recovering themselves, they cried aloud and spared\nneither lamentations nor curses. Afterwards for the young man they made\na soldiers funeral with all the zeal that they could show, covering his\nbody with the spoils of war and burning it on a pile in a place without\nthe rampart of the camp. From that day, when men would speak of some\nsavage command or exercising of power, they are wont to call it a\n\"Manlian rule.\" As for Titus Manlius the father, when he came back in\ntriumph to Rome (for the Romans were victorious in the war, as will be\ntold hereafter) the elders only went forth to meet him; the young men,\nboth then and ever afterwards, so long as he lived, turned from him with\nhatred and curses.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI. ~~ STORIES OF CERTAIN GREAT ROMANS.\n\nIn the three hundred and ninety-third year after the building of the\ncity there was seen suddenly to open in the market-place a great gulf of\na deepness that no man could measure. And this gulf could not be filled\nup though all the people brought earth and stones and the like to cast\ninto it. But at the last there was sent a message from the gods that\nthe Romans must enquire what was that by which more than all things the\nState was made strong. \"For,\" said the soothsayer, \"this thing must be\ndedicated to the Gods in this place if the commonwealth of Rome is to\nstand fast for ever.\" And while they doubted, one Marcus Curtius, a\nyouth that had won great renown in war, rebuked them saying, \"Can ye\ndoubt that Rome hath nothing better than arms and valour?\" Then all the\npeople stood silent; and Curtius, first beholding the temples of the\nimmortal gods that hung over the market-place and the Capitol, and\nafterwards stretching forth his hands both to heaven above and to this\ngulf that opened its mouth to the very pit, as it were, of hell, devoted\nhimself for his country; and so, being clothed in armour and with arms\nin his hand, and having his horse arrayed as sumptuously as might be, he\nleapt into the gulf; and the multitude, both of men and women, threw in\ngifts and offerings of the fruits of the earth, and afterwards the earth\nclosed together.\n\n[Illustration: Curtius leaping into the chasm 288]\n\nAbout the space of thirteen years after these things there was again\nwar with the Gauls; and when the Romans had levied a great army of ten\nlegions of men, Camillus the Consul (being son to that Camillus that\n the city in time past) marched therewith into the Latin plain, and\npitched his camp near to the marshes by the sea, over against the camp\nof the Gauls.\n\nAnd while the two armies lay quiet, a Gaul of great stature, and having\nsplendid arms, came forth, who, striking his shield with his spear, by\nway of token that he would have silence, challenged by the mouth of an\ninterpreter any one that would of the men of Rome to do battle with\nhim. Thereupon a certain Marcus Valerius, thinking that he might win\nfor himself like renown with Manlius, that was surnamed of the Twisted\nChain, came forth fully armed into the space between the two armies,\nhaving first obtained permission of the Consul. When these two were\nabout to join battle, a crow lighted suddenly upon the helmet of\nValerius, with his face towards the Gaul. And Valerius received it with\njoy as an augury sent from heaven, crying out, \"May the god or goddess\nthat hath sent this bird of good omen to me be favourable to me and\nsuccour me.\" Then, marvellous to relate, the bird not only remained\nsteadfast in the place whereupon it had lighted, but as soon as the two\nbegan to fight together, raised itself upon its wings, and wounded with\nits beak and claws the face and eyes of the enemy, so that, terrified\nby so marvellous a thing, he was easily slain by Valerius. Now, up to\nthis time the foremost lines of both armies had remained quiet; but when\nValerius began to strip the spoils from the body of the dead man, the\nGauls ran forward to hinder him. Then with yet greater speed ran the\nRomans to his help; and there was a great fight about the dead body. And\nCamillus seeing that the men were confident by reason not only of the\nvalour of Valerius, but also of the manifest favour of the Gods, he\ncried aloud, \"Soldiers, do as Valerius hath done, and slay multitudes\nof Gauls as he hath slain their champion.\" Thus was there won a great\nvictory over the Gauls, for though some of them fought valiantly, the\ngreater part fled before even the Romans had come within a spear's cast\nof them. As for Valerius, he was made Consul in the year following,\nthough he was but twenty and three years of age (It was not lawful in\nthose days that a man should be Consul till he was forty and two years\nof age); and he and his posterity after him had for themselves the\nsurname of Corvus, which is, being interpreted, a crow. In the four\nhundred and twelfth year after the building of the city there was war\nbetween the Romans and the Samnites, in which war, when the one Consul,\nValerius, had won a great victory, the other, Cornelius, was well-nigh\ndestroyed together with his army. For, leading his soldiers into a\ncertain narrow pass, he did not perceive that it was surrounded on all\nsides by the enemy, and that these were also on the higher ground\nabove him. And while he doubted what he should do (for it was no longer\npossible that he should return by the same way by which he came), a\ncertain Decius Mus, being a tribune of the soldiers, perceived a hill\nabove the camp of the enemy, and that this hill might easily be climbed\nby soldiers lightly armed. Thereupon he said to the Consul, \"Cornelius,\nseest thou that hill? Thereby we may save ourselves if we only make\nhaste and occupy it; for the Samnites are blind that they have not\noccupied it before. Give me only the front rank and the spearmen of one\nlegion; and when with these I shall have climbed to the top, do thou\nmove forward with the legions, fearing nothing, for the Samnites cannot\nfollow thee, having to pass this hill. As for us, the fortune of the\nRoman people or our own valour will deliver us.\" And when he had said\nthis, leading his men by secret paths, he climbed to the top of the\nhill, the Samnites not perceiving what he did. And while these doubted\nwhat they should do for wonder and fear, the Consul escaped with his\narmy. As to Decius also, they knew not whether they should surround the\nhill on all sides, and so shut him in, or, leaving a way open, should\nattack him when he should have come down to the plain. And while they\ndoubted, darkness came upon them.\n\nAt the first Decius thought that the enemy would come up the hill\nagainst him, and that he should fight against them with advantage from\nthe higher ground, but when they neither came nor yet began to build a\nrampart round the hill, he called his centurions to him and said, \"What\nignorance or indolence is this in these men, that they sit still and do\nnothing when they might by this time have shut us in? Surely we shall be\nas bad as they if we stop longer in this place than shall be convenient\nto us. Come then with me, and while there is yet some light, let us\nsee where they have set their guards, and where we may find a way of\ndeparting from this place.\" So the centurions, having clad themselves in\nthe garb of common soldiers, lest the enemy should know them, spied out\nthe nature of the place. Afterwards, when he had posted the sentinels,\nhe commanded that the rest of the soldiers should assemble at the\nsecond watch. To them he said, \"Ye must hear my words in silence, not\nsignifying your assent by a shout in soldiers' fashion. Such as shall\napprove my counsel let them come over to the right side; and if the\ngreater part of you shall so come, we will abide by it. The enemy having\nneglected to occupy this place at the first, have neglected also to to\nshut us in with a rampart. Stay we cannot, lest we perish with hunger\nand thirst. Sally forth we must, if we are to be delivered. And if we\nwait for day, can we doubt that the enemy will do that which he should\nhave done long since, and make a ditch and a rampart about the place?\nNight therefore is the better time, and if the night, then also this\nhour of the night is better than all others; for at this second watch\nthe sleep of men is commonly the deepest. Follow me therefore even as ye\nhave followed me hitherto. Let them to whom this counsel seems good come\nover to the right side.\" They came over all of them, and followed Decius\nas he led the way by a place which the enemy had left without guards.\nBut when they were now come to the middle of the camp, one of the\nRomans, as he would have stepped over a sleeping man, stumbled upon\nhis shield and so woke him. The man roused his neighbour, and he again\nothers; and Decius, perceiving that he was discovered, commanded his men\nto shout; and the Samnites, being confused and scarcely yet awake,\nnor able to bestir themselves, could not hinder him and his men from\nescaping. The next day, after he had entered the camp of the Consul (for\nthough he reached it before the night was spent, he would not enter till\nit was day, thinking that they came back to their countrymen with such\nglory as should not be concealed by darkness), Cornelius summoned the\nsoldiers to assembly and began to set forth the praises of Decius. But\nDecius said, \"I would counsel, Cornelius, that you postpone everything\nto the occasion of victory that is now given you. Attack the enemy while\nthey are in confusion and scattered, for doubtless many have been sent\nto pursue me.\" This the Consul did, and won a great victory over the\nSamnites, and took their camp, wherein were slain, it is said, thirty\nthousand men.\n\nAs for Decius, the Consul gave him a golden crown and a hundred oxen,\nwhereof one was white and of surpassing beauty, having gilded horns. And\nto each of the soldiers that had followed him he gave a double portion\nof corn for ever and an ox and two garments. And the legion set on the\nhead of Decius a crown of grass, by which was signified deliverance\nfrom siege; his own men also gave him another such crown. Then Decius\nsacrificed the white ox to Mars, and gave the other oxen to his soldiers.\nTo these men the rest of the legions made a contribution, a pound of\ncorn and a pint of wine for each.\n\nIn the third year after these things, Decius being then Consul together\nwith Manlius, there was a great war with the Latins. And while the\narmies lay over against each other in a place near to the city of Capua,\nthere appeared to both Consuls, as they slept, the same figure of a man,\nonly of greater stature and of more dignity than belongs to man, which\nfigure spake to each the same words: \"There is due to the Gods that\ndwell below, and to Mother Earth, from the one side a general, and from\nthe other an army. And on which side soever of these two a general shall\ndevote himself, together with the army of the enemy, to the Gods below\nand to Mother Earth, that side shall have the victory.\" When the Consuls\nhad told their dreams one to the other, they ordered that sacrifices\nshould be offered to avert the wrath of the gods; and that if the\nsoothsayers examining the entrails of the beasts should find the signs\ntherein to agree with the dreams that they had dreamed, one or other\nof the Consuls should fulfil the decree of fate. So they sacrificed the\nbeasts, and hearing from the soothsayers that such signs had been found,\nthey called the officers together and told them how they agreed that if\neither side began to give way the consul then commanding should devote\nhimself for the Roman people and for his country.\n\nOn the morning of the day when the battle was fought (the place being\nnear to Mount Vesuvius) the Consuls offered sacrifice each for himself.\nThen the soothsayer showed the Consul Decius how, the signs being in\nother respects altogether favourable, the head of the liver was wounded\non that side that regarded himself. Manlius, on the other hand, found\nall things altogether favourable. Then said Decius, \"It is well if the\noffering of my colleague has been accepted.\" After these things they\nmarched forth to the battle, Manlius commanding the right wing and\nDecius the left.\n\nFor a while both armies fought with equal courage and strength. Then the\nRoman spearmen, being the front rank, gave way before the Latins, and\nfell back upon the rank behind them. Thereupon Decius cried with a loud\nvoice to Valerius, \"Valerius, we have need of the help of the Gods. Come\ntherefore, and, as high priest of the Roman people, dictate to me the\nwords in which I may devote myself for the legions.\" Then the high\npriest bad him put on the robe that is called Praetexta--that is to say,\nhaving a stripe of purple about it-and to cover his head, and, thrusting\nhis hand under his gown up to his chin, to say after him these words: \"O\nJanus, Jupiter, Father Mars, Quirinus, Bellona, Gods of the households,\nGods of the land, Gods of the dwellings below, I beseech you that\nye grant strength and victory to the Roman people, and send upon the\nenemies of the Roman people terror, and panic, and death. And now I\ndevote myself, and with me the legions of our enemies, to the infernal\nGods, on behalf of the commonwealth of Rome and the legions of the Roman\npeople.\"\n\n[Illustration: Decius devoting himself for his country 300]\n\nThen girding himself after the manner of Gabii, and taking his sword, he\nleapt upon his horse and hastened into the midst of the enemy. To both\narmies he seemed to be more than man, being sent, as it were, from\nheaven, to avert the anger of the gods, to avert destruction from\nhis countrymen, and to bring it upon his enemies; and the Latins were\noverwhelmed with terror, giving way before him wherever his horse\ncarried him, and when at last he fell slain by a shower of javelins,\nflying from the place where he lay. As for the Romans, they fought with\ngreater hope and courage, as knowing that they had been delivered from\nthe anger of the gods.\n\nWhen the battle had now lasted many hours, and the Latins had no fresh\nsoldiers to bring up, the consul Manlius cried to the veterans whom\nhe had kept behind, kneeling on one knee, till they should be needed,\n\"Rise, and deal with the enemy as men that are fresh to the battle\nshould deal with the weary. Remember your wives and children; remember\nalso your Consul that has died that ye may have, victory.\" So the\nveterans rose and advanced, bringing up a fresh line against the enemy;\nnor could these withstand them, but turned and fled. Many were slain in\nthe field, and many also in the camp, which was taken that same day. The\nday following the body of Decius was found, covered with javelins, with\nmany dead corpses of the enemy about it; and the consul Manlius made for\nthis a great funeral.\n\nIn the forty-second year after these things, Publius Decius Mus, being\nson to that Decius who devoted himself for the army in the battle of\nMount Vesuvius, was made consul together with Quintus Fabius, having\nbeen consul three times before. In that year the Gauls had leagued\ntogether with the Etrurians against the Romans, having also upon their\nside the Umbrians and the Samnites. And the armies pitched their camps\nnear to Sentinum, having a space of about four miles between them. Now\nit had been agreed among the enemy that on the day of battle the Gauls\nwith the Samnites should fight with the army, and that the Etrurians\nwith the men of Umbria should attack the camp. But this counsel certain\ndeserters from Clusium declared to the Consuls. Thereupon the Consuls\nsent word by letter to their lieutenants that they should lay waste the\ncountry of the Etrurians. And this they did, working such destruction\nthat the Etrurians with the men of Umbria straightway departed, that\nthey might defend their own possessions. Then the Consuls made haste\nthat they might fight before these should come back. For two days,\ntherefore, they challenged the enemy to battle; but though a few were\nkilled on either side, nothing worthy of note was done. But on the third\nday both the armies came down into the plain ready to do battle,\nand, while they stood, a hind that fled from a wolf ran down from the\nmountains across the plain that lay between the two hosts, and the two\nbeasts went different ways, the hind among the Gauls and the wolf among\nthe Romans. The hind, indeed, the Gauls slew, but the Romans gave place\nto the wolf to pass through their lines. Then a soldier that stood in\nthe front rank cried aloud, \"Look ye, flight and slaughter go that way\nwhere ye see the hind, a beast that is sacred to the goddess Diana,\nlie dead; but to us the wolf of Mars, whom we have left unharmed, is a\npledge of victory, reminding us of him of whose race we come.\"\n\nOn the right wing of the enemy were the Gauls, and on the left the\nSamnites, Quintus Fabius being set to fight against these, and Decius\nMus against the Gauls. At the first when the battle was begun the\nstrength on either side was so equal that, if only the Etrurians or the\nmen of Umbria had been there, the Romans had doubtless suffered some\ngreat loss either in the field or in the camp. Nevertheless the fashion\nof the battle was not the same in both wings. For Fabius and his legions\ndefended themselves rather than attacked; Fabius judging that the Gauls\nand Samnites were most to be feared at their first charge, and that if\nonly this could be sustained the day would go well with the Romans; the\nSamnites growing slack in valour, and the Gauls being unaccustomed to\nendure toil and heat for a long space of time, so that at the first they\nwould fight with more than the strength of men, and at the last with\nless than the strength of women. Wherefore he kept the best strength of\nhis soldiers till such time as the enemy were accustomed to be worsted.\nBut Decius, being vigorous in body and of a high spirit, used his whole\nstrength to the utmost in the very beginning of the battle. And because\nthe foot soldiers seemed to him to fight with a certain slackness, he\nbrought up the horsemen to their help. Then riding into the midst of one\nof the squadrons in which were many youths of noble birth, he cried to\nthem, saying, \"Follow me against the enemy. Ye shall win for yourselves\na double share of glory if the victory shall be first won on this side.\"\nTwice did they put to flight the horsemen of the Gauls; but when they\ncharged now for a third time, riding far on among the enemy, they were\nthrown into confusion by a certain new and strange manner of fighting.\nFor suddenly there came upon them a number, of the enemy that stood upon\nchariots, and who, advancing against them with a great noise both of\nhorses' hoofs and of wheels, affrighted their horses. Thus there came\na sudden panic upon them in the very hour of their victory, and turning\ntheir backs they fled headlong. Then the legions also were disordered,\nmany that stood in the front rank being cast to the ground and crushed,\nboth by their horsemen and by the chariots of the enemy. And when\nthe Gauls saw how the Romans gave way they pressed on, giving them no\nbreathing space nor time of recovery. Then cried the Consul Decius,\n\"Whither do ye fly? what hope have ye in flight?\" And he strove to stay\nthem as they fled, and call them back into the battle. But when he saw\nthat he could avail nothing, so overwhelmed were they with fear, he\ncalled aloud on the name of Publius Decius, his father, and said, \"Why\ndo I delay any longer the fate that belongs to my race? This is\nthe privilege of my house, to be victims whereby the dangers of the\ncommonwealth may be expiated. Therefore I give myself, and together with\nme the army of the enemy, to Mother Earth, and to the Gods of the dead.\"\nWhen he had so spoken, he bade Marcus Livius, the high priest (on whom,\nwhen he went into the battle, he had laid his commands that he should\nnever depart from his side), dictate the words by which he might devote\nhimself and the army of the enemy for the army of the Roman people. Then\nhe arrayed himself in the same manner and prayed the same words as his\nfather had done in the battle by Mount Vesuvius. To this he added these\nwords, \"Lo! I carry before me terror and flight, slaughter and blood,\nand the wrath of the Gods of heaven and of hell; with the curses of\ndeath will I smite the standards, weapons, and armour of the enemy,\naccomplishing in one and the same place my own destruction and the\ndestruction of the Gauls and of the Samnites.\" And when he had thus\ncursed both himself and the enemy he spurred his horse into the lines of\nthe Gauls, where he saw them to be thickest, and so fell pierced through\nwith many spears.\n\nAfter the death of Decius the Romans fought with such strength and\ncourage as seemed beyond the nature of men. For the Romans, when their\nleader was dead (a thing that commonly is wont to be the cause of much\nfear), stayed from their flight and took heart to begin the battle\nafresh. But as for the Gauls, and those especially that stood about the\ndead body of the Consul, they cast their javelins at random and to\nno purpose, as though they were beside themselves; and some were so\nstupefied with fear that they could neither fight nor fly. Then Livius\nthe high priest, to whom the Consul Decius had given over his lictors,\nbidding him take upon himself the command, cried aloud, \"The Romans have\nconquered, being delivered from peril by the death of the Consul. The\nGauls and the Samnites are the possession of Mother Earth and of the\nGods of the dead. Decius is calling and drawing to him the army that he\ndevoted to death together with himself; and the whole host of the enemy\nis full of madness and fear.\" And while he set the battle in order again\non this side of the field there came up two lieutenants whom Fabius the\nConsul had sent from the rereward to the help of his colleague. And when\nthey heard that Decius was dead, and in what manner, they all addressed\nthemselves to the battle with fresh courage. So when the Gauls stood\nin close array, with their shields set up before them, and it seemed no\neasy thing to come to close combat with them, the lieutenants commanded\nthat they should gather together the javelins which lay on the ground in\nthe space between the two armies, and cast them against the shields of\nthe enemy. And when most of these pierced their shelter, and some that\nhad the longer points were even driven into their bodies, the army was\noverthrown, not a few falling to the ground though their bodies were\nunhurt. Such changes of fortune were there in the left wing of the\nRomans.\n\nMeanwhile, in the right wing, when Fabius perceived that the enemy\nshouted not as loudly as before, nor cast their javelins with as much\nstrength, he commanded the captains of the horsemen to take a compass\nwith their squadrons and fall upon the Samnites in the rear when he\nshould give the signal. This done he bade the legions advance their\nstandards. And when he saw that the enemy were beyond all doubt wearied\nwith fighting, he called to him all the reserves that he had kept back\nfor this end, and gave the signal, so that the legions fell upon the\nenemy from before and the horsemen fell upon them from behind at one and\nthe same time. Thereupon the Samnites turned their backs and fled with\nall speed to their camp; but the Gauls, locking their shields in close\narray, stood fast. And now there came tidings to Fabius how that\nhis colleague was dead; and when he heard them he bade the Companion\nKnights, being a company of about five hundred horsemen, leave the line\nand fall upon the Gauls in the rear; with whom went also a part of\nthe third legion, to fall upon the enemy wherever their line should be\nbroken by the horsemen. And he himself, having first vowed a temple and\nall the spoils of victory to Jupiter the Conqueror, marched to the camp\nof the Samnites. Then again was there a battle, for the multitude of\nthem that fled was so great that they could not enter by the gates, so\nthat they fought perforce. Then Egnatius, captain of the host of the\nSamnites, was slain. And in no great space of time the Samnites were\ndriven within the ramparts and the camp also was taken. The Gauls also,\nbeing surrounded on all sides, could withstand the Romans no more. That\nday there fell five and twenty thousand of the enemy, and eight thousand\nwere taken alive. Nor did the Romans escape without damage, for in the\narmy of Decius were slain seven thousand and in the army of Fabius one\nthousand seven hundred. Fabius, having first sent men to search for the\nbody of his colleague, gathered together in a great heap all the spoils\nof the enemy, and offered them for a burnt offering to Jupiter the\nConqueror. On the morrow they found the body of Decius, covered with\ndead bodies of the Gauls, and brought it back to the camp amidst much\nweeping of the soldiers. And Fabius made for him as great a funeral as\nhe could prepare.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII. ~~ THE STORY OF THE PASSES OF CAUDIUM.\n\nIn the four hundred and thirty-third year after the building of the city\nthere was war between the Romans and the Samnites. Now there is in the\nland of the Samnites a certain pass which men call the Pass of Caudium.\nNear to this the captain of the host of the Samnites, a man very skilful\nin war, Caius Pontius by name, pitched his camp, hiding it from sight as\nmuch as might be. This done he sent twelve soldiers, clad as shepherds,\nto Calatia, in which place he knew the Consuls to be with the army of\nthe Romans. He commanded these men that they should feed their flocks\nnot far from the camp of the Romans, one in one place and another in\nanother, and that when the plunderers should fall upon them and take\nthem they should tell all of them the same tale, that the legions of the\nSamnites were in Apulia, laying siege to the town of Luceria with all\ntheir might, and were on the point to take it. Now this same report had\nbeen spread abroad before of set purpose, and had come to the ears of\nthe Romans; and now when these prisoners said the same words, agreeing\nall of them one with another, the Romans must needs believe it to be\ntrue. Now that the Romans would help the men of Luceria was manifest,\nbecause they were good allies and faithful, and because also, if it\nshould be taken, all Apulia would fall away from them from present fear\nof the enemy. But by which way they would go men doubted much: for there\nwere two ways, the one broad and easy, along the coast of the Upper Sea;\nbut this way, as it was safe, so also was long. The other way, and this\nthe shorter by far, lay through the Passes of Caudium. Now the nature\nof these passes is this. There are two deep glens, narrow and grown with\nwoods, having mountains on either side of them; and between these there\nis a plain, of no small extent, grassy and well watered, and the road\npasses through the midst of it. But before a man can come to this plain\nhe must needs go through the first pass; and when he would leave, if he\nwill not return by the way by which he came, he must needs go through\nthe second, and this is yet more narrow and difficult than the first.\nInto this plain, therefore, the Romans marched with their whole army\nthrough a cleft in the rocks--that is to say, through the first pass;\nbut when they came to the second, they found it shut with the trunks\nof trees and great stones. And now the stratagem of the enemy became\nmanifest, and at the same time also there was seen on the mountains\nabove them a great army of the Samnites. And when they went back in all\nhaste to the pass by which they had entered, they found this also shut\nby a fence of the like sort, kept by armed men. Thereupon they halted,\nthough no man had given the word, for they were utterly confounded,\nneither was there any strength left in their limbs; and they stood\nspeechless, looking upon each other as men that sought for help.\nNevertheless, the tents of the Consuls were set up, and the tools for\nfortifying the camp got ready, though it seemed an idle thing for men\nthat were in such plight to fortify a camp; but because they would not\nmake their trouble worse by neglect they addressed themselves to work,\nand, without bidding or command from any man, fortified a camp; but not\nthe less they knew their labour to be in vain; nor did the enemy cease\nto mock at them. This being done, the lieutenants and the tribunes came\ntogether without any bidding, for the Consuls called no council, as\nknowing that there was no device or knowledge that could avail them.\nThe soldiers also ran together to the Consuls' tent, asking from their\nleaders such help as the gods themselves could scarce have given. And\nwhile they doubted what might be done darkness came upon them. Some\nsaid, \"Let us make our way through these things that bar the way,\" and\nothers, \"Why should mountains and wood hinder us while we have swords in\nour hands? Suffer us only to come at the enemy, whom we have conquered\nnow for thirty years; there is no place whereon the Romans cannot\nprevail over the Samnites, how many soever they may be.\"\n\nBut others said, \"Whither shall we go? and by what way? Shall we move\nthese mountains from their place? for while they yet hang over us how\ncan we come at our enemies? Truly we are given into their hands bound\nhand and foot, and they will conquer us without so much as moving from\ntheir place.\" Thus did they talk one to the other; and that night they\nthought neither of food nor of sleep.\n\nThe Samnites also doubted much what they should best do now that their\ncounsels had so greatly prospered. With one consent, therefore, they\nwrote letters to Herennius Pontius, father to Pontius their general,\nseeking for his advice. Now Pontius was a very old man, and had long\nsince withdrawn himself not from war only, but also from all affairs of\nstate. Nevertheless, though his body was weak, the power of his mind was\nnot abated. When he heard that the Roman army had been shut in between\nthe Passes of Caudium, and that his son would fain have his counsel,\nhe said, \"Let the men go, and harm them not.\" And when, despising this\ncounsel, they sent the messenger again, asking the same question, he\nanswered, \"Slay them all; spare not one.\" When they heard these two\nanswers, being so different the one from the other, it seemed to Pontius\nthat his father's mind had failed him, even as his body had failed him.\nNevertheless, when all would have it that the old man himself should be\nsent for, he yielded to their desire. And Pontius the elder agreeing was\ncarried to the camp, they say, in a waggon; and when he was come they\nbrought him into the council. There he spoke, changing indeed nothing of\nthat which he had said, but adding his reasons. \"My first counsel I yet\njudge to be the best, for thus by a great benefit ye will make peace and\nfriendship for ever with a very powerful nation. If ye follow my second\ncounsel ye will put off war with Rome for many generations; since,\nlosing two great armies, they will not readily recover their strength.\nBut counsel other than these two there is none.\" And when his son and\nothers of the captains asked him whether there were not some middle way,\nso that the prisoners should be sent away unhurt but with conditions\naccording to the right of war, \"That,\" said he, \"is a counsel which will\nneither get friends for you nor rid you of enemies. For think who they\nare that ye will provoke by such disgrace. The Romans cannot endure to\nsit quiet under defeat, nor will they rest till they have got manifold\nvengeance for that which present necessity shall have compelled them\nto suffer.\" Then, the Samnites not approving either counsel, Pontius\ndeparted to his home.\n\nAnd now the Romans, having sought many times in vain to break forth, and\nbeing now destitute of everything, sent ambassadors to the Samnites\nto seek peace, and, if peace were not given, to challenge the enemy to\nbattle. To these Pontius made answer, \"Since ye will not confess your\nplight, prisoners though ye be, I will send you under the yoke without\narms, each having one garment only. As to the conditions of peace, they\nshall be equal and right. Ye shall depart from the land of the Samnites,\nand take away your colonies; and hereafter both Romans and Samnites\nshall live under their own laws. If these conditions please the Consuls,\nI will make a treaty with them; if they please them not, return not\nhither again.\" When this message was brought back there arose a general\nlamentation; for it seemed better to die than to suffer such disgrace.\nAnd when the Consuls knew not what to say, Lucius Lentulus, being first\nof the lieutenants, both in respect of valour and of the honours which\nhe had received, then spake: \"Consuls, I have often heard from my father\nthat he only gave counsel to the Senate that they should not ransom\ntheir country for gold, and that he did this because the Gauls had not\nenclosed the capital, and that therefore they might sally forth, not\nindeed without danger, yet without certainty of destruction. I also\nwould give like advice this day if we could come near our enemies to\nfight with them. But seeing this may not be, and that if this army be\ndestroyed, Rome is destroyed with it (for how can an unarmed multitude\ndefend it?) my counsel is that we accept these conditions. So shall we\ndeliver our country, not indeed by our death, yet by our disgrace.\"\n\nThereupon the Consuls going to Pontius made with him, not indeed, a\ntreaty, for such could not be made without the consent of the people\nand the ministry of the heralds, but a covenant, for which the Consuls,\nlieutenants, quaestors, and tribunes were made sureties. And because\npeace could not be confirmed forthwith it was agreed that six hundred\nhorsemen should be given as hostages, who should suffer death if the\ncovenant should not be fulfilled. But when the Consuls came back to\nthe camp the grief in the camp broke out afresh, and the soldiers could\nscarcely be kept from doing them violence. \"Your rashness,\" they cried,\n\"brought us into this place, and through your cowardice we come out of\nit with disgrace. No guide had ye, nor sent scouts to explore, but\nwent blindly, even as beasts fall into a pit. As for us, we have been\novercome and yet have not suffered a wound or struck a blow.\" While they\nthus murmured the time came when they must endure this great disgrace.\nFirst they were bidden to come without the rampart, having no arms and\none garment only for each man. Afterwards the hostages were given up\nand led away to prison. Then the lictors were commanded to leave the\nConsuls; and these had their soldiers cloaks taken from them, so that\nthey who had just cursed them, crying out that they should be delivered\nto the torturers, now pitied them, turning their eyes away, and thinking\nnot of their own condition for shame that the majesty of so high an\noffice should be so brought low. First the Consuls were sent under the\nyoke, half naked, and after them the other officers, according to their\nrank, and lastly the soldiers according to their legions. The enemy\nstood about, mocking and reviling them; some they threatened with their\nswords, and others that seemed to bear themselves too proudly they\nwounded and even slew.\n\nThen, going on their way, the Romans came near to Capua, but for shame\nand for fear lest their allies should desert them, entered not the\ncity, but cast themselves down upon the road. But the men of Capua\nhad compassion on them, and sent to them all that they needed, and\nentertained them both publicly and privately with all hospitality. But\nthe Romans answered not a word, nor so much as lifted up their eyes, so\noverwhelmed were they with shame and grief. The next day certain young\nnoblemen of Capua, going with them to the borders of their country, made\nthis answer to some that questioned them in the Senate concerning\nthe behaviour of the Romans: \"These men are wholly sunk in grief and\ndespair, and have lost not their arms only but also their courage.\nVerily they seem to have yet on their necks the yoke under which they\nwere made to pass; and as for the Samnites, they have won a victory to\nwhich there will be no end. The Gauls took the city of Rome, but these\nmen have taken the very courage of the Roman people.\" Then said a\ncertain Calavius, a man of renown and venerable for his age, \"This\nsilence, this shame, this refusing of all comfort are signs of a wrath\nthat is both great and deep. If I know aught of the Roman people from\nthis silence will come loud lamentation to the Samnites.\"\n\nMeanwhile these ill tidings had been carried to Rome. First they heard\nthat the army was besieged; after that there had been made this shameful\npeace. Thereupon the soldiers, whom the magistrates had begun to levy on\nnews of the siege, were dismissed, and a public mourning made by common\nconsent. The shops were shut round the market-place, and also the courts\nof the judges; and the magistrates laid aside their ornaments and gold\nrings. At the first there was great wrath, not against the generals\nalone, but also against the soldiers, whom they counted unworthy to be\nadmitted into the city; but when the army came in pitiable plight wrath\nwas changed to compassion.\n\nSo soon as the Consuls of the next year were appointed they called the\nSenate to consider what should be done concerning the peace of Caudium.\nAnd first they bade Postumius, that was one of the Consuls, speak his\nmind. Then said Postumius (and as he spake he bare the same look that he\nhad borne under the yoke), \"I hold that by this peace the Roman people\nis not bound, seeing that it was made without their authority, but only\nthey that made themselves surety for it. Let us therefore be delivered\nup to the Samnites naked and in chains by the heralds; so shall we\nset free the people if they be in any wise bound. I hold also that the\nConsuls should forthwith levy an army and march forth therewith, but\nthat they should not cross the border of the enemy till all these\nthings be duly finished. And I pray to the Gods of heaven that they be\nsatisfied with our disgrace, and that they prosper the arms of Rome even\nas they have prospered them in time past.\"\n\nTo these words two tribunes of the Commons, having been among the\nsureties, made objection, saying, \"Ye cannot set the Roman people free\nby giving up the sureties, but only by restoring all things as they were\nat Caudium. Neither do we deserve punishment because we saved the army;\nand seeing that we are sacred we may not be surrendered to the enemy.\"\n\nTo this Postumius made answer, \"If this be so, men of Rome, give up us\nthat are common persons; and as for these sacred tribunes, touch them\nnot till their time of office be ended. Only, if ye will listen to\nme, afterwards, before ye give them up, beat them with rods in the\nmarket-place, and so take usury for the delay of payment. That the Roman\npeople are bound by this peace I deny. Think ye that they had been bound\nif we had promised to surrender their city, their temples, their land,\ntheir rivers, so that all that now belongs to the Romans should belong\nto the Samnites? And if ye ask me why I made such a peace having no\nauthority, I answer this only. Nothing at Caudium was done wisely, but\nall things foolishly. The Gods smote not us only, but also the enemy\nwith madness. We went blindly into the peril, and they cast away the\nvictory which they had won. For why did they not send ambassadors to\nRome, seeing that it was but a three days' journey, that peace might be\nmade in due form? Surely neither Fathers nor Commons are bound to that\nin which they had no part. We that were sureties are bound, and we will\ngive ourselves up that they may work their will on us.\"\n\nEven the tribunes of the Commons were persuaded by these words, so that\nthey abdicated their office, and were given to the heralds to be led to\nCaudium together with the consuls and the other sureties. Thereupon the\nheralds, going before, when they came to the gate, commanded that their\ngarments should be stripped from them that had been sureties for the\npeace, and that their hands should be bound behind their backs. And when\nthe lictor, for reverence' sake, would have tied the cord loosely about\nthe hands of Postumius, Postumius said, \"Nay, but bind tight the cord\nthat the matter may be done rightly.\" Afterwards, when they were come to\nthe judgment-seat of Pontius, the herald thus spake: \"Forasmuch as these\nmen here present without bidding of the Roman people gave themselves\nas sureties that a treaty should be made, and so did great wrong, I now\ngive up these men to you, that the Roman people may be set free\nfrom guiltiness in this matter.\" While the herald was thus speaking,\nPostumius with his knee smote him on the thigh with all his might,\nsaying, with a loud voice, \"I am a citizen of Samnium, and thou art an\nambassador; I have smitten a herald contrary to the law of nations, so\nthat ye will wage war not without good cause.\"\n\nThen said Pontius, \"I accept not this surrender, neither I nor the\nSamnites. If thou believest, Postumius, that there are gods, why dost\nthou not either undo all that has been done or stand by thy covenant?\nBut I ask not this of thee, I ask it of the Roman people. If this peace\nplease them not, let them send back the legions to their place. Let all\nthat hath been done be undone. They shall have the arms which they gave\nup. Then, if ye will, refuse this peace. Will ye never lack a cause for\ngoing back from your word? Ye gave hostages to Porsenna and got them\nback by stealth. Ye ransomed your State from the Gauls for gold, and\nslew them even while ye paid it. Ye made peace with us that ye might get\nback your legions that were taken, and now ye would disannul it. Is this\nthe law of nations, thou herald, as thou takest it to be? As for these\nmen, I accept them not. They may go back to their own country and carry\nwith them the wrath of the Gods whom they have despised. Ye will wage\nwar forsooth with us because Portumius hath struck the herald with his\nknee. Ye will persuade the Gods that he is not a Roman but a Samnite,\nand that therefore ye have just cause of war against us. Shame that old\nmen that have borne office should not be ashamed to work such mockeries\nin the light of day, excusing themselves for their falsehood by such\ntricks as verily children would count to be unworthy of them. Go,\nlictor, loosen the bonds of the Romans; let no one hinder them from\ngoing whither they will.\" So the Romans, having acquitted certainly\ntheir own faith, and it may be the faith of the State, departed to their\nown homes.\n\nTHE END.","title":"Stories from Livy","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":54705}