The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
easy to bend than to break them. Amidst these debates, another terror of
a more serious nature presented itself.
24. Some Latin horse came full speed to Rome, with the alarming news
that the Volscians were marching with a hostile army, to besiege the
city, the announcement of which (so completely had discord made the
state two from one) affected the senators and people in a far different
manner. The people exulted with joy, and said, that the gods were come
as avengers of the tyranny of the fathers. They encouraged one another
not to enrol their names, that it was better that all should perish
together, than that they should perish alone. That the patricians should
serve as soldiers, that the patricians should take up arms, so that the
perils of war should remain with those with whom the advantages were.
But the senate, dejected and confounded by the two-fold terror, that
from their own countrymen, and that from the enemy, entreated the consul
Servilius, whose temper was more conciliating, that he would extricate
the commonwealth beset with such great terrors. Then the consul,
dismissing the senate, proceeds into the assembly. There he shows them
that the senate were solicitous that care should be taken for the
people's interest: but their alarm for the whole commonwealth had
interrupted their deliberation regarding that which was no doubt the
greatest part, but yet only a part; nor could they, when the enemy were
almost at the gates, allow any thing to take precedence of war: nor, if
there should be some respite, was it either to the credit of the people
not to have taken up arms in defence of their country unless they first
receive a recompence, nor consistent with the dignity of the senators
that they adopted measures of relief for the distresses of their
countrymen through fear rather than afterwards from inclination. He gave
additional confidence to the assembly by an edict, by which he ordained
that no one "should detain a Roman citizen either in chains or in
prison, so as to hinder his enrolling his name under the consuls. And
that nobody should either seize or sell the goods of any soldier, while
he was in the camp, or arrest his children or grandchildren." This
ordinance being published, the debtors under arrest who were present
immediately entered their names, and crowds of persons hastening from
all quarters of the city from their confinement, as their creditors had
no right to detain their persons, ran together into the forum to take
the military oath. These made up a considerable body of men, nor was the
bravery or activity of the others more conspicuous in the Volscian war.
The consul led out his army against the enemy, and pitched his camp at a
little distance from them.
25. The next night the Volscians, relying on the dissension among the
Romans, made an attempt on their camp, to see if any desertion or
treachery might be resorted to during the night. The sentinels on guard
perceived them; the army was called up, and the signal being given they
ran to arms. Thus that attempt of the Volscians was frustrated; the
remainder of the night was dedicated to repose on both sides. The next
morning at daybreak the Volscians, having filled the trenches, attacked
the rampart. And already the fortifications were being demolished on
every side, when the consul, although all on every side, and more
especially the debtors, cried out that he should give the signal, having
delayed a little while for the purpose of trying the feelings of the
soldiers, when their great ardour became sufficiently apparent, having
at length given the signal for sallying forth, he lets out the soldiers
now impatient for the fight. At the very first onset the enemy were
routed; the rear of them who fled was harassed, as long as the infantry
was able to overtake them; the cavalry drove them in consternation to
their very camp. In a little time the camp itself was taken and
plundered, the legions having surrounded it, as the panic had driven the
Volscians even from thence also. On the next day the legions being led
to Suessa Pometia, whither the enemy had retreated, in a few days the
town is taken; when taken, it was given up for plunder: by these means
the needy soldiers were somewhat relieved. The consul leads back his
victorious army to Rome with the greatest glory to himself: as he is
setting out for Rome, the deputies of the Ecetrans, (a part) of the
Volscians, alarmed for their state after the taking of Pometia, come to
him. By a decree of the senate peace is granted them, but their land is
taken from them.
26. Immediately after the Sabines also caused an alarm to the Romans;
but it was rather a tumult than a war. It was announced in the city
during the night that a Sabine army had advanced as far as the river
Anio, plundering the country: that the country houses there were
pillaged and burnt down indiscriminately. A. Postumius, who had been
dictator in the Latin war, was immediately sent against them with all
the horse. The consul Servilius followed him with a chosen body of foot.
The cavalry cut off most of the stragglers; nor did the Sabine legion
make any resistance against the foot when they came up with them. Being
tired both by their march and their plundering the country in the night,
and a great number of them being surfeited with eating and drinking in
the cottages, they had scarcely sufficient strength for flight. The
Sabine war being thus heard of and finished in one night, on the
following day, amid sanguine hope of peace being secured in every
quarter, ambassadors from the Auruncians come to the senate, proclaiming
war unless the troops are withdrawn from the Volscian territory. The
army of the Auruncians had set out from home simultaneously with the
ambassadors; the report of which having been seen not far from Aricia,
excited such a tumult among the Romans, that neither the senate could be
consulted in regular form, nor could they, while themselves taking up
arms, give a pacific answer to those advancing against them in arms.
They march to Aricia with a determined army, come to an engagement not
far from thence, and in one battle put an end to the war.
27. After the defeat of the Auruncians, the people of Rome, victorious
in so many wars within a few days, were expecting the promises of the
consul and the engagement of the senate (to be made good). But Appius,
both through his natural pride, and in order to undermine the credit of
his colleague, issued his decrees regarding borrowed money, with all
possible severity. And from this time, both those who had been formerly
in confinement were delivered up to their creditors, and others also
were taken into custody. When this happened to a soldier, he appealed to
the colleague, and a crowd gathered about Servilius: they represented to
him his promises, severally upbraided him with their services in war,
and with the scars they had received. They loudly called upon him to lay
the matter before the senate, and that, as consul, he would relieve his
fellow citizens, as a general, his soldiers. These remonstrances
affected the consul, but the situation of affairs obliged him to back
out; so completely had not only his colleague, but the whole body of the
patricians, adopted an entirely opposite course. And thus, by acting a
middle part, he neither escaped the odium of the people, nor gained the
favour of the senators. The fathers looked upon him as a weak,
popularity-hunting consul, and the people considered him as a deceiver.
And it soon appeared that he was as odious to them as Appius himself. A
dispute had happened between the consuls, as to which should dedicate
the temple of Mercury. The senate referred the affair from themselves to
the people, and ordained that to whichsoever of them the dedication
should be granted by order of the people, he should preside over the
markets, establish a company of merchants, and perform the functions of
a pontifex maximus. The people gave the dedication of the temple to M.
Lætorius, the centurion of the first legion, that it might plainly
appear to have been done not so much out of respect to a person on whom
an honour above his rank had been conferred, as to affront the consuls.
Upon this one of the consuls particularly, and the senators, were highly
incensed. But the people had acquired courage, and proceeded in a manner
quite different from what they had at first intended. For when they
despaired of redress from the consuls and senate, upon seeing a debtor
led to the court, they flew together from all quarters. And neither the
decree of the consul could be heard in consequence of the noise and
clamour, nor, when he had pronounced the decree, did any one obey it.
All was managed by violence, and the entire dread and danger with
respect to personal liberty, was transferred from the debtors to the
creditors, who were severally abused by the crowd in the very sight of
the consul. In addition to all this, the dread of the Sabine war spread,
and when a levy was decreed, nobody gave in his name; Appius being
enraged, and bitterly inveighing against the ambitious arts of his
colleague, who by his popular silence was betraying the republic, and
besides his not passing sentence against the debtors, likewise neglected
to raise the levies, after they had been voted by the senate. Yet he
declared, that "the commonwealth was not entirely deserted, nor the
consular authority altogether debased. That he alone would vindicate
both his own dignity and that of the senators." When a daily mob,
emboldened by licentiousness, stood round him, he commanded a noted
ringleader of the sedition to be apprehended. He, as the lictors were
carrying him off, appealed to the people; nor would the consul have
allowed the appeal, because there was no doubt regarding the judgment of
the people, had not his obstinacy been with difficulty overcome, rather
by the advice and influence of the leading men, than by the clamours of
the people; so much resolution he had to bear the weight of their odium.
The evil gained ground daily, not only by open clamours, but, which was
far more dangerous, by a secession and by secret meetings. At length the
consuls, so odious to the commons, went out of office: Servilius liked
by neither party, Appius highly esteemed by the senators.
28. Then A. Virginius and T. Vetusius enter on the consulship. Upon this
the commons, uncertain what sort of consuls they were to have, held
nightly meetings, some of them upon the Esquiline, and others upon the
Aventine hill, that they might not be confused by hasty resolutions in
the forum, or take their measures inconsiderately and without concert.
The consuls, judging this proceeding to be of dangerous tendency, as it
really was, laid the matter before the senate. But they were not allowed
after proposing it to take the votes regularly; so tumultuously was it
received on all sides by the clamours and indignation of the fathers, at
the consuls throwing on the senate the odium of that which should have
been put down by consular authority. "That if there really were
magistrates in the republic, there would have been no council in Rome
but the public one. That the republic was now divided and split into a
thousand senate-houses and assemblies, some of which were held on the
Esquiline, others on the Aventine hill. That one man, in truth such as
Appius Claudius, for that that was more than a consul, would in a moment
disperse these private meetings." When the consuls, thus rebuked, asked
them, "What they desired them to do, for that they would act with as
much energy and vigour as the senators wished," they resolve that they
should push on the levies as briskly as possible, that the people were
become insolent from want of employment. When the house broke up, the