The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
were any remedies sought by the general for this so pestilent an
example; so true is it that the most distinguished talents are more
likely to be deficient in the tact of managing their countrymen than in
that of conquering an enemy. The consul returned to Rome, not having so
much increased his military glory as irritated and exasperated the
hatred of his soldiers towards him. The patricians, however, succeeded
in having the consulship remain in the Fabian family. They elect M.
Fabius consul: Cn. Manlius is assigned as a colleague to Fabius.
44. This year also had a tribune as a proposer of the agrarian law. It
was Titus Pontificius: he pursuing the same course, as if it had
succeeded with Sp. Licinius, obstructed the levy for a little time. The
patricians being once more perplexed, Appius Claudius asserts "that the
tribunitian power was put down last year: for the present by the very
act, for the future by the precedent established, and since it was found
that it could be rendered ineffective by its own strength; for that
there never would be wanting a tribune who would both be willing to
obtain a victory for himself over his colleague, and the favour of the
better party by advancing the public weal. That both a plurality of
tribunes, if there were need of such plurality, would be ready to assist
the consuls; and that even one would be sufficient against all. Only let
the consuls and leading members of the senate take care to gain over, if
not all, at least some of the tribunes, to the commonwealth and the
senate." The senators, convinced by the counsels of Appius, both
collectively addressed the tribunes with kindness and civility, and the
men of consular rank, according as each possessed personal influence
over them individually, partly by conciliation, partly by authority,
prevailed so far as to make them consent that the powers of the
tribunitian office should be beneficial to the state; and by the aid of
four tribunes against one obstructor of the public good, the consuls
complete the levy. They then set out to the Veientian war, to which
auxiliaries had flocked from all parts of Etruria, collected not so much
for the sake of the Veientians, as because they had formed a hope that
the Roman state might be destroyed by internal discord. And in the
councils of all the states of Etruria the leading men openly stated,
"that the Roman power was eternal, unless they were distracted by
disturbances among themselves. That this was the only poison, this the
bane discovered for powerful states, to render great empires mortal.
That this evil, a long time retarded, partly by the wise measures of the
patricians, partly by the forbearance of the commons, had now proceeded
to extremities. That two states were now formed out of one: that each
party had its own magistrates, its own laws. That though at first they
were accustomed to be turbulent during the levies, still that these same
individuals had ever been obedient to their commanders during war; that
military discipline being still retained, no matter what might be the
state of the city, it had been possible to withstand the evil; that now
the custom of not obeying their superior followed the Roman soldier even
to the camp. That in the last war in the very field, in the very heat of
battle, by consent of the army the victory was voluntarily surrendered
to the vanquished Æqui: that the standards were deserted, the general
abandoned on the field, and that the army had returned to the camp
without orders. That without doubt, if perseverance were used, Rome
might be conquered by her own soldiery. That nothing else was necessary
than to declare and make a show of war: that the fates and the gods
would of themselves manage the rest." These hopes had armed the
Etrurians, who in many vicissitudes had been vanquished and victors.
45. The Roman consuls also dreaded nothing else, than their own
strength, and their own arms. The recollection of the destructive
precedent set in the last war, deterred them from bringing matters to
such a pass as that they should have to fear two armies at the same
time. Accordingly they kept within their camp, avoiding this double
danger: "that delay and time itself would soften down resentment, and
bring a right way of thinking to their minds." The Veientian enemy and
the Etrurians proceeded with so much the greater precipitation; they
provoked them to battle, first riding up to the camp and challenging
them; at length, when they produced no effect by reviling as well the
consuls themselves as the army, they stated, "that the pretence of
internal dissension was assumed as a cloak for this cowardice; and that
the consuls distrusted as much the courage as the obedience of their
soldiers. That silence and inaction among men in arms were a novel form
of sedition." Besides this they threw out reproaches, both true as well
as false, on the upstart quality of their race and origin. Whilst they
vociferated these reproaches beneath the very rampart and gates, the
consuls bore them without impatience: but at one time indignation, at
another time shame, distracted the breasts of the ignorant multitude,
and diverted their attention from intestine evils; they were unwilling
that the enemy should come off unpunished; they were unwilling that
success should accrue to the patricians or the consuls; foreign and
domestic hatred struggled for mastery in their breasts; at length the
former prevail, so haughtily and insolently did the enemy revile them;
they crowd in a body to the general's tent; they demand battle, they
require that the signal be given. The consuls confer together as if to
deliberate; they continue the conference for a long time; they were
desirous of fighting, but that desire must be checked and concealed,
that by opposition and delay they might increase the ardour of the
soldiery once roused. An answer is returned, "that the matter in
question was premature, that it was not yet time for fighting: that they
should keep within their camp." They then issue a proclamation, "that
they should abstain from fighting; that if any one fought without
orders, they should punish him as an enemy." When they were thus
dismissed, their eagerness for fighting increases in proportion as they
think that the consuls were less disposed for it; the enemies moreover
come up much more insolently, as soon as it was known that the consuls
had determined not to fight. For they supposed "that they might insult
them with impunity; that their arms were not intrusted to the soldiery.
That the matter would explode in a violent mutiny; that a termination
had come to the Roman empire." Relying on these hopes, they run up to
the gates, heap reproaches on them, with difficulty refrain from
assaulting the camp. Now indeed the Romans could no longer endure these
insults; they crowd from every quarter of the camp to the consuls: they
no longer, as formerly, make their demand with reserve, through the
mediation of the centurions of the first rank; but all proceed
indiscriminately with loud clamours. The affair was now ripe; still they
put it off. Fabius then, his colleague giving way in consequence of his
dread of mutiny being now augmented by the uproar, after he had
commanded silence by sound of trumpet, says, "that these men are able to
conquer, Cneius Manlius, I know; that they are willing they themselves
have prevented me from knowing. It is therefore resolved and determined
not to give the signal, unless they swear that they will return
victorious from this battle. The soldier has once deceived the Roman
consul in the field, the gods he never will deceive." There was a
centurion, Marcus Flavoleius, one of the foremost in demanding battle;
he says, "M. Fabius, I will return victorious from the field." If he
deceived, he invokes the anger of father Jove, Mars Gradivus, and of the
other gods. After him the entire army severally take the same oath. The
signal is given to them when sworn; they take up arms, go into battle,
full of rage and of hope. They bid the Etrurians now to cast their
reproaches; they severally require that the enemy, once so ready with
the tongue, should now stand before them armed as they were. On that day
the bravery of all, both commons and patricians, was extraordinary: the
Fabian name, the Fabian race shone forth most conspicuous: they are
determined to recover in that battle the affections of the commons,
which during many civil contests had been alienated from them. The line
of battle is formed; nor do the Veientian foe and the Etrurian legions
decline the contest.
46. An almost certain hope was entertained that they would no more fight
with them than they had done with the Æqui; that even some more serious
attempt was not to be despaired of, considering the irritated state of
their feelings, and the very critical occasion. The affair turned out
altogether differently; for never before in any other war did the Roman
soldiers enter the field with more determined minds (so much had the
enemy exasperated them by taunts on the one hand, and the consuls by
delay on the other). The Etrurians had scarcely time to form their
ranks, when the javelins having been thrown away at random, in the first
hurry, rather than discharged with aim, the battle had now come to close
fighting, even to swords, where the fury of war is most desperate. Among
the foremost the Fabian family was distinguished for the sight it
afforded and the example it presented to their fellow citizens; one of
these, Q. Fabius, (he had been consul two years before,) as he was
advancing at the head of his men against a dense body of Veientians, and
whilst engaged amid numerous parties of the enemy, and therefore not
prepared for it, was transfixed with a sword through the breast by a
Tuscan who presumed on his bodily strength and skill in arms: on the
weapon being extracted, Fabius fell forward on the wound. Both armies
felt the fall of this one man, and the Roman began in consequence to
give way, when the consul Marcus Fabius leaped over the body as it lay,
and holding up his buckler, said, "Is this what you swore, soldiers,
that you would return to the camp in flight? are you thus more afraid of
your most dastardly enemies, than of Jupiter and Mars, by whom you have
sworn? But I who have not sworn will either return victorious, or will
fall fighting here beside thee, Q. Fabius." Then Kæso Fabius, the consul
of the preceding year, says to the consul, "Brother, is it by these
words you think you will prevail on them to fight? the gods by whom they
have sworn will prevail on them. Let us also, as men of noble birth, as
is worthy of the Fabian name, enkindle the courage of the soldiers by
fighting rather than by exhorting." Thus the two Fabii rush forward to
the front with presented spears, and brought on with them the whole
line.
47. The battle being restored on one side, Cn. Manlius, the consul, with
no less ardour, encouraged the fight on the other wing. Where an almost
similar result took place; for as the soldiers undauntedly followed Q.
Fabius on the one wing, so did they follow Manlius on this, as he was
driving the enemy now nearly routed, and when he, having received a
severe wound, retired from the battle, they fell back, supposing that he
was slain, and would have given way, had not the other consul, galloping
at full speed to that quarter with some troops of horse, supported their
drooping energies, crying out that his colleague was still alive, that
he himself was now come victorious, having routed the other wing.
Manlius also shows himself to restore the battle. The well-known voices
of the two consuls rekindle the courage of the soldiers; at the same
time too the enemy's line was now weakened, whilst, relying on their