The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
left his colleague to guard the gates, was now drawing up in order of
battle. The great influence of the man had produced an effect, when he
affirmed that, "the Capitol being recovered, and the city restored to
peace, if they would allow themselves to be convinced what lurking fraud
was concealed under the law proposed by the tribunes, that he would
offer no obstruction to the meeting of the people, mindful of his
ancestors, mindful of his surname, and that the province of protecting
the people had been handed down to him as hereditary by his ancestors."
Following him as their leader, notwithstanding the tribunes cried out
against it, they direct their march up the Capitoline hill. The Tusculan
troops also joined them. Allies and citizens vied with each other which
of them should appropriate to themselves the honour of recovering the
citadel. Each leader encourages his own men. Then the enemy became
terrified, and placed no dependence on any but the place. The Romans and
allies advance on them whilst in this state of alarm. They had now
broken into the porch of the temple, when Publius Valerius is slain
animating the fight at the head of his men. Publius Volumnius, a man of
consular rank, saw him falling. Having directed his men to cover the
body, he rushes forward to the place and office of consul. Through their
ardour and impetuosity the perception of so heavy a blow did not reach
the soldiers; they conquered before they perceived that they conquered
without a leader. Many of the exiles defiled the temple with their
blood; many were taken alive; Herdonius was slain. Thus the Capitol was
recovered. With respect to the prisoners,[124] punishment was inflicted
on each according to his station, whether he was a freeman or a slave.
The commons are stated to have thrown farthings into the consul's house,
that he might be buried with greater solemnity.
[Footnote 124: Niebuhr thinks that Cæso was among the number. See cap.
25, where we read "Cæsonem neque Quintiæ familiæ, neque reipublicæ
restitui posse." Comp. Niebuhr ii. n. 673, Wachsmuth, p. 347.]
19. Peace being established, the tribunes then pressed on the patricians
to fulfil the promise of Publius Valerius; they pressed on Claudius, to
free the shade of his colleague from breach of faith, and to allow the
business of the law to proceed. The consul asserted that he would suffer
the discussion on the law to go on, till he had a colleague appointed in
the room of the deceased. These disputes held on until the elections for
substituting a consul. In the month of December,[125] by the most
zealous exertions of the patricians, Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus, Cæso's
father, is elected consul to enter on his office without delay. The
commons were dismayed at their being about to have as consul a man
incensed against them, powerful by the support of the patricians, by his
own merit, and by three sons, not one of whom yielded to Cæso in
greatness of spirit; "whilst they were superior to him by their
exercising prudence and moderation, when the occasion required." When he
entered on his office, in his frequent harangues from the tribunal, he
was not more vehement in restraining the commons than in reproving the
senate, "by the listlessness of which body the tribunes of the commons,
now become perpetual, by means of their tongues and prosecutions
exercised regal authority, not as in a republic of the Roman people, but
as if in an ill-regulated family. That with his son Cæso, fortitude,
constancy, all the splendid qualifications of youth in war or in peace,
had been driven and exiled from the city of Rome: that talkative and
turbulent men, sowers of discord, twice and even thrice re-elected
tribunes, lived in the most destructive practices with regal tyranny.
Did that Aulus Virginius," says he, "deserve less punishment than Appius
Herdonius, because he was not in the Capitol? considerably more, by
Jove, (in the mind of any one) who would judge the matter fairly.
Herdonius, if nothing else, by avowing himself an enemy, in a manner
gave you notice to take up arms: this man, by denying the existence of
war, took arms out of your hands, and exposed you defenceless to your
slaves and exiles. And did you, (without any offence to Caius Claudius
and to Publius Valerius, now no more let me say it,) did you advance
against the Capitoline hill before you expelled those enemies from the
forum. It is shameful before gods and men. When the enemy were in the
citadel, in the very Capitol, when the leader of the exiles and slaves,
after profaning every thing, took up his residence in the shrine of
Jupiter, the best and greatest, arms were taken up in Tusculum sooner
than in Rome. It was a matter of doubt whether Lucius Mamilius, the
Tusculan leader, or Publius Valerius and Caius Claudius, the consuls,
recovered the Roman citadel, and we, who formerly did not suffer the
Latins to touch arms, even in their own defence, when they had the enemy
in their very frontiers, should have been taken and destroyed now, had
not the Latins taken up arms of their own accord. Tribunes, is this
bringing aid to the commons, to expose them in a defenceless state to be
butchered by the enemy. Now, if any one, even the humblest individual of
your commons, (which portion you have as it were broken off from the
rest of the state, and made it your country and peculiar commonwealth,)
if any one of these persons were to bring word that his house was beset
by an armed band of slaves, you would think that assistance should be
afforded to him. Was Jupiter, the best and greatest, when surrounded by
the arms of exiles and of slaves, deserving of no human aid? And do
these persons require that they be considered sacred and
inviolable,[126] with whom the gods themselves are neither sacred nor
inviolable? But, steeped as ye are in crimes against both gods and men,
do ye say that you will pass your law this year? Verily then the day on
which I was created consul was a disastrous day for the commonwealth,
much more so even than that on which Publius Valerius the consul fell,
if ye should carry it. Now, first of all," says he, "Romans, it is the
intention of myself and of my colleague to march the legions against the
Volsci and the Æqui. I know not by what fatality we find the gods more
propitious when we are at war than in peace. How great the danger from
those states would have been, had they known that the Capitol was
besieged by exiles, it is better to conjecture from the past, than to
feel from actual experience."
[Footnote 125: The consuls under ordinary circumstances used to commence
their office at this time on the Calends of August.]
[Footnote 126: _Neque sacri neque sancti_. Whatever is consecrated by
religion is said to be _sacrum_; whilst _sanctum_ is said of that which
the law states to be inviolable.]
20. The consul's harangue had a great effect on the commons; the
patricians, recovering their spirits, considered the state as
re-established. The other consul, more eager as a seconder than as the
first mover (of a measure), readily suffering his colleague to take the
first lead in a matter of so much importance, claimed to himself his
share of the consular duty in executing the plan. Then the tribunes,
mocking these declarations as empty, went on inquiring "by what means
the consuls would lead out the army, as no one would allow them to hold
a levy?" "But," says Quintius, "we have no occasion for a levy; since at
the time Publius Valerius gave arms to the commons to recover the
Capitol, they all took an oath to him, that they would assemble on an
order from the consul, and would not depart without an order. We
therefore publish our order that all of you, who have sworn, attend
to-morrow under arms at the lake Regillus." The tribunes then began to
cavil, and wished to absolve the people from their obligation; that
Quintius was a private person at the time at which they were bound by
the oath. But that disregard of the gods which prevails in the present
age had not yet arrived; nor did every one, by his own interpretation,
accommodate oaths and laws to his own purposes, but rather adapted his
conduct to them. Wherefore the tribunes, as there was no hope of
obstructing the matter, attempted to delay the departure (of the army)
the more earnestly on this account, because a report had gone out "both
that the augurs had been ordered to attend at the lake Regillus, and to
consecrate a place, where business might be transacted with the people
with the benefit of auspices; that whatever had been passed at Rome by
tribunitian violence, might be repealed there in an assembly. That all
would agree to that which the consuls wished; for that there was no
appeal at a distance greater than that of a mile from the city: and that
the tribunes, if they should come there, would, among the rest of the
crowd, be subjected to the consular authority." These matters alarmed
them; but the greatest terror which acted on their minds was, that
Quintius frequently said, "that he would not hold an election of
consuls. That the state was affected with such a disease, as could not
be stopped by the ordinary remedies. That the commonwealth required a
dictator, so that whoever should stir a step to disturb the peace of the
state, might feel that the dictatorship was without appeal."
21. The senate was assembled in the Capitol. Thither the tribunes come
with the commons in great consternation: the populace, with loud
clamours, implore the protection now of the consuls, now of the
patricians: nor could they make the consul recede from his
determination, until the tribunes promised that they would be under the
direction of the patricians. Then on the consul's laying before them the
demands of the tribunes and commons, decrees of the senate are passed,
"That neither the tribunes should propose the law during that year, and
that the consuls should not lead the army from the city--that for the
time to come, the senate decided that it was to the injury of the
commonwealth, that the same magistrates should be continued, and the
same tribunes be re-appointed." The consuls conformed to the authority
of the senate, the tribunes were re-appointed notwithstanding the
remonstrances of the consuls. The patricians also, that they might not
yield to the commons in any particular, re-elected Lucius Quintius
consul. No proceeding of the consul was urged with more warmth during
the entire year. "Can I be surprised," says he, "if your authority is of
little weight, conscript fathers? yourselves are disparaging it.
Forsooth, because the commons have violated a decree of the senate, by
re-appointing their magistrates, you yourselves also wish it to be
violated, lest ye should yield to the populace in rashness; as if to
possess greater power in the state consisted in having more of
inconstancy and irregularity; for it is certainly more inconstant and
greater folly, to do away with one's own decrees and resolutions, than
those of others. Imitate, conscript fathers, the inconsiderate
multitude; and ye, who should be an example to others, transgress by the
example of others, rather than others should act correctly by yours,
provided I imitate not the tribunes, nor suffer myself to be re-elected
consul, contrary to a decree of the senate. But I advise you, Caius
Claudius, that both you on your part restrain the Roman people from this
licentiousness, and that you be persuaded of this on my part, that I
shall so take it, as not to consider that my honour has been obstructed
by you, but that the glory of declining the honour has been augmented,
and the odium, which would hang over me from its being continued, has
been lessened." Upon this they issue this order jointly: "That no one
should attempt to make Lucius Quintius consul: if any one should do so,