The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
him. To them the assembly pays attention, they drown with clamour the
voice of the decemvir. Now Valerius authoritatively ordered the lictors
to depart from one who was but a private citizen: when Appius, whose
spirits were now broken, being alarmed for his life, betook himself into
a house in the vicinity of the forum, unknown to his enemies, with his
head covered up. Spurius Oppius, in order to assist his colleague,
rushes into the forum from the opposite side; he sees their authority
overpowered by force. Distracted then by various counsels between which
he wavered, by assenting to several advisers from every side, he
eventually ordered the senate to be convened. Because the proceedings of
the decemvirs seemed to be displeasing to the greater portion of the
patricians, this step quieted the people with the hope that the
government would be abolished through the senate. The senate gave their
opinion that neither the commons should be exasperated, and much more
that care should be taken that the arrival of Virginius should not
occasion any commotion in the army.
50. Accordingly some of the junior patricians, being sent to the camp
which was at that time on Mount Vecilius, announce to the decemvirs
"that by every means in their power they should keep the soldiers from
mutinying." Where Virginius occasioned greater commotion than he had
left behind him in the city. For besides that he was seen coming with a
body of near four hundred men, who, fired at the heinous enormity of the
occurrence, had accompanied him from the city; the unsheathed weapon and
himself besmeared with blood, attracted to him the entire camp; and the
gowns[151] seen in the different parts of the camp, had caused the
number of people from the city to appear much greater than it really
was. When they asked him what was the matter, in consequence of his
weeping he uttered not a word. At length, as soon as the crowd of those
running together became still, and silence took place, he related every
thing in order as it occurred. Then extending his hands towards heaven,
addressing his fellow soldiers, he begged of them, "not to impute to him
that which was the crime of Appius, not to abhor him as the murderer of
his children." To him the life of his daughter was dearer than his own,
if she had been allowed to live in freedom and chastity. When he beheld
her dragged to prostitution as if a slave, thinking it better that his
child should be lost by death than by dishonour, through compassion for
her he fell into an appearance of cruelty. Nor would he have survived
his daughter, had he not placed hope of avenging her death in the aid of
his fellow soldiers. For that they too had daughters, sisters, and
wives; nor was the lust of Appius Claudius extinguished with his
daughter; but in proportion as it escaped with impunity, so much the
more unbridled would it be. That in the calamities of others a warning
was given to them to guard against a similar injury. That for his own
part, his wife had been taken from him by fate; his daughter, because
she no longer could live in chastity, died an unfortunate but honourable
death; that there was no longer in his house an opportunity for Appius's
lust; that from any other violence of his he would defend his person
with the same spirit with which he vindicated that of his daughter. That
others should take care of themselves and of their children. To
Virginius, uttering these words in a loud voice, the multitude responded
with a shout, "that they would not be backward, with respect either to
his wrongs or their own liberty. And the gown-men mixing with the crowd
of soldiers, both by narrating with sorrow those same circumstances, and
by showing how much more shocking they must have appeared when seen than
when merely heard, and also by telling them that matters were now
desperate at Rome; those also who followed (the persons that accompanied
Virginius from Rome) and alleged that Appius, having with difficulty
escaped with life, had gone into exile;[152] all these individuals so
far influenced them that there was a general cry to arms, they snatched
up their standards, and set out for Rome." The decemvirs, being alarmed
at the same time both by what they now saw, as well as by those things
which they had heard had taken place at Rome, ran about to different
parts of the camp to quell the commotion. Whilst they proceeded with
mildness no answer was returned to them. If any of them attempted to
exert authority over them, the answer given was, that "they were men and
had arms." They go in a body to the city and post themselves on the
Aventine; encouraging the commons, according as each person met them, to
reassume their liberty, and elect tribunes of the people; no other
violent expression was heard. Spurius Oppius holds a meeting of the
senate; it is resolved that no harsh proceedings should be adopted, as
occasion for the sedition had been given by themselves. Three men of
consular rank, Spurius Tarpeius, Caius Julius, Publius Sulpicius, are
sent as ambassadors, to inquire, in the name of the senate, by whose
orders they had deserted the camp? or what they intended in posting
themselves on the Aventine in arms, and in turning away their arms from
the enemy and taking their own country? They were at no loss for an
answer; they wanted some one to give the answer, there being as yet no
certain leader, and individuals not being forward enough to expose
themselves to the invidious office. The multitude only called out with
one voice, that they should send Lucius Valerius and Marcus Horatius to
them: that to them they would give their answer.
[Footnote 151: The dress of the citizens.]
[Footnote 152: Two classes of persons are here intended: 1. Those who
accompanied Virginius into the camp. 2. Others who followed them
subsequently.]
51. The ambassadors being dismissed, Virginius reminds the soldiers
"that a little time before they had been embarrassed in a matter of no
very great difficulty, because the multitude was without a head; and
that the answer given, though not inexpedient, was the result rather of
an accidental concurrence than of a concerted plan. His opinion was,
that ten persons be elected, who should preside in the management of
their affairs, and, in the style of military dignity, that they should
be called tribunes of the soldiers." When that honour was offered to
himself in the first instance, he replied, "Reserve for an occasion more
favourable to you and to me those your kind opinions of me. My daughter
being unavenged, neither allows any honour to be satisfactory to me, nor
in the disturbed state of things is it useful that those should be at
your head who are most obnoxious to party malice. If there will be any
use of me, such use will be derived not in a less degree from me in a
private station." They then elect military tribunes ten in number. Nor
was the army among the Sabines inactive. There also, at the instance of
Icilius and Numitorius, a secession from the decemvirs took place, the
commotion of men's minds on recollecting the murder of Siccius being not
less than that, which the recent account of the barbarous attempt made
on the maiden to gratify lust had enkindled. When Icilius heard that
tribunes of the soldiers were elected on Mount Aventine, lest the
election-assembly in the city might follow the precedent of the military
assembly, by electing the same persons tribunes of the commons, being
well versed in popular intrigues and having an eye to that office, he
also takes care, before they proceeded to the city, that the same number
be elected by his own party with an equal power. They entered the city
through the Colline gate in military array, and proceeded in a body to
the Aventine through the middle of the city. There, joined to the other
army, they commissioned the twenty tribunes of the soldiers to select
two out of their number, who should hold the command in chief. They
choose Marcus Oppius and Sextus Manilius. The patricians, alarmed for
the general safety, though there was a meeting every day, waste the time
in wrangling more frequently than in deliberation. The murder of
Siccius, the lust of Appius, and the disgraces incurred in war were
urged as charges against the decemvirs. It was resolved that Valerius
and Horatius should proceed to the Aventine. They refused to go on any
other conditions, than that the decemvirs should lay down the badges of
that office, which had expired the year before. The decemvirs,
complaining that they were now being degraded, stated that they would
not resign their office, until those laws were passed on account of
which they had been appointed.
52. The people being informed through Marcus Duilius, who had been
tribune of the people, that by reason of their continual contentions no
business was transacted, passes from the Aventine to the Sacred mount;
Duilius affirming that serious concern for business would not enter the
minds of the patricians, until they saw the city deserted. That the
Sacred mount would remind them of the people's firmness; that they would
then know, that matters could not be restored to concord without the
restoration of (the tribunitian) power. Having set out along the
Nomentan way, which was then called the Ficulnean, they pitched their
camp on the Sacred mount, imitating the moderation of their fathers by
committing no violence. The commons followed the army, no one whose age
would permit him declining to go. Their wives and children attended
their steps, piteously asking to whom would they leave them, in a city
in which neither chastity nor liberty were respected? When the unusual
solitude rendered every place in Rome void; when there was in the forum
no one but a few old men; when, the patricians being convened into the
senate, the forum appeared deserted; more now besides Horatius and
Valerius began to exclaim, "What will ye now wait for, conscript
fathers? If the decemvirs do not put an end to their obstinacy, will ye
suffer all things to go to wreck and ruin? What power is that,
decemvirs, which ye embrace and hold so firmly? do you mean to
administer justice to walls and mere houses? Are you not ashamed that an
almost greater number of your lictors is to be seen in the forum than of
the other citizens? What are ye to do, in case the enemy should approach
the city? What, if the commons should come presently in arms, if we seem
not to be moved by their secession? do you mean to conclude your power
by the fall of the city? But (the case is this,) either we must not have
the commons, or they must have their tribunes. We would sooner dispense
with our patrician magistrates, than they with their plebeian. That
power, when new and untried, they wrested from our fathers; much less
will they, now that they have tested the sweets of it, endure its loss:
more especially since we make not a moderate use of our power, so that
they may not stand in need of (tribunitian) aid." When these arguments
were thrown out from every quarter, the decemvirs, overpowered by the
united opinions of all, declare that, since such seems to be the
feeling, they would submit to the authority of the patricians. All they
ask is, that they may be protected from popular rage; they give a
warning, that they should not through shedding their blood habituate the
people to inflict punishment on the patricians.
53. Then Valerius and Horatius, having been sent to bring back the
people on such terms as might seem fit, and to adjust all differences,
are directed to make provision also for the decemvirs from the
resentment and violence of the multitude. They set forward and are
received into the camp with great joy by the people, as being their
liberators beyond all doubt, both at the commencement of the disturbance