The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
mindful of their liberty recovered at home through them, mindful also of
their military services, should again elect them consuls, what they
would do, made no change in their sentiments; he held the election,
after eulogizing the consuls, because they persevered to the last in
being unlike the decemvirs; and five tribunes of the people being
elected, when, through the zealous exertions of the nine tribunes who
openly pushed their canvass, the other candidates could not make up the
required number of tribes, he dismissed the assembly; nor did he hold
one after for the purpose of an election. He said that he had fulfilled
the law, which without any where specifying the number of tribunes, only
enacted that tribunes should be left; and recommended that colleagues be
chosen by those who had been elected. And he recited the terms of the
law, in which (it is said,) "If I shall propose ten tribunes of the
commons, if you elect this day less than ten tribunes of the people,
then that those whom they may have chosen as colleagues for themselves
be legitimate tribunes of the people, by the same law as those whom you
have this day elected tribunes of the people." When Duilius persevered
to the last, stating that the republic could not have fifteen tribunes
of the people, after baffling the ambition of his colleagues, he
resigned his office, being equally approved by the patricians and
people.
65. The new tribunes of the people in electing their colleagues evinced
a disposition to gratify the wishes of the patricians; they even elected
two who were patricians, and even consulars, Spurius Tarpeius and Aulus
Aterius. The consuls then elected, Largius Herminius, Titus Virginius
Cælimontanus not very much inclined to the cause either of the
patricians or commons, had perfect tranquillity both at home and abroad.
Lucius Trebonius, tribune of the commons, incensed against the
patricians, because, as he said, he was imposed on by them in the affair
of choosing colleagues, and betrayed by his colleagues, carried a
proposal, "that whoever took the votes of the commons in electing
tribunes of the people, he should go on taking the votes, until he
elected ten tribunes of the people;" and he spent his tribuneship in
worrying the patricians, whence the cognomen of Asper was given him.
Next Marcus Geganius Macerinus, and Caius Julius, being elected consuls,
quieted some combinations of the tribunes against the youth of the
nobility, without any harsh proceeding against that power, and still
preserving the dignity of the patricians; by proclaiming a levy for the
war against the Volscians and Æquans, they kept the people from riots by
keeping matters in abeyance; affirming, that every thing was quiet
abroad, there being harmony in the city, and that through civil discord
the enemies assumed new courage. Their anxiety for peace was also the
cause of concord at home. But each of the orders ever took advantage of
moderation in the other. Acts of injustice began to be committed by the
younger patricians on the commons when perfectly quiet. When the
tribunes would assist the weaker party, at first it was of little use;
then not even themselves escaped being ill-treated; particularly in the
latter months, when injustice was committed through the combinations
among the more powerful, and the vigour of every magistracy becomes
considerably more lax in the latter part of the year; and now the
commons placed hopes in the tribuneship, only on the condition that they
had tribunes like Icilius; that for the last two years they had had only
mere names. On the other hand, the elder members of the patrician order,
though they considered their young men to be too overbearing, yet would
rather, if bounds were to be exceeded, that a redundancy of spirit
should exist in their own order than in their adversaries. So difficult
a thing is moderation in maintaining liberty, whilst by pretending to
desire equalization, every person raises himself in such a manner as to
depress another; and men, by their very precautions against fear, cause
themselves to become objects of dread; and we saddle on others injustice
thrown off from ourselves, as if it were actually necessary either to
commit injustice or to submit to it.
66. Titus Quintius Capitolinus, for the fourth time, and Agrippa Furius
being then elected consuls, found neither disturbance at home nor war
abroad; both, however, were impending. The discord of the citizens could
now no longer be checked, both tribunes and commons being exasperated
against the patricians, when a day of trial being appointed for any of
the nobility always embroiled the assemblies with new contests. On the
first noise of which the Æquans and Volscians, as if they had received a
signal, took up arms; at the same time because their leaders, desirous
of plunder, had persuaded them that the levy proclaimed two years
previously could not be proceeded with, the commons now refusing
obedience; that on that account no armies were sent against them; that
military discipline was subverted by licentiousness; and that Rome was
no longer considered as their common country; that whatever resentment
and animosity they may have entertained against foreigners, was now
turned against each other; that now an occasion offered for destroying
those wolves blinded by intestine rage. Having united their forces, they
first laid waste the Latin territory: when no resistance was found
there, then indeed, to the great exultation of the advisers of the war,
they approached the very walls of Rome, carrying their depredations into
the district around the Esquiline gate, pointing out to the city the
devastation of the land by way of insult. Whence when they marched back
to Corbio unmolested, and driving the prey before them, Quintius the
consul summoned the people to an assembly.
67. There I find that he spoke to this purport: "Though I am conscious
to myself of no fault, Romans, yet with the greatest shame I have come
forward to your assembly. That you should know this; that this should be
handed down on record to posterity, that the Æquans and Volscians, a
short time since scarcely a match for the Hernicians, have with impunity
come with arms in their hands to the walls of Rome, in the fourth
consulate of Titus Quintius. Had I known that this ignominy was reserved
for this particular year, (though we are now long living in such a
manner, such is the state of affairs, that my mind could augur nothing
good,) I would have avoided this honour either by exile or by death, if
there were no other means of escaping it. Then if men of courage had
those arms, which were at our gates, could Rome be taken in my
consulate? I have had sufficient honours, enough and more than enough of
life: I should have died in my third consulate. Whom did these most
dastardly enemies despise? us, consuls, or you, citizens? If the fault
is in us, take away the command from us as unworthy persons; and if that
is insufficient, further inflict punishment on us. If in you, may there
be none of gods or men who will punish your offences; do you only repent
of them. It is not your cowardice they have despised, nor their own
valour they have confided in; for having been so often routed and put to
flight, stripped of their camp, amerced in their land, sent under the
yoke, they know both themselves and you. The discord among the several
orders is the bane of this city; the contests of the patricians and
commons have raised their spirits; whilst we have neither bounds in the
pursuit of power, nor you in that of liberty, whilst you are tired of
patrician, these of plebeian magistrates. In the name of heaven, what
would ye have? You coveted tribunes of the commons; we conceded them for
the sake of concord. Ye longed for decemvirs; we suffered them to be
created. Ye became weary of decemvirs; we compelled them to resign the
office. Your resentment against these same persons when they became
private citizens still continuing, we suffered men of the highest
families and rank to die or go into exile. Ye wished again to create
tribunes of the commons; ye created them. Though we saw that it was
unjust to the patricians to create consuls in your own interest, we have
even seen a patrician magistracy conceded as an offering to the people.
The aid of tribunes, right of appeal to the people, the acts of the
commons made binding on the patricians under the pretext of equalizing
the laws, the subversion of our privileges, we have borne and still
bear. What termination is there to be to our dissensions? when shall it
be allowed us to have a united city? when to have one common country?
When defeated we submit with more resignation than you when victorious.
Is it enough for you, that you are objects of terror to us? The Aventine
is taken against us; against us the Sacred mount is seized. When the
Esquiliæ is almost taken by the enemy, and when the Volscian foe is
scaling your rampart, there is no one to dislodge him: against us ye
are men, against us ye take up arms.
68. "Come, when ye have blockaded the senate-house here, and have made
the forum the seat of war, and filled the prison with the leading men of
the state, march forth through the Esquiline gate, with that same
determined spirit; or if ye do not even venture thus far, behold from
your walls the lands laid waste with fire and sword, booty driven off,
the houses set on fire in every direction and smoking. But (I may be
told) it is the public weal that is in a worse condition through these
results: the land is burned, the city is besieged, all the glory of the
war is centred in the enemy. What in the name of heaven? in what state
is your own private interest? just now his own private losses were
announced to each of you from the lands. What, pray, is there at home,
whence you may recruit them? Will the tribunes restore and compensate
you for what ye have lost? Of sound and words they will heap on you as
much as ye please, and of charges against the leading men, and laws one
upon another, and of public meetings. But from these meetings never has
one of you returned home more increased in substance or in fortune. Has
any one ever brought back to his wife and children aught save hatred,
quarrels, grudges public and private? from which (and their effects) you
have been ever protected, not by your own valour and integrity, but by
the aid of others. But, when you served under the guidance of us
consuls, not under your tribunes, and the enemy trembled at your shout
in the field of battle, not the Roman patricians in the assembly, booty
being obtained, land taken from the enemy, with a plentiful stock of
wealth and glory, both public and private, you used to return home to
your household gods in triumph: now you allow the enemy to go off laden
with your property. Continue immovably tied to your assemblies, live in
the forum; the necessity of taking the field, which ye avoid, still
follows you. Was it too hard on you to march against the Æquans and the
Volscians? The war is at your gates: if it is not repelled from thence,
it will soon be within your walls, and will scale the citadel and
Capitol, and follow you into your very houses. Two years ago the senate
ordered a levy to be held, and the army to march to Algidum; yet we sit
down listless at home, quarrelling with each other like women;
delighting in present peace, and not seeing that after that short-lived
intermission complicated wars are sure to return. That there are other
topics more pleasing than these, I well know; but even though my own
mind did not prompt me to it, necessity obliges me to speak that which
is true instead of that which is pleasing. I would indeed be anxious to
please you, Romans; but I am much more anxious that ye should be