The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
kindness of the senate was outdone. Tears flowed in abundance through
joy both from the patricians and commons; until the senators being
called back into the house, a decree of the senate was passed, "that the
military tribunes, summoning an assembly, should return thanks to the
infantry and cavalry; and should state that the senate would be mindful
of their affectionate attachment to their country. But that it was their
wish that their pay should go on for those who had, out of their turn,
undertaken voluntary service." To the horsemen also a certain stipend
was assigned. Then for the first time the cavalry began to serve on
their own horses. This army of volunteers being led to Veii, not only
restored the works which had been lost, but also erected new ones.
Supplies were conveyed from the city with greater care than before; lest
any thing should be wanting for the accommodation of an army who
deserved so well.
8. The following year had military tribunes with consular authority,
Caius Servilius Ahala a third time, Quintus Servilius, Lucius Virginius,
Quintus Sulpicius, Aulus Manlius a second time, Manius Sergius a second
time. During their tribuneship, whilst the solicitude of all was
directed to the Veientian war, the garrison at Anxur was neglected in
consequence of the absence of the soldiers on leave, and from the
indiscriminate admission of Volscian traders was overpowered, the guards
at the gates being suddenly betrayed. Less of the soldiers perished,
because they were all trafficking through the country and city like
suttlers. Nor were matters conducted more successfully at Veii, which
was then the chief object of all public solicitude. For both the Roman
commanders had more quarrels among themselves, than spirit against the
enemy; and the severity of the war was exaggerated by the sudden arrival
of the Capenatians and the Faliscians. These two states of Etruria,
because they were contiguous in situation, judging that in case Veii was
conquered, they should be next to the attacks of the Romans in war; the
Faliscians also, incensed from a cause affecting themselves, because
they had already on a former occasion mixed themselves up in a
Fidenatian war, being bound together by an oath by reciprocal embassies,
marched unexpectedly with their armies to Veii. It so happened, they
attacked the camp in that quarter where Manius Sergius, military
tribune, commanded, and occasioned great alarm; because the Romans
imagined that all Etruria was aroused and were advancing in a great
mass. The same opinion aroused the Veientians in the city. Thus the
Roman camp was attacked on both sides; and crowding together, whilst
they wheeled round their battalions from one post to another, they were
unable either to confine the Veientians within their fortifications, or
repel the assault from their own works, and to defend themselves from
the enemy on the outside. The only hope was, if succour could be brought
from the greater camp, that the different legions should fight, some
against the Capenatians and Faliscians, others against the sallies of
the townsmen. But Virginius had the command of that camp, who, from
personal grounds, was hateful to and incensed against Sergius. This
man, when word was brought that most of the forts were attacked, the
fortifications scaled, and that the enemy were pouring in on both sides,
kept his men under arms, saying that if there was need of assistance,
his colleague would send to him. His arrogance was equalled by the
obstinacy of the other; who, that he might not appear to have sought any
aid from an adversary, preferred being defeated by an enemy to
conquering through a fellow-citizen. His men were for a long time cut
down between both: at length, abandoning their works, a very small
number made their way to the principal camp; the greater number, with
Sergius himself, made their way to Rome. Where, when he threw the entire
blame on his colleague, it was resolved that Virginius should be sent
for from the camp, and that lieutenant-generals should take the command
in the mean time. The affair was then discussed in the senate, and the
dispute was carried on between the colleagues with (mutual)
recriminations. But few took up the interests of the republic, (the
greater number) favoured the one or the other, according as private
regard or interest prejudiced each.
9. The principal senators were of opinion, that whether so ignominious a
defeat had been sustained through the misconduct or the misfortune of
the commanders, "the regular time of the elections should not be waited
for, but that new military tribunes should be created immediately, who
should enter into office on the calends of October." Whilst they were
proceeding to intimate their assent to this opinion, the other military
tribunes offered no opposition. But Sergius and Virginius, on whose
account it was evident that the senate were dissatisfied with the
magistrates of that year, at first deprecated the ignominy, then
protested against the decree of the senate; they declared that they
would not retire from office before the ides of December, the usual day
for persons entering on magisterial duties. Upon this the tribunes of
the plebeians, whilst in the general harmony and in the prosperous state
of public affairs they had unwillingly kept silence, suddenly becoming
confident, began to threaten the military tribunes, that unless they
conformed to the order of the senate, they would order them to be thrown
into prison. Then Caius Servilius Ahala, a military tribune, observed,
"With respect to you, tribunes of the commons, and your threats, I
would with pleasure put it to the test, how there is not more of
authority in the latter than of spirit in yourselves. But it is impious
to strive against the authority of the senate. Wherefore do you cease to
seek amid our quarrels for an opportunity of doing mischief; and my
colleagues will either do that which the senate thinks fit, or if they
shall persist with too much pertinacity, I will immediately nominate a
dictator, who will oblige them to retire from office." When this speech
was approved with general consent, and the patricians rejoiced, that
without the terrors of the tribunitian office, another and a superior
power had been discovered to coerce the magistrates, overcome by the
universal consent, they held the elections of military tribunes, who
were to commence their office on the calends of October, and before that
day they retired from office.
10. During the military tribuneship of Lucius Valerius Potitus for the
fourth time, Marcus Furius Camillus for the second time, Manius Æmilius
Mamercinus a third time, Cneius Cornelius Cossus a second time, Kæso
Fabius Ambustus, Lucius Julius Iulus, much business was transacted at
home and abroad. For there was both a complex war at the same time, at
Veii, at Capena, at Falerii, and among the Volscians, that Anxur might
be recovered from the enemy; and at the same time there was some
difficulty experienced both in consequence of the levy, and of the
contribution of the tax: there was also a contention about the
appointment of plebeian tribunes; and the two trials of those, who a
little before had been invested with consular authority, excited no
trifling commotion. First of all the tribunes of the soldiers took care
that the levy should be held; and not only the juniors were enlisted,
but the seniors also were compelled to give in their names, to serve as
a garrison to the city. But in proportion as the number of the soldiers
was augmented, so much the greater sum of money was required for pay;
and this was collected by a tax, those who remained at home contributing
against their will, because those who guarded the city had to perform
military service also, and to serve the commonwealth. The tribunes of
the commons, by their seditious harangues, caused these things, grievous
in themselves, to seem more exasperating, by their asserting, "that pay
was established for the soldiers with this view, that they might wear
out one half of the commons by military service, the other half by the
tax. That a single war was being waged now for the third year, on
purpose that they may have a longer time to wage it. That armies had
been raised at one levy for four different wars, and that boys even and
old men were dragged from home. That neither summer nor winter now made
any difference, so that there may never be any respite for the
unfortunate commons, who were now even at last made to pay a tax; so
that after they brought home their bodies wasted by hardship, wounds,
and eventually by age, and found their properties at home neglected by
the absence of the proprietors, had to pay a tax out of their impaired
fortunes, and to refund to the state in a manifold proportion the
military pay which had been as it were received on interest." Between
the levy and the tax, and their minds being taken up by more important
concerns, the number of plebeian tribunes could not be filled up at the
elections. A struggle was afterwards made that patricians should be
elected into the vacant places. When this could not be carried, still,
for the purpose of weakening the Trebonian law, it was managed that
Caius Lacerius and Marcus Acutius should be admitted as tribunes of the
commons, no doubt through the influence of the patricians.
11. Chance so directed it, that this year Cneius Trebonius was tribune
of the commons, and he considered that he undertook the patronage of the
Trebonian law as a debt due to his name and family. He crying out aloud,
"that a point which some patricians had aimed at, though baffled in
their first attempt, had yet been carried by the military tribunes; that
the Trebonian law had been subverted, and tribunes of the commons had
been elected not by the suffrages of the people but by the mandate of
the patricians; and that the thing was now come to this, that either
patricians or dependants of patricians were to be had for tribunes of
the commons; that the devoting laws were taken away, the tribunitian
power wrested from them; he alleged that this was effected by some
artifice of the patricians, by the villany and treachery of his
colleagues." While not only the patricians, but the tribunes of the
commons also became objects of public resentment; as well those who were
elected, as those who had elected them; then three of the college,
Publius Curiatius, Marcus Metilius, and Marcus Minucius, alarmed for
their interests, make an attack on Sergius and Virginius, military
tribunes of the former year; they turn away the resentment of the
commons, and public odium from themselves on them, by appointing a day
of trial for them. They observe that "those persons by whom the levy,
the tribute, the long service, and the distant seat of the war was felt
as a grievance, those who lamented the calamity sustained at Veii; such
as had their houses in mourning through the loss of children, brothers,
relatives, and kinsmen, had now through their means the right and power
of avenging the public and private sorrow on the two guilty causes. For
that the sources of all their sufferings were centred in Sergius and
Virginius: nor did the prosecutor advance that charge more
satisfactorily than the accused acknowledged it; who, both guilty, threw
the blame from one to the other, Virginius charging Sergius with running
away, Sergius charging Virginius with treachery. The folly of whose
conduct was so incredible, that it is much more probable that the affair
had been contrived by concert, and by the common artifice of the
patricians. That by them also an opportunity was formerly given to the
Veientians to burn the works for the sake of protracting the war; and
that now the army was betrayed, and the Roman camp delivered up to the