The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
respectively the _damnatio_, and _elades captæ urbis_, afterwards
mentioned, obviously refer. Some editions read, _invidiam lenire suo
privato incommodo, quàm minimo publico populi Romani liceret_. This is
the reading adopted by Crevier; i. e. "to appease the jealousy by his
own private loss, rather than the least public loss." This is more in
accordance with the account given of Camillus by Plutarch, and contains
a sentiment certainly more worthy both of Livy and of Camillus.
Sentiments ascribed by Plutarch to Camillus, will have suo privato
incommodo, quam minimo publico P. R., giving him the patriotic wish to
render light the odium by his own private loss, _rather than_ the least
public loss; or, by his own private loss, but if not, _by_ as small a
public loss as possible. Pop-_li_ R-_i_, better than _o_, _o_, as
_liceret_ would, in the latter case, apply only to one of the parties;
in the former both are understood.]
22. On the following day the dictator sold the inhabitants of free
condition by auction: that was the only money applied to public use, not
without resentment on the part of the people: and for the spoil they
brought home with them, they felt no obligation either to their
commander, who, in his search for abettors of his own parsimony, had
referred to the senate a matter within his own jurisdiction, or to the
senate, but to the Licinian family, of which the son had laid the matter
before the senate, and the father had been the proposer of so popular a
resolution. When all human wealth had been carried away from Veii, they
then began to remove the offerings to their gods and the gods
themselves, but more after the manner of worshippers than of plunderers.
For youths selected from the entire army, to whom the charge of
conveying queen Juno to Rome was assigned, after having thoroughly
washed their bodies and arrayed themselves in white garments, entered
her temple with profound adoration, applying their hands at first with
religious awe, because, according to the Etrurian usage, no one but a
priest of a certain family had been accustomed to touch that statue.
Then when some one, moved either by divine inspiration, or in youthful
jocularity, said, "Juno, art thou willing to go to Rome," the rest
joined in shouting that the goddess had nodded assent. To the story an
addition was afterwards made, that her voice was heard, declaring that
"she was willing." Certain it is, we are informed that, having been
raised from her place by machines of trifling power, she was light and
easily removed, like as if she [willingly] followed; and that she was
conveyed safe to the Aventine, her eternal seat, whither the vows of the
dictator had invited her; where the same Camillus who had vowed it,
afterwards dedicated a temple to her. Such was the fall of Veii, the
wealthiest city of the Etrurian nation, which even in its final
overthrow demonstrated its greatness; for having been besieged for ten
summers and winters without intermission, after it had inflicted
considerably greater losses than it had sustained, eventually, fate now
at length urging [its destruction], it was carried after all by the
contrivances of art, not by force.
23. When news was brought to Rome that Veii was taken, although both
the prodigies had been expiated, and the answers of the prophets and the
Pythian responses were well known, and though they had selected as their
commander Marcus Furius, the greatest general of the day, which was
doing as much to promote success as could be done by human prudence; yet
because the war had been carried on there for so many years with various
success, and many losses had been sustained, their joy was unbounded, as
if for an event not expected; and before the senate could pass any
decree, all the temples were crowded with Roman matrons returning thanks
to the gods. The senate decrees supplications for the space of four
days, a number of days greater than [was prescribed] in any former war.
The dictator's arrival also, all ranks pouring out to meet him, was
better attended than that of any general before, and his triumph
considerably surpassed all the ordinary style of honouring such a day.
The most conspicuous of all was himself, riding through the city in a
chariot drawn by white horses; and that appeared unbecoming, not to say
a citizen, but even a human being. The people considered it an outrage
on religion that the dictator's equipage should emulate that of Jupiter
and Apollo; and for that single reason his triumph was rather splendid
than pleasing. He then contracted for a temple for queen Juno on Mount
Aventine, and consecrated that of Mother Matuta: and, after having
performed these services to the gods and to mankind, he laid down his
dictatorship. They then began to consider regarding the offering to
Apollo; and when Camillus stated that he had vowed the tenth part of the
spoil to him, and the pontiff declared that the people ought to
discharge their own obligation, a plan was not readily struck out of
ordering the people to refund the spoil, so that the due proportion
might be set aside out of it for sacred purposes. At length they had
recourse to this which seemed the easiest course, that, whoever wished
to acquit himself and his family of the religious obligation, after he
had made his own estimate of his portion of the plunder, should pay into
the treasury the value of the tenth part, so that out of it a golden
offering worthy of the grandeur of the temple and the divinity of the
god might be made, suitable to the dignity of the Roman people. This
contribution also tended to alienate the affections of the commons from
Camillus. During these transactions ambassadors came from the Volscians
and Æquans to sue for peace; and peace was obtained, rather that the
state wearied by so tedious a war might obtain repose, than that the
petitioners were deserving of it.
24. After the capture of Veii, the following year had six military
tribunes with consular power, the two Publii Cornelii, Cossus and
Scipio, Marcus Valerius Maximus a second time, Kæso Fabius Ambustus a
third time, Lucius Furius Medullinus a fifth time, Quintus Servilius a
third time. To the Cornelii the Faliscian war, to Valerius and Servilius
the Capenatian war, fell by lot. By them no cities were attempted by
storm or by siege, but the country was laid waste, and the plunder of
the effects on the lands was driven off; not a single fruit tree, not a
vegetable was left on the land. These losses reduced the people of
Capena; peace was granted to them on their suing for it. The war among
the Faliscians still continued. At Rome in the mean time sedition became
multiplied; and for the purpose of assuaging this they resolved that a
colony should be sent off to the Volscian country, for which three
thousand Roman citizens should be enrolled; and the triumvirs appointed
for the purpose, distributed three acres and seven-twelfths to each man.
This donation began to be scorned, because they thought that it was
offered as a solace for the disappointment of higher hopes. For why were
the commons to be sent into exile to the Volscians, when the magnificent
city of Veii was still in view, and the Veientian territory, more
fertile and extensive than the Roman territor? The city also they
extolled as preferable to the city of Rome, both in situation, in the
grandeur of its enclosures, and buildings, both public and private. Nay,
even that scheme was proposed, which after the taking of Rome by the
Gauls was still more strongly urged, of removing to Veii. But they
destined Veii to be inhabited by half the commons and half the senate;
and that two cities of one common republic might be inhabited by the
Roman people.[167] When the nobles strove against these measures so
strenuously, as to declare "that they would sooner die in the sight of
the Roman people, than that any of these things should be put to the
vote; for that now in one city there were so many dissensions; what
would there be in two? Would any one prefer a vanquished to a victorious
city; and suffer Veii now after being captured to enjoy greater
prosperity than it had before its capture? Lastly, that they may be
forsaken in their country by their fellow-citizens; that no power should
ever oblige them to forsake their country and fellow-citizens, and
follow Titus Licinius (for he was the tribune of the commons who
proposed the measure) as a founder to Veii, abandoning the divine
Romulus, the son of a god, the parent and founder of the city of Rome."
When these proceedings were going on with shameful contentions, (for the
patricians had drawn over, one half of the tribunes of the commons to
their sentiments,) nothing else obliged the commons to refrain from
violence, but that whenever a clamour was set up for the purpose of
commencing a riot, the principal members of the senate, presenting
themselves among the foremost to the crowd, ordered that they themselves
should be attacked, struck, and put to death. Whilst they abstained from
violating their age, dignity, and honourable station, their respect for
them checked their rage even with respect to similar attempts on others.
[Footnote 167: "A proposal so absurd would have justified the most
vehement opposition of the senate. But it is much more probable, that
the scope of the proposition was, that on this occasion the whole of the
conquered land should be divided, but amongst the whole nation, so that
the patricians also and their clients should receive a share as absolute
property."--_Neibuhr_, vol. ii. p. 248.]
25. Camillus, at every opportunity and in all places, stated publicly,
"that this was not at all surprising; that the state was gone mad;
which, though bound by a vow, yet felt greater concern in all other
matters than in acquitting itself of its religious obligations. He would
say nothing of the contribution of an alms more strictly speaking than
of a tenth; since each man bound himself in his private capacity by it,
the public was set free. However, that his conscience would not permit
him to pass this over in silence, that out of that spoil only which
consisted of movable effects, a tenth was set apart; that no mention was
made of the city and captured land, which were also included in the
vow." As the discussion of this point seemed difficult to the senate, it
was referred to the pontiffs; Camillus being invited [to the council],
the college decided, that whatever had belonged to the Veientians before
the uttering of the vow, and had come into the power of the Roman people
after the vow was made, of that a tenth part was sacred to Apollo. Thus
the city and land were brought into the estimate. The money was issued
from the treasury, and the consular tribunes of the soldiers were
commissioned to purchase gold with it. And when there was not a
sufficient quantity of this [metal], the matrons having held meetings to
deliberate on the subject, and by a general resolution having promised
the military tribunes their gold and all their ornaments, brought them
into the treasury. This circumstance was peculiarly grateful to the
senate, and they say that in return for this generosity the honour was
conferred on the matrons, that they might use covered chariots [when
going] to public worship and the games, and open chaises on festival and
common days. A certain weight of gold being received from each and
valued, in order that the price might be paid for it, it was resolved
that a golden bowl should be made of it, which was to be carried to
Delphos as an offering to Apollo. As soon as they disengaged their minds
from the religious obligation, the tribunes of the commons renew their
seditious practices; the populace are excited against all the nobles,
but above all against Camillus: that "he by confiscating and