The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
consecrating the plunder of Veii had reduced it to nothing." The absent
[nobles] they abuse in violent terms: they evince a respect for them in
their presence, when they voluntarily presented themselves to their
fury. As soon as they perceived that the business would be protracted
beyond that year, they re-elect as tribunes of the commons for the
following year the same abettors of the law; and the patricians strove
to accomplish the same thing with respect to those who were opponents of
the law. Thus the same persons in a great measure were re-elected
tribunes of the commons.
26. At the election of military tribunes the patricians succeeded by
their utmost exertions in having Marcus Furius Camillus elected. They
pretended that he was wanted as a commander on account of the wars; but
he was intended as an opponent to the tribunes in their profusion. The
military tribunes with consular authority elected with Camillus were,
Lucius Furius Medullinus a sixth time, Caius Æmilius, Lucius Valerius
Publicola, Spurius Postumius, Publius Cornelius a second time. At the
commencement of the year the tribunes of the commons took not a step
until Marcus Furius Camillus should set out to the Faliscians, as that
war had been assigned to him. Then by delaying the project cooled; and
Camillus, whom they chiefly dreaded as an antagonist, acquired an
increase of glory among the Faliscians. For when the enemy at first
confined themselves within the walls, considering it the safest plan, by
laying waste their lands and burning their houses, he compelled them to
come forth from the city; but their fears prevented them from proceeding
to any considerable length. At about a mile from the town they pitch
their camp; trusting that it was sufficiently secure from no other
cause, than the difficulty of the approaches, the roads around being
rough and craggy, in some parts narrow, in others steep. But Camillus
having followed the direction of a prisoner belonging to the country as
his guide, decamping at an advanced hour of the night, at break of day
shows himself on ground considerably higher [than theirs]. The Romans
worked at the fortifications in three divisions: the rest of the army
stood prepared for battle. There he routs and puts to flight the enemy
when they attempted to interrupt his works; and such terror was struck
into the Faliscians in consequence, that, in their precipitate flight
passing by their own camp which lay in their way, they made for the
city. Many were slain and wounded, before that in their panic they could
make their way through the gates. Their camp was taken; the spoil was
given up to the quæstors, to the great dissatisfaction of the soldiers;
but overcome by the strictness of his authority, they both hated and
admired the same firmness of conduct. Then a regular siege of the city
took place, and the lines of circumvallation were carried on, and
sometimes occasional attacks were made by the townsmen on the Roman
posts, and slight skirmishes took place: and the time was spent, no hope
[of success] inclining to either side, whilst corn and other provisions
were possessed in much greater abundance by the besieged than the
besiegers from [the store] which had been previously laid in. And their
toil appeared likely to prove just as tedious as it had at Veii, had not
fortune presented to the Roman general at once both an opportunity for
displaying his virtuous firmness of mind already tested in warlike
affairs, and a speedy victory.
27. It was the custom among the Faliscians to employ the same person as
preceptor and private tutor for their children; and, as continues the
usage to this day in Greece, several youths were intrusted to the care
of one man. The person who appeared to excel in knowledge, instructed,
as it is natural to suppose, the children of the leading men. As he had
established it as a custom during peace to carry the boys out beyond the
city for the sake of play and of exercise; that custom not having been
discontinued during the existence of the war; then drawing them away
from the gate, sometimes in shorter, sometimes in longer excursions,
advancing farther than usual, when an opportunity offered, by varying
their play and conversation, he led them on between the enemy's guards,
and thence to the Roman camp into his tent to Camillus. There to the
atrocious act he added a still more atrocious speech: that "he had
delivered Falerii into the hands of the Romans, when he put into their
power those children, whose parents are there at the head of affairs."
When Camillus heard this, he says, "Wicked as thou art, thou hast come
with thy villanous offering neither to a people nor a commander like
thyself. Between us and the Faliscians there exists not that form of
society which is established by human compact; but between both there
does exist, and ever will exist, that which nature has implanted. There
are laws of war as well of peace; and we have learned to wage them
justly not less than bravely. We carry arms not against that age which
is spared even when towns are taken, but against men who are themselves
armed, and who, not having been injured or provoked by us, attacked the
Roman camp at Veii. Those thou hast surpassed, as far as lay in you, by
an unprecedented act of villany: I shall conquer them, as I did Veii, by
Roman arts, by bravery, labour, and by arms." Then having stripped him
naked, and tied his hands behind his back, he delivered him up to the
boys to be brought back to Falerii; and supplied them with rods to
scourge the traitor and drive him into the city. At which spectacle, a
crowd of people being assembled, afterwards the senate being convened by
the magistrates on the extraordinary circumstance, so great a change was
produced in their sentiments, that the entire state earnestly demanded
peace at the hands of those, who lately, outrageous by hatred and anger,
almost preferred the fate of the Veientians to the peace of the
Capenatians. The Roman faith, the justice of the commander, are cried up
in the forum and in the senate-house; and by universal consent
ambassadors set out to the camp to Camillus, and thence by permission of
Camillus to Rome to the senate, in order to deliver up Falerii. When
introduced before the senate, they are represented as having spoken
thus: "Conscript fathers, overcome by you and your commander by a
victory at which neither god nor man can feel displeasure, we surrender
ourselves to you, considering that we shall live more happily under your
rule than under our own law, than which nothing can be more glorious for
a conqueror. In the result of this war, two salutary examples have been
exhibited to mankind. You preferred faith in war to present victory: we,
challenged by your good faith, have voluntarily given up to you the
victory. We are under your sovereignty. Send men to receive our arms,
our hostages, our city with its gates thrown open. You shall never have
to repent of our fidelity, nor we of your dominion." Thanks were
returned to Camillus both by the enemy and by his own countrymen. Money
was required of the Faliscians to pay off the soldiers for that year,
that the Roman people might be relieved from the tribute. Peace being
granted, the army was led back to Rome.
28. When Camillus returned home, signalized by much more solid glory
than when white horses had drawn him through the city, having vanquished
the enemy by justice and good faith, the senate did not conceal their
sense of respect for him, but immediately set about acquitting him of
his vow; and Lucius Valerius, Lucius Sergius, Aulus Manlius, being sent
in a ship of war as ambassadors to carry the golden bowl to Delphos as
an offering to Apollo, were intercepted by the pirates of the Liparenses
not far from the Sicilian Strait, and carried to Liparæ. It was the
custom of the state to make a division of all booty which was acquired,
as it were, by public piracy. On that year it so happened that one
Timasitheus filled the office of chief magistrate, a man more like the
Romans than his own countrymen. Who, himself reverencing the name of
ambassadors, and the offering, and the god to whom it was sent, and the
cause of the offering, impressed the multitude also, who almost on all
occasions resemble their ruler, with [a sense] of religious justice; and
after having brought the ambassadors to a public entertainment, escorted
them with the protection of some ships to Delphos, and from thence
brought them back in safety to Rome. By a decree of the senate a league
of hospitality was formed with him, and presents were conferred on him
by the state. During the same year the war with the Æquans was
conducted with varying success; so that it was a matter of doubt both
among the troops themselves and at Rome, whether they had been
victorious or were vanquished. The Roman commanders were Caius Æmilius
and Spurius Postumius, two of the military tribunes. At first they acted
in conjunction; then, after the enemy were routed in the field, it was
agreed that Æmilius should take possession of Verrugo with a certain
force, and that Postumius should devastate the country. There, as the
latter proceeded rather negligently, and with his troops irregularly
drawn up, he was attacked by the Æquans, and an alarm being occasioned,
he was driven to the nearest hill; and the panic spread from thence to
Verrugo to the other detachment of the army. When Postumius, having
withdrawn his men to a place of safety, summoned an assembly and
upbraided them with their fright and flight; with having been beaten by
a most cowardly and dastardly enemy; the entire army shout aloud that
they deserved to hear all this, and admitted the disgrace they had
incurred; but [they promised] that they would make amends, and that the
enemy's joy should not be of long duration. Demanding that he would
instantly lead them from thence to the camp of the enemy, (this lay in
the plain within their view,) they submitted to any punishment, if they
did not take it before night. Having praised them, he orders them to
take refreshment, and to be in readiness at the fourth watch. And the
enemy, in order to prevent the flight of the Romans from the hill
through the road which led to Verrugo, were posted to meet them; and the
battle commenced before daylight, (but the moon was up all the night,)
and was not more confused than a battle fought by day. But the shout
having reached Verrugo, when they thought that the Roman camp was
attacked, occasioned such a panic, that in spite of the entreaties of
Æmilius and his efforts to stop them, they fled to Tusculum in great
disorder. From thence a report was carried to Rome that "Postumius and
his army were cut to pieces." When the dawn of day had removed all
apprehension of an ambuscade in case of a hasty pursuit, after riding
through the ranks, by demanding [the performance of] their promises he
infused such ardour into them, that the Æquans could no longer withstand
their impetuosity. Then the slaughter of them in their flight, such as
takes place when matters are conducted more under the influence of
anger than of courage, was continued even to the total destruction of
the enemy, and the melancholy news from Tusculum, the state having been
alarmed without cause, was followed by a letter from Postumius decked
with laurel, (announcing) that "the victory belonged to the Roman
people; that the army of the Æquans was destroyed."
29. As the proceedings of the plebeian tribunes had not yet attained a
termination, both the commons exerted themselves to continue their
office for the promoters of the law, and the patricians to re-elect the
opponents of the law; but the commons were more successful in the
election of their own magistrates. Which annoyance the patricians