The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
your colleagues appoint the president of this council of the state, the
guardian of religion, of the assemblies, of the laws, and of all matters
pertaining to the city." All cheerfully promising their utmost
endeavours in the discharge of their apportioned offices, Valerius,
chosen as his associate in command, added, "that Marcus Furius should be
considered by him as dictator, and that he would act as master of the
horse to him. Wherefore, that they should entertain hopes regarding the
war, proportioned to the opinion they formed of their sole commander."
The senate, elated with joy, cry out, that "they entertained good hopes,
both regarding war, and peace, and the republic in general; and that the
republic would never have need of a dictator, if it were to have such
men in office, united together in such harmony of sentiments, prepared
alike to obey and to command, and who were laying up praise as common
stock, rather than taking it from the common fund to themselves
individually."
7. A suspension of civil business being proclaimed, and a levy being
held, Furius and Valerius set out to Satricum; to which place the
Antians had drawn together not only the youth of the Volscians, selected
out of the new generation, but immense numbers of the Latins and
Hernicians, out of states which by a long [enjoyment of] peace were in
the most unimpaired condition. The new enemy then added to the old shook
the spirits of the Roman soldiers. When the centurions reported this to
Camillus, whilst forming his line of battle, that "the minds of the
soldiers were disturbed, that arms were taken up by them with
backwardness, and that they left the camp with hesitation and
reluctance; nay, that some expressions were heard, that they should each
have to fight with one hundred enemies, and that such numbers, even if
unarmed, much less when furnished with arms, could with difficulty be
withstood," he leaped on his horse, and in front of the troops, turning
to the line, and riding between the ranks, "What dejection of mind is
this, soldiers, what backwardness? Is it with the enemy, or me, or
yourselves you are unacquainted? What else are the enemy, but the
constant subject of your bravery and your glory? on the other hand, with
me as your general, to say nothing of the taking of Falerii and Veii,
you have lately celebrated a triple triumph for a three-fold victory
over these self-same Volscians and Æquans, and Etruria. Do you not
recognise me as your general, because I gave you the signal, not as
dictator, but as tribune? I neither feel the want of the highest
authority over you, and you should look to nothing in me but myself; for
the dictatorship neither added to my courage, any more than exile took
it from me. We are all therefore the same individuals; and as we bring
to this war the same requisites as we brought to former wars, let us
look for the same result of the war. As soon as you commence the fight,
each will do that which he has learned and been accustomed to do. You
will conquer, they will run."
8. Then having given the signal, he leaps from his horse, and seizing
the standard-bearer who was next him by the hand, he hurries him on with
him against the enemy, calling aloud, "Soldiers, advance the standard."
And when they saw Camillus himself, now disabled through age for bodily
exertion, advancing against the enemy, they all rush forwards together,
having raised a shout, each eagerly crying out, "Follow the general."
They say further that the standard was thrown into the enemy's line by
order of Camillus, and that the van was then exerted to recover it. That
there first the Antians were forced to give way, and that the panic
spread not only to the first line, but to the reserve troops also. Nor
was it merely the ardour of the soldiers animated by the presence of
their general that made this impression, but because nothing was more
terrible to the minds of the Volscians, than the sight of Camillus which
happened to present itself. Thus, in whatever direction he went, he
carried certain victory with him. This was particularly evident, when,
hastily mounting his horse, he rode with a footman's shield to the left
wing, which was almost giving way, by the fact of showing himself he
restored the battle, pointing out the rest of the line gaining the
victory. Now the result was decided, but the flight of the enemy was
impeded by their great numbers, and the wearied soldiers would have had
tedious work in putting so great a number to the sword, when rain
suddenly falling with a violent storm, put an end to the pursuit of the
victory which was now decided, rather than to the battle. Then the
signal for retreat being given, the fall of night put an end to the war,
without further trouble to the Romans. For the Latins and Hernicians,
having abandoned the Volscians, marched to their homes, having attained
results corresponding to their wicked measures. The Volscians, when they
saw themselves deserted by those through reliance on whom they had
resumed hostilities, abandoned their camp, and shut themselves up within
the walls of Satricum. Camillus at first prepared to surround them by
lines of circumvallation, and to prosecute the siege by a mound and
other works. But seeing that this was obstructed by no sally from the
town, and considering that the enemy possessed too little spirit for him
to wait in tedious expectation of victory under the circumstances, after
exhorting his soldiers not to waste themselves by tedious labours, as
[they had done] when besieging Veii, that the victory was in their
hands, he attacked the walls on every side, amid the great alacrity of
the soldiers, and took the town by scalade. The Volscians, having thrown
down their arms, surrendered themselves.
9. But the general's thoughts were fixed on a higher object, on Antium:
[he knew] that that was the great aim of the Volscians, and main source
of the late war. But because so strong a city could not be taken without
great preparations, engines and machines, leaving his colleague with the
army, he set out for Rome, in order to advise the senate to have Antium
destroyed. In the middle of his discourse, (I suppose that it was the
wish of the gods that the state of Antium should last a longer time,)
ambassadors came from Nepete and Sutrium, soliciting aid against the
Etrurians, urging that the time for giving them aid would soon pass by.
Thither did fortune avert the force of Camillus from Antium; for as
those places were situate opposite Etruria, and were barriers or gates
as it were on that side, both they had a wish to get possession of them,
whenever they meditated any new enterprise, and the Romans to recover
and secure them. Wherefore the senate resolved to treat with Camillus,
that he would relinquish Antium and undertake the Etrurian war. The city
troops, which Quinctius had commanded, are decreed to him. Though he
would have preferred the army which was in the Volscian territory, as
being tried and accustomed to him, he made no objection: he only
demanded Valerius as his associate in command. Quinctius and Horatius
were sent against the Volscians, as successors to Valerius. Furius and
Valerius, having set out from the city to Sutrium, found one part of the
town already taken by the Etrurians, and on the other part, the
approaches to which were barricaded, the townsmen with difficulty
repelling the assault of the enemy. Both the approach of aid from Rome,
as also the name of Camillus, universally respected both with the enemy
and the allies, sustained their tottering state for the present, and
afforded time for bringing them relief. Accordingly Camillus, having
divided his army, orders his colleague to lead round his troops to that
side which the enemy already possessed, and to assault the walls; not so
much from any hope that the city could be taken by scalade, as that, by
turning away the enemy's attention to that quarter, both the townsmen
who were wearied with fighting might have some relaxation of their toil,
and that he himself might have an opportunity of entering the city
without a contest. This having been done on both sides, and the double
terror now surrounding the Etrurians, when they saw that the walls were
assailed with the utmost fury, and that the enemy were within the walls,
they threw themselves out in consternation, in one body, by a gate which
alone happened not to be guarded. Great slaughter was made on them as
they fled, both in the city and through the fields. The greater number
were slain within the walls by Furius' soldiers: those of Valerius were
more alert for the pursuit; nor did they put an end to the slaughter
until night, which prevented them from seeing. Sutrium being recovered
and restored to the allies, the army was led to Nepete, which having
been received by capitulation, was now entirely in the possession of the
Etrurians.
10. It appeared probable, that there would be more of labour in
recovering the city, not only for this reason, because it was all in
possession of the enemy, but also because the surrender had been made in
consequence of a party of the Nepesinians having betrayed the state. It
was determined, however, that a message should be sent to their leading
men, to separate themselves from the Etrurians, and that they themselves
should evince that strict fidelity, which they had implored from the
Romans. Whence as soon as an answer was brought that there was nothing
in their power, that the Etrurians occupied the walls and the guards of
the gates, first, terror was struck into the townsmen by laying waste
their land; then, when the faith of the capitulation was more
religiously observed than that of the alliance, the army was led up to
the walls with fascines of bushes collected from the fields, and the
ditches being filled, the scaling ladders were raised, and the town was
taken at the first shout and attack. Proclamation was then made to the
Nepesinians, that they should lay down their arms, and orders were given
that the unarmed should be spared. The Etrurians, armed and unarmed,
were put to the sword without distinction: of the Nepesinians also the
authors of the surrender were beheaded. To the unoffending multitude
their property was restored, and the town was left with a garrison. Thus
having recovered two allied cities from the enemy, the tribunes marched
back their victorious army to Rome. During the same year restitution was
demanded from the Latins and Hernicians, and the cause was asked why
they had not during some years supplied soldiers according to
stipulation. An answer was given in a full assembly of both nations,
"that neither the blame was public, nor was there any design in the
circumstance of some of their youth having served among the Volscians.
That these individuals, however, suffered the penalty of their improper
conduct, and that none of them had returned. But that the cause of their
not supplying the soldiers had been their continual terror from the
Volscians, which pest adhering to their side, had not been capable of
being destroyed by so many successive wars." Which answer being reported
to the senate, they decided that there was wanting rather a seasonable
time for declaring war than sufficient grounds for it.
11. In the following year, Aulus Manlius, Publius Cornelius, Titus and
Lucius Quintii Capitolini, Lucius Papirius Cursor a second time, Caius
Sergius a second time, being military tribunes with consular power, a
grievous war broke out abroad, a still more grievous disturbance at
home; the war originated on the part of the Volscians, to which was
added a revolt of the Latins and Hernicians; the sedition from one from
whom it could be least of all apprehended, a man of patrician birth and
distinguished character, Marcus Manlius Capitolinus; who being too