236 The Republic. R 0 
just rendered to the state, every soldier gave him part of the 
corn which he received sparingly from the public stock, and 
a little measure of wine out of his scanty allowance. The 
captain of the guard, who ought to have had an eye over 
the centinels, was condemned to die, and, pursuant to his 
sentence, thrown down from the top of the Capitol. The 
Romans extended their punishments and rewards even to 
the animals. Geese were ever after had in honour at Rome, 
and a flock of them always kept at the expence of the public, 
whilst dogs were held in abhorrence, and every year one of 
them impaled on a branch of elder. 
The blockade of the Capitol had already lasted seven 
months; so that the famine began to be very sensibly felt 
both by the besieged and besiegers. A plague attacked the 
Gauls whilst Camillus scoured the country, and cut off all 
their foraging parties. In this dilemma, Breunus offered to 
receive a certain sum of gold and retire from the city. This 
was agreed to, but it is doubtful whether the money was 
paid, for the forces of Camillus increasing, he attacked the 
Gauls, and defeated them, and, as the Roman historians 
assert, left not a Gaul alive to carry the news to his country. 
It seems clear, however, that in all this, as well as in the 
famous story of his telling Brennus, that “ Rome was to be 
ransomed with steel, and not with gold,” there is much 
falsehood. It is certain, however, that the Gauls made 
a disastrous retreat, and the Romans were left to rebuild 
their city. 
It was now proposed to entirely abandon their old ruined 
city, and make Veii the sole seat of the empire. The people 
were inclined to favour the project, Veii offering them a place 
fortified by art and nature, good houses ready built, a whole¬ 
some air, and a fruitful territory. Camillus, having assem¬ 
bled the curiae, expostulated with them upon the matter; and, 
by arguments drawn from superstition and glory, prevailed 
upon them to lay aside all thoughts of leaving Rome. As it 
Was necessary to have the resolution of the people confirmed 
by the senate, the dictator reported it to the conscript fathers, 
leaving every one at full liberty to vote as he pleased. While 
I.. Lucretius, who was to give his opinion the first, was 
beginning to speak, it happened that the centurion, who 
with his company had been upon guard, and was then 
inarching by the senate house, cried out aloud, “ Plant your 
colours, ensign ; this is the best place to stay in.” These 
words, were considered as dictated by the gods themselves; 
and Lucretius, taking occasion from them to urge the neces¬ 
sity of staying at Rome, “An happy omen, (cried he); I 
adore the gods who gave it.” The whole senate applauded 
his words; and a decree was passed without opposition for 
rebuilding the city. 
’ Rome was scarce restored, when her citizens were alarmed 
by the news that all her neighbours were combining to her 
destruction. The iEqui, the Volsci, the Etrurians, and 
even her old friends, the Latins and the Hernici, entered 
into an,alliance against her, in hopes of oppressing her 
before she had recovered her strength. The republic, under 
this terror, nominated Camillus dictator a third time. This 
great commander, having appointed Servilius to be his gene¬ 
ral of horse, summoned the citizens to take arms, without 
excepting even the old men. The Volsci and Latins, when 
they understood that Camillus was at the head of an army 
newly’arrived, were so terrified, that they shut themselves up 
in their camp, which they fortified with great trees cut down 
iff haste. The dictator, observing that this barrier was of 
green wood, and that every morning there arose a great wind 
which blew full upon the enemy’s camp, formed the design 
of taking it by fire. With this view he ordered one part of 
his army to go by break of day with fire-brands to the wind¬ 
ward side of the camp, and the-other to make a brisk attack 
on the opposite side. By this means the enemy were entirely 
defeated, and their camp taken. Camillus then commanded. 
Ijis men to extinguish the flames,, in order to save the booty, 
with which he rewarded his army. He then left his son in 
the camp to guard the prisoners; and entering the country 
of the iEqui, made himself master of their capital city Bola. 
M E. The Republic. 
From thence he marched against the Volsci;‘whom he 
entirely reduced, after they had waged war with the Romans 
for the space of 107 years. Having subdued this untractable 
people, he penetrated into Etruria, in order to relieve Sutrium, 
a town in that country in alliance with Rome, and besieged 
by a numerous army of Etrurians. He did not reach the 
place before it had capitulated. The Sutrini, being greatly 
distressed for want of provisions, and exhausted with labour, 
had surrendered to the Etrurians, who were wholly taken up 
in plundering the city, without being upon their guard, or 
observing any discipline. The dictator fell upon and put 
most of them to the sword, and returned the city to the 
Sutrini. " 
Camillus having resigned his dictatorship, the republic 
chose six new military tribunes, Q. Quinctius, Q. Servius, 
L. Julius, L. Aquilius, L. Lucretius, and Ser. Sulpitius. 
During their administration the country of the iEqui was 
laid waste, in order to put it out ot their power to revolt 
anew; and the two cities of Cortuosa and Contenebra, in 
the lueumony of the Tarquinienses, were taken from the 
Etrurians, and entirely demolished. At this time it was 
thought proper to repair the capitol, and add new works to 
that part of the hill where the Gauls had endeavoured to scale 
the citadel. These works were esteemed very beautiful, as 
Livy informs us, even in the time of Augustus, after the 
city was embellished with most magnificent decorations. 
And now Rome being reinstated in her former flourishing 
condition, the- tribunes of the people, who had been for 
some time quiet, began to renew their harangues, and 
revive the old quarrel about the division of the conquered 
land. The patricians had appropriated to themselves the 
Pomptin territory lately taken from the Volsci, and the 
tribunes laid hold of this opportunity to attack them 
anew. But the citizens being so drained of their money 
that they had not enough left to cultivate new farms and 
stock them with cattle, the declamations of the tribunes 
made no impression upon their minds; so that the project 
vanished. As for the military tribunes, they owned that 
their election had been defective ; and, lest the irregularities 
of the former comitia should be continued in the succeeding 
ones, they voluntarily laid down their office. So that, after 
a short interregnum, during which M. Manlius, Ser. Sulpitius, 
and L. Valerius Potitus, governed the republic, six new 
military tribunes, L. Papirius, C. Sergius, L. AJmilius, 
L. Menenius, L. Valerius, and C. Cornelius, were chosen 
for the ensuing year, which was spent in works of peace. 
A temple which had been vowed to Mars during the war 
with the Gauls, was built, and consecrated by T. Quinctius, 
who presided over the affairs of religion. As there had 
hitherto been but few Roman tribes beyond the Tiber which 
had a right of suffrage in the comitia, four new ones were 
added, under the name of the Stellntina, Tramontina, 
Sabatina, and A miens is ; so that the tribes were now in 
all 25, which enjoyed the same rights and privileges. 
The expectation of an approaching war induced the cen¬ 
turies to choose Camillus one of the military tribunes for the 
next year. His colleagues were Ser. Cornelius, Q. Servilius, 
L. Quinctius, L. Iloratius, and P. Valerius. As all these 
were men of moderation, they agreed to invest Camillus 
with the sole management of affairs in time of war; and 
accordingly in full senate transferred all their power into his 
hands; so that he became in effect dictator. It had been 
already determined in the senate to turn the arms of the 
republic against the Etrurians; but, upon advice that the 
Antiates had entered the Pomptin territory, and obliged the 
Romans who had taken possession of it to retire, it was 
thought necessary to humble them before the republic engaged 
in any other enterprise. The Antiates had joined the Latins 
and Hernici near Satricum; so that the Romans, being ter¬ 
rified at their prodigious numbers, shewed themselves very 
backward to engage; which Gamillus perceiving, he 
instantly mounted his horse, and riding through all the ranks 
of the army, encouraged them by a proper speech; after 
which he dismounted, took the next standard-bearer by the 
hand, 
