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Chapter 21 : D14 WAR WITH VEII, 483-474 B.C._The Destruction of the Fabii at the Cremera, 477 B.C._

D14

WAR WITH VEII, 483-474 B.C.

_The Destruction of the Fabii at the Cremera, 477 B.C._

Campus erat, campi claudebant ultima colles Silvaque montanas occulere apta feras.

In medio paucos armentaque rara relinquunt, Cetera virgultis abdita turba latet. 4 Ecce velut torrens undis pluvialibus auctus Aut nive, quae Zephyro victa tepente fluit, Per sata perque vias fertur, nec, ut ante solebat, Riparum clausas margine finit aquas: 8 Sic Fabii vallem latis discursibus implent, Quodque vident sternunt, nec metus alter inest.

Quo ruitis, generosa domus? male creditis hosti: Simplex n.o.bilitas, perfida tela cave. 12 Fraude perit virtus. In apertos undique campos Prosiliunt hostes, et latus omne tenent.

Quid faciant panci contra tot millia fortes?

Quidve, quod in misero tempore restet, adest? 16 Sicut aper longe silvis Laurentibus actus Fulmineo celeres dissipat ore canes, Mox tamen ipse perit: sic non moriuntur inulti Vulneraque alterna dantque feruntque manu. 20 Una dies Fabios ad bellum miserat omnes; Ad bellum missos perdidit una dies.

OVID, _Fasti_, ii. 175-196, H. [II. 215-236]

+Context.+ To protect their territory from the constant raids of the Veientines, the n.o.ble house of the Fabii offered to undertake the war themselves. The consul Kaeso Fabius marched out of the city at the head of his clan, followed by the blessings and good wishes of the admiring people. He erected a fortified camp near the R. Cremera (a tributary of the Tiber), and from this spot plundered Veientine territory.

[Linenotes: 1. +campus.+ 'Ovid here paints from fancy: there are, however, deep hollows admirably calculated to conceal an ambushed foe.' --Ramsay.

9. +discursibus+ = _runnings to and fro_, of soldiers dispersing to plunder.

10. +metus alter+ = _fear of a second enemy_, i.e. of one in ambush.

17. +silvis Laurentibus.+ Laurentum on the coast of Latium between Ostia and Ardea. Wild boars are still found in the swampy thickets.

18. +Fulmineo ore+ = _with flas.h.i.+ng tusk_. --Hallam.]

+Parallel Pa.s.sage.+ Livy, ii. 48, 49.

'The story probably came from the Chronicles of the Fabian Clan, perhaps through _Fabius_ Pictor, the first Roman annalist.' Rawlins, Cf. Ihne, vol. i. cap. vi.

D15

WAR WITH THE AEQUIANS, 458 B.C.

A. _Cincinnatus called from the Plough._

Sed Aequos praecipue Quinctius Cincinnatus domuit, ille dictator ab aratro, qui obsessa et paene iam capta L. Minuci consulis castra egregia victoria recuperavit. Medium erat tempus forte s.e.m.e.ntis, c.u.m patricium virum innixum aratro suo lictor in {5} ipso opere deprehendit. Inde in aciem profectus, ne quid a rustici operis imitatione cessaret, more pecudum victos sub iugum misit. Sic expeditione finita redit ad boves rursus triumphalis agricola. Intra quindecim dies coeptum peractumque bellum, {10} prorsus ut festina.s.se, dictator ad relictum opus videretur.

FLORUS, I. xi. 12-15.

[Linenotes: 1. +Aequos+, mountaineers (closely allied to the Sabines) who lived in the mountains forming the E. boundary of Latium.

+Cincinnatus.+ 'The true type of primeval virtue, abstinence, and patriotism.' --Ihne.

2-4. +qui ... recuperavit.+ The Aequian general, Gracchus Cloelius, had defeated the consul, L. Minucius, and blockaded him in his camp on Mt. Algidus, the E. spur of the Alban range. Cincinnatus makes a wonderful night march from Rome of 20 miles, blockades in turn the investing Aequian force, and compels an unconditional surrender.

4. +s.e.m.e.ntis+ = _of the seed-time_. Formed from _s.e.m.e.n_, cf.

_sero_.]

B. '_In the brave days of old._'

Restat, ut inveniam, quare toga libera detur Lucifero pueris, candide Bacche, tuo. 2 . . . . . . .

An quia, c.u.m colerent prisci studiosius agros, Et patrio faceret rure senator opus, 4 Et caperet fasces a curvo consul aratro, Nec crimen duras esset habere ma.n.u.s, Rusticus ad ludos populus veniebat in urbem: Sed dis, non studiis, ille dabatur honor. 8

OVID, _Fasti_, iii. 729-742, H. [III. 771-784]

[Linenotes: 1. +toga libera+ (or +virilis+), the man's dress of unornamented white wool. _Libera_ (_liber_), _free_ from the restraints of boyhood.

2. +lucifero+ = lit. _morning-star_. Here poet. for +die+.

5. +consul+, e.g. Cincinnatus, who was called to be _Dictator_.

8. +sed ... honor+, i.e. in 'the good old days' wors.h.i.+p, not amus.e.m.e.nt, was the chief object of the visit to Rome.

3-8. Ovid says one reason why the _toga libera_ was a.s.sumed at the Liberalia (the Feast of Bacchus--the vintage, festival) was because it was the most crowded festival of the year.]

+References.+ Livy, iii. 26-28. Ihne, vol. i. cap. v.

D16

THE DECEMVIRATE. THE TWELVE TABLES, 451-449 B.C.

Iam redierant legati c.u.m Atticis legibus. Eo intentius instabant tribuni, ut tandem scribendarum legum initium fieret. Placet creari decemviros sine provocatione, et ne quis eo anno alius magistratus esset ... Tum legibus condendis opera dabatur; {5} ingentique hominum expectatione propositis decem tabulis populum ad contionem advocaverunt et, quod bonum, faustum felixque rei publicae, ipsis liberisque eorum esset, ire et legere leges propositas iussere. Se, quantum decem hominum ingeniis provideri {10} potuerit, omnibus, summis infimisque, iura aequa.s.se; plus pollere multorum ingenia consiliaque. Versarent in animis sec.u.m unamquamque rem, agitarent deinde sermonibus atque in medium, quid in quaque re plus minusve esset, conferrent. . . . c.u.m ad {15} rumores hominum de unoquoque legum capite editos satis correctae viderentur, centuriatis comitiis decem tabularum leges perlatae sunt, qui nunc quoque in hoc immenso aliarum super alias acervatarum legum c.u.mulo, fons omnis publici privatique {20} est iuris.

LIVY, iii. 32, 34.

[Linenotes: 1. +c.u.m Atticis legibus+, i.e. with a copy of the Laws of Solon (the great Athenian Lawgiver, 594 B.C.).

1-3. +Eo intentius ... fieret+, because up to this time the knowledge of law and its interpretation was confined to the Patricians (cf. the Scribes of the N.T.). This could only be remedied by writng the laws down and making them public.

3-4. +sine provocatione+ = _without appeal_. Lit. 'challenging.'

4-5. +ne quis ... esset.+ The Decemvirs were to supersede temporarily both Consuls and Tribunes.

14-15. +quid ... conferrent+ = '_Should point out in the interest of all_ (lit. should contribute to the public good) _any faults of excess or defect in the several articles_.' --Stephenson.

15-17. +ad rumores hominum+ = _in accordance with_ (+ad+) _public opinion_.

17. +centuriatis comitiis.+ Servius Tullius divided the people into five cla.s.ses, according to the value of their property. The people (Patricians and Plebeians alike) voted by centuries; but as 98 centuries (and ? 98 votes) were allotted to the richest cla.s.s and only 95 to the other four cla.s.ses, the influence of wealth was decisive in the elections.]

+Parallel Pa.s.sages.+ Cic. _De Republica_ ii. 33-37, and _De Legibus_ ii. 23.

+The Twelve Tables.+ 'They were essentially only a written embodiment of the existing public and private law.' --Mommsen. Cf. Magna Carta.

D17

SECOND SECESSION OF THE PLEBS, 448 B.C.

_The Death of Verginia not in vain._

Concitatur mult.i.tudo partim atrocitate sceleris, partim spe per occasionem repetendae libertatis. In contionem Appius escendit; sequuntur Horatius Valeriusque. Eos contio audit; decemviro obstrepitur.

Iam pro imperio Valerius discedere a privato {5} lictores iubebat, c.u.m fractis animis Appius vitae metuens in domum se propinquam foro insciis adversariis capite obvoluto recipit. M. Duillius deinde tribunus plebis plebem rogavit plebesque scivit, qui plebem sine tribunis reliquisset quique magistratum {10} sine provocatione crea.s.set, tergo ac capite puniretur. Haec omnia ut invitis, ita non adversantibus patriciis transacta, quia nondum in quemquam unum saeviebatur. Fundata deinde et potestate tribunicia et plebis libertate tum tribuni aggredi singulos tutum {15} maturumque iam rati accusatorem primum Verginium et Appium reum deligunt. Spe incisa, priusquam prodicta dies adesset, Appius mortem sibi conscivit. M. Claudius a.s.sertor Verginiae, die dicta d.a.m.natus ipso remittente Verginio ultimam poenam {20} dimissus Tibur exulatum abiit; manesque Verginiae, mortuae quam vivae felicioris, per tot domos ad petendas poenas vagati nullo relicto sonte tandem quieverunt.

LIVY, iii. 49, 55, 56, 58 (sel.)

+Context+. Verginius, seeing no way of saving his daughter from disgrace and dishonour at the hands of Appius Claudius, killed her before the judgment-seat of the tyrant and before the eyes of the people.

[Linenotes: 2. +per occasionem+ = _by such a favourable opportunity_. --Rawlins.

3. +In contionem+ = _to the rostra_ (the platform for speakers).

3-4. +Horatius Valeriusque.+ The first Consuls after the abolition of the Decemvirate in 449 B.C.

5. +pro imperio+, i.e. usurping the authority of a magistrate.

9. +plebesque scivit+ (scisco) = _and the people approved_ (i.e.