ch. 72.7After the battle had gone in this way, so great a
panic seized Tarquin and the Etruscans that the two armies of
Veii and Tarquinii, on the approach of night, despairing of
success, left the field and departed for their homes.
The story of the battle was enriched by marvels. In the
silence of the next night a great voice is said to have come
from the forest of Arsia, believed to be the voice of
Silvanus, which spoke thus: The fallen of the Tusci are one
more than those of their foe; the Roman is conqueror. At
all events the Romans left the field as victors; the
Etruscans regarded themselves as vanquished, for when
daylight appeared not a single enemy was in sight.
P. Valerius, the consul, collected the spoils and returned
in triumph to Rome. He celebrated his colleague's obsequies
with all the pomp possible in those days, but far greater
honour was done to the dead by the universal mourning, which
was rendered specially noteworthy by the fact that the
matrons were a whole year in mourning for him, because he had
been such a determined avenger of violated chastity.
[Note] After this the surviving
consul, who had been in such favour with the multitude, found
himself—such is its fickleness—not only unpopular but an
object of suspicion, and that of a very grave character. It
was rumoured that he was aiming at monarchy, for he had held
no election to fill Brutus' place, and he was building a
house on the top of the Velia, an impregnable fortress was
being constructed on that high and strong position. The
consul felt hurt at finding these rumours so widely believed,
and summoned the people to an assembly. As he entered the
fasces [Note] were lowered, to the great delight of the
multitude, who understood that it was to them that they were
lowered as an open avowal that the dignity and might of the
people were greater than those of the consul. Then, after
securing silence, he began to eulogise the good fortune of
his colleague who had met his death, as a liberator of his
country, possessing the highest honour it could bestow,
fighting for the commonwealth, whilst his glory was as yet
undimmed by jealousy and distrust. Whereas he himself had
outlived his glory and fallen on days of suspicion and
opprobrium; from being a liberator of his country he had sunk
to the level of the Aquilii and Vitellii. Will you, he
cried, never deem any man's merit so assured that it cannot
be tainted by suspicion? Am I, the most determined foe to
kings, to dread the suspicion of desiring to be one myself?
Even if I were dwelling in the Citadel on the Capitol, am I
to believe it possible that I should be feared by my fellow-citizens? Does my reputation amongst you hang on so slight a
thread? Does your confidence rest upon such a weak foundation
that it is of greater moment where I am than who I am? The
house of Publius Valerius shall be no check upon your
freedom, your Velia shall be safe. I will not only move my
house to level ground, but I will move it to the bottom of
the hill that you may dwell above the citizen whom you
suspect. Let those dwell on the Velia who are regarded as
truer friends of liberty than Publius Valerius. All the
materials were forthwith carried
below the Velia and his house was built at the very bottom of
the hill where now stands the temple of Vica Pota. [Note]
