ch. 173.17When it was reported that arms were being laid aside
and men were deserting their posts, P. Valerius left his
colleague to keep the senate together and hurried to the
tribunes at the templum [Note]. What, he asked, is the meaning
of this, tribunes? Are you going to overthrow the State under
the leadership of Appius Herdonius ? Has the man whose
appeals failed to rouse a single slave been so successful as
to corrupt you? Is it when the enemy is over our heads that
you decide that men shall lay down their arms and discuss
laws? Then turning to the Assembly he said, If, Quirites,
you feel no concern for the City, no anxiety for yourselves,
still show reverence for your gods who have been taken
captive by an enemy! Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Queen Juno and
Minerva, with other gods and goddesses, are being besieged; a
camp of slaves holds the tutelary deities of your country in
its power. Is this the appearance which you think a State in
its senses ought to present—a large hostile force not
only within the walls, but in the Citadel, above the Forum,
above the Senate-house, whilst meantime the Assembly is being
held in the Forum, the senate are in the Senate-house, and as
though peace and quiet prevailed, a senator is addressing the
House, whilst the Quirites in the Assembly are proceeding to
vote? Would it not be more becoming for every man, patrician
and plebeian alike, for the consuls and tribunes, for gods
and men, to come, one and all, to the rescue with their arms,
to run to the Capitol and restore liberty and calm to that
most venerable abode of Jupiter Optimus Maximus? 0, Father
Romulus, grant to thine offspring that spirit in which thou
didst once win back from these same Sabines the Citadel which
had been captured with gold! Bid them take the road on which
thou didst lead thine army. Behold, I, the consul, will be
the first to follow thee and thy footsteps as far as mortal
man can follow a god. He ended his speech by saying that he
was taking up arms, and he summoned all the Quirites to arms.
If any one tried to obstruct, he should now ignore the limits
set to his consular authority, the power of the tribunes, and
the laws which made them inviolable, and whoever or wherever
he might be, whether in the Capitol or the Forum;
he should treat him as a public enemy. The tribunes had
better order arms to be taken up against P. Valerius the
consul, as they forbade them to be used against Appius
Herdonius. He would dare to do in the case of the tribunes
what the head of his family [Note] had dared to do in the case of
the kings.
There was every prospect of an appeal to force, and of the
enemy enjoying the spectacle of a riot in Rome. However, the
Law could not be voted upon, nor could the consul go to the
Capitol, for night put an end to the threatened conflict. As
night came on the tribunes retired, afraid of the consul's
arms. When the authors of the disturbance were out of the
way, the senators went about amongst the plebeians, and
mingling with different groups pointed out the seriousness of
the crisis, and warned them to reflect into what a dangerous
position they were bringing the State. It was not a contest
between patricians and plebeians; patricians and plebeians
alike, the stronghold of the City, the temples of the gods,
the guardian deities of the State and of every home, were
being surrendered to the enemy.
While these steps were being taken to lay the spirit of
discord in the Forum, the consuls had gone away to inspect
the gates and walls, in case of any movement on the part of
the Sabines or Veientines.
