camillus-第11章

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induced　some　compassion　for　their　repentance；　he　commanded　them　to
go　to　the　senate　and　deprecate　their　anger；　and　joined　himself　as　an
intercessor　in　their　behalf；　so　that　their　city　was　acquitted　of　all
guilt　and　admitted　to　Roman　citizenship。　These　were　the　most　memorable
actions　of　his　sixth　tribuneship。
　　After　these　things；　Licinius　Stolo　raised　a　great　sedition　in　the
city；　and　brought　the　people　to　dissension　with　the　senate；
contending；　that　of　two　consuls　one　should　be　chosen　out　of　the
commons；　and　not　both　out　of　the　patricians。　Tribunes　of　the　people
were　chosen；　but　the　election　of　consuls　was　interrupted　and　prevented
by　the　people。　And　as　this　absence　of　any　supreme　magistrate　was
leading　to　yet　further　confusion；　Camillus　was　the　fourth　time　created
dictator　by　the　senate；　sorely　against　the　people's　will；　and　not
altogether　in　accordance　with　his　own；　he　had　little　desire　for　a
conflict　with　men　whose　past　services　entitled　them　to　tell　him　that
he　had　achieved　far　greater　actions　in　war　along　with　them　than　in
politics　with　the　patricians；　who；　indeed；　had　only　put　him　forward
now　out　of　envy；　that；　if　successful；　he　might　crush　the　people；　or
failing；　be　crushed　himself。　However；　to　provide　as　good　a　remedy　as
he　could　for　the　present；　knowing　the　day　on　which　the　tribunes　of　the
people　intended　to　prefer　the　law；　he　appointed　it　by　proclamation　for
a　general　muster；　and　called　the　people　from　the　forum　into　the
Campus；　threatening　to　set　heavy　fines　upon　such　as　should　not　obey。
On　the　other　side；　the　tribunes　of　the　people　met　his　threats　by
solemnly　protesting　they　would　fine　him　in　fifty　thousand　drachmas
of　silver；　if　he　persisted　in　obstructing　the　people　from　giving　their
suffrages　for　the　law。　Whether　it　were；　then；　that　he　feared　another
banishment　or　condemnation；　which　would　ill　become　his　age　and　past
great　actions；　or　found　himself　unable　to　stem　the　current　of　the
multitude；　which　ran　strong　and　violent；　he　betook　himself；　for　the
present；　to　his　house；　and　afterwards；　for　some　days　together
professing　sickness；　finally　laid　down　his　dictatorship。　The　senate
created　another　dictator；　who；　choosing　Stolo；　leader　of　the　sedition；
to　be　his　general　of　horse；　suffered　that　law　to　be　enacted　and
ratified；　which　was　most　grievous　to　the　patricians；　namely；　that　no
person　whatsoever　should　possess　above　five　hundred　acres　of　land。
Stolo　was　much　distinguished　by　the　victory　he　had　gained；　but；　not
long　after；　was　found　himself　to　possess　more　than　he　had　allowed　to
others；　and　suffered　the　penalties　of　his　own　law。
　　And　now　the　contention　about　election　of　consuls　coming　on　（which
was　the　main　point　and　original　cause　of　the　dissension；　and　had
throughout　furnished　most　matter　of　division　between　the　senate　and
the　people）；　certain　intelligence　arrived；　that　the　Gauls　again；
proceeding　from　the　Adriatic　Sea；　were　marching　in　vast　numbers　upon
Rome。　On　the　very　heels　of　the　report　followed　manifest　acts　also　of
hostility；　the　country　through　which　they　marched　was　all　wasted；
and　such　as　by　flight　could　not　make　their　escape　to　Rome　were
dispersing　and　scattering　among　the　mountains。　The　terror　of　this
war　quieted　the　sedition；　nobles　and　commons；　senate　and　people
together　unanimously　chose　Camillus　the　fifth　time　dictator；　who；
though　very　aged；　not　wanting　much　of　fourscore　years；　yet；
considering　the　danger　and　necessity　of　his　country；　did　not；　as
before；　pretend　sickness；　or　depreciate　his　own　capacity；　but　at
once　undertook　the　charge　and　enrolled　soldiers。　And；　knowing　that　the
great　force　of　the　barbarians　lay　chiefly　in　their　swords；　with
which　they　laid　about　them　in　a　rude　and　inartificial　manner；
hacking　and　hewing　the　head　and　shoulders；　he　caused　head…pieces
entire　iron　to　be　made　for　most　of　his　men；　smoothing　and　polishing
the　outside；　that　the　enemy's　swords；　lighting　upon　them；　might　either
slide　off　or　be　broken；　and　fitted　also　their　shields　with　a　little
rim　of　brass；　the　wood　itself　not　being　sufficient　to　bear　off　the
blows。　Besides；　he　taught　his　soldiers　to　use　their　long　javelins　in
close　encounter；　and；　by　bringing　them　under　their　enemy's　swords；
to　receive　their　strokes　upon　them。
　　When　the　Gauls　drew　near；　about　the　river　Anio；　dragging　a　heavy
camp　after　them；　and　loaded　with　infinite　spoil；　Camillus　drew　forth
his　forces；　and　planted　himself　upon　a　hill　of　easy　ascent；　and
which　had　many　dips　in　it；　with　the　object　that　the　greatest　of　his
army　might　lie　concealed；　and　those　who　appeared　might　be　thought　to
have　betaken　themselves；　through　fear；　to　those　upper　grounds。　And　the
more　to　increase　this　opinion　in　them；　he　suffered　them；　without　any
disturbance；　to　spoil　and　pillage　even　to　his　very　trenches；　keeping
himself　quiet　within　his　works；　which　were　well　fortified；　till；　at
last；　perceiving　that　part　of　the　enemy　were　scattered　about　the
country　foraging；　and　that　those　that　were　in　the　camp　did　nothing　day
and　night　but　drink　and　revel；　in　the　night…time　he　drew　up　his
lightest…armed　men；　and　sent　them　out　before　to　impede　the　enemy　while
forming　into　order；　and　to　harass　them　when　they　should　first　issue
out　of　their　camp；　and　early　in　the　morning　brought　down　his　main
body；　and　set　them　in　battle　array　in　the　lower　grounds；　a　numerous
and　courageous　army；　not；　as　the　barbarians　had　supposed；　an
inconsiderable　and　fearful　division。　The　first　thing　that　shook　the
courage　of　the　Gauls　was；　that　their　enemies　had；　contrary　to　their
expectation；　the　honour　of　being　aggressors。　In　the　next　place；　the
light…armed　men；　falling　upon　them　before　they　could　get　into　their
usual　order　or　range　themselves　in　their　proper　squadrons；　so
disturbed　and　pressed　upon　them；　that　they　were　obliged　to　fight　at
random；　without　any　order　at　all。　But　at　last；　when　Camillus　brought
on　his　heavy…armed　legions；　the　barbarians；　with　their　swords　drawn；
went　vigorously　to　engage　them；　the　Romans；　however；　opposing　their
javelins　and　receiving　the　force　of　their　blows　on　those　parts　of
their　defences　which　were　well　guarded　with　steel；　turned　the　edge
of　their　weapons；　being　made　of　soft　and　ill…tempered　metal；　so　that
their　swords　bent　and　doubled　up　in　their　hands；　and　their　shields
were　pierced　through　and　through；　and　grew　heavy　with　the　javelins
that　struck　upon　them。　And　thus　forced　to　quit　their　own　weapons；　they
endeavoured　to　take　advantage　of　those　of　their　enemies；　laid　hold
of　the　javelins　with　their　hands；　and　tried　to　pluck　them　away。　But
the　Romans；　perceiving　them　now　naked　and　defenceless；　betook
themselves　to　their　swords；　which　they　so　well　used；　that　in　a
little　time　great　slaughter　was　made　in　the　foremost　ranks；　while
the　rest　fled　over　all　parts　of　the　level　country；　the　hills　and　upper
grounds　Camillus　had　secured　beforehand；　and　their　camp　they　knew　it
would　not　be　difficult　for　the　enemy　to　take；　as；　through　confidence
of　victory；　they　had　left　it　unguarded。　This　fight；　it　is　stated；
was　thirteen　years　after　the　sacking　of　Rome；　and　from　henceforward
the　Romans　took　courage；　and　surmounted　the　apprehensions　they　had
hitherto　entertained　of　the　barbarians；　whose　previous　defeat　they　had
attributed　rather　to　pestilence　and　a　concurrence　of　mischances　than
to　their　own　superior　valour。　And；　indeed；　this　fear　had　been　formerly
so　great　that　they　made　a　law；　that　priests　should　be　excused　from
service　in　war；　unless　in　an　invasion　from　the　Gaul。
　　This　was　the　last　military　action　that　ever　Camillus　performed；
for　the　voluntary　surrender　of　the　city　of　the　Velitrani　was　but　a
mere　accessory　to　it。　But　the　greatest　of　all　civil　contests；　and
the　hardest　to　be　managed；　was　still　to　be　fought　out　against　the
people；　who；　returning　home　full　of　victory　and　success；　insisted；
contrary　to　established　law；　to　have　one　of　the　consuls　chosen　out
of　their　own　body。　The　senate　strongly　opposed　it；　and　would　not
suffer　Camillus　to　lay　down　his　dictatorship；　thinking　that；　under　the
shelter　of　his　great　name　and　authority；　they　should　be　better　able　to
contend　for　the　power　of　his　aristocracy。　But　when　Camillus　was
sitting　upon　the　tribunal；　despatching　public　affairs；