5.1
Whilst
peace prevailed elsewhere, Rome and Veii were
confronting each other in arms, animated by such
fury and hatred that utter ruin clearly awaited the
vanquished. Each elected their magistrates, but on
totally different principles. The Romans increased
the number of their consular tribunes to eight -a
larger number than had ever been elected before.
They were Manius Aemilius Mamercus -for the second
time -L. Valerius Potitus -for the third time -Appius Claudius Crassus, M. Quinctilius Varus, L.
Julius Julus, M. Postumius, M. Furius Camillus, and
M. Postumius Albinus. The Veientines, on the other
hand, tired of the annual canvassing for office,
elected a king. This gave great offence to the
Etruscan cantons, owing to their hatred of monarchy
and their personal aversion to the one who was
elected. He was already obnoxious to the nation
through his pride of wealth and overbearing temper,
for he had put a violent stop to the festival of the
Games, the interruption of which is an act of
impiety. His candidature for the priesthood had been
unsuccessful, another being preferred by the vote of
the twelve cantons, and in revenge he suddenly
withdrew the performers, most of whom were his own
slaves, in the middle of the Games. The Etruscans as
a nation were distinguished above all others by
their devotion to religious observances, because
they excelled in the knowledge and conduct of them,
and they decided, in consequence, that no assistance
should be given to the Veientines as long as they
were under a king. The report of this decision was
suppressed at Veii through fear of the king; he
treated those who mentioned anything of the kind,
not as authors of an idle tale, but as ringleaders
of sedition. Although the Romans had received
intelligence that there was no movement on the part
of the Etruscans, still, as it was reported that the
matter was being discussed in all their councils,
they so constructed their lines as to present a
double face, the one fronting Veii to prevent
sorties from the city, the other looking towards
Etruria to intercept any succour from that side.