5.47
While these proceedings
were taking place at Veii, the Citadel and Capitol
of Rome were in imminent danger. The Gauls had
either noticed the footprints left by the messenger
from Veii, or had themselves discovered a
comparatively easy ascent up the cliff to the temple
of Carmentis. Choosing a night when there was a
faint glimmer of light, they sent an unarmed man in
advance to try the road; then handing one another
their arms where the path was difficult, and
supporting each other or dragging each other up as
the ground required, they finally reached the
summit. So silent had their movements been that not
only were they unnoticed by the sentinels, but they
did not even wake the dogs, an animal peculiarly
sensitive to nocturnal sounds. But they did not
escape the notice of the geese, which were sacred to
Juno and had been left untouched in spite of the
extremely scanty supply of food. This proved the
safety of the garrison, for their clamour and the
noise of their wings aroused M. Manlius, the
distinguished soldier, who had been consul three
years before. He snatched up his weapons and ran to
call the rest to arms, and while the rest hung back
he struck with the boss of his shield a Gaul who had
got a foothold on the summit and knocked him down.
He fell on those behind and upset them, and Manlius
slew others who had laid aside their weapons and
were clinging to the rocks with their hands. By this
time others had joined him, and they began to
dislodge the enemy with volleys of stones and
javelins till the whole body fell helplessly down to
the bottom. When the uproar had died away, the
remainder of the night was given to sleep, as far as
was possible under such disturbing circumstances,
whilst their peril, though past, still made them
anxious.
At daybreak the soldiers were summoned by
sound of trumpet to a council in the presence of the
tribunes, when the due rewards for good conduct and
for bad would be awarded. First, Manlius was
commended for his bravery, and rewarded not by the
tribunes alone but by the soldiers as a body, for
every man brought to him at his quarters, which were
in the Citadel, half a pound of meal and a quarter
of a pint of wine. This does not sound much, but the
scarcity made it an overwhelming proof of the
affection felt for him, since each stinted himself
of food and contributed in honour of that one man
what had to be taken from his necessaries of life.
Next, the sentinels who had been on duty at the spot
where the enemy had climbed up without their
noticing it were called forward. Q. Sulpicius, the
consular tribune, declared that he should punish
them all by martial law. He was, however, deterred
from this course by the shouts of the soldiers, who
all agreed in throwing the blame upon one man. As
there was no doubt of his guilt, he was amidst
general approval flung from the top of the cliff. A
stricter watch was now kept on both sides; by the
Gauls because it had become known that messengers
were passing between Rome and Veii; by the Romans,
who had not forgotten the danger they were in that
night.