7.13
Tullius
was now first centurion for the seventh time and there was not in the whole
army amongst the infantry officers a more distinguished soldier. He led the
procession to the tribunal, and Sulpicius was not more surprised at seeing
the gathering than at seeing Tullius at the head of it. He began: "Do not be
surprised, Dictator, at my being here. The whole army is under the
impression that it has been condemned by you for cowardice and to mark its
disgrace has been deprived of its arms. It has asked me to plead its cause
before you. Even if we could be charged with deserting our ranks and
turning our backs to the enemy, or with the disgraceful loss of our standards,
even then I should think it only fair for you to allow us to amend our fault by
courage and to wipe out the memory of our disgraceful conduct by winning
fresh glory. Even the legions which were routed at the Alia marched out
afterwards from Veii and recovered the City which they had lost through
panic. For us, thanks to the goodness of the gods and the happy fortune
which attends on you and on Rome, our fortunes and our honour remain
unimpaired. And yet I hardly dare mention the word 'honour' whilst the
enemy ventures to mock us with every kind of insult, as if we were hiding
ourselves like women behind our rampart, and -what grieves us much more
-even you our commander have made up your mind that your army is
without courage, without weapons, without hands to use them, and before
you have put us to the proof have so despaired of us that you look upon
yourself as the commander of cripples and weaklings. What other reason can
we believe there to be, why you, a veteran commander, a most gallant
soldier, should be as they say sitting with your arms folded? However the
case may be, it is more true to say that you appear to doubt our courage than
that we doubt yours. But if this is not your doing, but a piece of State policy,
if it is some concerted scheme of the patricians and not war with the Gauls
that is keeping us in banishment from the City and from our household gods,
then I ask you to regard what I am now going to say as addressed not by
soldiers to their commander but to the patricians by the plebs, who say that
as you have your projects so they will have theirs. Who could possibly be
angry with us for regarding ourselves as your soldiers, not your slaves, sent
to war not into banishment, ready, if any one gives the signal and leads us
into battle, to fight as becomes men and Romans, equally ready, if there is no
need for arms, to live a life of peace and quietness in Rome rather than in
camp? This is what we would say to the patricians. But you are our
commander, and we your soldiers implore you to give us a chance of
fighting. We are eager to win a victory, but to win it under your leadership;
it is on you that we want to bestow the laurels of glory, it is with you that we
desire to enter the City in triumphal procession, it is behind your chariot that
we would go with joyous thanksgivings up to the temple of Jupiter Optimus
Maximus." This speech of Tullius' was followed by earnest requests from the
whole army that he would give the signal and order them to arm.