3.8
Whether it was that the
gods graciously answered prayer or that the
unhealthy season had passed, people gradually threw
off the influence of the epidemic and the public
health became more satisfactory. Attention was once
more turned to affairs of State, and after one or
two interregna had expired, P. Valerius Publicola,
who had been interrex for two days, conducted the
election of L. Lucretius Tricipitinus and T.
Veturius Geminus -or Vetusius -as consuls. They
entered office on August 11, and the State was now
strong enough not only to defend its frontiers, but
to take the offensive. Consequently, when the
Hernici announced that the enemy had crossed their
frontiers, help was promptly sent. Two consular
armies were enrolled. Veturius was sent to act
against the Volsci, Tricipitinus had to protect the
country of the allies from predatory incursions, and
did not advance beyond the Hernican frontier. In the
first battle Veturius defeated and routed the enemy.
Whilst Lucretius lay encamped amongst the Hernici, a
body of plunderers evaded him by marching over the
mountains of Praeneste, and descending into the
plains devastated the fields of the Praenestines and
Gabians, and then turned off to the hills above
Tusculum. Great alarm was felt in Rome, more from
the surprising rapidity of the movement than from
insufficiency of strength to repel any attack.
Quintus Fabius was prefect of the City. By arming
the younger men and manning the defences, he
restored quiet and security everywhere. The enemy
did not venture to attack the City, but returned by
a circuitous route with the plunder they had secured
from the neighbourhood. The greater their distance
from the City the more carelessly they marched, and
in this state they fell in with the consul
Lucretius, who had reconnoitred the route they were
taking and was in battle formation, eager to engage.
As they were on the alert and ready for the enemy,
the Romans, though considerably fewer in numbers,
routed and scattered the vast host, whom the
unexpected attack had thrown into confusion, drove
them into the deep valleys and prevented their
escape. The Volscian nation was almost wiped out
there. I find in some of the annals that 13,470 men
fell in the battle and the pursuit, and 1750 were
taken prisoners, whilst twenty-seven military
standards were captured. Although there may be some
exaggeration, there certainly was a great slaughter.
The consul, after securing enormous booty, returned
victorious to his camp. The two consuls then united
their camps; the Volscians and Aequi also
concentrated their shattered forces. A third battle
took place that year; again fortune gave the victory
to the Romans, the enemy were routed and their camp
taken.