4.11
The new consuls were
Marcus Fabius Vibulanus and Postumius Aebutius
Cornicinen. The previous year was regarded by the
neighbouring peoples, whether friendly or hostile,
as chiefly memorable because of the trouble taken to
help Ardea in its peril. The new consuls, aware that
they were succeeding men distinguished both at home
and abroad, were all the more anxious to obliterate
from men's minds the infamous judgment. Accordingly,
they obtained a senatorial decree ordering that as
the population of Ardea had been seriously reduced
through the internal disturbances, a body of
colonists should be sent there as a protection
against the Volscians. This was the reason alleged
in the text of the decree, to prevent their
intention of rescinding the judgment from being
suspected by the plebs and tribunes. They had,
however, privately agreed that the majority of the
colonists should consist of Rutulians, that no land
should be allotted other than what had been
appropriated under the infamous judgment, and that
not a single sod should be assigned to a Roman till
all the Rutulians had received their share. So the
land went back to the Ardeates. Agrippa Menenius, T.
Cluilius Siculus, and M. Aebutius Helva were the
triumvirs appointed to superintend the settlement of
the colony. Their office was not only extremely
unpopular, but they gave great offence to the plebs
by assigning to allies land which the Roman people
had formally adjudged to be their own. Even with the
leaders of the patricians they were out of favour,
because they had refused to allow themselves to be
influenced by any of them. The tribunes impeached
them, but they avoided all further vexatious
proceedings by enrolling themselves amongst the
settlers and remaining in the colony which they now
possessed as a testimony to their justice and
integrity.
