4.30
In the City the tribunes
made great efforts to secure the election of
consular tribunes for the next year, but they
failed. L. Papirius Crassus and L. Julius were made
consuls. Envoys came from the Aequi to ask from the
senate a treaty as between independent States;
instead of this they were offered peace on condition
they acknowledged the supremacy of Rome; they
obtained a truce for eight years. After the defeat
which the Volscians had sustained on Algidus, their
State was distracted by obstinate and bitter
quarrels between the advocates of war and those of
peace. There was quiet for Rome in all quarters. The
tribunes were preparing a popular measure to fix the
scale of fines, but one of their body betrayed the
fact to the consuls, who anticipated the tribunes by
bringing it in themselves. The new consuls were L.
Sergius Fidenas, for the second time, and Hostius
Lucretius Tricipitinus. Nothing worth recording took
place in their consulship. They were followed by A.
Cornelius Cossus, and T. Quinctius Poenus for the
second time. The Veientines made inroads into the
Roman territory, and it was rumoured that some of
the Fidenates had taken part in them. L. Sergius, Q.
Servilius, and Mamercus Aemilius were commissioned
to investigate the affair. Some were interned at
Ostia, as they were unable to account satisfactorily
for their absence from Fidenae at that time. The
number of colonists was increased, and the lands of
those who had perished in the war were assigned to
them.
Very great distress was caused this year by a
drought. Not only was there an absence of water from
the heavens, but the earth, through lack of its
natural moisture, barely sufficed to keep the rivers
flowing. In some cases the want of water made the
cattle die of thirst round the dried-up springs and
brooks, in others they were carried off by the
mange. This disease spread to the men who had been
in contact with them; at first it attacked the
slaves and agriculturists, then the City was
infected. Nor was it only the body that was affected
by the pest, the minds of men also became a prey to
all kinds of superstitions, mostly foreign ones.
Pretended soothsayers went about introducing new
modes of sacrificing, and did a profitable trade
amongst the victims of superstition, until at last
the sight of strange un-Roman modes of propitiating
the wrath of the gods in the streets and chapels
brought home to the leaders of the commonwealth the
public scandal which was being caused. The aediles
were instructed to see to it that none but Roman
deities were worshipped, nor in any other than the
established fashion. Hostilities with the Veientines
were postponed till the following year, when Caius
Servilius Ahala and L. Papirius Mugilanus were the
consuls. Even then the formal declaration of war and
the despatch of troops were delayed on religious
grounds; it was considered necessary that the
fetials should first be sent to demand satisfaction.
There had been recent battles with the Veientines at
Nomentum and Fidenae, and a truce had been made, not
a lasting peace, but before the days of truce had
expired they had renewed hostilities. The fetials,
however, were sent, but when they presented their
demands, in accordance with ancient usage, they were
refused a hearing. A question then arose whether war
should be declared by the mandate of the people, or
whether a resolution passed by the senate was
sufficient. The tribunes threatened to stop the
levying of troops and succeeded in forcing the
consul Quinctius to refer the question to the
people. The centuries decided unanimously for war.
The plebs gained a further advantage in preventing
the election of consuls for the next year.