4.31
Four consular tribunes
were elected -T. Quinctius Poenus, who had been
consul, C. Furius, M. Postumius, and A. Cornelius
Cossus. Cossus was warden of the City, the other
three after completing the levy advanced against
Veii, and they showed how useless a divided command
is in war. By each insisting on his own plans, when
they all held different views, they gave the enemy
his opportunity. For whilst the army was perplexed
by different orders, some giving the signal to
advance, whilst the others ordered a retreat, the
Veientines seized the opportunity for an attack.
Breaking into a disorderly flight, the Romans sought
refuge in their camp which was close by; they
incurred more disgrace than loss. The commonwealth,
unaccustomed to defeat, was plunged in grief; they
hated the tribunes and demanded a Dictator; all
their hopes rested on that. Here too a religious
impediment was met with, as a Dictator could only be
nominated by a consul. The augurs were consulted and
removed the difficulty. A. Cornelius nominated
Mamercus Aemilius as Dictator, he himself was
appointed by him Master of the Horse. This proved
how powerless the action of the censors was to
prevent a member of a family unjustly degraded from
being entrusted with supreme control when once the
fortunes of the State demanded real courage and
ability. Elated by their success, the Veientines
sent envoys round to the cantons of Etruria,
boasting that three Roman generals had been defeated
by them in a single battle. As, however, they could
not induce the national council to join them, they
collected from all quarters volunteers who were
attracted by the prospect of booty. The Fidenates
alone decided to take part in the war, and as though
they thought it impious to begin war otherwise than
with a crime, they stained their weapons with the
blood of the new colonists, as they had previously
with the blood of the Roman ambassadors. Then they
joined the Veientines. The chiefs of the two peoples
consulted whether they should make Veii or Fidenae
the base of operations. Fidenae appeared the more
suitable; the Veientines accordingly crossed the
Tiber and transferred the war to Fidenae.