4.53
Manlius Aemilius and C.
Valerius Potitus were the new consuls. The Aequi
made preparations for war, and the Volscians,
without the sanction of their government, took up
arms and assisted them as volunteers. On the report
of these hostile movements -they had already
crossed over into the Latin and Hernican territories
-the consul Valerius commenced to levy troops. He
was obstructed by M. Menenius, the proposer of an
agrarian law, and under the protection of this
tribune, no one who objected to serve would take the
oath. Suddenly the news came that the citadel of
Carventum had been seized by the enemy. This
humiliation gave the senate an opening for stirring
up popular resentment against Menenius, while it
afforded to the other tribunes, who were already
prepared to veto his agrarian law, stronger
justification for opposing their colleague. A long
and angry discussion took place. The consuls called
gods and men to witness that Menenius by obstructing
the levy was solely responsible for whatever defeat
and disgrace at the hands of the enemy had already
been incurred or was imminent. Menenius on the other
hand loudly protested that if those who occupied the
public land would give up their wrongful possession
of it, he would place no hindrance in the way of the
levy. The nine tribunes put an end to the quarrel by
interposing a formal resolution and declaring that
it was the intention of the college to support the
consul, in spite of their colleague's veto, whether
he imposed fines or adopted other modes of coercion
on those who refused to serve in the field. Armed
with this decree the consul ordered a few who were
claiming the tribune's protection to be seized and
brought before him; this cowed the rest and they
took the oath.
The army was marched to the citadel of
Carventum, and though disaffected and embittered
against the consul, they no sooner arrived at the
place than they drove out the defenders and
recaptured the citadel. The attack was facilitated
by the absence of some of the garrison, who had
through the laxity of their generals stolen away on
a plundering expedition. The booty which had been
gathered in their incessant raids and stored here
for safety was considerable. This the consul ordered
to be sold "under the spear," the proceeds to be
paid by the quaestors into the treasury. He
announced that the army would only have a share in
the spoils when they had not declined to serve. This
increased the exasperation of the plebs and the
soldiers against the consul. The senate decreed him
an "ovation," and whilst he made his formal entry
into the City, rude verses were bandied by the
soldiers with their accustomed licence in which the
consul was abused and Menenius extolled in alternate
couplets, whilst at every mention of the tribune the
voices of the soldiers were drowned in the cheers
and applause of the bystanders. This latter
circumstance occasioned more anxiety to the senate
than the licence of the soldiers, which was almost a
regular practice, and as there was no doubt that if
Menenius became a candidate he would be elected as a
consular tribune, he was shut out by the election of
consuls.