7.6
After this
appalling portent had been duly expiated, the deliberations of the senate were
concerned with the Hernici. The mission of the Fetials who had been sent to
demand satisfaction proved to be fruitless; the senate accordingly decided to
submit to the people at the earliest possible day the question of declaring war
against the Hernici. The people in a crowded Assembly voted for war. Its
conduct fell by lot to L. Genucius. As he was the first plebeian consul to
manage a war under his own auspices the State awaited the issue with keen
interest, prepared to look upon the policy of admitting plebeians to the
highest offices of state as wise or unwise according to the way matters
turned out. As chance would have it, Genucius, whilst making a vigorous
attack upon the enemy, fell into an ambush, the legions were taken by
surprise and routed, and the consul was surrounded and killed without the
enemy being aware who their victim was. When the report of the occurrence
reached Rome, the patricians were not so much distressed at the disaster
which had befallen the commonwealth as they were exultant over the
unfortunate generalship of the consul. Everywhere they were taunting the
plebeians: "Go on! Elect your consuls from the plebs, transfer the auspices to
those for whom it is an impiety to possess them! The voice of the plebs may
expel the patricians from their rightful honours, but has your law, which
pollutes the auspices, any force against the immortal gods? They have
themselves vindicated their will as expressed through the auspices, for no
sooner have these been profaned by one who took them against all divine
and human law than the army and its general have been wiped out as a lesson
to you not to conduct the elections to the confusion of all the rights of the
patrician houses." The Senate-house and the Forum alike were resounding
with these protests. Appius Claudius, who had led the opposition to the law,
spoke with more weight than ever while he denounced the result of a policy
which he had severely censured, and the consul Servilius, with the
unanimous approval of the patricians, nominated him Dictator. Orders were
issued for an immediate enrolment and the suspension of all business.