ch
is taken in war, proclamation is always made, "Porsena's goods for
sale," so that the Romans have never forgotten the kindness which they
received from him. A brazen statue of him used to stand near the senate
house, of plain and oldfashioned workmanship.

XX. After this the Sabines invaded the country. Marcus Valerius,
Poplicola's brother, and Posthumius Tubertus were then consuls, and
Marcus, acting by the advice of Poplicola, who was present, won two
great battles, in the second of which he slew thirteen thousand of the
enemy without the Romans losing a man. He was rewarded for this, in
addition to his triumph, by having a house built for him upon the
Palatine Hill at the public expense. And whereas all other street doors
open inwards, the doors of that house were made to open outwards, as a
perpetual memorial of the honour paid him by the people, who thus made
way for him. It is said that all the doors in Greece used once to open
this way, arguing from the comedies, in which those who are coming out
of a house always knock at the door, to warn those who are passing or
standing near not to be struck by the leaves of the door, as they open.

XXI. Next year Poplicola was consul for the fourth time. There was an
expectation of a war against the Latins and Sabines combined.

Moreover the city seemed to have displeased the gods; for all the
pregnant women were delivered prematurely, and of imperfectly formed
children. Poplicola, after appeasing the gods below according to the
injunctions of the Sibylline books, re-established certain games in
accordance with an oracle, brought the city into a more hopeful state of
mind, and began to consider what he had to fear from earthly foes, for
the enemy's army was large and formidable. There was one Appius Clausus,
a Sabine, of great wealth and remarkable personal strength, and a
virtuous and eloquent man, who, like all great men, was the object of
envy and ill-will to many. He was accused by his enemies of having put
an end to the war, because he wished to increase the power of Rome, in
order to enable him the more easily to triumph over the liberties of his
own country, and make himself king of it. Perceiving that the populace
eagerly listened to these tales, and that he was an object of dislike to
the war party and the army, he began to fear impeachment: so, having
numerous followers, besides his personal friends and relatives, he was
able to divide the state into two parti