or his services, as was only
just, he received special honours at Rome.

IX. The tribunes of the people again began to agitate about the
redistribution of land and occupation of Veii, but a war with the
Faliscans gave the leading men a seasonable opportunity to elect
magistrates after their own hearts for the coming year. Camillus was
appointed military tribune, with five others, as it was thought that the
State required a general of tried experience. At the decree of the
Senate, Camillus raised a force and invaded the Faliscan territory. He
now besieged Falerii, a strong city well provided with all munitions of
war, which he considered it would be a work of no small time and labour
to take; but he was desirous of employing the people in a long siege, to
prevent their having leisure for factious proceedings at home. This was
ever the policy of the Romans, to work off the elements of internal
strife in attacks on their neighbours.

X. The Faliscans thought so little of the siege, from the strength of
their defences, that, except when on duty on the walls, they used to
walk about their city in their ordinary dress, and their children were
sent regularly to school, and used to be taken by their master to walk
and take exercise outside the walls. For the Faliscans, like the Greeks,
had one common school, as they wished all their children to be brought
up together. The schoolmaster determined to betray these boys to the
enemy, and led them outside the walls for exercise every day, and then
led them back again. By this means he gradually accustomed them to going
out as if there was no danger, until finally he took all the boys and
handed them over to the Roman pickets, bidding them bring him to
Camillus. When he was brought before him he said that he was a
schoolmaster, that he preferred the favour of Camillus to his duty, and
that he came to hand over to him the city of Falerii in the persons of
these boys.

Camillus was very much shocked. He said that war is indeed harsh, and is
carried on by savage and unrighteous means, but yet there are laws of
war which are observed by good men, and one ought not so much to strive
for victory, as to forego advantages gained by wicked and villainous
means: thus a truly great general ought to succeed by his own warlike
virtues, not by the baseness of others.

Having spoken thus, he ordered his slaves to tear the schoolmaster's
clothes, tie his hands behind his back, and give the boys