ations, and
made a laughing-stock to his enemies. But when his friends, after
consulting together, answered that they did not think that they could
prevent his being condemned, but that they would assist him to pay any
fine that might be imposed, he, unable to bear such treatment,
determined in a rage to leave Rome and go into exile. He embraced his
wife and son, and walked from his house silently as far as the gate of
the city. There he turned back, and, stretching out his hands towards
the Capitol, prayed to the gods that, if he was driven out of Rome
unjustly by the insolence and hatred of the people, the Romans might
soon repent of their conduct to him, and appear before the world begging
him to return, and longing for their Camillus back again.

XIII. Like Achilles, he thus cursed his countrymen and left them. His
cause was undefended, and in his absence he was condemned to pay a fine
of fifteen thousand _ases_, which in Greek money is fifteen hundred
_drachmas_, for the _as_ was the Roman coin at that time, and
consequently ten copper _ases_ were called a _denarius_.

Every Roman believes that the prayers of Camillus were quickly heard by
Justice, and that a terrible retribution was exacted for his wrongs,
which filled all men's mouths at that time; so terrible a fate befell
Rome, with such destruction, danger, and disgrace, whether it arose from
mere chance, or whether it be the office of some god to punish those who
requite virtue with ingratitude.

XIV. The first omen of impending evil was the death of Julius the
Censor; for the Romans reverence the office of censor, and account it
sacred. Another omen was that, a short time before Camillus went into
exile, one Marcus Caedicius, a man of no particular note, and not even a
senator, but a thoroughly respectable man, communicated a matter of some
importance to the tribunes of the people. He said that the night before
he had been walking along what is called the New Road, when some one
called him by name. He turned round and could see no one, but heard a
voice louder than man's say, "Go, Marcus Caedicius, tell the government
early in the morning that in a short time they may expect the Gauls."
When the tribunes of the people heard this they laughed him to scorn,
and shortly afterwards Camillus left the city.

XV. The Gauls are a people of the Celtic race, and are said to have
become too numerous for their own country, and consequently to have left
it to search