. However, as he did not wish it to be thought that
the bad conduct of the Romans pleased the Gauls, who only wanted a
pretext for hostilities, he sent and demanded that Fabius should be
delivered up to him to be punished, and at the same time led his army
slowly forwards.

XVIII. At Rome the Senate was called together, and many blamed Fabius,
while those priests who are called Feciales urged the Senate in the
name of religion to throw the whole blame of what had happened upon one
guilty head, and, by delivering him up, to clear the rest of the city
from sharing his guilt. These Feciales were instituted by the mildest
and justest of the kings of Rome, Numa Pompilius, to be guardians of
peace, and examiners of the reasons which justify a nation in going to
war. However the Senate referred the matter to the people, and when the
priests repeated their charges against Fabius before them, the people so
despised and slighted religion as to appoint Fabius and his brothers
military tribunes. The Gauls, when they heard this, were enraged, and
hurried on, disregarding everything but speed. The nations through which
they passed, terrified at their glancing arms and their strength and
courage, thought that their land was indeed lost and that their cities
would at once be taken, but to their wonder and delight the Gauls did
them no hurt, and took nothing from their fields, but marched close by
their cities, calling out that they were marching against Rome, and were
at war with the Romans only, and held all other men to be their friends.
To meet this impetuous rush, the military tribunes led out the Romans,
who, in numbers indeed were quite a match for the Gauls, for they
amounted to no less than forty thousand heavy-armed men, but for the
most part untrained and serving for the first time.

Besides this disadvantage, they neglected the duties of religion, for
they neither made the usual sacrifices nor consulted the soothsayers.
Confusion also was produced by the number of commanders, though
frequently before this, in much less important campaigns, they had
chosen single generals, whom they called dictators, as they knew that
nothing is so important at a dangerous crisis as that all should
unanimously and in good order obey the commands of one irresponsible
chief. And the unfair treatment which Camillus had received now bore
disastrous fruits, for no man dared to use authority except to flatter
and gain the favour of the people.