self, and had
always enjoyed better fortune in all his battles, he had better command
the army in the field. He himself, he added, would remain behind, watch
over the safety of the Volscian cities, and supply the troops with
necessaries. Marcius, strengthened by this division of the command,
marched to the town of Circeii, a Roman colony. As it surrendered, he
did it no harm, but laid waste the country of Latium, where he expected
the Romans would fight a battle in defence of their allies the Latins,
who frequently sent to entreat their protection. But at Rome the people
were unwilling to fight, and the consuls were just at the expiry of
their term of office, so that they did not care to run any risks, and
therefore rejected the appeals of the Latins. Marcius now led his troops
against the Latian cities, Tolerium, Labici, Pedum, and Bola, all of
which he took by storm, sold the inhabitants for slaves, and plundered
the houses. Those cities, however, which voluntarily came to his side he
treated with the utmost consideration, even pitching his camp at a
distance, for fear they might be injured by the soldiery against his
will, and never plundering their territory.

XXIX. When at last he took Bollae, a town not more than twelve miles
from Rome, obtaining immense booty and putting nearly all the adult
inhabitants to the sword, then not even those Volscians who had been
appointed to garrison the cities would any longer remain at their posts,
but seized their arms and joined the army of Marcius, declaring that he
was their only general, and that they would recognise no other leader.
His renown and glory spread throughout all Italy, and all men were
astonished that one man by changing sides should have produced so great
a change. The affairs of Rome were in the last disorder, the people
refusing to fight, while internal quarrels and seditious speeches took
place daily, until news came that Lavinium was being invested by the
enemy. This town contains the most ancient images and sacred things of
the tutelary deities of Rome, and is the origin of the Roman people,
being the first town founded by Aeneas.

Upon this a very singular change of opinions befel both the people and
the Senate. The people were eager to annul their sentence against
Marcius, and to beg him to return, but the Senate, after meeting and
considering this proposal, finally rejected it, either out of a mere
spirit of opposition to anything proposed by the peopl