ilia and her children, and
proceeded, in company with the other women, to the Volscian camp. Their
piteous appearance produced, even in their enemies, a silent respect.
Marcius himself was seated on his tribunal with the chief officers; and
when he saw the procession of women was at first filled with amazement;
but when he recognised his mother walking first, although he tried to
support his usual stern composure, he was overcome by his emotion. He
could not bear to receive her sitting, but descended and ran to meet
her. He embraced his mother first, and longest of all; and then his wife
and children, no longer restraining his tears and caresses, but
completely carried away by his feelings.

XXXV. When he had taken his fill of embraces, perceiving that his mother
desired to address him, he called the chiefs of the Volscians together,
and listened to Volumnia, who addressed him as follows:

"You may judge, my son, by our dress and appearance, even though we keep
silence, to what a miserable condition your exile has reduced us at
home. Think now, how unhappy we must be, beyond all other women, when
fortune has made the sight which ought to be most pleasing to us, most
terrible, when I see my son, and your wife here sees her husband,
besieging his native city. Even that which consoles people under all
other misfortunes, prayer to the gods, has become impossible for us. We
cannot beg of heaven to give us the victory and to save you, but our
prayers for you must always resemble the imprecations of our enemies
against Rome. Your wife and children are in such a position, that they
must either lose you or lose their native country. For my own part, I
cannot bear to live until fortune decides the event of this war. If I
cannot now persuade you to make a lasting peace, and so become the
benefactor instead of the scourge of the two nations, be well assured
that you shall never assail Rome without first passing over the corpse
of your mother. I cannot wait for that day on which I shall either see
my countrymen triumphing over my son, or my son triumphing over his
country. If indeed I were to ask you to betray the Volscians and save
your country, this would be a hard request for you to grant; for though
it is base to destroy one's own fellow citizens, it is equally wrong to
betray those who have trusted you. But we merely ask for a respite from
our sufferings, which will save both nations alike from ruin, and which
will be all the