ople of Tarquinii, for it seemed a high honour that
their countrymen should reign at Rome. Accordingly, the armies of
these two states followed Tarquin to aid in the recovery of his
kingdom, and to take vengeance upon the Romans in war. When they
entered Roman territory, the consuls marched to meet the enemy.
Valerius led the infantry in a square battalion: Brutus marched in
front with the cavalry to reconnoitre. In like manner the enemy's
horse formed the van of the army: Arruns Tarquinius, the king's son,
was in command: the king himself followed with the legions. Arruns,
when he knew at a distance by the lictors that it was a consul, and on
drawing nearer more surely discovered that it was Brutus by his face,
inflamed with rage, cried out: "Yonder is the man who has driven us
into exile from our native country! See how he rides in state adorned
with the insignia of our rank! Now assist me, ye gods, the avengers of
kings." He put spurs to his horse and charged furiously against the
consul. Brutus perceived that he was being attacked, and, as it was
honourable in those days for the generals to personally engage in
battle, he accordingly eagerly offered himself for combat. They
charged with such furious animosity, neither of them heedful of
protecting his own person, provided he could wound his opponent, that
each, pierced through the buckler by his adversary's blow, fell from
his horse in the throes of death, still transfixed by the two spears.
The engagement between the rest of the horse began at the same time,
and soon after the foot came up. There they fought with varying
success, and as it were with equal advantage. The right wings of both
armies were victorious, the left worsted. The Veientines, accustomed
to defeat at the hands of the Roman soldiers, were routed and put to
flight. The Tarquinians, who were a new foe, not only stood their
ground, but on their side even forced the Romans to give way.

After the engagement had thus been fought, so great a terror seized
Tarquinius and the Etruscans, that both armies, the Veientine and
Tarquinian, abandoning the attempt as a fruitless one, departed by
night to their respective homes. Strange incidents are also reported
in the account of this battle--that in the stillness of the next night
a loud voice was heard from the Arsian wood;[5] that it was believed
to be the voice of Silvanus. That the following words were uttered:
that more of the Tuscans by one man had falle