lity consulting the interest of him whose interest
he pretended to consult;[50] and after permission to say what he
pleased had been obtained for Valerius by means of Cornelius, when
this liberty did not extend beyond words, the decemvirs attained their
object. The men of consular rank also and senior members, from the
hatred of tribunician power still rankling in their bosoms, the
longing for which they considered was much more keenly felt by the
commons than for the consular power, almost preferred that the
decemvirs themselves should voluntarily resign their office at some
future period, than that the people should once more become prominent
through hatred against these. If the matter, quietly conducted, should
again return to the consuls without popular turbulence, that the
commons might be induced to forget their tribunes, either by the
intervention of wars or by the moderation of the consuls in exercising
their authority.

A levy was proclaimed without objection on the part of the patricians;
the young men answered to their names, as the government was without
appeal. The legions having been enrolled, the decemvirs proceeded to
arrange among themselves who should set out to the war, who should
command the armies. The leading men among the decemvirs were Quintus
Fabius and Appius Claudius. The war at home appeared more serious than
abroad. The decemvirs considered the violence of Appius better
suited to suppress commotions in the city; that Fabius possessed
a disposition rather lacking in firmness in a good purpose than
energetic in a bad one. For this man, formerly distinguished at home
and abroad, had been so altered by his office of decemvir and the
influence of his colleagues that he chose rather to be like Appius
than like himself. To him the war among the Sabines was intrusted,
Manius Rabuleius and Quintus Paetilius being sent with him as
colleagues. Marcus Cornelius was sent to Algidum with Lucius Minucius,
Titus Antonius, Caeso Duillius, and Marcus Sergius: they appointed
Spurius Oppius to assist Appius Claudius in protecting the city, while
all the decemvirs were to enjoy equal authority.

The republic was managed with no better success in war than at home.
In this the only fault in the generals was, that they had rendered
themselves objects of hatred to their fellow-citizens: in other
respects the entire blame lay with the soldiers, who, lest any
enterprise should be successfully conducted under the lea