turning it round he began to speak
in deep and trembling tones, which he gradually made shriller and more
intense, until, seeing the whole theatre, where the meeting was,
silent with horror, he threw off his cloak, tore his tunic, and, half
naked, rushed to the gate of the theatre, crying out that he was
pursued by the "Mothers." As no one dared to touch or stop him, from
fear of the gods, but all made way for him, he passed out of the city
gate, not omitting any of the cries and trembling of body of a person
under demoniacal possession. His wife, who was in the secret, and her
husband's confederate, first brought her children and prostrated
herself as a suppliant before the goddesses, and then under pretence
of seeking her wandering husband managed to leave the city without
opposition. Thus they safely reached Marcellus at Syracuse; and when,
after enduring many affronts and insolent proceeding from the people
of Engyion Marcellus took them all prisoners, and imprisoned them,
meaning to put them all to death, Nikias at first stood by weeping,
but at length, embracing Marcellus as a suppliant, he begged for the
lives of his countrymen, beginning with his own personal enemies,
until he relented, and set them all at liberty. Nor did he touch their
city, but gave Nikias ample lands and rich presents. This story is
told by Poseidonius the philosopher.

XXI. When the Romans recalled Marcellus, to conduct the war in their
own country, he removed most of the beautiful ornaments of the city of
Syracuse, to be admired at his triumphal procession, and to adorn
Rome. For at that time Rome neither possessed nor knew of any works of
art, nor had she any delicacy of taste in such matters. Filled with
the blood-stained arms and spoils of barbarians, and crowded with
trophies of war and memorials of triumphs, she was no pleasant or
delightful spectacle, fit to feed the eyes of unwarlike and luxurious
spectators, but, as Epameinondas called the plain of Boeotia "the Stage
of Ares," and Xenophon called Ephesus "the Workshop of War," so, in my
opinion, you might call Rome at that time, in the words of Pindar,
"the Domain of Ares, who revels in war." Wherefore Marcellus gained
the greater credit with the vulgar, because he enriched the city with
statues possessing the Hellenic grace and truth to nature, while
Fabius Maximus was more esteemed by the elders. He neither touched nor
removed anything of the kind from the city of Tarentum, whic