now that he
concerned himself but little in civil affairs, war still aroused him.
Having enlisted four legions of four thousand men each, and having
ordered the troops to assemble the next day at the Esquiline gate, he
set out to Satricum. There the conquerors of the colony, nowise
dismayed, confiding in their number of men, in which they had
considerably the advantage, awaited him. When they perceived that the
Romans were approaching, they marched out immediately to the field,
determined to make no delay to put all to the risk of an engagement,
that by proceeding thus they should derive no advantage from the
judgment of their distinguished commander, on which alone they confided.

23. The same ardour existed also in the Roman army; nor did any thing,
but the wisdom and authority of one man, delay the fortune of the
present engagement, who sought, by protracting the war, an opportunity
of aiding their strength by skill. The enemy urged them the more on that
account, and now not only did they draw out their troops in order of
battle before their camp, but advanced into the middle of the plain, and
by throwing up trenches near the battalions of the enemy, made a show of
their insolent confidence in their strength. The Roman soldier was
indignant at this; the other military tribune, Lucius Furius, still more
so, who, encouraged both by his youth and his natural disposition, was
still further elated by the hopes entertained by the multitude, who
assumed great spirits on grounds the most uncertain. The soldiers,
already excited of themselves, he still further instigated by
disparaging the authority of his colleague by reference to his age, the
only point on which he could do so: saying constantly, "that wars were
the province of young men, and that with the body the mind also
flourishes and withers; that from having been a most vigorous warrior he
was become a drone; and that he who, on coming up, had been wont to
carry off camps and cities at the first onset, now consumed the time
inactive within the trenches. What accession to his own strength, or
diminution of that of the enemy, did he hope for? What opportunity, what
season, what place for practising stratagem? that the old man's plans
were frigid and languid. Camillus had both sufficient share of life as
well as of glory. What use was it to suffer the strength of a state
which ought to be immortal, to sink into old age along with one mortal
body." By such observations,