rdinary course, without lots, or mutual
arrangement; of which circumstance both themselves and the patricians
who conferred it afterwards repented. Without any previous reconnoitre
they sent out some cohorts to forage. It having been falsely reported
to them that these were ensnared, whilst they march in great haste, in
order to support them, without even retaining the author [of the report]
who had deceived them, he being a Latin enemy instead of a Roman
soldier, they themselves fell into an ambuscade. There, whilst they
suffer and commit great havoc, making resistance on disadvantageous
ground solely by the valour of the soldiers, the enemy in the mean time
in another quarter attacked the Roman camp which was situate on a plain.
By their temerity and want of skill, matters were brought into jeopardy
in both places by the generals. Whatever portion [of the army] was
saved, the good fortune of the Roman people, and the steady valour of
the soldiers, even without a director, protected. When an account of
these events was brought to Rome, it was at first agreeable to them that
a dictator should be appointed; then when intelligence was received from
the Volscian country that matters were quiet, and it appeared manifest
that they knew not how to take advantage of victory and of opportunity,
the army and generals were recalled from thence also; and there was
quiet from that quarter, as far as regarded the Volscians. The only
disturbance there was towards the end of the year was, that the
Praenestines, having stirred up some of the states of the Latins, renewed
hostilities. During the same year new colonists were enrolled for Setia,
the colony itself complaining of the paucity of men. Domestic
tranquillity, which the influence of the plebeian military tribunes and
the respect shown to them among their own party procured, was a
consolation for the want of success in war.

31. The commencement of the following year blazed forth with violent
sedition, the military tribunes with consular power being Spurius
Furius, Quintus Servilius a second time, Caius Licinius, Publius
Cloelius, Marcus Horatius, Lucius Geganius. The debt was both the
ground-work and cause of the disturbance: for the purpose of
ascertaining which Spurius Servilius Priscus and Quintus Cloelius
Siculus, being appointed censors, were prevented by war from proceeding
in the business. For alarming news at first, then the flight [of the
country people] from the lands,