n to be besieged by a much greater force than that with
which Tusculum had been besieged; nor still could it be taken by those
by whom the siege had been commenced. The new military tribunes were
elected first: Quintius Servilius, Caius Veturius, Aulus and Marcus
Cornelius, Quintus Quinctius, Marcus Fabius. Nothing worthy of mention
was performed even by these at Velitrae. Matters were involved in greater
peril at home: for besides Sextius and Licinius, the proposers of the
laws, re-elected tribunes of the commons now for the eighth time, Fabius
also, military tribune, father-in-law of Stolo, avowed himself the
unhesitating supporter of those laws of which he had been the adviser.
And whereas, there had been at first eight of the college of the
plebeian tribunes protesters against the laws, there were now only five:
and (as is usual with men who leave their own party) dismayed and
astounded, they in words borrowed from others, urged as a reason for
their protest, that which had been taught them at home; "that a great
number of the commons were absent with the army at Velitrae; that the
assembly ought to be deferred till the coming of the soldiers, that the
entire body of the commons might give their vote concerning their own
interests." Sextius and Licinius with some of their colleagues, and
Fabius one of the military tribunes, well-versed now by an experience of
many years in managing the minds of the commons, having brought forward
the leading men of the patricians, teased them by interrogating them on
each of the subjects which were about to be brought before the people:
"would they dare to demand, that when two acres of land a head were
distributed among the plebeians, they themselves should be allowed to
have more than five hundred acres? that a single man should possess the
share of nearly three hundred citizens; whilst his portion of land
scarcely extended for the plebeian to a stinted habitation and a place
of burial? Was it their wish that the commons, surrounded with usury,
should surrender their persons to the stocks and to punishment, rather
than pay off their debt by [discharging] the principal; and that persons
should be daily led off from the forum in flocks, after being assigned
to their creditors, and that the houses of the nobility should be filled
with prisoners? and that wherever a patrician dwelt, there should be a
private prison?"

37. When they had uttered these statements, exasperating and pitiabl