oved an advantage to the Romans, and that a disturbance just arising
between the patricians and commons was checked by the dread of a war so
near them. In the next war there was another irruption of the enemy,
more terrible to the country than to the city. The Tarquinians overran
the Roman frontiers, committing depredations on that side more
especially where they are contiguous to Etruria; and restitution being
demanded in vain, the new consuls, Cneius Fabius and Caius Plautius,
proclaimed war on them by order of the people; and that province fell to
the lot of Fabius, the Hernicians to Plautius. A rumour of a Gallic war
also was gaining ground. But amid their many terrors, they had some
consolation from a peace granted to the Latins at their own request, as
also from a considerable reinforcement of soldiers received from them in
conformity with an old treaty, which, they had for several years ceased
to observe. When the Roman cause was supported by this aid, the tidings
that the Gauls had come to Praeneste and were encamped near to Pedum,
were less heeded. It was determined that Caius Sulpicius should be
appointed dictator. Caius Plautius the consul, being sent for for the
purpose, nominated him; Marcus Valerius was assigned as master of the
horse to the dictator. These having selected the best of the soldiers
out of the two consular armies, led them against the Gauls. This war was
more tedious than was satisfactory to either party. When at first the
Gauls only were desirous of fighting, afterwards the Roman soldiers
considerably surpassed the ferocity of the Gauls in their ardour for
arms and battle; it by no means met the approbation of the dictator when
no urgent necessity existed to run any hazard against an enemy, whose
strength time and inconvenient situation would daily impair, in total
inactivity, without provisions previously laid up or any fortified
situation; besides, being persons of such minds and bodies, that all
their force lay in brisk exertion, whilst the same flagged by short
delay. On these considerations the dictator protracted the war, and
denounced a severe penalty against any one who should fight against the
enemy without orders. The soldiers, being much dissatisfied with this,
first censured the dictator, in their conversation, when on guard and on
the watches; sometimes they found fault with the patricians in general,
for not having commanded the war to be conducted by the consuls. "That
an excel