e year two tribes, the
Pomptine and Publilian, were added. The votive games, which Marcus
Furius in his dictatorship had vowed, were performed; and a proposition
was then for the first time made to the people regarding bribery at
elections by Caius Paetilius, tribune of the commons, with the
approbation of the senate; and by that bill they thought that the
ambition of new men in particular, who had been accustomed to go around
the markets and places of meeting, was checked.

16. Not equally pleasing to the patricians on the following year was a
law passed in the consulship of Caius Marcius and Cneius Manlius, by
Marcus Duilius and Lucius Maenius, tribunes of the commons, regarding the
interest of money at twelve per cent., and the people received and
passed it with much more eagerness. In addition to the new wars
determined on the preceding year, a new enemy arose in the Faliscians,
in consequence of a double charge; both that their youth had taken up
arms in conjunction with the Tarquinians, and because they had refused
to restore to the demand of the Roman heralds those who had fled to
Falerii, after the unsuccessful battle. That province fell to the lot of
Cneius Manlius, Marcius led the army into the Privernatian territory,
which, from the long continuance of peace, was in a flourishing
condition; and he enriched the soldiers with abundance of spoil. To the
great quantity of effects he added an act of munificence; for, by
setting aside nothing for public use, he favoured the soldier in his
endeavours to accumulate private property. When the Privernatians had
taken their post in a well-fortified camp under their own walls, having
summoned the soldiers to an assembly, he says to them, "I now give to
you the camp and city of the enemy for plunder, if you promise me that
you will exert yourselves bravely in the field, and that you are not
better prepared for plunder than for fighting." With loud shouts they
call for the signal, and elated and buoyed up with certain confidence,
they proceed to the battle. Then, in front of the line, Sextus Tullius,
whom we have already mentioned, exclaims, "Behold, general," says he,
"how your army are performing their promises to you;" and laying aside
his javelin, he attacks the enemy sword in hand. The whole van follow
Tullius, and at the first onset put the enemy to flight; then pursuing
them, when routed, to the town, when they were just applying the scaling
ladders to the walls, th