n of the laws which should be passed
in the assemblies of the centuries; the third, that one at least of the
censors should be elected from the commons, as they had already gone so
far as that it was lawful that both the consuls should be plebeians. The
patricians considered that more of detriment had been sustained on that
year from the consuls and dictator than was counterbalanced by their
success and achievements abroad.

13. On the following year, Lucius Furius Camillus and Caius Maenius were
consuls, in order that the neglect of his duty by AEmilius, the consul of
the preceding year, might be rendered more markedly reproachful, the
senate loudly urge that Pedum should be assailed with arms, men, and
every kind of force, and be demolished; and the new consuls, being
forced to give that matter the precedence of all others, set out on that
expedition. The state of affairs was now such in Latium, that they could
no longer submit to either war or peace. For war they were deficient in
resources; they spurned at peace through resentment for the loss of
their land. It seemed necessary therefore to steer a middle course, to
keep within their towns, so that the Romans by being provoked might have
no pretext for hostilities; and that if the siege of any town should be
announced to them, aid should be sent from every quarter from all the
states. And still the people of Pedum were aided by only a very few
states. The Tiburtians and Praenestines, whose territory lay nearest,
came to Pedum. Maenius suddenly making an attack, defeated the
Aricinians, and Lanuvians, and Veliternians, at the river Astura, the
Volscians of Antium forming a junction with them. The Tiburtian, far the
strongest body, Camillus engages at Pedum, encountering much greater
difficulty, though with a result equally successful. A sudden sally of
the townsmen during the battle chiefly occasioned confusion: Camillus,
turning on these with a part of his army, not only drove them within
their walls, but on the very same day, after he had discomfited
themselves and their auxiliaries, he took the town by scalade. It was
then resolved to lead round with greater energy and spirit his
victorious army from the storming of a single city to the entire
conquest of Latium. Nor did they stop until they reduced all Latium,
either by storming, or by becoming masters of the cities one after the
other by capitulation. Then, disposing garrisons in the towns which they
had taken,