e incited to rebellion. But the
more reasonable part of the senate interpreted his answers more
favourably, and said, that "the words they had heard were those of a
man, and of a free-man. Could it be believed that any people, or even
any individual, would remain, longer than necessity constrained, in a
situation which he felt painful? That peace was faithfully observed,
only when those at peace were voluntarily so; but that fidelity was not
to be expected where they wished to establish slavery." In this opinion
they were led to concur, principally, by the consul himself, who
frequently observed to the consulars, who had proposed the different
resolutions, in such a manner as to be heard by several, that "surely
those men only who thought of nothing but liberty, were worthy of being
made Romans." They consequently both carried their cause in the senate;
and, moreover, by direction of that body, a proposal was laid before the
people, that the freedom of the state should be granted to the
Privernians. The same year a colony of three hundred was sent to Anxur,
and received two acres of land each.

22. The year following, in which the consuls were Publius Plautius
Proculus and Publius Cornelius Scapula, was remarkable for no one
transaction, civil or military, except the sending of a colony to
Fregellae, a district which had belonged to the Sidicinians, and
afterwards to the Volscians; and a distribution of meat to the people,
made by Marcus Flavius, on occasion of the funeral of his mother. There
were many who represented, that, under the appearance of doing honour to
his parent, a deserved recompence was made to the people, for having
acquitted him, when prosecuted by the aediles on a charge of having
debauched a married woman. This distribution of meat intended as a
return for favours shown on the trial, proved also the means of
procuring him the honour of a public office; for, at the next election,
though absent, he was preferred before the candidates who solicited in
person the tribuneship of the commons. The city of Palaepolis was
situated at no great distance from the spot where Neapolis now stands.
The two cities were inhabited by one people: these came from Cumae, and
the Cumans derive their origin from Chalcis in Euboea. By means of
the fleet in which they had been conveyed hither, they possessed great
power on the coast of the sea, near which they dwelt. Having first
landed on the islands of AEnaria, and the Pith