commenced in
violation of a treaty, when the gods were, with justice, more incensed
against them than men, they succeeded in none of their undertakings.
That war must be expiated and atoned for with a heavy penalty. The only
alternative they had, was whether the penalty should be the guilty blood
of a few, or the innocent blood of all." Some now ventured to name the
authors of the war; one name in particular, by the united voices of all,
was mentioned, that of Brutulus Papius; he was a man of power and noble
birth, and undoubtedly the violator of the late truce. The praetors being
compelled to take the opinion of the assembly concerning him, a decree
was made, "that Brutulus Papius should be delivered into the hands of
the Romans; and that, together with him, all the spoil taken from the
Romans, and the prisoners, should be sent to Rome, and that the
restitution demanded by the heralds, in conformity to treaty, should be
made, as was agreeable to justice and equity." In pursuance of this
determination heralds were sent to Rome, and also the dead body of
Brutulus; for, by a voluntary death, he avoided the punishment and
ignominy intended for him. It was thought proper that his goods also
should be delivered up along with the body. But none of all those things
were accepted, except the prisoners, and such articles of the spoil as
were recognised by the owners. The dictator obtained a triumph by a
decree of the senate.

40. Some writers affirm, that this war was conducted by the consuls, and
that they triumphed over the Samnites; and also, that Fabius advanced
into Apulia, and carried off from thence abundance of spoil. But that
Aulus Cornelius was dictator that year is an undisputed fact. The
question then is, whether he was appointed for the purpose of conducting
the war, or on occasion of the illness of Lucius Plautius, the praetor;
in order that there might be a magistrate to give the signal for the
starting of the chariots at the Roman games. This latter is asserted of
him; and that after performing the business, which in truth reflected no
great lustre on his office, he resigned the dictatorship. It is not
easy to determine between either the facts or the writers, which of them
deserves the preference: I am inclined to think that history has been
much corrupted by means of funeral panegyrics and false inscriptions on
statues; each family striving by false representations to appropriate to
itself the fame of warlike e