successfully against the Sabines; the consuls received the
honour of a triumph. Upon this the Sabines made preparations for war on
a larger scale. To make head against them, and lest any sudden danger
might arise from Tusculum, (whence they suspected a war, though it was
not yet declared,) P. Valerius was created consul a fourth time, and T.
Lucretius a second time. A disturbance arising among the Sabines,
between the advisers of war and of peace, transferred from thence some
additional strength to the Romans. For Attus Clausus, afterwards called
at Rome Appius Claudius, when he himself, being an adviser of peace, was
hard put to it by those who abetted the war, and was not a match for the
faction, fled from Regillum to Rome, accompanied by a great number of
clients. The rights of citizenship and land on the other side of the
Anio were conferred on them. It was called the old Claudian tribe, and
was increased by the addition of some tribesmen who had come from that
country. Appius, being chosen into the senate, was soon after advanced,
to the highest dignity of that order. The consuls having entered the
territories of the Sabines with a hostile army, after they had, both by
laying waste their country, and afterwards by defeating them in battle,
so weakened the power of the enemy, that they had no reason to dread
their taking up arms again for a long time, returned to Rome in triumph.
The following year, Agrippa Menenius and P. Posthumius being consuls, P.
Valerius, allowed by universal consent to be the ablest man in Rome, in
the arts both of peace and war, died in the height of glory, but so
poor, that means to defray the expenses of his funeral were wanting: he
was buried at the public charge. The matrons mourned for him as they had
done for Brutus. The same year two Latin colonies, Pometia and Cora,
revolted to the Auruncians. War was commenced against the Auruncians,
and after defeating a numerous army of them who boldly met the consuls
entering their frontiers, the whole Auruncian war was confined to
Pometia. Nor, after the battle was over, did they refrain from slaughter
more than in the heat of the action; for a greater number were slain
than taken, and the prisoners they put to death indiscriminately. Nor
did the enemy, in their resentment, spare even the three hundred
hostages which they had received. This year also the consuls triumphed
at Rome.

17. The following consuls, Opiter Virginius and Sp. Cassius, firs