vened. Because the proceedings of
the decemvirs seemed to be displeasing to the greater portion of the
patricians, this step quieted the people with the hope that the
government would be abolished through the senate. The senate gave their
opinion that neither the commons should be exasperated, and much more
that care should be taken that the arrival of Virginius should not
occasion any commotion in the army.

50. Accordingly some of the junior patricians, being sent to the camp
which was at that time on Mount Vecilius, announce to the decemvirs
"that by every means in their power they should keep the soldiers from
mutinying." Where Virginius occasioned greater commotion than he had
left behind him in the city. For besides that he was seen coming with a
body of near four hundred men, who, fired at the heinous enormity of the
occurrence, had accompanied him from the city; the unsheathed weapon and
himself besmeared with blood, attracted to him the entire camp; and the
gowns[151] seen in the different parts of the camp, had caused the
number of people from the city to appear much greater than it really
was. When they asked him what was the matter, in consequence of his
weeping he uttered not a word. At length, as soon as the crowd of those
running together became still, and silence took place, he related every
thing in order as it occurred. Then extending his hands towards heaven,
addressing his fellow soldiers, he begged of them, "not to impute to him
that which was the crime of Appius, not to abhor him as the murderer of
his children." To him the life of his daughter was dearer than his own,
if she had been allowed to live in freedom and chastity. When he beheld
her dragged to prostitution as if a slave, thinking it better that his
child should be lost by death than by dishonour, through compassion for
her he fell into an appearance of cruelty. Nor would he have survived
his daughter, had he not placed hope of avenging her death in the aid of
his fellow soldiers. For that they too had daughters, sisters, and
wives; nor was the lust of Appius Claudius extinguished with his
daughter; but in proportion as it escaped with impunity, so much the
more unbridled would it be. That in the calamities of others a warning
was given to them to guard against a similar injury. That for his own
part, his wife had been taken from him by fate; his daughter, because
she no longer could live in chastity, died an unfortunate but honourable
de