camp about three miles
from the enemy; and the day being now fast declining, he orders his
soldiers to refresh themselves; then at the fourth watch he puts his
troops in motion; and the work, once commenced, was expedited in such a
manner, that at sun-rise the Volscians found themselves enclosed by the
Romans with stronger works than the city was by themselves. The consul
had also at another place connected an arm to the wall of Ardea, through
which his friends might pass to and from the town.

10. The Volscian general, who up to that period had maintained his army,
not out of provisions which had been previously provided, but with corn
brought in daily from the plunder of the country, when now encompassed
by a rampart he perceives himself suddenly destitute of every thing,
calling the consul to a conference, says, that "if the Roman came for
the purpose of raising the siege, he would withdraw the Volscians from
thence." To this the consul made answer, that "the vanquished had to
accept terms, not to dictate them; and as the Volscians came at their
own discretion to attack the allies of the Roman people, they should not
go off in the same same way." He orders, "that their general be given
up, their arms laid down, acknowledging themselves vanquished, and ready
to submit to his further orders: otherwise, whether they went away or
stayed, that he would prove a determined enemy, and would prefer to
carry to Rome a victory over the Volscians than an insidious peace."
The Volscians, determined on trying the slender hope they had in arms,
all other being now cut off, besides many other disadvantages, having
come to an engagement in a place unfavourable for fighting, and still
more so for retreat, when they were being cut down on every side, from
fighting have recourse to entreaties; having given up their general and
surrendered their arms, they are sent under the yoke and dismissed full
of disgrace and suffering, with one garment each. And when they halted
not far from the city of Tusculum, in consequence of an old grudge of
the Tusculans they were surprised, unarmed as they were, and suffered
severe punishment, a messenger being scarcely left to bring an account
of their defeat. The Roman general quieted the disturbed state of
affairs at Ardea, beheading the principal authors of that commotion, and
confiscating their effects to the public treasury of the Ardeans; the
Ardeans considered the injustice of the decision completel