, than he should hold the office of
censor. Certain it is that such indignation is said to have arisen on
the part of the people, that violence could not be kept off from the
censors through the influence of any person except of Mamercus himself.

[Footnote 155: _aerarium facere_, signifies to strip a person of all the
privileges of a citizen, on which he became _civis aerarius_, a citizen
only so far as he paid taxes.]

25. The tribunes of the people, by preventing the election of consuls by
incessant harangues, succeeded at length, after the matter had been well
nigh brought to an interregnum, in having tribunes of the soldiers
elected with consular authority: as for the prize of their victory,
which was the thing sought, _scil._ that a plebeian should be elected,
there was none. All patricians were elected, Marcus Fabius Vibulanus,
Marcus Foslius, Lucius Sergius Fidenas. The pestilence during that year
afforded a quiet in other matters. A temple was vowed to Apollo for the
health of the people. The duumvirs did much, by direction of the books,
for the purpose of appeasing the wrath of heaven and averting the plague
from the people; a great mortality however was sustained in the city and
country, by the death of men and of cattle promiscuously. Apprehending a
famine for the agriculturists, they sent into Etruria, and the Pomptine
district, and to Cumae, and at last to Sicily also to procure corn. No
mention was made of electing consuls. Military tribunes with consular
authority were appointed, all patricians, Lucius Pinarius Mamercinus,
Lucius Furius Medullinus, Spurius Postumius Albus. In this year the
violence of the distemper abated, nor was there any danger from a
scarcity of corn, because provision had been previously made against it.
Schemes for exciting wars were agitated in the meetings of the AEquans
and Volscians, and in Etruria at the temple of Voltumna. Here the matter
was postponed for a year, and by a decree it was enacted, that no
meeting should be held before that time, the Veientian state in vain
complaining that the same destiny hung over Veii, as that by which
Fidenae was destroyed. Meanwhile at Rome the chiefs of the commons, who
had now for a long time been vainly pursuing the hope of higher dignity,
whilst there was tranquillity abroad, appointed meetings to be held in
the houses of the tribunes of the commons. There they concerted plans in
secret: they complained "that they were so despised by t