, she was light and
easily removed, like as if she [willingly] followed; and that she was
conveyed safe to the Aventine, her eternal seat, whither the vows of the
dictator had invited her; where the same Camillus who had vowed it,
afterwards dedicated a temple to her. Such was the fall of Veii, the
wealthiest city of the Etrurian nation, which even in its final
overthrow demonstrated its greatness; for having been besieged for ten
summers and winters without intermission, after it had inflicted
considerably greater losses than it had sustained, eventually, fate now
at length urging [its destruction], it was carried after all by the
contrivances of art, not by force.

23. When news was brought to Rome that Veii was taken, although both
the prodigies had been expiated, and the answers of the prophets and the
Pythian responses were well known, and though they had selected as their
commander Marcus Furius, the greatest general of the day, which was
doing as much to promote success as could be done by human prudence; yet
because the war had been carried on there for so many years with various
success, and many losses had been sustained, their joy was unbounded, as
if for an event not expected; and before the senate could pass any
decree, all the temples were crowded with Roman matrons returning thanks
to the gods. The senate decrees supplications for the space of four
days, a number of days greater than [was prescribed] in any former war.
The dictator's arrival also, all ranks pouring out to meet him, was
better attended than that of any general before, and his triumph
considerably surpassed all the ordinary style of honouring such a day.
The most conspicuous of all was himself, riding through the city in a
chariot drawn by white horses; and that appeared unbecoming, not to say
a citizen, but even a human being. The people considered it an outrage
on religion that the dictator's equipage should emulate that of Jupiter
and Apollo; and for that single reason his triumph was rather splendid
than pleasing. He then contracted for a temple for queen Juno on Mount
Aventine, and consecrated that of Mother Matuta: and, after having
performed these services to the gods and to mankind, he laid down his
dictatorship. They then began to consider regarding the offering to
Apollo; and when Camillus stated that he had vowed the tenth part of the
spoil to him, and the pontiff declared that the people ought to
discharge their own obligation,