ovoked incursion into the Roman
territories. War was then proclaimed against the two states. Caius
Julius died during his censorship; Marcus Cornelius was substituted in
his room; a proceeding which was afterwards considered as offensive to
religion; because during that lustrum Rome was taken. Nor since that
time has a censor ever been substituted in the room of one deceased. And
the consuls being seized by the distemper, it was determined that the
auspices should be taken anew during an interregnum.

32. Therefore when in pursuance of a decree of the senate the consuls
resigned their office, Marcus Furius Camillus is created interrex, who
appointed Publius Cornelius Scipio interrex, and he afterwards Lucius
Valerius Potitus. By him were appointed six military tribunes with
consular power; so that, though any one of them should be incommoded by
bad health, the state might have a sufficient number of magistrates. On
the calends of July, the following entered on their office, Lucius
Lucretius, Servius Sulpicius, Marcus AEmilius, Lucius Furius Medullinus a
seventh time, Agrippa Furius, Caius AEmilius a second time. Of these,
Lucius Lucretius and Caius AEmilius got the Volsinians as their province;
the Salpinians fell to the lot of Agrippa Furius and Servius Sulpicius.
The first engagement was with the Volsinians. The war, important from
the number of the enemy, was without difficulty brought to a close. At
the first onset, their army was put to flight. Eight thousand soldiers,
hemmed in by the cavalry, laid down their arms and surrendered. The
account received of that war had the effect of preventing the Salpinians
from hazarding an engagement; the troops secured themselves within their
towns. The Romans drove spoil in every direction, both from the
Salpinian and Volsinian territory, there being no one to repel that
aggression; until a truce for twenty years was granted to the
Volsinians, exhausted by the war, on this condition, that they should
make restitution to the Roman people, and furnish the pay of the army
for that year. During the same year, Marcus Caedicius, a plebeian,
announced to the tribunes that in the New Street, where the chapel now
stands, above the temple of Vesta, he had heard in the silence of the
night a voice louder than that of a human being, which ordered the
magistrates to be told, that the Gauls were approaching. This, as is
usual, was disregarded, on account of the humble station of the author,