life lasts, were base in
others, in Camillus impious. For why have we recovered it? Why have we
rescued it when besieged out of the hands of the enemy, if we ourselves
desert it when recovered? And when, the Gauls being victorious, the
entire city captured, both the gods and the natives of Rome still
retained and inhabited the Capitol and citadel, shall even the citadel
and the Capitol be deserted, now when the Romans are victorious and the
city has been recovered? And shall our prosperous fortune cause more
desolation to this city than our adverse caused? Truly if we had no
religious institutions established together with the city, and regularly
transmitted down to us, still the divine power has so manifestly
interested itself in behalf of the Roman state on the present trying
occasion, that I should think that all neglect of the divine worship was
removed from the minds of men. For consider the events of these latter
years one after the other, whether prosperous or adverse; you will find
that all things succeeded favourably with us whilst we followed the
gods, and unfavourably when we neglected them. Now, first of all the
Veientian war--of how many years' duration, with what immense labour
waged!--was not brought to a termination, until the water was discharged
from the Alban lake by the admonition of the gods. What, in the name of
heaven, regarding this recent calamity of our city? did it arise, until
the voice sent from heaven concerning the approach of the Gauls was
treated with slight? until the law of nations was violated by our
ambassadors, and until such violation was passed over by us with the
same indifference towards the gods, when it should have been punished by
us? Accordingly vanquished, made captives and ransomed, we have suffered
such punishments at the hands of gods and men, as that we are now a
warning to the whole world. Afterwards our misfortunes reminded us of
our religious duties. We fled for refuge to the gods, to the seat of
Jupiter supremely good and great; amid the ruin of all our effects our
sacred utensils we partly concealed in the earth; part of them we
carried away to the neighbouring cities and removed from the eyes of the
enemy. Though deserted by gods and men, still we intermitted not the
worship of the gods. Accordingly they have restored to us our country,
and victory, our ancient renown in war which had been lost, and on our
enemies, who, blinded by avarice, have violated the faith o