are entire, and not to
distress the needy commons by building here. But that this is only held
out as a pretext, rather than that it is the real motive, I think is
evident to you, though I should say nothing on the subject; for you
remember that before the arrival of the Gauls, when the buildings, both
public and private, were still unhurt, and the city still stood in
safety, this same question was agitated, that we should remove to Veii.
Observe then, tribunes, what a difference there is between my way of
thinking and yours. Ye think that though it may not have been advisable
to do it then, still that now it ought certainly to be done; I, on the
contrary, (and be not surprised until you shall have heard the state of
the case,) admitting it were advisable to remove when the entire city
was safe, would not vote for relinquishing these ruins now. For then
victory would be the cause of our removing into a captured city, one
that would be glorious to ourselves and our posterity; whilst now this
same removal would be wretched and disgraceful to us, and glorious to
the Gauls. For we shall appear not to have left our country as
conquerors, but to have lost it from having been vanquished; the flight
at Allia, the capture of the city, the blockading of the Capitol, [will
seem] to have imposed this necessity on us of forsaking our household
gods, of having recourse to exile and flight from that place which we
were unable to defend. And have the Gauls been able to demolish Rome,
which the Romans shall be deemed to have been unable to restore? What
remains, but that if they should now come with new forces, (for it is
evident that their number is scarcely credible,) and should they feel
disposed to dwell in this city, captured by them, and deserted by you,
would you suffer them? What, if not the Gauls, but your old enemies, the
AEquans and Volscians, should form the design of removing to Rome; would
you be willing that they should become Romans, you Veientians? Would ye
prefer that this should be a desert in your possession, or a city of the
enemy? For my part I can see nothing more impious. Is it because ye are
averse to building, ye are prepared to incur this guilt, this disgrace?
Even though no better, no more ample structure could be erected
throughout the entire city than that cottage of our founder, is it not
better to dwell in cottages, like shepherds and rustics, amid your
sacred places and your household gods, than to go publ