those under
which it had been recovered, and that Marcus Furius should be nominated
dictator. He, when dictator, nominated Caius Servilius Ahala master of
the horse; and a suspension of all public business being proclaimed, he
held a levy of the juniors, in such a manner as to divide them into
centuries after they had sworn allegiance to him. The army, when raised
and equipped with arms, he divided into three parts. One part he opposed
to Etruria in the Veientian territory; another he ordered to pitch their
camp before the city. A military tribune, Aulus Manlius, commanded the
latter; those who were sent against the Etrurians, Lucius AEmilius
commanded. The third part he led in person against the Volscians; and
not far from Lanuvium, (the place is called ad Maecium,) he set about
storming their camp. Into these, who set out to the war from motives of
contempt, because they thought that all the Roman youth were cut off by
the Gauls, the fact of having heard that Camillus was appointed to the
command struck such terror, that they fenced themselves with a rampart,
and the rampart itself with trees piled up together, lest the enemy
might by any means reach to the works. When Camillus observed this, he
ordered fire to be thrown into the fence opposed to him; and it so
happened that a very strong wind was turned towards the enemy. He
therefore not only opened a passage by the fire, but the flames being
directed against the camp, by the vapour also and the smoke, and by the
crackling of the green timber as it burned, he so confounded the enemy
that the Romans had less difficulty in passing the rampart into the
camp of the Volscians, than they had experienced in climbing over the
fence which had been consumed by the fire. The enemy being routed and
cut down, after the dictator had taken the camp by assault, he gave up
the booty to the soldiers, which was so much the more agreeable, as it
was less expected, the commander being by no means profusely generous.
Then having pursued them in their flight, after he had depopulated the
entire Volscian land, he at length in the seventieth year forced the
Volscians to a surrender. After his victory he passed from the Volscians
to the AEquans, who were also preparing for hostilities: he surprised
their army at Bolae, and having attacked not only their camp, but their
city also, he took them at the first onset.

3. When such fortune manifested itself on that side where Camillus, the
life an