s's retirement
from office the popular party straightway brought him to trial; and
though they failed to condemn him, they forced him, by postponing
their vote, to commit suicide. And among the measures introduced by
some of the tribunes to the prejudice of the patrician interests was
one permitting the populace to convene separately, and without
interference from the patricians to deliberate upon and transact as
much business as they pleased. They also ordained that, if any one for
any cause should have a penalty imposed upon him by the praetors, the
populace might thereupon have the case appealed to them and decide it.
And they increased the number of aediles and of tribunes, in order to
have a large body of persons to act as their representatives.

[Sidenote: FRAG. 21^1] DURING THE PROGRESS OF THESE EVENTS THE
PATRICIANS OPENLY TOOK SCARCELY ANY RETALIATORY MEASURES, EXCEPT IN A
FEW CASES, BUT SECRETLY SLAUGHTERED A NUMBER OF THE BOLDEST SPIRITS.
NEITHER THIS, HOWEVER, NOR THE FACT THAT ON ONE OCCASION NINE TRIBUNES
WERE DELIVERED TO THE FLAMES BY THE POPULACE SEEMED TO RESTRAIN THE
REST. NOT ONLY WERE THOSE WHO SUBSEQUENTLY HELD THE TRIBUNESHIP NOT
CALMED, BUT ACTUALLY THEY WERE THE RATHER EMBOLDENED. [Sidenote: FRAG.
21^2] THIS WAS THE CONDITION INTO WHICH THE PATRICIANS BROUGHT THE
POPULACE. AND THEY WOULD NOT OBEY THE SUMMONS TO GO ON A CAMPAIGN,
THOUGH THE FOE ASSAILED, UNLESS THEY SECURED THE OBJECTS FOR WHICH
THEY WERE STRIVING, AND IF THEY EVER DID TAKE THE FIELD, THEY FOUGHT
LISTLESSLY, UNLESS THEY HAD ACCOMPLISHED ALL THAT THEY DESIRED. HENCE
MANY OF THE TRIBES LIVING CLOSE TO THEM, RELYING ON EITHER THE
DISSENSION OF THEIR FOES OR THEIR OWN STRENGTH, RAISED THE STANDARD OF
REVOLT. [Sidenote: FRAG. 22^1] AMONG THESE WERE ALSO THE AEQUI, WHO,
AFTER CONQUERING AT THIS TIME MARCUS MINUCIUS WHILE HE SERVED AS
PRAETOR, BECAME PRESUMPTUOUS. [Sidenote: FRAG. 22^2] THOSE AT ROME,
LEARNING THAT MINUCIUS HAD BEEN DEFEATED, CHOSE AS DICTATOR LUCIUS
QUINCTIUS, WHO WAS A POOR MAN AND HAD DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO FARMING, BUT
WAS DISTINGUISHED FOR HIS VALOR AND WISE MODERATION; AND HE LET HIS
HAIR GROW IN CURLS, WHENCE HE WAS NAMED CINCINNATUS.[10] He, being
selected as dictator, took the field that very day, used wariness as
well as speed, and simultaneously with Minucius attacked the AEqui,
killing very many of them and capturing the rest alive: the latter he
led under the yoke and then released. This matter of the yoke I s