visions. And a Gaul
challenged the Romans to furnish a champion for a duel. His opponent,
accordingly, was Marcus Valerius, a military tribune, a grandson of
the famous Maximus. The course of the battle was brilliant on both
sides: the Roman excelled in cleverness and an unusual mastery of his
art, and the Gaul in strength and daring. It was regarded as still
more marvelous that a crow lighted on the helmet of Valerius and
cawing all the time made dashes at the barbarian, confusing his sight
and impeding his onset until he finally received a finishing blow. The
Gauls, consequently, indignant at being beaten by a bird, in a rage
closed at once with the Romans and suffered a severe defeat. From the
incident of the crow's assistance Valerius obtained the further name
of Corvinus.

Thereafter, as the armies began to grow insubordinate and a civil war
threatened to break out, the insurgents were brought to terms by the
enactment of laws that no one's name should be erased from the lists
against his will, that any person who had served as tribune of the
soldiers should not be centurion, that both of the consuls might
belong to and be appointed from the people, and that the same man
should not hold two offices at the same time nor hold the same office
twice within ten years.

VII, 26.--Now the Latins, although under treaty with the Romans,
revolted and provoked a conflict. They were filled with pride for the
reason that they had an abundance of youthful warriors and were
practiced in the details of warfare as a result of the constant
campaigning with the Romans. The other side, understanding the
situation, chose Torquatus consul for the third time and likewise
Decius, and came out to meet them. They fought a fierce battle, each
party thinking that that day was a precise test of their fortune and
of their valor. A certain event seemed to give the battle added
distinction. The consuls, seeing that the Latins were equipped and
spoke like the Romans, feared that some of the soldiers might make
mistakes through not distinguishing their own and the hostile force
with entire ease. Therefore they made proclamation to their men to
observe instructions carefully and in no case to fight an isolated
combat with any of the antagonists. Most observed this injunction, but
the son of Torquatus, who was on the field among the cavalry and had
been sent to reconnoitre the enemy's position, transgressed it not
through wilfulness but rather thr