low, without any one's having moved it; and, as it
happened, it was facing in that direction from which the Gauls were
already approaching. This of itself was enough to terrify the
populace, who were even more dismayed by ill-omened interpretations
published by the seers. However, a certain Manius, by birth an
Etruscan, encouraged them by declaring that Victory, even if she had
descended, had gone forward, and being now settled more firmly on the
ground indicated to them mastery in the war. Accordingly, many
sacrifices, too, should be offered to the gods; for their altars, and
particularly those on the Capitol, where they sacrifice
thank-offerings for victory, were regularly stained with blood in the
midst of their successes and not in their disasters. From these
developments, then, he persuaded them to expect some fortunate
outcome, but from the honey to expect disease (because invalids crave
it) and from the milk famine; for they should encounter so great a
scarcity of provisions as to seek for food of native growth and
pasturage.

[Footnote 14: In Greek, _Birdless_.]

Manius, then, interpreted the omens in this way, [Sidenote: FRAG.
33^22] AND AS HIS PROPHECY TURNED OUT TO BE CORRECT, HE GAINED
THEREAFTER A REPUTATION FOR SKILL AND FOREKNOWLEDGE IN ALL MATTERS.
Now Volumnius was ordered to make war upon the Samnites; Fabius
Maximus Rullus and Publius Decius were chosen consuls and were sent to
withstand the Gauls and the other warriors in the Gallic contingent.
They, having come with speed to Etruria, saw the camp of Appius, which
was fortified by a double palisade; and they pulled up the stakes and
carried them off, instructing the soldiers to place their hope of
safety in their weapons. So they joined battle with the enemy.
Meanwhile a wolf in pursuit of a deer had invaded the space between
the two armies and darting toward the Romans passed through their
ranks. This encouraged them, for they regarded themselves as having a
bond of union with him, since, according to tradition, a she-wolf had
reared Romulus. But the deer ran to the other side and was struck
down, thus leaving to _them_ fear and the issue of disaster. When the
armies collided, Maximus quite easily conquered the foes opposed to
him, but Decius was defeated. And recalling the self-devotion of his
father, undertaken on account of the dream, he likewise devoted
himself, though without giving anybody any information about his act.
Scarcely had he let