ed the Romans from prosecuting their success. In
the first place, the Roman army, which had been wintering in Capua, rose
in open mutiny; and the poorer Plebeians in the city, who were oppressed
by debt, left Rome and joined the mutineers. In the second place, the
increasing disaffection of the Latins warned the Romans to husband their
resources for another and more terrible struggle. The Romans, therefore,
abandoning the Sidicini and Campanians, concluded a treaty of peace and
alliance with the Samnites in B.C. 341, so that in the great Latin war,
which broke out in the following year, the Samnites fought on the side
of the Romans.

THE LATIN WAR, B.C. 340-338.--The Latins had, as already stated, renewed
their league with Rome in B.C. 356, and consequently their troops had
fought along with the Romans in the war against the Samnites. But the
increasing power of Rome excited their alarm; and it became evident to
them that, though nominally on a footing of equality, they were, in
reality, becoming subject to Rome. This feeling was confirmed by the
treaty of alliance which the Romans had formed with the Samnites. The
Latins, therefore, determined to bring matters to a crisis, and sent two
Praetors, who were their chief magistrates, to propose to the Romans that
the two nations should henceforth form one state; that half of the state
should consist of Latins, and that one of the two Consuls should be
chosen from Latium. These requests excited the greatest indignation at
Rome, and were rejected with the utmost scorn. The Senate met in the
Temple of Jupiter, in the Capitol, to receive the Latin deputation, and,
after hearing their proposals, the Consul, T. Manlius Torquatus, the
same who had slain the Gaul in single combat, declared that, if the
Republic should cowardly yield to these demands, he would come into the
senate-house sword in hand and cut down the first Latin he saw there.
The tale goes on to say that in the discussion which followed, when both
parties were excited by anger, the Latin Praetor defied the Roman
Jupiter; that thereupon an awful peal of thunder shook the building; and
that, as the impious man hurried down the steps from the temple, he fell
from top to bottom, and lay there a corpse.

War was now declared, and the most vigorous efforts were made on both
sides. The contest was to decide whether Rome should become a Latin
town, or the Latins be subject to Rome. The Romans had elected to the
consulship