our city and shall soon be thine, where also thou shalt have
a temple worthy of thy magnificence."

When he had thus prayed, seeing that he had an exceedingly great
multitude of men, he attacked the city on all sides at the same time,
because the inhabitants would be thus at less leisure to observe the
peril that was threatening them from the mine. As to the men of Veii,
they knew not that the oracles of the stranger, yea, that their own
prophets, had betrayed them, that the gods of their land were even now
looking to dwell in the temples of Rome, and that even now their
last day had come; neither did they think that their walls had been
undermined, and that their very citadel was full of enemies. With
good heart, therefore, they took up their arms and ran to the walls,
marvelling what strange fury was this that drave the Romans to attack
them thus suddenly, seeing that now for many days none had moved in the
outposts. And some tell this story: that as the king of Veii was doing
sacrifice, an augur that stood by cried aloud, "To him that shall cut in
pieces the inwards of this victim shall be given the victory;" and
that the Roman soldiers, being in the mine below, heard the words, and
breaking open the mine, laid hands on the victim, and carried it to the
Dictator. But whether this be true or no, no man can say; nevertheless
it is certain that at the time appointed a great company of men, chosen
for this end, suddenly came forth from the mine, in the temple of Juno,
which was in the citadel. Of these some took the enemy in the rereward
as they stood upon the walls, and some drew back the bolts of the gates;
and others, seeing that the women and slaves were casting stones and
tiles from the roofs of the houses, began to set fire to the city. And
now, the armed men being driven from off the wall and the gates being
thrown open, there ran in many from the host that was without. And now
there was fighting in all the streets and squares of the city, and
many were slain; till, the men of Veii growing feeble, the Dictator
proclaimed that all such as did not bear arms should be spared. After
this there was no more bloodshed; the inhabitants threw down their arms
and surrendered themselves; and the soldiers, the Dictator permitting
them, scattered to gather spoil. And when the Dictator saw how great
was the spoil and of how precious things, being far beyond all hope and
expectation, he lifted up his hands to heaven and prayed, s