near the river Ticinus, and formed a city called Mediolanum.

After these came many companies of Gauls by the same way into Italy,
those that were now fighting against Clusium being the nations of the
Senones. And the men of Clusium, seeing how great was the multitude of
this people, and what manner of men they were, being unlike to any that
they had seen before, and of very great stature, and also what arms
they carried, were in great fear. Knowing also that the armies of the
Etrurians had often been put to flight by them, they determined to send
ambassadors to Rome, asking help from the Senate, though, indeed, they
had no claim either for friendship or alliance' sake, save only that
they had not given succour to their kinsmen of Veii. Help the Senate was
not willing to give; but they sent three ambassadors, brothers and sons
of Fabius Ambustus, who should say to the Gauls, "In the name of the
Senate and Commons of Rome we bid you do no harm to them who are allies
and friends of the Roman people, and from whom ye have suffered no
wrong. For them, if occasion demand, we must support even by force of
arms. Nevertheless it will please us well to be friends rather than
enemies of the Gauls, of whom we have now for the first time knowledge."

The message, indeed, was sufficiently gentle, but it was entrusted to
men of too fierce a temper, that were, indeed, like to Gauls rather than
to Romans. When the Fabii had set forth the commission in an assembly
of the Gauls, there was made to them this answer: "We have not, indeed,
before heard the name of the Romans, but we believe you to be brave men,
seeing that the men of Clusium have sought to you for help. Seeing that
ye would stand between us and your allies, and would deal by persuasion
rather than by force of arms, we accept your conditions; only let the
men of Clusium, seeing that they possess more land than they need, give
up that which is over and above to the Gauls. On these terms only will
we give peace. Let them answer now in your presence. And if they will
not give the land, let them fight with us also in your presence, that
ye may tell your countrymen how far we excel all other men in valour."
"Nay," said the Romans, "by what right do ye ask land from them that
possess it, and threaten war to them that refuse? And what concern have
ye, being Gauls, with the men of Etruria?" To this the Gauls made reply
in haughty words: "Our right we carry on the points of our swords,