enly.
They urged, that "the city and the citadel ought to be under their
control, as they had formed an alliance with the Romans on the
understanding that they were to be free, and had not been delivered
into their custody as slaves. That they therefore thought it just that
the keys of the gates should be restored to them. That their honour
formed the strongest tie upon good allies, and that the people and
senate of Rome would entertain feelings of gratitude towards them if
they continued in friendship with them of their own free will, and not
by compulsion." The Roman replied, that "he was placed there by his
general to protect the place; that from him he had received the keys
of the gates and the custody of the citadel, trusts which he held not
subject to his own will, nor that of the inhabitants of Enna, but to
his who committed them to him. That among the Romans, for a man to
quit his post was a capital offence, and that parents had sanctioned
that law by the death even of their own children. That the consul
Marcellus was not far off; that they might send ambassadors to him,
who possessed the right and liberty of deciding." But they said, they
would certainly not send to him, and solemnly declared, that as they
could not obtain their object by argument, they would seek some means
of asserting their liberty. Pinarius upon this observed, "that if they
thought it too much to send to the consul, still they would, at least,
grant him an assembly of the people, that it might be ascertained
whether these denunciations came from a few, or from the whole state."
An assembly of the people was proclaimed for the next day, with the
general consent.

38. After this conference, he returned into the citadel, and
assembling his soldiers, thus addressed them: "Soldiers, I suppose you
have heard in what manner the Roman garrisons have been betrayed and
cut off by the Sicilians of late. You have escaped the same treachery,
first by the kindness of the gods, and secondly by your own good
conduct, in unremittingly standing and watching under arms. I wish the
rest of our time may be passed without suffering or committing
dreadful things. This caution, which we have hitherto employed, has
been directed against covert treachery, but not succeeding in this as
they wished, they now publicly and openly demand back the keys of the
gates; but as soon as we shall have delivered them up, Enna will be
instantly in the hands of the Carthaginians,