t the men of Ardea, and marching over the intervening ground in
silence, about midnight attacked their entrenched camp with loud shouts
and blasts of his trumpet, which threw the Gauls, half-drunk and heavy
with sleep as they were, into great confusion. Few recovered their
senses so far as to attempt to resist Camillus, and those few fell where
they stood; but most of them were slain as they lay helpless with wine
and sleep. Such as escaped from the camp and wandered about the fields
were despatched by cavalry the next day.

XXIV. The fame of this action, when noised among the neighbouring
cities, called many men to arms, especially those Romans who had escaped
to Veii after the battle of the Allia. These men lamented their fate,
saying, "What a general has Providence removed from Rome in Camillus,
whose successes now bring glory to Ardea, while the city that produced
and brought up so great a man has utterly perished. And now we, for want
of a general to lead us, are sitting still inside the walls of a city
not our own, and giving up Italy to the enemy. Come, let us send to the
men of Ardea, and beg their general of them, or else ourselves take up
our arms and march to him. He is no longer an exile, nor are we any
longer his countrymen, for our country is ours no more, but is in the
hands of the enemy."

This was agreed, and they sent to beg Camillus to become their general.
But he refused, saying that he would not do so without a decree from the
citizens in the Capitol; for they as long as they survived, represented
the city of Rome, and therefore although he would gladly obey their
commands, he would not be so officious as to interfere against their
will. The soldiers admired the honourable scruples of Camillus, but
there was a great difficulty in representing them to the garrison of the
Capitol; indeed, it seemed altogether impossible for a messenger to
reach the citadel while the city was in the possession of the enemy.

XXV. One of the younger Romans, Pontius Cominius, of the middle class of
citizens, but with an honourable ambition to distinguish himself,
undertook the adventure. He would not take any writing to the garrison,
for fear that if he were taken the enemy might discover Camillus's
plans. He dressed himself in poor clothes, with corks concealed under
them, and performed most of the journey fearlessly by daylight, but when
he came near the city he went by night. As it was impossible to cross
the river