ext
for his murder, by refusing the public offer of peace made by the
Romans, and then yielding to the private entreaties of his mother and
wife, so that he did not put an end to the enmity between the two
nations, but left them at war, and yet lost a favourable opportunity for
the Volscians.

If he was influenced by a feeling of duty towards the Volscians, he
ought to have obtained their consent before withdrawing their forces
from before Rome; but if he cared nothing for them, or for anything
except the gratification of his own passion, and with this feeling made
war upon his country, and only paused in the moment of victory, it was
not creditable to him to spare his country for his mother's sake, but
rather he should have spared his country and his mother with it; for his
mother and his wife were but a part of Rome, which he was besieging.
That he should have treated the public supplications of ambassadors and
the prayers of priests with contempt, and afterwards have drawn off his
forces to please his mother, is not so much a credit to her as a
disgrace to his country, which was saved by the tears and entreaties of
one woman, as though it did not deserve to survive on its own merits.
The mercy which he showed the Romans was so harshly and offensively
granted that it pleased neither party; he withdrew his forces without
having either having come to an understanding with his friends or his
foes. All this must be attributed to his haughty, unbending temper,
which is in all cases odious, but which in an ambitious man renders him
savage and inexorable. Such men will not seek for popularity, thinking
themselves already sufficiently distinguished, and then are angry at
finding themselves unpopular.

Indeed, neither Metellus, nor Aristeides, nor Epameinondas would stoop
to court the favour of the people, and had a thorough contempt for all
that the people can either give or take away; yet although they were
often ostracised, convicted, and condemned to pay fines, they were not
angry with their fellow countrymen for their folly, but came back and
became reconciled to them as soon as they repented. The man who will not
court the people, ought least of all to bear malice against them,
reflecting that anger at not being elected to an office in the state,
must spring from an excessive desire to obtain it.

V. Alkibiades made no secret of his delight in being honoured and his
vexation when slighted, and in consequence endeavour