was accused of
having taken more than his proper share of the spoil of Veii, in
especial a brass door from a temple. His friends offered to pay any fine
that might be laid on him, but he was too proud to stand his trial, and
chose rather to leave Rome. As he passed the gates, he turned round and
called upon the gods to bring Rome to speedy repentance for having
driven him away.

Even then the Gauls were in the midst of a war with Clusium, the city of
Porsena, and the inhabitants sent to beg the help of the Romans, and the
senate sent three young brothers of the Fabian family to try to arrange
matters. They met the Gaulish Bran or chief, whom Latin authors call
Brennus, and asked him what was his quarrel with Clusium or his right to
any part of Etruria. Brennus answered that his right was his sword, and
that all things belonged to the brave, and that his quarrel with the men
of Clusium was, that though they had more land than they could till,
they would not yield him any. As to the Romans, they had robbed their
neighbors already, and had no right to find fault.

This put the Fabian brothers in a rage, and they forgot the caution of
their family, as well as those rules of all nations which forbid an
ambassador to fight, and also forbid his person to be touched by the
enemy; and when the men of Clusium made an attack on the Gauls they
joined in the attack, and Quintus, the eldest brother, slew one of the
chiefs. Brennus, wild as he was, knew these laws of nations, and in
great anger broke up his siege of Clusium, and, marching towards Rome,
demanded that the Fabii should be given up to him. Instead of this, the
Romans made them all three military tribunes, and as the Gauls came
nearer the whole army marched out to meet them in such haste that they
did not wait to sacrifice to the gods nor consult the omens. The
tribunes were all young and hot-headed, and they despised the Gauls; so
out they went to attack them on the banks of the Allia, only seven and
a-half miles from Rome. A most terrible defeat they had; many fell in
the field, many were killed in the flight, others were drowned in trying
to swim the Tiber, others scattered to Veii and the other cities, and a
few, horror-stricken and wet through, rushed into Rome with the sad
tidings. There were not men enough left to defend the walls! The enemy
would instantly be upon them! The only place strong enough to keep them
out was the Capitol, and that would only hold a few