rties and expeditions, and unreasonable
credit was increasingly given to all his words and actions, framed
as they were with the object of deceiving, he was at last chosen
general-in-chief in the war. In the course of this war when--the
people being still ignorant of what was going on--trifling skirmishes
with the Romans took place, in which the Gabians generally had the
advantage, then all the Gabians, from the highest to the lowest, were
eager to believe that Sextus Tarquinius had been sent to them as their
general, by the favour of the gods. By exposing himself equally
with the soldiers to fatigues and dangers, and by his generosity in
bestowing the plunder, he became so loved by the soldiers, that his
father Tarquin had not greater power at Rome than his son at Gabii.
Accordingly, when he saw he had sufficient strength collected to
support him in any undertaking, he sent one of his confidants to his
father at Rome to inquire what he wished him to do, seeing the gods
had granted him to be all-powerful at Gabii. To this courier no
answer by word of mouth was given, because, I suppose, he appeared of
questionable fidelity. The king went into a garden of the palace, as
if in deep thought, followed by his son's messenger; walking there for
some time without uttering a word, he is said to have struck off
the heads of the tallest poppies with his staff.[49] The messenger,
wearied with asking and waiting for an answer, returned to Gabii
apparently without having accomplished his object, and told what
he had himself said and seen, adding that Tarquin, either through
passion, aversion to him, or his innate pride, had not uttered a
single word. As soon as it was clear to Sextus what his father wished,
and what conduct he enjoined by those intimations without words, he
put to death the most eminent men of the city, some by accusing them
before the people, as well as others, who from their own personal
unpopularity were liable to attack. Many were executed publicly, and
some, in whose case impeachment was likely to prove less plausible,
were secretly assassinated. Some who wished to go into voluntary exile
were allowed to do so, others were banished, and their estates, as
well as the estates of those who were put to death, publicly divided
in their absence. Out of these largesses and plunder were distributed;
and by the sweets of private gain the sense of public calamities
became extinguished, till the state of Gabii, destitute o