he victory was a
bloodless one. While military operations had thus proved successful
in three quarters, neither senators nor people had dismissed their
anxiety in regard to the issue of domestic questions. With such
powerful influence and such skill had the usurers made arrangements,
so as to disappoint not only the people, but even the dictator
himself. For Valerius, after the return of the consul Vetusius, of all
the measures brought before the senate, made that on behalf of the
victorious people the first, and put the question, what it was their
pleasure should be done with respect to the debtors. And when his
report was disallowed, he said: "As a supporter of reconciliation, I
am not approved of. You will ere long wish, depend on it, that the
commons of Rome had supporters like myself. For my part, I will
neither further disappoint my Fellow-citizens, nor will I be dictator
to no purpose. Intestine dissensions and foreign wars have caused the
republic to stand in need of such a magistrate. Peace has been secured
abroad, it is impeded at home. I will be a witness to the disturbance
as a private citizen rather than as dictator." Accordingly, quitting
the senate-house, he resigned his dictatorship. The reason was clear
to the people: that he had resigned his office from indignation at
their treatment. Accordingly, as if his promise had been fully kept,
since it had not been his fault that his word had not been made
good, they escorted him on his return home with favouring shouts of
acclamation.

Fear then seized the senators lest, if the army was disbanded, secret
meetings and conspiracies would be renewed; accordingly, although the
levy had been held by the dictator, yet, supposing that, as they had
sworn obedience to the consuls, the soldiers were bound by their oath,
they ordered the legions to be led out of the city, under the pretext
of hostilities having been renewed by the Aequans. By this course of
action the sedition was accelerated. And indeed it is said that it was
at first contemplated to put the consuls to death, that the legions
might be discharged from their oath: but that, being afterward
informed that no religious obligation could be rendered void by a
criminal act, they, by the advice of one Sicinius, retired, without
the orders of the consuls, to the Sacred Mount,[34] beyond the river
Anio, three miles from the city: this account is more commonly adopted
than that which Piso[35] has given, that the