fterward among the AEquans; they retired
into their towns, allowing their possessions to be consumed by
fire and devastated. The consul, after he had repeatedly carried
devastation with a hostile army through the whole of the enemy's
country, returned to Rome with great glory and booty.

The next consuls were Aulus Postumius Albus and Spurius Furius Fusus.
Furii is by some writers written Fusii; this I mention, to prevent any
one thinking that the change, which is only in the names, is in the
persons themselves. There was no doubt that one of the consuls was
about tobegin hostilities against the AEquans. The latter accordingly
sought help from the Volscians of Ecetra; this was readily granted
(so keenly did these states contend in inveterate hatred against the
Romans), and preparations for war were made with the utmost vigour.
The Hernicans came to hear of it, and warned the Romans that the
Ecetrans had revolted to the AEquans: the colony of Antium also was
suspected, because, after the town had been taken a great number of
the inhabitants had fled thence for refuge to the AEquans: and these
soldiers behaved with the very greatest bravery during the course of
the war. After the AEquans had been driven into the towns, when this
rabble returned to Antium, it alienated from the Romans the colonists
who were already of their own accord disposed to treachery. The matter
not yet being ripe, when it had been announced to the senate that a
revolt was intended, the consuls were charged to inquire what was
going on, the leading men of the colony being summoned to Rome. When
they had attended without reluctance, they were conducted before the
senate by the consuls, and gave such answers to the questions that
were put to them that they were dismissed more suspected than they had
come.

After this, war was regarded as inevitable. Spurius Furius, one of
the consuls to whom that sphere of action had fallen, having marched
against the Aequans, found the enemy committing depredations in the
country of the Hernicans; and being ignorant of their numbers, because
they had nowhere been seen all together, he rashly hazarded an
engagement with an army which was no match for their forces. Being
driven from his position at the first onset, he retreated to his camp;
nor was that the end of his danger; for both on the next night and the
following day, his camp was beset and assaulted with such vigour that
not even a messenger could be despatche